You're tuned to the good stuff
Senator Tankerbell
SKETCH-O-VISION
A VERY GOOD USE OF YOUR TIME.
The setup
Watch on YouTube
Watch onYouTube
The premise
Here’s the bit.
Checking in with David Cross from a Georgia folk festival, Senator Howell Tankerbell turns his attention to Ole Swerdlow’s wooden dancing puppet. A demonstration of traditional folk art becomes an excuse to condemn the festival’s crafts and threaten to shut it down. Tankerbell’s determination to protect the public reveals his own fixation.
The funny people
Meet the cast. 3
Say it with us
Highly quotable.
Just make with the art.
It’s like a pioneer porn shop in here.
Behind the scenes
The people who made it.
Troy Miller
Director
John Moffitt
Director
Script
Automatically generated script; wording may contain errors. Speaker labels are inferred.
- 00:00
David Cross
Please, the collar, please, please.
- 00:01
Senator Howell Tankerbell
Oh, oh, hold it. Let me get that for you. Uh, there, that should take care of it.
- 00:06
David Cross
Thank you, thank you.
- 00:07
Senator Howell Tankerbell
You're welcome. Now, you know, uh, you're supposed to tell me before you get on stage.
- 00:12
David Cross
Yes, sir, I'm sorry. I thought you were out of town. I-I thought you were gonna be...
- 00:15
Senator Howell Tankerbell
Well, I am. I'm very busy. I'm with all you artists. I'm busier than a high-priced whore at an electronics convention. Right now, I'm in Valdosta, Georgia for the annual folk festival in Jellioff. I'm supposed to be a judge of art, et cetera.
- 00:30
Senator Howell Tankerbell
Who are you? What do you want about? Come on.
- 00:33
Ole Swerdlow
Well, I'm Old Swerdlow, and this is the Ozark Mountain tradition. The song's story is...
- 00:39
Senator Howell Tankerbell
I-I'll decide what it's called, Old. Just make with the art.
- 00:44
Ole Swerdlow
Well, all righty. Let's get Limberlegs on up there. Old Limberlegs went walking down to Old Miller's Creek And when he saw that big old cow He jumped back in the sink Go, limberlegs!
- 00:57
Senator Howell Tankerbell
All right, now, stop that, old stopper. Now, I'm very sorry you had to see this, folks. Now, old Mr. Limberlegs ain't wearing no clothes. I find myself to be aroused and titillated by all this.
- 01:08
Ole Swerdlow
Well, Senator, this is a tradition as old as a Georgia sunset.
- 01:12
Senator Howell Tankerbell
Shut up. Shut up, old.
- 01:14
Senator Howell Tankerbell
David, you see what I have to contend with? I got a naked puppet doing a lewd, lascivious fandango on the lap of a full-grown man.
- 01:23
Senator Howell Tankerbell
I got women over here a different candles fell over there. He's got a butter churn It's like a pioneer porn shop in here.
- 01:32
Senator Howell Tankerbell
Close it down boys. Close them down.
- 01:33
Do you get a little right?
- 01:35
Ole Swerdlow
No, well, that's my limit leg
The rabbit hole continues
One more couldn’t hurt.
More from across the archive.
