An interview with my brother about Vic and Sade

I live with my older brother (he's 11 years older than me).  His name is Jerry.

Jerry is an old time radio fan who, until July of this year, had never even heard of Vic and Sade.

I gifted him with an iPod and crammed it full of all kinds of OTR, which he listens to at night, every night.  One of things I put on there was, of course, Vic and Sade.

He's heard only about 60 episodes, in random order.

I recently asked him a few questions about the show and thought I'd share our conversation...

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Jimbo - You've heard a great many Vic and Sade shows now over the past four months.  How does it compare with other old-time radio?

Jerry - It's not like any of the other shows I've heard.  It's not like the comedies at all, yet, it's a comedy.  They don't tell jokes or set each other up.  There's no straight man, there's no comedian... although Vic seems to think he's a comedian.  Vic is funny, there's no doubt.  Rush is funny too.  And, oh, Uncle Fletcher is the funniest.  Yet they don't try to be funny.  It's absurdity in a normal world.  No one seems to be paying attention to each other, like they are in their own little worlds.

Jimbo - I've said the same thing!  Gee we are a lot alike.

Jerry - Cool.

Jimbo - Okay, Vic is the comedian huh?

Jerry - Well, he's the clown, anyway.  He is the fall guy too.  Nothing much ever seems to go his way.  His lodge stuff is always messed up, you know?

Jimbo - Oh, I know!

Jerry - And I'm sure you'll ask me about Rush next...  Rush is an awesome kid.  I can see through his eyes.  I enjoy his enthusiasm and his big ideas but in the end, he's a kid and gets treated like a kid.

Jimbo - Is it wrong that a child like Rush gets treated like a kid, even though he uses grandiose words and has huge ideas?

Jerry - No.  He is a kid.  If his ideas were really followed through, there would be tiny disasters everywhere, or at the least, constant fodder for the newspaper gossip columnists.  Rush is kept under control by Vic and Sade, no matter that you think he is too tempered.  They know what they are doing... he doesn't.  Tattoo artist at a party?  Ha!

Jimbo - Okay.  Now let's turn to Sade.

Jerry - Sade's pretty usual... that is, other than her constant exaggerations, she's actually pretty normal.   That's not to say that I dislike her because I don't.  I don't really like her either, though.  She's the stabilizing force though.  Without her, the men go crazy and burn down Illinois - or at least stay out and about all hours of the day and not go to school, work and other daily duties.  Plus, the dishes never get done.  She's the mother, the wife and warden.

Jimbo - Okay, how about Uncle Fletcher?

Jerry - Well, as I have told you before, he's my favorite character.  Probably my favorite character on any radio program as well.  He's crazy, and that craziness is only there so people will pay attention to him.  When they don't pay attention to him, he tries another thing.  If that doesn't work, he tries another.  Sometimes, nothing works and he gets mad or pouty.  He's like you, Jimbo.

Jimbo - Hey...

Jerry - He's like a lot of older people.  They have experiences and want and need to be heard.  I, for one, enjoy the company of these type of people, both male and female.  They are wonderful, exciting, funny people.  You can learn and laugh with them and really, that's what makes a day worth living sometimes.  And there is no one like the uncle.  That guy is kooky.  But so much fun.  I enjoy it when you dig out one of those audio stories from your website where I can recall and listen again just what he is saying.  The stuff he says is so much fun.  I wish I had an uncle like that.  Actually, I did.  Uncle Wayne was like that.  But he died when you were five and you don't remember him much.

Jimbo - I remember him.  He had a monkey, a mail truck and I remember he ran over a big frog and he got out and cut the legs off and we went home and fried them up.

Jerry - Yep.  And Uncle Fletcher was that kind of guy too.  Everyone has an Uncle Fletcher.  And if they don't, they need to go and find someone and adopt them to be their Uncle Fletcher - or Aunt Fletcher!

Jimbo - I agree.  So, you enjoy the series then?

Jerry - I've enjoyed it from Day One.  And I can't wait to hear more.