Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community - View Single Post - Norm Macdonald Dies: Influential Comedian & Former ‘SNL’ Weekend Update Anchor Was 61

Hack&Lube · 09-20-2021, 02:38 PM

I enjoyed this older 2016 article his brother Neil MacDonald (Journalist) wrote about Norm's book.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainmen...book-1.3740268

'Hello, Mr. Becker'

I got it when he, at age 11, was summoned to our living room along with me and my other brother by our father, the school vice-principal, to be introduced to Mr. Becker, the new Grade 6 teacher who moved his lower lip so weirdly when he talked.

There we stood, in our short pants and clip-on ties after Sunday church service, as Mr. Becker, his lower lip moving weirdly, greeted us, one by one: "Hello, Neil. Hello, Leslie. Hello, Norman."

"Hello, Mr. Becker," replied Norm, his lower lip moving weirdly, a perfect Becker impression. My father's upper lip twitched, showing his gold tooth, which was always a bad sign, and I knew it would be bad for Norm later.

But I was in awe. While both of us had already mastered the Becker impression, Norm actually went for the laugh in front of a hostile audience.

Comedy, he writes in the memoir, must always surprise, never pander.

09-20-2021, 02:38 PM	#142
Hack&Lube Atomic Nerd Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Calgary Exp:	I enjoyed this older 2016 article his brother Neil MacDonald (Journalist) wrote about Norm's book. https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainmen...book-1.3740268 'Hello, Mr. Becker' I got it when he, at age 11, was summoned to our living room along with me and my other brother by our father, the school vice-principal, to be introduced to Mr. Becker, the new Grade 6 teacher who moved his lower lip so weirdly when he talked. There we stood, in our short pants and clip-on ties after Sunday church service, as Mr. Becker, his lower lip moving weirdly, greeted us, one by one: "Hello, Neil. Hello, Leslie. Hello, Norman." "Hello, Mr. Becker," replied Norm, his lower lip moving weirdly, a perfect Becker impression. My father's upper lip twitched, showing his gold tooth, which was always a bad sign, and I knew it would be bad for Norm later. But I was in awe. While both of us had already mastered the Becker impression, Norm actually went for the laugh in front of a hostile audience. Comedy, he writes in the memoir, must always surprise, never pander.