Studio 60 and Pirates of Penzance
Studio 60 had a musical sketch featuring the music from the the Major General’s song from the Pirates of Penzance. It is a popular format for comedy, parody and education. Here are some examples:
Mike Stanfill, Private Hand - Flash Animation - The Elements, by Tom Lehrer
How about a cartoon character:I am the Very Model of a Cartoon Individual
Sung to I am the Very Model of a Modern Major General
from The Pirates of Penzance
Yakko:
I am the very model of a cartoon individual
My animation’s comical, unusual and whimsical
I’m quite adept at funny gags; comedic theory I have read
From wicked puns and stupid jokes to anvils that drop on your head.
I’m very good at fancy dances; I can even pirouette
Then smack the villain with a fish; I know my cartoon etiquette
I can make my face all mean and really give you quite a fright
Then make up with flowers made of real exploding dynamite.
When in a jam I just yell “stop” and villains in their tracks are froze
Then I sneak up and utter “start” and take my hands and honk their nose
I am quite proud to be in such a hierarchial progeny
From Daffy Duck and Tweety Bird to Babs and Buster Bunny.
To suit my mood I can call forth a lot of different sceneries
Like outer space and desert scapes and Himalayan eateries
From this bag here why I can pull most anything imaginable
Like office desks and lava lights and Bert who is a cannibal.
YW+D:
You see, in matters comical, unusual, and whimsical
We are the very model of cartoon individuals!
Then there’s David Hyde Pierce’s Monologue on SNL:
Oh, Kelsey is our show’s big star, I’m number two, that’s only fair
‘Cause he deserves it, even though I’m young and thin and have more hair.”[ four soldiers from the general’s army return to repeat the last two lines in song ]Soldiers: [ singing ]
“Kelsey is the show’s big star, he’s number two, that’s only fair
‘Cause he deserves it, even though he’s young and thin and has more hair.”
While I have not found the transcript of Studio 60’s version of the Major General’s song from Pirates of Penzance, here is the movie version starring Kevin Cline:
Studio 60 NBC Major General’s song Pirates of Penzance Mover Mike
Update:
The amusing thing to me was this is not the first time Sorkin has used it. Once upon a time on West Wing, there was an episode-long debate in the White House with the Attorney General, as played by John Larroquette, as to whether the song was from Penzance or Pinafore.