David Duneman

Expository Writing

Joe Serio

3/3/13

M*A*S*H

            Mash is a very subtle humorous movie that took a few viewings to get used to. The first time I watched it I turned it off after about twenty minutes but the second time I was actually laughing out loud, I guess I was paying more attention the second time around. It starts off really strong with the theme song “Suicide is Painless”, by Johnny Mandel and Mike Altman. This song definitely kept me watching when my attention was straying. The first scene after the opening theme song was of Radar and a General obliviously talking at the same time with a helicopter in front of them. This seemed to be a common theme in the movie; people talk at the same time not listening to the other person. They throw in some good jokes in the moments where there’s chaos in the peoples conversations. For example, when all the surgeons are meeting each other, everyone is saying their name and occupation and the final guy says “John Black, I’ll be passing gas for you”, it’s a subtle joke but not enough just to where you have to notice it. A good proportion of jokes are subtle like this example. Mash doesn’t seem to have very many boundaries in their jokes. For example, Hawkeye calls his black commanding officer racist when he gives him a command, which is a very touchy joke to be telling. I think the situation the characters are in allows for the non-boundary challenged jokes that are portrayed.

A good amount of subtle humor occurs in the surgery room as well. The surgeons are always joking and talking casually to each other while working on a patient that could possible die any minute. Also, when the lights go out in the surgery room, it creates some situational comedy.

Many jokes come from Major Hot Lips character as well. She takes her job a little too seriously so the boys are always pulling pranks on her. The first prank, which gave her the nickname Hot Lips, Radar puts a microphone under the bed when Franks Burns and Hot Lips are having sex and puts in on the intercom. So this makes Hot Lips subject to ridicule whenever someone wants to ridicule her.

Franks Burns was also subject to ridicule as well. He was a representation of “blind-followers” of religious faith. He would never take responsibility when a patient would die, he would either say it was God’s will or blame it on somebody else. My favorite part with Frank Burns was when he attacked Hawkeye and was sent off in a strait-jacket. This is showing that some religious fans are kind of crazy.

Another favorite part of mine was their martini maker. They have an under-age, private martini maker, which is a play on under-age drinking.

I thought it was weird that Mash is a war movie but doesn’t show any war fighting moments. But then I realized that the football game represented a kind of ending battle scene. Good movie, I’d recommend it.