In this story, Professor LeBlanc is cracking up because of his inability to teach Jack Benny to play the violin. A psychiatrist explains this to Jack, who demonstates that it hasn't been a waste of time and effort, by playing an intricate piece beautifully, and snapping LeBlanc out of his mood,showing he is a success after all.
When he leaves, Jack explains to the doctor that he's been able to play well all along, but just doing off-key performances for comedy on his programmes, and asks him to keep it a secret.
Serious logic questions arise: So if it's all a gag, why is LeBlanc having a breakdown, is'nt he himself just a gag, played by Mel Blanc? So then, what plain of reality are we on, where real life and fantasy happen at the same time? They shouldn't. Also, why did they sacrifice a pretence we in the audience have invested years of acceptence in, for a fleeting, unworthy punchline?
Accepting that the viewer considers himself part of "Real Life", and what we see in a broad farce comedy series like Jack's is strictly make believe, it seems to be saying something about rising above the well-loved, but silly tropes of Jack's created world, that he is really a serious occupant of "Real Life" too. On these terms, it breaks down the division. If he's forsaking the fantasy acting world, than has just been putting some kind hoax over on us?
When he leaves, Jack explains to the doctor that he's been able to play well all along, but just doing off-key performances for comedy on his programmes, and asks him to keep it a secret.
Serious logic questions arise: So if it's all a gag, why is LeBlanc having a breakdown, is'nt he himself just a gag, played by Mel Blanc? So then, what plain of reality are we on, where real life and fantasy happen at the same time? They shouldn't. Also, why did they sacrifice a pretence we in the audience have invested years of acceptence in, for a fleeting, unworthy punchline?
Accepting that the viewer considers himself part of "Real Life", and what we see in a broad farce comedy series like Jack's is strictly make believe, it seems to be saying something about rising above the well-loved, but silly tropes of Jack's created world, that he is really a serious occupant of "Real Life" too. On these terms, it breaks down the division. If he's forsaking the fantasy acting world, than has just been putting some kind hoax over on us?
