40-12-13 H. K. Fleeber's 48 Teeth

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND BILL IDELSON

Vic has been given the opportunity to write for the Kitchenware Quarterly, The subject: H.K. Fleeber's 48 teeth, each from a different state in the union!

MIS' CROWE SAYS:
Vic is stuck writing another human-interest article for the Kitchenware Dealers’ Quarterly magazine. Rush, however, notices something awry in the article’s premise…

This is one of my favorites. It is a classic absurd Rhymerian premise and it has lots of very pleasing turns of phrase, my favorites being Rush’s dramatic “In the human mouth, Gov…” and Sade’s description of H.K. Fleeber opening his mouth and showing everybody “nine bushels of teeth.”

Like many of Paul Rhymer’s best premises, this one is not only ridiculous but also vaguely unsettling. Anything to do with dental work gives most people a little frisson of fear and loathing, and the idea that H.K. Fleeber may have had healthy teeth removed to get the job done is pretty ghoulish, especially when you consider the general state of dentistry at this time — I don’t know about all H.K. Fleeber’s dentists in all 48 states, but I know that when my dad was a kid in the 60s his dentist didn’t consider anesthesia a necessity. And then when Rush reminds us all that human beings have 32 teeth, and you think about the crowding in there, and the way he must look when he flashes a big smile…yeesh! Nightmare fuel, for sure.

In researching this episode I learned a new medical term, “hyperdontia,” which I suggest you do not Google image search, and also found the Guinness World Records entry for “Most teeth in a mouth." The record is shared by a lady from India and a lady from Italy, both of whom have thirty-five teeth. However, there are unconfirmed reports in the comments section of people with thirty-six, thirty-eight, and even forty-two teeth. Looks like H.K. Fleeber, with his forty-eight, still has the last laugh.

SEE THE SCRIPT (transcribed by Lydia Crowe)

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Another ridiculous premise from writer Paul Rhymer. This why we keep coming back to Vic and Sade - these ridiculous ideas and the silly names.

Trivia:

+ The letter written to Vic from the Kitchenware Quarterly was co-signed by G.J. Gick and G. Tillman Feed.

+ H.K. Fleeber is from Grovelman, South Carolina.  After lots of looking, I can find no such place.

+ While researching an opening line for his article, Vic reads that I.O. Flubber proposed to Opal Wheeler of the Maintenance Department.

+ Vic realizes the money-making potential in writing; after all, Jerry Richard Sickbrain of Plant 18 writes poetry gets 75 cents for every stanza he turns out.

+ Rush points out that humans only have 32 teeth and wonders how Fleeber could have 48 teeth.

+ Vic offers to send Sade and Rush to see the Gloria Golden, Four-Fisted Frank Fuddleman film, "I Shall Love Thee Evermore, Lieutenant Corporal Glush."

+ The sound quality of this episode is excellent.

Rush suggests how to fill up space for the article: {{{HEAR}}}

Download the complete commercial-free, sound-improved episode!