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What happens when you put together a master of comedy, and a master of viral suspense? You get Mel Brooks and his son, Max, combining their talents to create one of the best coronavirus PSAs to hit the internet since those Wu-Tang Clan flyers! Check out their collaboration, in the video shared below:
Naturally, Max Brooks would know a thing or two about pandemics, as his novel turned film World War Z depicted the societal breakdown, and eventual rebuilding, after a nasty strain of bug turns most of the world into the undead. But what makes this video even more poignant is that Mel Brooks, Max’s father and comedy icon, is a young and healthy 93 years old; which puts him into one of the age groups most vulnerable to COVID-19.
Leave it to the Brooks boys to tackle this subject with the right amount of humor and insight, as Max Brooks made this short video and posted it on his own Twitter feed to show the world just how serious this crisis is, with a morbidly funny example.
Detailing just how easily this virus could be spread, even by those who are asymptomatic, Max talks about how if he were infected, he’d more than likely be fine. But if he passed the coronavirus along to his father, then he could pass it to friend and collaborator Carl Reiner, who could then pass it to The Dick Van Dyke Show collaborator/dear friend/national treasure, Dick Van Dyke.
So to recap, if Max Brooks was wild and reckless, he could wipe out three national comedy treasures. But, as we’ve seen in this video, he’s not the careless type, and he insists the world take proper precautions to avoid the spread of this heinous bio organism. Which, of course, includes such practices as social distancing, washing your hands at regular intervals, and staying home when possible, while watching only the finest of Mel Brooks’ canon.
Ok, so that last bit is optional, but in a world where fellow celebrities like Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson, as well as Idris Elba and Olga Kurylenko, are finding themselves positive for the COVID-19 virus, that part about staying home is more vital than ever. Still, you’re sitting around on the couch for a while, so isn’t it about time you watched The Producers again?
While it’s sad to report that there are no new Mel Brooks movies on the horizon, and World War Z’s sequel has yet to resurrect itself, there’s still some good news. If you’re a fan of Mel Brooks, you can hear him reunite with Carl Reiner, Carol Burnett, and Betty White in their vocal cameos for Toy Story 4, which is currently available on Digital HD, as well as all physical media formats. Oh, and it recently went to Disney+ too, so if you want to catch that action, you can do so with a free 7-day trial!
As for Max Brooks, his next novel, Devolution, will be available digitally/in stores on May 12th. If you thought the man did something fresh with zombies, he's targeting Bigfoot as his next source of thrills. Last, but not least, that Wu Tang Clan flyer is totally real, and here’s the link to prove it.
