The Credibility Gap

The Credibility Gap
For the political term, see Credibility gap.

The Credibility Gap was a satirical comedy team comprising Harry Shearer, Richard Beebe, David L. Lander and Michael McKean.[1] Lew Irwin, John Gilliland, Thom Beck, and Len Chandler also performed in their early days. They emerged in the late 1960s doing comedic commentary on the news for the Los Angeles AM rock radio station KRLA 1110, and proceeded to develop more elaborate and ambitious satirical routines on the "underground" station KPPC-FM, Pasadena, California.

Lew Irwin and The Credibility Gap with (left to right) John Gilliland, Thom Beck, Len Chandler, Richard Beebe, and Lew Irwin from An Album of Political Pornography

Contents

History

Lew Irwin and The Credibility Gap

KRLA 1110 news director Lew Irwin formed The Credibility Gap in 1968 with his radio colleagues John Gilliland, Thom Beck, Richard Beebe, and folk singer Len Chandler. They took their name from the Vietnam-era term Credibility gap, a euphemism for political dishonesty, and broadcast their comedy along with the news on KRLA. [2] In 1968, they released An Album Of Political Pornography for Blue Thumb.[3]

The Credibility Gap

The Credibility Gap with (left to right) Harry Shearer, David L. Lander and Michael McKean from A Great Gift Idea. Not pictured: Richard Beebe.

In 1969, they performed on KRLA's Pop Chronicles music documentary,[4][5] where their lineup included Bob Goodwin.[6][7] As radio professionals left the group, the group came to be dominated by comedians.[1][8] KRLA dropped the show in 1970.[9][10][11] Mark Deming writes of this transition:

[I]n late 1968, Thom Beck left the group, and Lew Irwin followed in early 1969 ... . Joining the Credibility Gap in their absence were Harry Shearer ... and David L. Lander... . By 1970, Len Chandler and John Gilliland had drifted away from the Credibility Gap, and ... Michael McKean, had joined the team, though the troupe's relationship with KRLA had soured and their show had been shrunk from 15 minutes to a mere 180 seconds. However, after Shearer landed a side gig as a disc jockey on an FM "free form" outlet, KPPC, the Credibility Gap found a new home on the station, and the group's satire gained both sharpness and depth.[2]

They were fired by KPPC-FM in 1971.[11] Then they started performing in various clubs and concert venues.[12] Harry Shearer writes of this time: "the radio years were followed by two records we'll still speak about--1974's 'A Great Gift Idea' (Reprise), and 1975's 'The Bronze Age of Radio' (Waterhouse)".[1]

After The Credibility Gap

The group disbanded in 1976, but the members have had occasion to work together since—notably the pairings of McKean and Lander as Lenny and Squiggy on the situation comedy Laverne & Shirley (recording an album in character as "Lenny and the Squigtones") and Shearer and McKean as members of the mock-rock band Spinal Tap. Three of the surviving members (Shearer, McKean, and Lander) held a reunion at the Museum of Television and Radio in 1999.[13]

Discography

Lew Irwin and The Credibility Gap

  • An Album of Political Pornography (Blue Thumb, 1968)[3]

The Credibility Gap

  • Woodshtick and More (1971)
  • A Great Gift Idea (Reprise, 1974)
  • The Bronze Age of Radio (Waterhouse, 1977)
  • Floats & A Great Gift Idea (Double LP) (Sierra, 1979)

References

  1. ^ a b c "Projects : Radio". Harry Shearer. http://www.harryshearer.com/projects/radio/#the_credibility_gap. Retrieved 2009-08-13. 
  2. ^ a b Deming, Mark. "The Credibility Gap". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p149. Retrieved 2008-01-02. 
  3. ^ a b "Magic of JuJu: Political Porno". Magicofjuju.blogspot.com. 2006-12-21. http://magicofjuju.blogspot.com/2006/12/political-porno.html. Retrieved 2009-04-14. 
  4. ^ Hopkins, Jerry (October 4, 1969). "'Pop Chronicles' Chronicle Pop". Rolling Stone (43): p. 34. 
  5. ^ "Index to "Pop Chronicles" — University of North Texas Libraries". Library.unt.edu. 2008-07-24. http://www.library.unt.edu/resolveuid/9a257a0034dece5971cffe527a8a057b. Retrieved 2009-04-14. 
  6. ^ "Show 34 - Revolt of the Fat Angel: American musicians respond to the British invaders. [Part 2] : UNT Digital Library". Digital.library.unt.edu. 1969-08-03. http://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc19793/m1/. Retrieved 2011-01-12. 
  7. ^ "X-Files chief not moving". Vancouver Sun. April 20, 1998. http://www.mjq.net/xfiles/goodwin.htm. Retrieved 2007-06-15. 
  8. ^ "An interview with Shearer, Lander and McKean". L.A. Weekly. November 12-18, 1999. Archived from the original on 2003. http://web.archive.org/web/2003*/http://www.laweekly.com/ink/99/51/tv-lloyd.php. 
  9. ^ Murphy, Mary B (Jun 17, 1970). "Credibility Gap Trio Dismissed by KRLA". L.A. Times: p. F18. http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/600846352.html?dids=600846352:600846352&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&date=Jun+17%2C+1970&author=MARY+B+MURPHY&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&desc=Credibility+Gap+Trio+Dismissed+by+KRLA&pqatl=google. 
  10. ^ Murphy, Mary (1970-07-26). "The Credibility Gap-KRLA Battle". Pqasb.pqarchiver.com. http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/662818672.html?dids=662818672:662818672&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&type=historic&date=Jul+26%2C+1970&author=&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&desc=The+Credibility+Gap--KRLA+Battle&pqatl=google. Retrieved 2010-02-23. 
  11. ^ a b "Albums by The Credibility Gap". Rate Your Music. 1971-10-23. http://rateyourmusic.com/artist/the_credibility_gap. Retrieved 2009-04-14. 
  12. ^ Plume, Kenneth (2000-02-10). "Interview with Harry Shearer (Part 1 of 4)". IGN. http://movies.ign.com/articles/035/035860p1.html. Retrieved 2009-04-30. 
  13. ^ Lloyd, Robert (1999-11-18). "Film+TV - Sketch Artists". LA Weekly. http://www.laweekly.com/1999-11-18/film-tv/sketch-artists/2. Retrieved 2009-04-15. 

External links


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем решить контрольную работу

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Credibility gap — Alternate use: The Credibility Gap, name of a comedy team Credibility gap is a political term that came into wide use during the 1960s and 1970s. At the time, it was most frequently used to describe public skepticism about the Lyndon B. Johnson… …   Wikipedia

  • credibility gap — noun 1. a. : lack of trust a special credibility gap is likely to open between the generations Kenneth Keniston b. : lack of believability a credibility gap created by contradictory official statements Samuel Ellenport 2. : dis …   Useful english dictionary

  • credibility gap — noun Date: 1966 1. a. lack of trust < a credibility gap between generations > b. lack of believability < a credibility gap created by contradictory official statements Samuel Ellenport > 2. discrepancy …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • credibility gap — /ˌkredɪ bɪlɪti gæp/ noun a discrepancy between claims for a product made by the manufacturer and acceptance of these claims by the target audience ● The credibility gap that we face is partly due to our product’s bad performance record. ⇒ source… …   Marketing dictionary in english

  • credibility gap —    The extent of disbelief, of the difference between what you are asked to believe and what you are able to believe, is call a credibility gap.     The growing credibility gap may lead to a serious loss of votes in the next elections …   English Idioms & idiomatic expressions

  • credibility gap —    the extent to which you are thought to be lying    Or, which is more honourable, reluctant to come to terms with unpalatable truth. The phrase comes from US strategic analysis in the 1950s and was used in this sense by Gerald Ford in 1966 when …   How not to say what you mean: A dictionary of euphemisms

  • credibility gap — ☆ credibility gap n. 1. an apparent disparity between what is said and the actual facts 2. the inability to have one s statements accepted as factual or one s professed motives accepted as the true ones …   English World dictionary

  • credibility gap — N SING A credibility gap is the difference between what a person says or promises and what they actually think or do. British economic policy has had a credibility gap since the ERM suspension …   English dictionary

  • credibility gap — 1. a lack of popular confidence in the truth of the claims or public statements made by the federal government, large corporations, politicians, etc.: a credibility gap between the public and the power company. 2. a perceived discrepancy between… …   Universalium

  • credibility gap — {n.}, {hackneyed phrase}, {politics} An apparent discrepancy between what the government says and what one can observe for oneself. * /There was a tremendous credibility gap in the USA during the Watergate years./ …   Dictionary of American idioms

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
https://en-academic.com/dic.nsf/enwiki/629184 Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”