Whos on First Reaction Video (Abbott & Costello)

In this installment of #wm20sreacts, we have a Who's on First reaction video, by the legendary comedy duo Abbott & Costello. They were pillars of the straight man/foil dynamic, and Who's on First is one of their signatures bits, so it only make sense for us to react to it.
What other videos would y'all like for us to react to?
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About WM20s:
A group of youngsters from varying creative fields looked on social media and had the same sentiment many people their age feel.. they are wasting their twenties.
What started as a series of adventures sprouted a multimedia powerhouse aimed towards creating engaging content as well as shedding light on upcoming artists in any realm.
This Creative Collective out of Long Island, New York goes by Wasting My Twenties... WM20s for short.

[@bornyesterday21]

It's a lot of fun watching young people seeing this for the first time .. I'm 67 and still laugh my ass off.

[@WM20s]

Couldn't help it, these guys are hysterical! we did 7x13 is 28 as well. kzbin.info/www/bejne/sKCaemSciJ5si5o

[@martyemmons8692]

I'm in my 60's; it's 12/20/2021, and I still clicked on this video! Even though I know every nuance of the skit; or maybe because I know, I still laugh. I truly hope Abbott and Costello had as much fun performing it as I had watching it.

[@barryrivadue9228]

Chris Costello, Lou Costello's daughter, has a Facebook page and you'll get a better idea that while A&C had some tragedies, they otherwise were happy in their lives. 🙂

[@klbearsfan1254]

@@martyemmons8692 It doesn't matter how many times you've seen a routine, reactions like this let you relive your first experience. Laughing with someone is always better.

[@d34dR0d3n7]

34 myself, local pizza place back in middle/high-school had a poster of the full script. I'm so sad I didn't get a chance to buy it from them when the place changed owners. Can watch this more than once in a night and still laugh, even better when it's a reaction channel and seeing people enjoy it for the first time. Timeless skit.

[@mr.osclasses5054]

By the time this was recorded (I think it said 1953 at the beginning), they had done that routine for over a decade and had it down to the most minute detail, including Lou Costello smacking himself with the bat. It is considered to be one of, if not the funniest comedy skit ever written and has a place in the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY.

[@WM20s]

I agree. This one's definitely my favorite iteration of the skit. It was so sharp, and timed perfectly!

[@ScornedOne1080]

ANd it gets even better . . . in the 1980s-1990s (forget the date specifically), but there was eventually an Asian baseball player named Hu, and the announcer stated, "Ladies and gentlemen, I'm pleased to announce that Hu is on first." And, even though Abbot and Costello didn't have anything directly related to baseball outside this skit, it's actually listed in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

[@billyboblillybob344]

@@ScornedOne1080 The legendary Vin Scully had the pleasure of making that call for a dodgers game...

[@Babbleplay]

This is their most famous, but, I genuinely think the 'Abbot's brother works for a fabric factory' sketch is even funnier. C: What does your brother do there? A: He dyes for a living. C:He DIES for a living? A: Well, yes; he's good at it; he has years of experience dying. C: For years?!? Why don't they just let him die in peace at home? A: Oh, his wife would never let him dye at home; think of the smell! And if there's any personal dying that needs doing ,she'd do it herself. And so on.

[@mattsnyderARTIST]

Longer than 20. They developed that routine in Burlesque/Vaudville Live prior to on the radio in the 30's

[@TheHillbilly8757]

"Now, that's the first thing you said right." "I DONT EVEN KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!!!"

[@brianlafrazia8237]

It’s insanely clever, and it’s done in ONE TAKE. The comedic genius of these two was incredible. The timing, the inflection in their voices, postures, hand movements - it’s all done with a purpose.

[@catwhowalksbyhimself]

Well, they originally did this in live shows, and this is a live show itself. This was the era many many stars started out on those live shows and transferred to television and movies, so they could do stuff like this with no editing or takes required.

[@katherinehite1635]

There was a baseball player named Hu….announcers said they waited FOREVER to say Hu’s on first!!!!!

[@hifijohn]

Dodgers' Chin-Lung Hu.

[@ronaldbrush8709]

That was Vin Scilly.

[@wdtaut5650]

Chin-Lung Hu played for the Dodgers, got a single and Vin Scully announced, "Hu's on first". Someone went thru baseball rosters and found players named Watt, Tamara, Adono and more, enough to make the whole team for "Who's On First".

[@gwwaz]

Abbott and Costello were masters of timing.

[@ronaldbrush4373]

The most important thing in comedy!

[@kurtwicklund8901]

The ultimate demonstr tion

[@johnmagill7714]

The simplicity of this gag is what makes it so good. These guys were masters with word play.

[@generationalgearhead6664]

Who's on First is one of the best stand up skits in history.

[@joanneperlmutter2038]

Correction! Lucy & Ethel were trying to package candy (not sushi!) when the conveyor belt started moving too fast and they ended up stuffing their mouths! It's heartening to know that these old sketches are incorporated into today's culture so that they never die. Kudos to the originals.

[@TheDivayenta]

Chocolate

[@MT-it9qt]

chocolate covered banana.

[@timothyvandenberg2905]

True Story: In 1986, at the age of 13, I once performed Who's On First for a Talent Show and my partner did NOT show! So I did the entire routine on my own, BY MYSELF!!! I switched hats & changed directions I was facing to represent the different speakers as the conversation/argument continued. The crowd loved it, I won the talent show, and my partner never worked with me again! :)

[@richardarcher3435]

Good grief, that's impressive, well done.

[@lancevaughn432]

Who’s on First, is the best comedy sketch ever written. It’s in the baseball Hall of Fame,

[@kurtwicklund8901]

I bet there is an entire day worth of Who's On First reaction videos. It sill be funny forever.

[@lorinwold6473]

You don't really see very many comedy teams any more. Those were the days of live television where you didn't have second and 3rd takes to get it right. The timing is exquisite they are the only people in the Baseball Hall of Fame that never played, managed, officiated, owned or were in any way connected directly with baseball.

[@CynicalGear]

That I love Lucy episode they were actually trying to wrap candy that was going down a conveyor belt. not sushi

[@lorigrass1]

Right. The wrapped candies were filled chocolates. The kind you usually find in heart shaped boxes of chocolates on Valentines Day. And there is a famous poster photo of Lucy and Ethel, standing in front of the conveyor belt in the chocolate factory, in their workers uniforms with floppy looking big hats, from this episode, with chocolates stuffed in their mouths, that has the caption "Chocolate Filled". Haha. Good stuff.

[@humanstandssans2484]

The sushi probably comes from the Drake and Josh episode that loving remade that old scene, as a sort of send up to that classic I Love Lucy episode.

[@Charles-qm3mo]

Classic rite thurr !

[@DBRONX]

Without a doubt this is the greatest comedy routine ever!

[@loribochantin9257]

Abbott and Costello are legends! So glad ya'll reacted to this. Please check out their skit 7 x 13 = 28, it's a good one!

[@billbammerlin4666]

Another great.

[@Quadrant14]

First done on radio in 1938, this is old guys, brilliance lasts

[@gerardroll6468]

NO ONE could’ve ever pulled this off as brilliantly as these guys did ✊️🤣. I’ve seen some comics try to perform this & make it funny but it just isn’t the same as the classic original & they fail dismally. The original is PRICELESS ⚾️⚾️⚾️

[@ericgerena6042]

Great routine by legendary team Bud Abbot And Lou Costello. Another bit to check out by Abbot & Costello is 7×13 = 28.

[@WM20s]

Boy do we have some good news for you...

[@nowthatisawesome5431]

Yes!! That’s another great one! 🤗♥️

[@adampare8088]

This is taking 1 joke, beating it to death....and it's still hysterical

[@jesuspena8415]

Abbott & Costello did it on one take with all that energy. It was brilliant for this time.

[@georgemartinez7861]

The first base man is Who. Like a name. The little guy thinks it's a word. Abbot, and Costello did this routine all over the country, and it was exact every time.

[@zacg8975]

I'm a young adult guy in his twenties and I love watching things from the old days

[@josephstanton4872]

This is magnificent wordplay, can you imagine how long it took to perfect this! You need to ask the oldest members of family about Bud Abbott and little Lou Costello! I now realise that Ronnie Barker must've learned from them!

[@1719456]

These gentlemen got their first exposure in Vaudeville, as did many stars who became prominent in the 50's & 60's. These routines were repeated over & over for decades, hence the seamlessness of their performance. To their credit, they maintained the same energy & commitment in every performance.

[@williamgause4029]

Who's On First 7x 13=28 Loafing Two Tens For A Five Brilliant Comedy Legacies By Bud Abbott and Lou Costello

[@hollywoodjoe123]

What a great moment in comedy history - thank you for posting this and making the world laugh again and again and again !

[@matthewarcher3024]

Abbot and Castello's 7×13=28. Another classic

[@hp697c]

Wow, don't know why this ended up in my feed but I'm glad it did. It really is a breath of fresh air to see younger generations still enjoying classic vaudeville humor. I would suggest watching some old George Burns and Gracie Allen routines, they were among vaudeville royalty.

[@WM20s]

We’ll look into it them, thank you for watching

[@robertjoseph2535]

The Bickersons as well. Don Ameche and Francis Langford..

[@Zytiron]

When you talk about the sushi scene, you are correct when it came to an homage to the great Lucile Ball *I Love Lucy*, but to correct it, the homage was to an episode where Lucy and Ethel were working a candy conveyor belt and the chocolate candies started coming out too fast, so they both end up stuffing them into their work blouses and filling their cheeks like chipmunks. Awesome reaction, guys.

[@johnwjr7]

I was coming on here to correct them but I guess I'm about a month too late.

[@beandean23]

Speed it up a little.

[@markpotter3963]

This is classic vaudeville interesting that this routine is in the baseball Hall of Fame.

[@bigwillietheb]

No other duo could do this any better than Abbott & Costello , they had this polished down to the shine

[@michaelcoffey1991]

One of the top 3 comic duo's of all time, if humans exist in 4325 this will be fire then. Some of the best timing you will ever see in comedy if you live 100 years. I am so proud you young folk got it and understood how good the bit was in timing and writing

[@ctom1985]

I think you made Abbott and Costello smile in Heaven for enjoying that comedy skit.

[@alvamarsh4290]

Nice to see young guys enjoying something from a bygone era

[@GaiaOne]

I'm so glad to see you fellas enjoy this routine. It's a classic. I'm so damn old, and it was old when I was a little kid.

[@mistergamerguy]

I dont know how old this video actually is, but its awesome seeing 4 guys from today's society appreciating older comedy. Abbott and Costello are awesome :)

[@hammertime615]

Lucy and Ethel were working in a chocolate factory...i still bust a gut watching it lol

[@r.f.switch5847]

Comedians and writers could spend decades trying to match this level of wit and wordplay and never will.

[@lkreinmiller-author]

Love to see you guys enjoying the shows I grew up with. Your generation can keep these geniuses alive.

[@stevemarco8631]

grade school kids could of heard this in grade school it's so clean

[@TheDivayenta]

It’s great to hear those old New York accents! The pacing is so high speed it’s phenomenal.

[@giuseppepandolfo4815]

Really nice to see you young people enjoying the funny stuff we grew up with.

[@markavell7111]

I’m 63 and this the Greatest of all time!!!!!!!

[@Fatherofheroesandheroines]

Nice to see this still cracks people up! This was my Dad's favorite sketch!

[@amosvickers3805]

This is the best play on words routine ever 🤗😝😅😂🤣😝😇

[@WM20s]

100000% & it’s timeless too

[@larrybaby9377]

It is important to note that what we see in this incredible performance is, literally, the tip of a giant iceberg of thinking, writing, analysis, rewriting, testing, rehearsing, re-re-writing, editing, tweaking, re-rehearsing, testing and rewriting, and rehearsing again and again and again, fine-tuning, performing, tweaking, and more rehearsing,,over and over and over. It was, by 1953, literally the work of over a decade,. Every piece of this incredible jigsaw was crafted to perfection, and each piece is placed with perfect timing. It is genius, but it is not just the genius of performance, or the genius produced by a funny or inspired mind. It is, primarily, the genius produced by determined, grinding application. It is the genius produced by sustained focus and serious, hard work. This piece demonstrates as well any creation of the human mind can that genius is, primarily, the art of taking infinite pains.

[@1scrub2]

Intelligent humor. How far we've fallen.

[@Bacopa68]

Also, the "Slowly I Turned" sketch is classic American comedy. It's sometimes called "Martha" or "Niagara Falls". But just look up "slowly I turned".

[@amybottcher8538]

This was great! Thanks for sharing your reactions to a timeless comedy duo!

[@stevedahlberg8680]

Fun reaction. They may not have used profanity but they hinted at it all the time because back then when everything was so much more locked down, everybody knew what was up. Everybody is adult, everybody knows what it's all about. So they just hint at it and it almost makes it more intense. This difficult to wrap your brain around because everything is so much more permissive now but then again it's kind of watered down.

[@anthonyhaylock6655]

Happy to see you guys enjoying this classic comedy routine , it’s def one of the greatest

[@r2-3po24]

Charlie Chaplin did something very similar in a movie called Modern Times. He was trying to tighten bolts on an assembly line. Then Lucy did it with chocolates in a candy factory. Drake and Josh kept it alive with sushi. And in another 20 years someone is going to keep it going. Timeless.

[@WM20s]

Everything old becomes new again

[@diegomartineza86]

Animaniacs did something similar with Slappy the squirrel. She was in a rock festival with her nephew and The Who were performing on stage. Slappy wanted to know who was playing and she kept asking, "What's the name of the band?" Nephew replies, "Who". And well, you know where it goes. It's very funny. It should be on KZbin.

[@diegomartineza86]

Here you go. kzbin.info/www/bejne/g5XUp2iufth5gq8

[@DrTomMD]

Every Sunday morning in the 70’s with toasted Wonder Bread, Land O Lakes whipped butter and Abbott and Costello waiting for dad to wake up. Absolute legends.

[@TheDivayenta]

And Three Stooges, Our Gang, and Laurel and Hardy! 😂

[@xwingred2]

Timeless classics.

[@joanneperlmutter2038]

Everything old is new again! Imagine A and C performed this rapid-fire routine hundreds of times, and their timing was impeccable for every performance. And BTW: in the I Love Lucy sketch with the conveyor belt, it wasn't sushi they were making - they were boxing chocolate candy.

[@Mugthraka]

SOmeone mentioned that a student had to research about this skit. Turns out that through the years, they made over 400 variations and versions of this skit. At the end they din't even need to rehearse or anything,even if they got it wrong, the skit was made in a way that they would always come back to it in a way or another, so they were going on tangents and then bam! they came back to the start and continued with it as nothing happened and no one could tell any different.

[@mikesmith2344]

Classic timing....a true comedy team. Watched all their movies as a child. funny stuff for the times. thanks for posting...

[@princefarron5484]

Most sitcom plot lines are actually taken from I Love Lucy whether they realize it or not. Show still is fantastic and I love rewatching episodes.

[@tomcat8739]

Great reaction fellas. I love Lucy was a chocolate factory had a conveyor belt and they were coming too fast. But you’re right they rehash old comedy bits from back in the day…..

[@skyjust828]

Lucy was making candy. You should see the 1 where she does a commercial for vitamins spoonful type ( which is actually alcohol 😂🤣😂

[@apooyosucks]

"It's tasty too!" 🥄

[@colleenross8752]

Vitametavegimin

[@skyjust828]

Seriously I saw an Irish girl react to this a couple of days ago she was so confused 😕 I figure they don't know baseball over there. This one"s much more entertaining! Love you kids!!!

[@blakesliberator3197]

Classic comedy in Genius form.

[@WM20s]

Indeed it is

[@MBGolfer]

I love lucy was making candies. Glad you rnjoyed this. One of the funniest routines ever. Im 61 and I remember it.

[@marg233]

Funniest🤣calculation it took, no curse words, naturally funny. Thanx guys 💞

[@user-fk2is1bf3e]

This is the greatest comedy skit ever !!!

[@roseterry2744]

Thanks for reaching to my generation's Bud Abbott and Lou Costello(Bud Annott was the straight man and Lou Costello was the cute chubby one!) Several i things that made them the greatest of all time is that the quickness of their deliveries, the way that they reacted/played off to one another, and they didn't have to be vulgar or use any four letter words in order to have you rollin'in the aisles..I really miss those days! Thanks for the memories! "A baby boomer." 😘🙋🌹

[@Dimika-rq3uj]

I always loved this routine no matter how . times I have seen it. The fun here is the first reaction to it. These guys really got it from the beginning. That makes it more fun for me.

[@1Adam20]

@11:48 me and my best friend memorized this routine, me as Bud Abbott, and he, doing Lou Costello. That, in-and-of-itself, was 35 years ago.

[@NoEgg4u]

No teleprompters. No edits. No laugh tracks. Their talent allowed them to do a single take, live, with genuine laughter, and no camera switching. That they stayed in the same frame for the entire skit, gives you the "you are there" experience, and conveys that they were not helped with post recording editing.

[@aaronshackelford6106]

Abbott and constello We're one of the funniest Comedians Of that era

[@tnolddawg]

Lucy & Ethyl were on a line wrapping chocolates 😂

[@joshuacrispino6602]

New subscriber. I'll always hit that like button. In the words of the great I've Cube .. yay YAY!!!

[@gilraenn29]

Love your show. Love watching ur guys reactions.

[@abevillanueva1974]

A classic that is never old...and really love all your reactions!

[@danreed5171]

U dudes are kool.............this is a CLASSIC

[@exuletempus]

when this first came out it was on radio and the first version was all improv

[@jonathanbsmith5178]

I know it's been about 10 months since you've guys reacted to this but it was I Love Lucy the chocolate candy and then Laverne and Shirley did it on their show as well.

[@hamsandwhich666]

I LOVE HOW THEY START WITH THE CLAPPING PART OF CENTERFIELD BY JOHN FOGERTY!!!!!!!!!

[@onenewworldmonkey]

If you really want to see old humor watch Buster Keaton's movie the General. The scene where he is loading the cannon on the train is incredible. Most can't get past the silence.

[@GrouchyOldBear7]

Thanks for the video. I enjoyed it.

[@WM20s]

Anytime Brian thanks for the comment and support !

[@saamegan2985]

Thanks for sharing.. Something to keep min mind that form them, this was an old routine

[@roydownes2458]

it never gets old.

[@jason42080]

The I Love Lucy bit was actually at a Chocolate Factory and Lucy and Ethel were not just throwing Chocolate but also shoveling chocolate pieces into their mouth..and fun fact there was a close call with one of them where one came close to choking on the chocolate because their mouth was so full and laughing

[@jasonballard5988]

I had to do this skit when I was in high school, it took me and my partner a long time to get it down without busting out laughing ourselves

[@danastearns7939]

This comedy skit is in The Baseball Hall of Fame.

[@frankqroosma2372]

In one show Abbott asks to borrow 20 dollars. Costello says I only have 10. Abbott says give me then 10 and you owe me 10". The look on Costello face is classic.

[@Adameia_]

From what i know most of the time their performances of this routine were not identical. There was always some variences because of how well they played off eachother

[@allainef4f]

There’s another version that goes “who’s playing center?” “Who’s playing first!” “STAY OUT OF THE INFIELD!!!”

[@bobbistevens5648]

Fun reaction! I was happy to know that you all were also familiar with the OLD school TV comedy shows they never go out of style

[@mildredpierce4506]

5:08 Lou Costello asks is there’s an outfielder and Bud Abbot responds by saying Naturally. Then Lou asks about the left fielder and Bud says Why. The out fielder is never mentioned again.

[@deantitus9734]

Gentlemen, consider yourselves fortunate to have witnessed PURE COMEDY GOLD!!!!! Every time I see this legendary bit, I can NEVER keep a straight face because I wind up doubling over from laughing so hard and for so long!! This has become the standard by which every comedy routine is judged!! Also, you should check out an episode of the Carol Burnett show that shows Tim Conway talking about Siamese elephants!! Watching this bit will explain everything!! LMAO

[@boone315]

My opinion greatest comedy duo ever

[@partybusexperiance3289]

if you are young, you don't quite get it if you are middle age you laugh If you are 60 or older you realize that you are watching the single greatest comedy routine EVER!

[@burnethedragon7065]

Funny thing is this was late in their career and they flubbed a few parts (probably because it was an older bit for them) but recovered nicely.

[@K9AF]

The first NATIONAL broadcast of this routine by Abbott & Costello happened in 1937 on the Kate Smith Radio Show.

[@jamesfalato4305]

GREAT RECTIONS... KEEP-ON KEEPING-ON...

[@davidpost428]

Most famous comic routine of all time!

[@Buffaloheart68]

Yep as much as I love todays humor, you can't beat the old jokes.

[@mrmjb1960]

Who's On First is in the Baseball Hall Of Fame! They run it constantly!

[@danjoseph7515]

Great reaction, guys, to an all time CLASSIC!

[@WM20s]

Thank you 🙏🏾. We reacted to them playing recently: kzbin.info/www/bejne/g5PZnK2trtqGipI

[@franl155]

I've read that Abbott and Costello are the only two non-baseball players in the Baseball Hall of Fame for this routine.

[@scottreacher4620]

This never gets old. 😉