Charlie Brown Teachers

Know what a Charlie Brown Teacher is?

Here's a definition from the Urban Dictionary:

Refers to the "whaa-whaa-whaa" trombone effect from old Peanuts TV specials, indicating when an adult was speaking.

When Charlie Brown's teacher speaks, you don't know what she is saying.

But, the fact is, it doesn't really matter. We understand the gist of it from the reaction or one-sided dialogue of Charlie Brown or Linus or Peppermint Patty (or which ever member of the Peanuts gang is in trouble).

However, Charles Schultz not the first or only one to use this technique. Another Charlie -- a guy with the last name of Chaplin -- did something very similar (pre-dating the Peanuts gang, of course) in his City Lights (1931).

Take a look at the opening scene:



You don't need to know the exact words the City Official and the Lady with the Flowers. Just by the setting and their actions, you know what is happening.

In Chaplin's case, this was probably his attempt at thumbing his nose at the brand new talkies that were taking Hollywood by storm. In his Little Tramp movies, you didn't need dialogue to make the movie.

As Chaplin (and even the teachers of Charlie Brown) prove, sometimes the spoken word isn't always necessary.

[Photo by: Forty Two]