mistermikev wrote:but you'd never get away with a movie like that today.
Depends what you mean when you say "like that".
Some of the specific jokes wouldn't read as well today, but the intent of the slams would.
I remember in one of his movies (Blazing Saddles) there was a line which was just plain abusive to anyone with African heritage ("Nobody move or the n***** gets it!). I remember how hard everyone laughed at it. But the laughter was a little nervous coming from some of the white people in the room. It was clear the joke was aimed at the bigots, not the ethnic group. The whole gag pretty much rubbed your nose in Mel Brooks opinion that bigots are stupid.
I think there are others who use the same technique today. The specific jokes are different and they give it their own, special style. But the intent is fundamentally the same. Have you seen an Eddie Murphy movie lately? The man is at his funniest when he's riffing on stereotypes.
You don't work music, you play it.
Discipline is not the enemy of fun.