Mork Goes Erk

Last updated
"Mork Goes Erk"
Mork & Mindy episode
Episode no.Season 1
Episode 17
Directed byHoward Storm
Written byLloyd Turner
Gordon Mitchell
Cinematography byStephen H. Burum
F. Bud Mautino,
Meredith M. Nicholson
Production codeEpisode 018
Original air dateFebruary 8, 1979 (1979-02-08)
Guest appearances
Morgan Fairchild as Susan
Conrad Janis as Fred 'Fredzo' McConnell
David Letterman as Ellsworth
Episode chronology
← Previous
"Snowflakes Keep Dancing on My Head"		Next →
"Yes Sir, That's My Baby"
List of episodes

"Mork Goes Erk" is the seventeenth episode of the first season of Mork & Mindy . The episode first premiered on ABC on February 8, 1979. [1] "Mork Goes Erk" was later released on VHS on January 1, 1998 as part of a two-episode special which also included "Mork's First Christmas," [2] [3] and on DVD on September 7, 2004 as part of the "Mork & Mindy - The Complete First Season" DVD boxed set. [4]

Contents

In the episode, David Letterman portrayed a self-help group leader by the name of "Ellsworth" offering ERK or Ellsworth Revitalization Konditioning. Mork (Robin Williams) and Mindy (Pam Dawber) attend one of Ellsworth's trainings at the suggestion of their friend Susan (Morgan Fairchild), where they endure Ellsworth's authoritarian brand of group therapy. Mork points out hypocrisy in Ellsworth's teachings, and exposes him as a fraud. The episode has been called a parody of the Erhard Seminars Training or "est" course. The episode received mostly positive reviews, and was highlighted as one of the season's best episodes, along with "Mork's First Christmas" and "Mork's Mixed Emotions". David Letterman's performance as "Ellsworth" also received good reviews.

Plot

At the beginning of the episode, Mork, Mindy and Bickley (Tom Poston) are all sitting around feeling depressed. Mindy has just learned that Mork's supervisor Orson has arranged for Mork to be transferred to another planet, and Bickley is suffering from writer's block. Their friend Susan comes by to visit, and suggests that they all go and attend a seminar on Ellsworth's Revitalization Konditioning. As the guests arrive at the seminar, Ellsworth nervously asks Susan if all of the attendees' checks are in order. He then lays out the rules for the duration of the training, which includes no leaving and no consumption of alcohol. When Bickley hears this, he promptly gets up to leave the seminar.

The attendants of the seminar are then given Ellsworth's harsh version of reality, which has been compared to the tenets of Erhard Seminars Training. Ellsworth preaches a belief in self-adoration, which he says will get rid of emotional highs and lows. Ellsworth centers this goal around the notion of "finding our own space." He utilizes an authoritarian style of control within the group, as a therapeutic method to solve problems. The other attendees at the seminar are shown to be passive consumers looking for any way to fix their personal issues. However, Mork, with his trademark causing of difficulty, begins to question the foundation of the rules of the course, as well as the nature of the philosophical material that Ellsworth has put forth, by pointing out hypocrisy among Ellsworth's own contradictory statements. In the end, Mork wins out over the Ellsworth philosophy by instead calling to mind universal humanistic moral values. Ellsworth dismisses Mork's victory over his methodology, exclaiming: "I've got my Rolls-Royce!" Mork wins a moral victory-and Ellworth, it turns out, has had his Rolls-Royce stolen. [1] [5] [6] [7]

Cultural references

David Letterman portrays Ellsworth, a parody of Werner Erhard. David Letterman 2012.jpg
David Letterman portrays Ellsworth, a parody of Werner Erhard.

In a 1982 article in the journal Theory & Society, Lewis & Clark College sociology professor Robert Goldman compared and contrasted Letterman's "Ellsworth" character and his training program to that of Werner Erhard's course Erhard Seminars Training. Goldman noted that the episode spent time: "lampooning Werner Erhard and est-like commercial pop psychologies." However, Goldman went on to note that the inherent problem with "Ellsworth Revitalization Konditioning" was not the training - but Ellsworth himself. [5]

Ellsworth is seen as a parody of consumerism: "As the self-help entrepreneur, Ellsworth is portrayed as a walking collection of lifestyle-status points and sign-values...Conspicuous consumption and commodity fetishism define his personality." Goldman explained that the Mork and Mindy episode succeeded in distinguishing between criticism of the Ellsworth training, and criticism of Ellsworth, citing Ellsworth's character traits of: "tyranny, selfishness, open greed, and flaunting of the accoutrements of his vulgar money-making." [5]

Reception

TV Guide's 2005 book TV Guide: The Ultimate Resource to Television Programs on DVD highlighted "Mork Goes Erk" as one of three "Classic Episodes" of the first season, including "Mork's First Christmas", and "Mork's Mixed Emotions". [7] Matthew Tobey of Allmovie wrote that the episode was most notable because of David Letterman's appearance before he became more well known. [1] Donald Liebenson of Amazon.com also cited David Letterman's performance as: "an abusive EST-like guru" as one of the more memorable parts of the Season One DVD boxed set, but thought that the highlight of the season was the episode "Mork's Mixed Emotions." [8] The Dallas Morning News also praised Letterman's performance as a "shady motivational speaker," commenting that the episode was a way for Letterman to hone his "smarminess" before his later work on Late Show with David Letterman . [9] Jonathan Boudreaux of tvdvdreviews.com described Letterman as "a flakey EST-like guru," and called the episode itself "disjointed." [10]

See also

Related Research Articles

Erhard Seminars Training was an organization founded by Werner Erhard in 1971 that offered a two-weekend course known officially as "The est Standard Training". The purpose of the training is to help one to recognize that the situations, which seem to be holding them back in life, are working themselves out within the process of life itself. The seminar aimed to "transform one's ability to experience living so that the situations one had been trying to change or had been putting up with clear up just in the process of life itself".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Werner Erhard</span> American author, lecturer, founder "est"

Werner Hans Erhard is an American author and lecturer known for founding est. In 1985, Erhard replaced the est Training with a newly designed program, the Forum. Since 1991, the Forum has been kept up to date and offered by Landmark Education. He has written, lectured, and taught on self-improvement.

<i>Mork & Mindy</i> American television sitcom (1978–1982)

Mork & Mindy is an American television sitcom that aired on ABC from September 14, 1978, to May 27, 1982. A spin-off after a highly successful episode of Happy Days, "My Favorite Orkan", it starred Robin Williams as Mork, an extraterrestrial who comes to Earth from the planet Ork, and Pam Dawber as Mindy McConnell, his human friend, roommate, and eventual love interest.

<i>Happy Days</i> American television sitcom (1974–1984)

Happy Days is an American television sitcom that aired first-run on the ABC network from January 15, 1974, to July 19, 1984, with a total of 255 half-hour episodes spanning 11 seasons. Created by Garry Marshall, it was one of the most successful series of the 1970s. The series presented an idealized vision of life in the 1950s and early 1960s Midwestern United States, and it starred Ron Howard as Richie Cunningham, Henry Winkler as his friend Fonzie, and Tom Bosley and Marion Ross as Richie's parents, Howard and Marion Cunningham. Although it opened to mixed reviews from critics, Happy Days became successful and popular over time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jonathan Winters</span> American comedian, actor, artist (1925–2013)

Jonathan Harshman Winters III was an American comedian, actor, author, television host, and artist. He started performing as a stand up comedian before transitioning his career to acting in film and television. Winters received numerous accolades including two Grammy Awards, and Primetime Emmy Award as well as a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960, the American Academy of Achievement in 1973, and the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 1999.

<i>My Hero</i> (British TV series) British TV sitcom (2000–2006)

My Hero is a British television sitcom, created by Paul Mendelson, and produced for the BBC between 2000 and 2006. The series follows the exploits of an alien superhero known as "Thermoman" - a multi-powered superhero who originates from the planet Ultron - during his time between missions after falling in love with a British nurse he rescued. Although incredibly intelligent amongst his kind, Thermoman is unfamiliar with human life, which not only leads others to consider him dim-witted and idiotic, but also causes problems due to his many misunderstandings.

<i>Semi-Tough</i> 1977 US sports comedy film by Michael Ritchie

Semi-Tough is a 1977 American sports comedy film directed by Michael Ritchie and starring Burt Reynolds, Kris Kristofferson, Jill Clayburgh, Robert Preston, Lotte Lenya, and Bert Convy. It is set in the world of American professional football.

<i>Drawn Together</i> Adult animated television series and sitcom

Drawn Together is an American adult animated sitcom created by Dave Jeser and Matt Silverstein for Comedy Central. It premiered on October 27, 2004. The series is a parody of house-based reality shows such as The Real World, The Surreal Life, and Big Brother, and follows the misadventures of the housemates in the fictional show of the same name and uses a sitcom format with a reality TV show setting.

<i>Whats New, Scooby-Doo?</i> American animated television series

What's New, Scooby-Doo? is an American animated television series produced by Warner Bros. Animation for Kids' WB. It is the ninth incarnation of the Scooby-Doo franchise that began with Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! and the first Scooby-Doo series in a decade, since A Pup Named Scooby-Doo ended in 1991 and the first since both the foreclosure of Hanna-Barbera studios and William Hanna's death in 2001.

<i>Perfect Strangers</i> (TV series) American comedy television series

Perfect Strangers is an American sitcom that ran for eight seasons, from March 25, 1986, to August 6, 1993, on the ABC television network. Created by Dale McRaven, the series chronicles the rocky coexistence of midwestern American Larry Appleton and his distant cousin from eastern Mediterranean Europe, Balki Bartokomous.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Treehouse of Horror V</span> 6th episode of the 6th season of The Simpsons

"Treehouse of Horror V" is the sixth episode of the sixth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the fifth episode in the Treehouse of Horror series. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 30, 1994, and features three short stories titled "The Shinning", "Time and Punishment", and "Nightmare Cafeteria".

"The Contest" is the 51st episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. The eleventh episode of the fourth season, it aired on November 18, 1992. In the episode, Jerry, George, Elaine, and Kramer hold a contest to determine who can go for the longest time without masturbating.

"Grampa vs. Sexual Inadequacy" is the tenth episode of the sixth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It was first broadcast on the Fox network in the United States on December 4, 1994. In the episode, Homer and Marge's sex life wanes, so Grampa restores it with a homemade revitalizing tonic. He and Homer travel town-to-town selling the elixir, but they are estranged after Grampa reveals that Homer's conception was unintentional.

"The Injury" is the twelfth episode of the second season of the American comedy television series The Office and the show's eighteenth episode overall. The episode was written by Mindy Kaling, who also acts in the show as Kelly Kapoor, and directed by Bryan Gordon. "The Injury" first aired in the United States on January 12, 2006, on NBC. The episode guest starred Marcus York as Billy Merchant.

"Male Unbonding" is the fourth episode of the first season of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld and aired on June 14, 1990. Despite airing fourth, it was the second episode produced.

The Plan (<i>Six Feet Under</i>) 3rd episode of the 2nd season of Six Feet Under

"The Plan" is the third episode of the second season of the HBO series Six Feet Under. The episode was written by Kate Robin and was directed by Rose Troche. It first aired on March 17, 2002. The episode features a parody of the program used by est and The Forum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">EST and The Forum in popular culture</span> Training sessions in pop culture

Werner Erhard and his courses have been referenced in popular culture in various forms of fictional media including literature, film, television and theatre. The original course, known as est, was delivered by the company Erhard Seminars Training (est). Under the name The Forum, they were delivered by Werner Erhard and Associates. Also, the Landmark Forum, a program created by Erhard's former employees after purchasing his intellectual property, has had an influence on popular culture. Some of these works have taken a comedic tack, parodying Erhard and satirizing the methodology used in these courses.

<i>The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy</i> (season 1) First season of American animated television series The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy

The first season of the American animated television series The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy originally aired on Cartoon Network in the United States from August 24, 2001, to October 22, 2004. It consisted of 18 episodes, including the 49 Grim & Evil episodes, one exclusive episode, and the half-hour Halloween special, in which Billy, Mandy, and Grim face against Jack O'Lantern. The 2003 episodes were also produced originally for Grim & Evil, but were only aired as part of the series, due to Cartoon Network and Maxwell Atoms having a decision to split Grim & Evil into two separate shows in 2003.

"My Favorite Orkan" is the 22nd episode of the fifth season of the 1970s television sitcom Happy Days, making it the 110th episode overall. It is notable for introducing Robin Williams to a larger audience. The actor's popular appearance in this episode led to the spin-off series Mork & Mindy, which was based on his character.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Tobey, Matthew. "Mork & Mindy: Mork Goes Erk". Allmovie . All Media Guide, LLC. Archived from the original on 2006-04-26. Retrieved 2007-10-29.
  2. ↑ Staff (September 10, 1995). "Laugh Again With TV's Top Comedies". The Washington Post .
  3. ↑ "Mork & Mindy Volume 2: Mork's First Christmas/Mork Goes Erk (1978)", Paramount Studios, January 1, 1998, 50 minutes.
  4. ↑ "Mork & Mindy - The Complete First Season", Paramount Studios, September 4, 2004, UPC: 097360537949
  5. 1 2 3 Goldman, Robert (May 1982). "Hegemony and Managed Critique in Prime-Time Television: A Critical Reading of "Mork and Mindy"". Theory & Society. Hosted, Lewis & Clark College. 11: 363–388, Part 4. doi:10.1007/BF00211662. S2CID   140808952. Archived from the original on 2007-11-02. Retrieved 2007-10-29.
  6. ↑ ""Mork & Mindy" Mork Goes Erk (1979)". Internet Movie Database . Amazon.com . Retrieved 2007-10-29.
  7. 1 2 TV Guide (2005). TV Guide: The Ultimate Resource to Television Programs on DVD. St. Martin's Griffin. p. 166. ISBN   0-312-35150-X.
  8. ↑ Liebenson, Donald (2004). "Mork & Mindy - The Complete First Season (1978): Amazon.com essential video". Amazon.com . Amazon.com, Inc. pp. Editorial Reviews. Retrieved 2007-10-29.
  9. ↑ Staff (November 5, 2004). "Mork & Mindy". Dallas Morning News .
  10. ↑ Boudreaux, Jonathan (September 2, 2004). "Mork & Mindy: The Complete First Season DVD Review". tvdvdreviews.com. 2003-2007 tvdvdreviews.com, in association with Amazon.com. Archived from the original on September 4, 2004. Retrieved 2007-10-29.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.