Boxing is sometimes called a violent ballet. Dr. Michael Dinoff, a professor of psychology at the University of Alabama, said in 1978:
“To me, boxing is like a ballet, with opponents counterpunching and sparring around the ring.”
American comedian Jack Handey skewered this in his book Deep Thoughts (1992):
“To me, boxing is like a ballet, except there’s no music, no choreography, and the dancers hit each other.”
Wikipedia: Jack Handey
Jack Handey (born February 25, 1949) is an American humorist. He is best known for his Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey, a large body of surrealistic one-liner jokes, as well as his “Fuzzy Memories” and “My Big Thick Novel” shorts. Although many people assume otherwise, Handey is a real person, not a pen name or character.
Google News Archive
18 May 1978, Tuscaloosa (AL) News, “Boxing: a misunderstood bloody ballet” by Al Browning, pg. 17, col. 2:
“To me, boxing is like a ballet, with opponents counterpunching and sparring around the ring.”
(Dr. Michael Dinoff, a professor of psychology at the University of Alabama.—ed.)
Amazon.com
Deep Thoughts:
Inspiration for the Uninspired
By Jack Handey
New York, NY: The Berkley Publishing Group
1992
Pg. ?:
To me, boxing is like a ballet, except there’s no music, no choreography, and the dancers hit each other.
Twitter
Humourous QotD
@hqotd
Jack Handy: “To me, boxing is like a ballet, except there’s no music, no choreography, and the dancers hit each other.”
3:00 AM - 18 Nov 2007
Google Books
The 2,320 Funniest Quotes:
The Most Hilarious Quips and One-Liners from AllGreatQuotes.com
Compiled by Tom Corr
Berkeley, CA: Ulysses Press
2011
Pg. 375:
To me, boxing is like a ballet, except there’s no music, no choreography, and the dancers hit each other.—Jack Handy
Google Books
Biteback Dictionary of Humorous Sporting Quotations
By Fred Metcalf
London: BIteback Publishing Ltd
2013
Pg. ?:
To me, boxing is like a ballet, except there’s no music, no choreography, and the dancers hit each other.
Jack Handey, wit
Above, a 1934 plaque from the Big Apple Night Club at West 135th Street and Seventh Avenue in Harlem. Discarded as trash in 2006. Now a Popeyes fast food restaurant on Google Maps.
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Above, Big Apple Corner at 54th Street and Broadway in Manhattan. Google Maps.
Above, John J. Fitz Gerald, from the Aug. 15, 1931, Binghamton (NY) Press, pg. 14.
Listen to Robert Emmerich introduce "The Big Apple," a hit song from 1937. Music written by Bob and performed by Tommy Dorsey's Clambake Seven with Bob on piano. Lyrics written by Buddy Bernier and sung by Edythe Wright. Audio provided by Dorothy Emmerich.
Also listen to a 1937 "The Big Apple" song by Ozzie Nelson and his Orchestra. See a 1929 photo of John J. Fitz Gerald and a 1931 photo of John J. Fitz Gerald.
This site is edited by Barry Popik.