By Chris Snellgrove
| Published
Right now, Greek mythology is hotter than ever before. The reason for this is that the most recent trailer has fans all around the world hyped for Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey. The director has plenty of bangers under his belt, including The Dark Knight, Inception, and Oppenheimer, so audiences are eager to see how well he adapts this ancient Greek epic for the big screen. As hype for The Odyssey grows, more and more movie lovers have been revisiting Troy, a 2004 film that serves (spiritually, at least) as a prequel to Nolan’s upcoming epic.
After analyzing trailers with a fine-tooth comb, keyboard warriors are already engaging in spirited debates over which film is more historically and mythologically accurate. Obviously, we won’t know the exact answer to that until Christopher Nolan’s next film drops. However, I feel quite confident that both Troy and The Odyssey will never beat a certain raunchy comedy show when it comes to one mythic aspect. Here it is, and I’m gonna give it to you straight: Letterkenny uses the Greek mythological tradition of oral-formulaic storytelling far better than Troy, The Odyssey, and any other adaptation of Homer’s epic writing.
Sing, O Muse
So, here’s a literary lesson wrapped in a history lesson. Movies like Troy and The Odyssey adapt ancient Greek stories that were originally shared orally by singers rather than printed. As you might imagine, it could be difficult for the singers to remember such long stories from memory, and it could be especially difficult for those listening to keep up with the tale. Because of this, the singers used what is now known as the oral-formulaic method to add certain repeated phrases. These were often attached to important characters, hence the repetition of phrases such as “swift-footed Achilles.” Just like that, everyone remembers Achilles and something important about him: namely, that he’s fast!
What does this have to do with Letterkenny and films like Troy and The Odyssey? As you might imagine, most screenwriters don’t like to use repetitive phrasing. It can mess with the pacing of a film and often seems superfluous. After all, actors can look at their scripts between takes, and audiences can rewind and rewatch various scenes when watching on home video or streaming. As a result, Troy has no real examples of oral-formulaic storytelling, and based on the trailers, neither does The Odyssey. Ironically, these ambitious literary adaptations are missing a staple of Greek storytelling, which happens to be alive and well in Letterkenny.
Greek Style, Canadian Humor
Letterkenny is a show set in its titular small, Canadian town, and it focuses on the hijinks of some down-to-Earth farmers and their interactions with other locals (including two demented swingers, a closeted preacher, two gym bro hockey players, and a small band of drug dealers). The raunchy show has plenty of “observationals humor” (as Squirrelly Dan might say), all of which is elevated by whip-smart writing filled with unexpected punchlines and hilariously out of pocket comments. Weirdly enough, though, each script is also filled with many examples of the oral-formulaic storytelling made popular via Greek mythology.
Every major Letterkenny character has one or more phrases that they utter on such a reliable basis that it’s impossible to separate the expression from who is saying it. Group leader Wayne, for example, loves to motivate everyone with the homey phrase “pitter patter, let’s get at’er.” The airheaded hockey players celebrate victories by exclaiming, “Wheel snipes celly, boys!” When someone makes claims about what two locals may or may not have done to an ostrich, Squirrelly Dan chimes in with a gentle “allegedlies.” Both Wayne and Daryl are known to confirm questions asked of them with a simple “That’s a Texas-sized 10-4, good buddy.”
It’s Not What You Say, It’s How You Say It
This is just a small sampling of the quirky dialogue in Letterkenny, a show that every comedy lover needs to check out at least once. The lines are funny enough the first time you hear them, but, incredibly enough, just get more hilarious through the repetition. It adds an air of anticipation to any scene when you’re just waiting for your favorite to say one of their signature phrases. For that matter, these beautifully bizarre expressions also help you learn who everyone is in Letterkenny, which is important because this small town has a lot (and I mean a lot) of colorful characters.
Weirdly enough, Letterkenny is the only show I have ever seen embrace the kind of oral-formulaic storytelling made popular by ancient Greek myths like The Iliad and The Odyssey. Eventually, I began to welcome hearing Wayne’s charming phrases (including “give your balls a tug”) as much as I welcomed hearing “swift-footed Achilles” from my Iliad audiobook. Surely enough, these phrases help the Letterkenny actors remember the many lines packed into the show’s fast-paced, off-kilter dialogue. They also transform fans into the modern-day equivalent of Greek singers as we shout out pieces of the show’s surprisingly complex dialogue, one raunchy line at a time.
In most ways, comparing Letterkenny to movies like Troy or The Odyssey would be like comparing apples and oranges. That’s why it is so funny that this silly Canadian comedy manages to carry on an ancient Greek tradition better than the blockbuster movies designed specifically to bring these venerable myths to life. As an added bonus, this use of oral-formulaic storytelling might just add a few amazing new phrases to your daily vernacular. Don’t like it, or maybe you just don’t like this infectiously funny comedy show? Well, in the immortal words of swift-footed Wayne, let’s get this man a f*cking Puppers!
Letterkenny is streaming on Tubi.
