ROBYN HITCHCOCK GETS RATIONAL
Groucho Marx was once asked why he made a habit of insulting fans when they approached him in public. The caustic comedian replied that if he didn’t, the well-wishers would be disappointed; People expected him to be nasty, he reasoned. Robyn Hitchcock chuckles knowingly when told this anecdote.
ROBYN HITCHCOCK GETS RATIONAL
by
Steve Hochman
Groucho Marx was once asked why he made a habit of insulting fans when they approached him in public. The caustic comedian replied that if he didn’t, the well-wishers would be disappointed; People expected him to be nasty, he reasoned.
Robyn Hitchcock chuckles knowingly when told this anecdote. And no wonder. Groucho’s dilemma is something he can relate to. As the creator of songs ranging from the ridiculous (say, “The Man With The Lightbulb Head” from 1985’s Fegmania!) to the sublime (the same album’s “Heaven”), the ex-Soft Boy is expected by some fans to come off as either some sort of oddball acid casualty or as a mystical guru who holds the keys to life’s great mysteries.
But rather than play up to these expectations, Hitchcock finds the whole thing a bit disconcerting.