Toscanini landing in a cornfield

November 6, 2008 12:51 AM

West Wing Filter: "I thought maybe it was like Toscanini landing in a cornfield."

In 20 Hours In America Part I, Leo asks if the Bermuda Triangle's effect is real, Fitz replies yes, Leo says, "I thought maybe it was like Toscanini landing in a cornfield."

And I have no idea what he's talking about. A Google search just shows other confused souls.

Thoughts?

posted by disillusioned to Writing & Language (5 answers total)

All I came up with was a throwaway reference with no support to the idea that there may have been a myth of Toscanini flying out to the front lines (and landing in cornfields) to do performances for the soldiers.

There is also a mention that it might be a mishearing of "Tuskegee" and a reference to the training of that black squadron. Perhaps a notion that they were so ill funded and supported that they had to use cornfields as runways?

Link.
posted by Science! at 5:35 AM on November 6, 2008

Perhaps a reference to the Jerome Bixby short story/Twilight Zone episode It's A Good Life? A kid who can read minds and has godlike powers kills those who displease him and sends their bodies to his family's cornfield. He likes piano music, and dislikes any singing, and Toscanini is a renowned perfectionist, and so maybe Leo's hip to all those facts and combines them into a strange, showoff-y one-liner that makes no sense.

Or maybe it is a Tuskegee reference: apparently, several airmen made emergency landings in cornfields. Which would make for a more obscure reference that makes even less sense, on a couple levels.
posted by averyoldworld at 7:04 AM on November 6, 2008

This caught my attention as well, but I assumed it was some sort of pilot slang for something impossible/improbable. Any Navy or Air-persons out there know of it?
posted by eralclare at 8:07 AM on November 6, 2008

I didn't watch the show but when I hear somebody talk about legendary things that land in cornfields I think of aliens. Are you sure he didn't say Aliens landing in cornfields?
posted by interplanetjanet at 8:34 AM on November 6, 2008

I'm a massive WW fan, and have all seasons on DVD. I think that line was just a bit of nonsense by way of showing that Leo thought the idea of the Bermuda Triangle was a lot of hooey.
posted by timsteil at 10:29 AM on November 6, 2008