Taylor recently wrote about the “What the F*ck, Richard?” video.
At the end of his piece, he mentioned Gregg Barsby’s “Iron Leaf” clip.
It’s the better of the two.
At the time of writing this article, Richard’s video has nearly nine million views on YouTube. Tragically, Barsby’s bid at virality has managed a meager 230 thousand-ish views in 12 years. Given the growth of disc golf, I feel it my responsibility to introduce this video to newcomers.
If that’s you, please …
Watch this.
Still need some convincing?
Here’s why Barsby’s impersonation of Ken Climo is art at its finest …
The introductory screen
This video was filmed (and uploaded) in January of 2011.
The following font and color scheme has “early days of YouTube” written all over it …
I love it.
The ‘Iron Leaf’ is relatable
The focus of Climo’s ire is an immovable leaf.
You can’t relate to ANY part of the guy’s game …
But this kind of experience?
No doubt.
Be it a root, twig or leaf, you’ve wallowed firsthand in the pain that comes from something flimsy bulking up at the most inopportune of times. It’s comforting to know 1) a 12-time World Champion catches bad breaks on the disc golf course, and 2) that he complains about them.
The short-brim, all-black dad hat
I’d consider myself a confident person.
However, I’m NOT confident enough to rock a short-brim, all-black dad hat.
Barsby (kind of) pulls it off.
Circa 2005, the guys in My Chemical Romance could, as well.
Barsby’s ability to keep a straight face
I do a quality Stitch impersonation.
You know, the blue, monster-looking dude from Disney.
Much to the chagrin of my wife, it’s not uncommon for me to receive requests to bust it out at parties. And rest assured, should the request not be made, I go out of my way to volunteer my services. As a one-trick impersonator, know this: Not cracking mid-performance is brutal.
How Barsby does this for nearly three minutes is beyond me …
It’s an impressive feat.
The commitment to character is inspiring
Ken Climo’s voice is known for the kind of rasp that comes from decades of tugging on heaters in the hot Florida sun. With years of smoking under his own belt, Barsby’s vocal nodules are well on their way to following Climo’s lead, albeit in a lame, lung-cancer kind of way …
Still, to drive home the impersonation, he smokes a cigarette.
That’s character commitment.
Viewers are given an insight into Ken Climo
Don’t think I haven’t reached out to Ken Climo, because I have …
On multiple occasions, in fact.
And while I bet I corner him into a conversation one day, I know next to nothing about the guy. The record books might be filled with his name, but that’s not what I’m getting at – I’d like to know what he’s like as a person. Barsby knows him. And this story is very much a true one.
I might not (yet) know Kenny …
But after watching this, I feel like I have an idea of what he’s like.
Two of Barsby’s lines have gone mainstream
They’re gold.
Here are the two lines in question:
- Line No. 1 – “Didn’t get up and down.”
- Line No. 2 – “Dead in the middle of the heart of the chains.”
The timing and delivery of both are (literal) laugh-out-loud moments.
Over a decade later, it’s not uncommon to hear disc golfers reference them.
* Honorable Mention: Nikko Locastro getting a shoutout in this video is chef’s kiss-good.
Given the popularity of disc golf content on YouTube, future greats are bound to drop …
Know this much, though:
No cult-classic clip will come close to topping Barsby’s “Iron Leaf” impersonation.
Have anything to add? Take to Twitter to let us know – we’ll actually (for real) get back to you.
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