Carol Burnett and Harvey Korman explore the world of therapy in this skit from Season 9, Episode 7 of ‘The Carol Burnett Show.’ Harvey is the therapist, and he sits behind his desk and asks Carol how she has been.
Carol says, “I’m beginning to overcome my feelings of hostility towards my in-laws.” She has a big smile, but she breaks into crying seconds later. Harvey throws her a few tissues and tells her crying isn’t constructive as she blows her nose.
He tries to find the core of this problem because they haven’t been able to identify it for seven weeks. Harvey asks her if any traumas in her childhood could bring this up. Carol says there was an incident when she was 8, “…but it’s too silly.” Harvey says, “No, no, nothing is silly. Go ahead.” Carol tells him that it didn’t mean much, then she breaks into tears.
Carol goes on after receiving encouragement from Harvey. She says, “I really do think that this was the most traumatic thing that ever happened to me in my whole life. I was eight years old and had this pale that I loved. And I was playing with it in the sandbox. And this fat kid came over, and he took it away. He wouldn’t give it back!”
Harvey puts down his notepad, takes off his glasses, and says, “Let me get this straight,” the crowd laughs. Carol says she’ll never forget him because he was “Such a fat bully. He was fat, fat, fat!” Harvey tries to calm her down and says the aggression could have been from the child’s emotions. “I myself was a chubby child,” says Harvey slowly. Then, he asks Carol, with a scared look, if the pale was blue with a clown on the side.
Carol says yes, and Harvey asks what her maiden name is, and Carol responds, “Susan Crenshaw.” Harvey has a smug smirk and says, “Crybaby Crenshaw?” He laughs as Carol stands up and says, “Fatso Hoffman.” Harvey’s face drops. Carol blames him for taking her pale and runs around his room, looking for it. She finds the closet and opens it, and a bunch of pales fall out!
Carol finds her beat-up blue clown pale from her childhood. Harvey is in shock, and she holds her hand out, waiting for something. Harvey says, “Please, no.” She stays with her hands out, and Harvey pulls the red shovel out of his jacket!
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