Martin Short Was Shook

By The Hillbilly Dude | Published October 16, 2025

Hillbilly Dude Says...

If you're old enough to remember, but you need a reminder of the wolf in Droopy, I posted the song he used to whistle on 'Dude’s Playin’ Hooky. 

It was a long line, but I didn’t care.

I couldn’t see what was waitin’ for me at the end of that long line, but I was already aware of the prize.

It was Martin Short.

I was 17 at the time, in a theatre in New York City. If you’re wonderin’ what a hillbilly is doin’ in Manhattan at 17 years old, join the crowd.

Christopher Walken, Bernadette Peters, Ben Verene - they’d all left way before that. But a bunch of folks wanted to get Marty’s autograph, and he obliged.

See how I called him Marty, just like we’re great friends? That was before the restrainin’ order.

I didn’t really want his autograph, I just wanted to say somethin’ to him. But as far as exactly what I’d planned on sayin’? I had nothin’. Except for maybe, "I don’t want your autograph," which - lookin’ back - sounds a little bit on the rude side.

But what do you expect from a teenage hillbilly dude?

After doin’ that familiar waitin’-in-line march - one foot forward, other foot joins, repeat - I could finally see him. And there was only one person ahead of me, so I was next.

But instead of puttin’ pen to paper for my predecessor, he waved his hand, as if to indicate, "okay, I’m done."

And he walked away.

I was disappointed. I’d waited all that time. I had words to share with the great Mapler comedian from the north. But nothin’ interestin’, but definitely words.

So I elbowed my way through the crowd as fast as I could. I’m nearly certain I didn’t hurt anybody. I spotted him, and I jumped in the path directly in front of him.

He stopped. He looked up at me, because it just so happens that I’m taller than Martin Short.

Without even a pause, I reached out with both hands like I was holding a giant basketball. I then grabbed him strongly by the shoulders and started shakin’ him.

As his confused face turned to fear, I said - mimickin’ the wolf from those old Droopy cartoons - "hey ma-yun."

Then I stopped shakin’ him, let go of his shoulders, and walked away 100% pure-t satisfied.