Freedonia, ("Land of the Spree, and the Home of the Knave"), is a fictional country in Europe, seen during the 1933 movie Duck Soup, which starred the Marx Brothers. Duck Soup was a box-office flop at the time of its release, but it has since been recognized as a classic of comedy film, and seen as a subversive satire on war. The Three Graces, here in a painting by Sandro Botticelli, were the goddesses of charm, beauty, nature, human creativity and fertility in Greek mythology. ... Map of the Land of Oz, the fictional country in the book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Map of the fictional island of Sodor used in the Thomas the Tank Engine stories Fictitious countries used in the novel Nineteen Eighty-Four A guidebook produced about the fictional country Molvanîa... 1933 (MCMXXXIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... This article is about motion pictures. ... For other uses, see Duck Soup (disambiguation). ... The Marx Brothers were a team of sibling comedians that appeared in vaudeville, stage plays, film and television. ... Satire is a literary technique of writing or art which exposes the follies of its subject (for example, individuals, organizations, or states) to ridicule, often as an intended means of provoking or preventing change. ...

In the movie, Freedonia is suffering from severe financial problems, and government leaders request a loan from wealthy widow Mrs. Teasdale to keep things afloat. The widow agrees on the condition that Rufus T. Firefly, played by Groucho Marx, take control and run the country. In the musical number that accompanies Firefly's first day in office, Groucho lets the audience know how things will run, singing lyrics such as "if you think this country's bad off now/Just wait till I get through with it." Groucho Marx poses for an NBC promotional photograph Julius Henry Marx, known as Groucho Marx (October 2, 1890 – August 19, 1977), was an American comedian, working both with his siblings, the Marx Brothers, and on his own. ...

Firefly insults and angers the Ambassador from the neighboring nation of Sylvania, which leads to war. Chico and Harpo Marx appear in the film as spies for Sylvania, and their trial for spying turns into an absurd musical number.

When the film was first released, the city of Fredonia, New York, complained about the possible negative implications the film could reflect on the city. The Marx Brothers replied, in typical Marx fashion, "Change the name of your town, you're hurting our picture". Fredonia is a village located in Chautauqua County, New York. ...

In the 1960s, Woody Allen, working on Candid Camera, used Freedonia as a practical joke by asking passersby what they thought of the bid for independence for Freedonia. In the 1990s, the satirical magazine Spy pulled a practical joke on several members of the United States Congress. The magazine successfully convinced several Congressional members, such as Corrine Brown, to issue statements condemning the "ethnic cleansing in Freedonia," without their realizing that Freedonia was a fictional country. The 1960s decade refers to the years from 1960 to 1969, inclusive. ... Woody Allen. ... Candid Camera is a long-running television series, created and produced by Allen Funt, which initially appeared on radio as Candid Microphone in the 1940s, then screened in the United States in the 1950s, with local versions produced around the world. ... The 1990s decade refers to the years from 1990 to 1999, inclusive. ... Spy magazine was a satirical monthly founded in 1986 by Kurt Andersen and E. Graydon Carter. ... A popular practical joke is to completely block someones doorway while they are in the room. ... A congress is a gathering of people, especially a gathering for a political purpose. ... Corrine Brown Corrine Brown (born November 11, 1946), American politician, has been a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives since 1993, representing the 3rd District of Florida, in the North-Central part of the state. ... It has been suggested that silent ethnic cleansing be merged into this article or section. ...

This trick is later alluded to an episode of The West Wing when Congressman Matthew Santos, then hoping to become the Democratic nominee for president, shows his anger with modern political debates. The question of the "situation in Freedonia" was asked to a candidate in a Senate debate, and after the candidate said she was keeping an eye on it, there was no allowed time for the other candidates to challenge her about the existence of the country. The West Wing is a popular and widely acclaimed American television serial drama created by Aaron Sorkin and produced and co-written by John Wells. ... Matthew Vicente Santos is a fictional Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from Houston, Texas, played by Jimmy Smits. ... The presidential seal was first used by president Hayes in 1880 and last modified in 1959 by adding the 50th star for Hawaii. ...