Posted on 08/26/2016 8:11:14 PM PDT by Kaslin
In the days before I was exiled by the HTP (Hollywood Thought Police), I wrote screenplays for several comedy stars. The greatest of those, without doubt, was the late Richard Pryor, thought by many (including me) to have been the greatest stand-up comic of all time.
I wrote the script for the film Bustin' Loose for Richard and, while working on the revisions, traveled with him across country while he was on tour. He had me write one-liners for his stand-up as well, but used almost none of them. Maybe they weren't funny enough, but he didn't need them. Pryor didn't do jokes. He just told the truth as he saw it and somehow it would be wildly funny.
One of the routines he would do, as I recall, was a comparison of a black person and a white person walking through a dark woods at night. He made fun of how both sides dealt with their terror. It was hysterical. These days it would seem so insulting, no one would laugh. It would be deemed racist.
In fact, almost everything is deemed racist these days. Sly Stone should do a remake of his great "Everybody Is a Star" as "Everybody Is a Racist." Since this is The Diary of a Mad Voter, I should point out that both Clinton and Trump are accusing each other of being racist. Neither is. It's all part of this general swim from politics to media to entertainment to, most sadly, the academy, which has been overtaken by that unbearable neologism "microaggressions."
But if everybody's a racist, the word means nothing. Right?
Wrong! We are in the era of the "New Racism." "Racist" has a new definition now. Roughly, it means: I-hate-you-you-miserable-son-or-daughter-of-a-bitch-you-should-eat-shit-and-die.
Or words to that effect.
It also means: Shut up. I don't want to hear what you're saying. Ever.
And further it means... and perhaps this is the most important part... that's not funny!
Why is that so important? It's not for no reason that Umberto Eco chose the burning of Aristotle's writings on comedy as the MacGuffin for his monumental The Name of the Rose. When humor is under target by the thought police, totalitarianism is on the way, if it isn't already here.
These days, to say the least, we "wise off" at our peril. Richard Pryor, genius though he was, would not be able to function. (He had a hard enough time functioning when he did, alas.)
I thought of that last night while viewing the riveting new documentary Can We Take a Joke? directed by Ted Balaker and featuring such comics as Penn Jillette, Adam Carolla and Gilbert Gottfried, not to mention vintage footage of the great Lenny Bruce. The film is about the wave of censorship of edgy comics sweeping our society in the name of "sensitivity." In other words, as mentioned above, shut up.
More than anywhere else this affects our campuses, which have been turned into "safe spaces" for the so-called "snowflakes." No Richard Pryors or Lenny Bruces for these sensitive souls, heaven forfend. No jokes are allowed by these "social justice warriors" or whatever they choose to call themselves, at least not jokes they have not previously vetted.
(A special shout-out here must go to U. of Chicago President Robert Zimmer, who has just warned incoming freshmen not to expect his university to be a "safe space" or censor controversial speakers. Let's hope he's reversing a trend that has engulfed such august institutions as Yale, Princeton, and Dartmouth. Wouldn't an intelligent student want to choose Chicago over those Ivies?)
But back to Can We Take a Joke? It's very much worth noting the executive producer of the documentary is Greg Lukianoff, sometime Instapundit contributor, but, more importantly, president of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE). For more than a decade now that organization has led the way in the battle for free speech on campus, quite possibly the most important battle we face in the defense of our democratic republic.
You can find Can We Take a Joke? on iTunes, Amazon, etc. Download it. You'll get a few laughs along with the message.
Yep, I’ve got the National Lampoon on CDs; all 20 years or so and the stuff they did, they couldn’t do today... most likely or be accused of all kinds of things.
1) "Republicans are stupid." -- this joke got a big laugh.
2) "George W Bush is an idiot" -- this joke got a big laugh.
3) "I'm a lesbian" -- this joke got huge applause.
Alas, I remember years ago when jokes were more like stories, with a build-up, some wit, some wordplay, and an actual punchline. I guess comedians are much more economical these days.
“It’s not for no reason that Umberto Eco chose the burning of Aristotle’s writings on comedy as the MacGuffin for his monumental The Name of the Rose.”
If anyone wants to read Name of the Rose - which is an engrossing novel you will not be able to put down - I suggest you do yourself a favor and buy this to go with it: https://www.amazon.com/Key-Name-Rose-Translations-Non-English/dp/0472086219
It’s worth every penny just to have the extra translations it contains!
bkmk
I like a comedy show alright but as far just listening to some one to tell one joke after another, there is nothing any more boring.
I could listen to Ron White all day long.
Jerry Seinfeld was the last popular comedian. If you want genuine, tear-inducing laughs watch the comedians from the “Golden Age of TV” era on YouTube.
I used to be familiar with most of them even though i did not seek them out but today i am not familiar with any of them.
I only found this comedian a few weeks ago. then found out he had died. watch him again tonight. I thought he had a great deliver and subject material.
John Pinette, RIP
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HIHtZo6GTw
“No more food! You go NOW! You here FOUR HOUR!”
My favorites from the old days would be Myron Cohen, Ernie Kovacs, and David Steinberg. And if you’re as far gone as I am, Brother Dave Garner.
Jim Gaffigan is the only new comedian I like. He tells jokes through stories. Not much swearing or low grade bathroom humor - he included witty sarcasm in his performances.
“Don’t eat yellow snow!”
"Free speech is very important to me. Being a Jew, I don't want to have to pay for speech."
Let the "snowflakes" melt in Hell.
Richard Pryor? That nigger’s crazy.
A buddy of mine (RIP) saw him do that bit on TV. Told it to me. We’d often recite it when we went out to dinner (we did that a lot).
We remember him from Seinfeld.
“There goes the money for the lipo.”
One morning going to work many years ago, a Gaffigan bit was on:
“I’m a vegetarian. Well, not a >>strict<< vegetarian. I eat chicken. And pork. And beef.”
I was just going to post, "What the hell is he talking about? Do I have to go read something before I can understand his argument? Can't he put this in his own words? It's like novels that have a nice little French phrase I don't understand. Is this some inside joke that only certain people can be in on?"
Oops! I just posted it.
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