Your argument is a non sequitor. Was my point that Winters isn’t biologically related to the improvisational comedians who came after him. Improvisational comedy is an abstract concept to begin with, and therefore we all know its paternity can only be discussed metaphorically. I certainly knew that when writting my post.
Washington’s paternity of the country is meant metaphorically, too. Because the country is not, as you seem to imply, made up of its people. It’s an abstract concept, too. There are manifold ways Washington metaphorically fathered that abstraction, which are utterly lacking in the relation between Winters and his supposed child. Firstly, Washington actually predated the United States. Also, he has been called, and the argument can be sustained, the “indispensable man” of the revolution. With no success in war, there’d be no independent American states, and therefore no country. Furthermore, he sat as the symbolic leader of the constitutional convention of 1787, then served as the first chief executive of the new government, thus giving it legitimacy and setting precedents which all future presidents have followed.
Nothing of the sort is true of Winters’ relation to improvisational comedy. The best that can be said is that he was uniquely gifted at it, and publicized it at a time when it wasn’t very popular on tv or in the movies, thereby influencing generations of comedians to come in ilhis particular style of it. I don’t know if that’s even true. There were probably crowds of improvisers we’ve forgotten, and the names we remember from the era may also have riffed on the spot, just not as noticeably or in a manner as sui generis as Winters. Also, comedians who came after Winters, for instance Lenny Bruce, I can argue as at least as improvisational, or seemingly so, and probably more influential.
Nevermind that, however. Let’s assume Winters did solely influence all comedy off the top of people’s heads on stage, on tv, and in movies since his heyday. That’s not what the headline says; it says something far less true and infinitely more insane.
Oh for crying out loud. Take a pill and get over yourself.
Winter said most people think they have a sense of humor and most of those are wrong. You’re proof.