Larry Kart Posted August 8, 2012 Report Share Posted August 8, 2012 Didn't see that "or black" restriction. I'd say that the following are all immortals or close to it: W.C. Fields. Bob Newhart. Bob and Ray. Stan Freberg. Jonathan Winters. Bob Hope. Ernie Kovacs. Laurel and Hardy. Red Skelton. I'll agree on most, though maybe I'm missing the immortality of Red Skelton because I grew up with the unbearably maudlin TV version. Incidentally, Larry, Tom Lehrer is Jewish. Leher is Jewish? Then I disown him. He's the most un-Jewish Jewish comic imaginable. About Skelton on TV I understand, but even in that period he could still be a brilliant clown, particularly doing stuff that was in large part mimed. I saw him do stuff on stage in that period that was from outer space in its subtlety/emotional power. I wrote about it in a review; I'll look for it. If I can't find that review, though, I'd be hard out to recall anything about what he did other than it was tremendously funny/moving/powerful. And believe me I went expecting the Gentile equivalent of chicken fat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllenLowe Posted August 8, 2012 Report Share Posted August 8, 2012 don't like Tom Lehrer? How can you not like Tom Lehrer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete C Posted August 8, 2012 Report Share Posted August 8, 2012 Leher is Jewish? Then I disown him. He's the most un-Jewish Jewish comic imaginable. And who should sing The Vatican Rag, a Catholic? I love Lehrer, but I really hate that annoying "political satirist" Mark Russell, the joker with the bowtie who seems to have taken the musical trappings of Lehrer and applied them to sophomoric nonpartisan drivel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Kart Posted August 8, 2012 Report Share Posted August 8, 2012 Apparently that Skelton review appeared in the Chicago Tribune on Dec. 10, 1986. Red was on a double bill; Andy Williams was the headliner (an Xmas show). I can't get hold of the review myself without paying for it. Can anyone else? As for Lehrer -- yes, he's clever, but for me he's clever in such a way as to usually undercut any impulse I might have to laugh. Maybe it's that his cleverness is more or less there IMO to establish an air of superiority. As for the political aspect of his humor -- same thing. His songs are just acidic billboards for sentiments that his fans already hold and congratulate themselves for holding. Sahl at his best, by contrast, typically wielded a double-edged sword, one that was particularly sharp on the side that met his audience's need to feel good about itself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Kart Posted August 8, 2012 Report Share Posted August 8, 2012 Not (re: Lehrer) that I think that cleverness/intellecuality and humor can't co-exist and exfoliate. Here for example is a transcript of Severn Darden's Second City metaphysics "lecture" (better when heard, but this is the only I could find it -- supply a German accent): http://groups.google.com/group/rec.music.dementia/browse_thread/thread/86f5c66980d81fa3Darden on "Oedipus Rex": http://groups.google.com/group/rec.music.dementia/browse_thread/thread/6ef6125ed0644579/bfa1754d4e4da2cf?q=severn+darden Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim McG Posted August 8, 2012 Report Share Posted August 8, 2012 (edited) Leher is Jewish? Then I disown him. He's the most un-Jewish Jewish comic imaginable. And who should sing The Vatican Rag, a Catholic? I love Lehrer, but I really hate that annoying "political satirist" Mark Russell, the joker with the bowtie who seems to have taken the musical trappings of Lehrer and applied them to sophomoric nonpartisan drivel. In his prime, Mark Russell was much funnier than he is today. Edited August 8, 2012 by GoodSpeak Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete C Posted August 8, 2012 Report Share Posted August 8, 2012 Apparently that Skelton review appeared in the Chicago Tribune on Dec. 10, 1986. Red was on a double bill; Andy Williams was the headliner (an Xmas show). I can't get hold of the review myself without paying for it. Can anyone else? A double bill of Andy Williams and Red Skelton? Really sorry I missed that one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete C Posted August 8, 2012 Report Share Posted August 8, 2012 In his prime, Mark Russell was much funnier than he is today. I haven't seen him in about 20 years. So when was he funny, in the '60s? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Kart Posted August 8, 2012 Report Share Posted August 8, 2012 In his prime, Mark Russell was much funnier than he is today. I haven't seen him in about 20 years. So when was he funny, in the '60s? About the same time that Rich Little's impressions were -- i.e. maybe never, but the earlier the better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim McG Posted August 9, 2012 Report Share Posted August 9, 2012 In his prime, Mark Russell was much funnier than he is today. I haven't seen him in about 20 years. So when was he funny, in the '60s? Mid-late 80s, IMHO, but I see you're not a fan regardless. I imagine there are some folks who don't much care for Mel Brooks' brand of humor either. C'est la vie. In his prime, Mark Russell was much funnier than he is today. I haven't seen him in about 20 years. So when was he funny, in the '60s? About the same time that Rich Little's impressions were -- i.e. maybe never, but the earlier the better. Rich Little was in his prime when Nixon was in office, IMHO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted August 9, 2012 Report Share Posted August 9, 2012 ...the Gentile equivalent of chicken fat. Which would still be...chicken fat. Not (re: Lehrer) that I think that cleverness/intellecuality and humor can't co-exist and exfoliate. Here for example is a transcript of Severn Darden's Second City metaphysics "lecture" (better when heard, but this is the only I could find it -- supply a German accent): http://groups.google...6f5c66980d81fa3 Darden on "Oedipus Rex": http://groups.google...q=severn+darden Second City Darden = HELL YEAH!!! For that matter, anything on those Second City Mercury albums gets a big rec from me. It's not all "good", and a lot of it's "dated" but...oh well about that. They got the zone thing going on, big time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Nessa Posted August 9, 2012 Report Share Posted August 9, 2012 Lena passed away and Ole called 911. The 911 operator told Ole that she would send someone out right away. "Where do you live?" asked the operator. Ole replied, "At the end of Eucalyptus Drive." "Can you spell that for me?" the operator asked. There was a long pause and finally Ole said, "How 'bout if I drag her over to Oak Street and you pick her up dere?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aggie87 Posted August 9, 2012 Report Share Posted August 9, 2012 Lena passed away and Ole called 911. The 911 operator told Ole that she would send someone out right away. "Where do you live?" asked the operator. Ole replied, "At the end of Eucalyptus Drive." "Can you spell that for me?" the operator asked. There was a long pause and finally Ole said, "How 'bout if I drag her over to Oak Street and you pick her up dere?" Scandinavian humor! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete C Posted August 9, 2012 Report Share Posted August 9, 2012 I thought the gentile version of chicken fat was Miracle Whip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted August 9, 2012 Report Share Posted August 9, 2012 Miracle Whip is made out of from chickens? How come nobody just calls it shmalts? Then we could not no longer pretend that one chicken fat is not chicken fat if the rooster is been circumscribed, and that shmalts is the correct spelling. More to the point, those Second City records on Mercury are brilliant (the one on Smash with Burns & Schrieber, not so much) and readily available on eBay for not too much money. Barbara Harris, yes, let's talk about Barbara Harris. Jew? Don't know. Gentile? Don't know? Black? No, but not absolutely sure. Funny - and versatile as hell? Do know, and yes. Plus the pianist? Bill Mathieu. Who knew? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Kart Posted August 9, 2012 Report Share Posted August 9, 2012 Check out Barbara Harris in Hitchcock's "Family Plot." Fabulous/hilarious. Her boyfriend is played by Bruce Dern. Good grief what a couple. I ran across Harris at a Second City reunion some years back. She had quite an aura. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted August 9, 2012 Report Share Posted August 9, 2012 Yes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete C Posted August 9, 2012 Report Share Posted August 9, 2012 How come nobody just calls it shmalts? Then we could not no longer pretend that one chicken fat is not chicken fat if the rooster is been circumscribed, and that shmalts is the correct spelling. Is circumscription less painful to a rooster than circumcision? I'll never accept the claim that schmalts is the correct spelling of schmaltz. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted August 9, 2012 Report Share Posted August 9, 2012 Circumspected schmalted milk will kill a rooster, ya' know. Or damn near anything else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete C Posted August 9, 2012 Report Share Posted August 9, 2012 I imagine there are some folks who don't much care for Mel Brooks' brand of humor either. Is there any connection between Mark Russell and Mel Brooks, or is this a case of [insert any name here]? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Kart Posted August 9, 2012 Report Share Posted August 9, 2012 I imagine there are some folks who don't much care for Mel Brooks' brand of humor either. Is there any connection between Mark Russell and Mel Brooks, or is this a case of [insert any name here]? Not speaking for Goodspeak, but I assume he meant that while they both have fans, Russell and Brooks were as far apart as two comics could be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim McG Posted August 9, 2012 Report Share Posted August 9, 2012 (edited) I imagine there are some folks who don't much care for Mel Brooks' brand of humor either. Is there any connection between Mark Russell and Mel Brooks, or is this a case of [insert any name here]? Not speaking for Goodspeak, but I assume he meant that while they both have fans, Russell and Brooks were as far apart as two comics could be. Exactly, Larry. It was in reference to what one likes vs what another person may like, not intended at all to be a side-by-side comparison. Pete did an edit which left off that aspect of my post. Here was the original exchange: In his prime, Mark Russell was much funnier than he is today. I haven't seen him in about 20 years. So when was he funny, in the '60s? Mid-late 80s, IMHO, but I see you're not a fan regardless. I imagine there are some folks who don't much care for Mel Brooks' brand of humor either. C'est la vie. Edited August 9, 2012 by GoodSpeak Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valeria Victrix Posted August 10, 2012 Report Share Posted August 10, 2012 (edited) In his prime, Mark Russell was much funnier than he is today. Surely that would be true by definition? Edited August 10, 2012 by Valeria Victrix Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim McG Posted August 10, 2012 Report Share Posted August 10, 2012 No doubt. But Pete's question went to when he was funny not if. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valeria Victrix Posted August 11, 2012 Report Share Posted August 11, 2012 (edited) No doubt. But Pete's question went to when he was funny not if. I should point out that your 'when he was in his prime' post preceded Pete's inquiring as to when had this Russell fellow actually been funny - i.e. my original quibble still stands.Your initial post was ambiguous, and furthermore did not provide a date, so it was sadly lacking even in as regards that aspect of the case. Bearing this in mind, kindly strive for greater clarity and lucidity in your subsequent posts as I find it both distasteful and tedious having to fritter away several minutes addressing issues such as this. Now, to recap matters as they stand - in post *128 Pete states that he's never liked Russel's comedy. You then made the argument that in his prime he was much funnier. At a much later point I then pointed out the problem inherent in your post. Now, all you have to do at this point is reply - 'yes, you are quite right.' Instead you try to absolve yourself, by anachronistic representation of the sequence of events, and hope thereby to get away with what is - on the grand scale of things - really quite a minor transgression on your part, and not one which you should feel embarassed about acknowledging. Your failure in this regard is something I find slightly troublesome. I shall be following your 'contributions' with a keen eye henceforth sir. If you are wise you will take heed of this - entirely warranted - scrutiny, as being of potential great benefit to both yourself, and your fellow members of this fine site. Edited August 11, 2012 by Valeria Victrix Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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