There was a time when, for the sake of sanity, you could tune in some comedy in times of tragedy. Bob Hope might offer a topical line. Johnny Carson became "King of Late Night" by asking "what's in the news..."
Are the middle-aged, popular comedians joking about the current epidemic? No and yes. Tuesday night, Stephen Colbert broadcasting without an audience had a message for Trump: "Everyone just wants to know the truth, 'cause that's how you stay alive. So grow up and do your damn job."
Last Friday, Bill Maher (also performing without a live audience) admitted:
"It is getting a little grim around here, I have to admit. Yesterday the highlight of my day was wiping down the mailman. My stalker was working from home! But thank you Jesus, I have no symptoms -- unless you count shitting my pants every time Trump talks."
A comedian's job is never that easy, and it's not easy, finding a way to joke about the virus. Do we NEED jokes about it? Yes, as a safety valve. No doubt some are thinking, "If only George Carlin was around..." Some are wondering about the guys even older than George.
The "last men standing" COULD be on YouTube, uploading a few minutes of "between you and me" remarks, but isn't it time they took it easy? In the case of Mort Sahl, the decision was made without him. In the case of Jackie Mason, he still does interviews and that's all.
Mort's authorized biography was titled "Last Man Standing," but he's not standing, or even sitting. Thanks to Covid-19, the "theater" (more like an area of the lobby) where he was "live streaming" an hour a week, has shut down. The weekly Thursday 7pm event began with him already seated, and hoping the venue's Best Buy camcorder could pick up what he was saying and stream it properly to Parachute, some haven for mostly vainglorious amateurs who have a need to be chatty.
Would he be talking about the virus now? If he turned up on YouTube for a few minutes, which could certainly be done, he'd probably be chortling about something he claimed Haig told him 40 years ago. Fans would be glad for even that.
Is Mort really the "last man standing" and offering humor? He probably was. He was born May 11, 1927. Shecky Greene was born April 8, 1926, but isn't performing. Neither is Norm Crosby (born September 15, 1927). Jackie Mason (June 9, 1928) is officially retired, but only from the stage. Recently, with Passover the topic, rather than the virius, he gave an interview to the "Times of Israel" website. You can read it over here . A few quotes from it are below.
Jackie was not exactly cracking jokes; he was commenting on the continuing violence and anti-Semitism against Jews all over the world. This includes the continued attacks from the Palestinians, and the grotesque way it's sanctioned by BDS warriors and anti-Semites.
In times of crisis, you do tend to want to hear from people you know, and get their take. Even if the person is elderly, well, they still have wisdom, right? And maybe some ironic humor. So it's nice to see that Jackie Mason, is still quotable. I've spent many hours with him. I've spent many more with Mort, and really, even if he didn't talk Trump or Covid-19, it would be nice to see him sit and ramble about anything he felt like talking about, even Haig. Too bad the theater is closed, just as nightclubs are, and the venues where late night TV is taped. Bill Maher, whom I've had some limited hours with, not recently, is probably the most important comic voice we have during these miserable times. Colbert (no, never met the guy) has remarkably pushed the puppy Fallon out of #1 and shown that topical humor can still matter in this world.
As for the Sam Kinison-type of un-PC "release valve" humor that some people need...that type of stand-up has been crippled. At best, bad-taste memes circulate in forums and on Facebook pages. No real comedian, hoping to make a living, is going to take credit for any of it. That includes the meme that declares, "If you think one person can't change the world, check out whoever ate an undercooked bat."
If you're wondering about the reaction of a few other 90-ish funnymen, regarding the virus, well...there's Bob Newhart (September 5, 1929) and Mel Brooks (June 28, 1926). Bob recorded a spot for WGN radio, which you can find here. Mel Brooks appears in a "distancing" spot narrated by his son Max. YouTube has it HERE.
No comments:
Post a Comment