id say much of the above can equally apply to African Americans...outsiders in racist American society, for Jews there was the Borscht Belt and the Chitlin Circuit where Black comedians honed their humor...
"As long as the world remains chaotic, unfair, and occasionally ridiculous, there will always be a need for Jewish humor." - NOW, more than ever before!! 😉❤️
I had the great luck to have been in high school when Mad Comics broke into my little world, in Brooklyn, NY. I devoured every issue with glee, feeding on the bizarre graphic and verbal highjinks.
*Seinfeld* is still, for me, top notch in reruns. I think many apparently "non-Jewish" TV shows like *Frasier* and *M*A*S*H* have the elements of absurdism, satire, frustration and neurosis which I and countless others love. We're blessed with the great sense of humor that Jewish comic geniuses have given this and all other people who love to laugh at life's curveballs (and far worse).
I often wondered why the era of the Catskills Showrooms was so dominated by comedians who happened to be Jewish. Nearly all of them who eventually migrated to television were also Jewish. I heard a plausible theory about the origins of Jewish humor that pointed to the Holocaust era. Given that the Jews were stripped of all humanity and deprived of any tools to fight back at their oppressors, they found self-deprecating humor to be such a tool. They discovered that they could make better fun of themselves through humor than the Germans could, thus giving them a leg up on their captors...perhaps the only one available. Any thoughts on this theory?
Id say it goes back earlier than the Holocaust since except for the nazis meticulous industrialization of Jewish murder, the East European/Russian anti-Semitic mistreatment already had generated a culture of Jewish humor as survival...
Veteran of the Catskills scene circa 1970s here. Great column. For a current take on Jewish humor check out a guy named Modi. He's currently on tour and we'll be seeing him in Hartford next month. Need to laugh now more than ever!
Once I was touring in Florida with Leslie Uggams. The comic who opened for us had this joke: "What is it with all the buffalo wing joints here? Buffalo wings, buffalo wings, everywhere you turn. Geez, when I was a kid, the sky was black with buffalo. Those poor animals have to walk now!"
He tried it for 3 shows, but the only laughter came from the band, backstage. He had to cut the joke.
One can easily argue that American humor IS Jewish humor.
Just as American music IS Black music.
May both remain invincible.
Very clever .... and hilarious, boychick!
id say much of the above can equally apply to African Americans...outsiders in racist American society, for Jews there was the Borscht Belt and the Chitlin Circuit where Black comedians honed their humor...
"As long as the world remains chaotic, unfair, and occasionally ridiculous, there will always be a need for Jewish humor." - NOW, more than ever before!! 😉❤️
If not for humor, how will we survive this.
I loved this!
Laughter is the WD40 of the daily grind.
well said....thanks
I had the great luck to have been in high school when Mad Comics broke into my little world, in Brooklyn, NY. I devoured every issue with glee, feeding on the bizarre graphic and verbal highjinks.
*Seinfeld* is still, for me, top notch in reruns. I think many apparently "non-Jewish" TV shows like *Frasier* and *M*A*S*H* have the elements of absurdism, satire, frustration and neurosis which I and countless others love. We're blessed with the great sense of humor that Jewish comic geniuses have given this and all other people who love to laugh at life's curveballs (and far worse).
Sonny Rollins, who has a great sense of humor, has always been a huge fan of Mad Magazine, so you're in good company, George.
I often wondered why the era of the Catskills Showrooms was so dominated by comedians who happened to be Jewish. Nearly all of them who eventually migrated to television were also Jewish. I heard a plausible theory about the origins of Jewish humor that pointed to the Holocaust era. Given that the Jews were stripped of all humanity and deprived of any tools to fight back at their oppressors, they found self-deprecating humor to be such a tool. They discovered that they could make better fun of themselves through humor than the Germans could, thus giving them a leg up on their captors...perhaps the only one available. Any thoughts on this theory?
I think you nailed it.
Id say it goes back earlier than the Holocaust since except for the nazis meticulous industrialization of Jewish murder, the East European/Russian anti-Semitic mistreatment already had generated a culture of Jewish humor as survival...
Veteran of the Catskills scene circa 1970s here. Great column. For a current take on Jewish humor check out a guy named Modi. He's currently on tour and we'll be seeing him in Hartford next month. Need to laugh now more than ever!
Modi's funny. I've seen some of his videos.
Mad Magazine's "Rewriting Your Way To a PhD " has always been my guiding light.
Once I was touring in Florida with Leslie Uggams. The comic who opened for us had this joke: "What is it with all the buffalo wing joints here? Buffalo wings, buffalo wings, everywhere you turn. Geez, when I was a kid, the sky was black with buffalo. Those poor animals have to walk now!"
He tried it for 3 shows, but the only laughter came from the band, backstage. He had to cut the joke.
Wonder where that comic is today. Probably working in a Starbucks.
You would definitely need a good sense of humor to work in a Starbucks.
Not for much longer. Starbucks soon will be strictly robots.
I'm sure you're right.