Philosophy
My Fellow Comedists,
This week brings us the feast of Saint Sid. Sid Caesar turns 88. His Your Show of Shows took comedy from Vaudeville into the suburban world of grey suited middle managers of the 1950s. He could do the slapstick, he could do the highbrow and subtle, he could do music. But his character was a new archetype in American history. He was the first one to really lampoon life in Levittown, with its smug arrogance and alienation.
A talented comedian, he put together the single greatest collection of writers in comic history: Mel Brooks, Carl Reiner, Larry Gelbart, Neil Simon, and Woody Allen. In an interview, Gelbart said that the show stood at a lucky time in history. Televisions were so expensive that the only ones who could afford them were the well-off, the highly paid professionals like doctors and lawyers. So, the only people watching were among the most educated and that meant that they could do smart comedy. Once the price of the sets came down, shows needed to play to a different demographic and tv comedy changed forever.
Happy birthday Sid Caesar.
Live, love, and laugh,
Irreverend Steve
- The Feast Of Saint Jackie
My Fellow Comedists, A quick note to those who didn't see this item in the bulletin, but I will be appearing at Magooby's Joke House in Baltimore on Sunday. Show starts at 8 and I've got a new set, so would be great to see people there. This...
- Rip Larry Gelbart
My Fellow Comedists, We lost a good one this week. Larry Gelbart died. Amember of Sid Caesar's legendary writing team, he went on to give us A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Tootsie, and most memorably, he was the creative mind behind...
- Feast Of Saint Mort
My Fellow Comedists, This week saw the feast day of Saint Mort. Mort Sahl turned 82. He was the pivot point about which comedy turned from the slapstick gags and schticks of Vaudeville to the hip, smart, topical, observational humor of today. In the early...
- The Feast Of Saint David
Brothers, Sisters, and Transgendered Comedists Everywhere, This week we celebrated the feast day of Saint David. David Brenner is 73 years old. The son of a vaudeville performer, growing up in the tough parts of Philly, he became a pivotal figure in stand-up....
- Feast Of Saint Dan
Brothers, Sisters, and Transgendered Comedists Everywhere, This week saw the birthday of Dan Aykroyd. Born on July 1, 1952 in Ottawa, he gave us some of the finest comedy of the late 20th century. Intending to be a Catholic priest...until he was expelled...
Philosophy
Feat of Saint Sid
My Fellow Comedists,
This week brings us the feast of Saint Sid. Sid Caesar turns 88. His Your Show of Shows took comedy from Vaudeville into the suburban world of grey suited middle managers of the 1950s. He could do the slapstick, he could do the highbrow and subtle, he could do music. But his character was a new archetype in American history. He was the first one to really lampoon life in Levittown, with its smug arrogance and alienation.
A talented comedian, he put together the single greatest collection of writers in comic history: Mel Brooks, Carl Reiner, Larry Gelbart, Neil Simon, and Woody Allen. In an interview, Gelbart said that the show stood at a lucky time in history. Televisions were so expensive that the only ones who could afford them were the well-off, the highly paid professionals like doctors and lawyers. So, the only people watching were among the most educated and that meant that they could do smart comedy. Once the price of the sets came down, shows needed to play to a different demographic and tv comedy changed forever.
Happy birthday Sid Caesar.
Live, love, and laugh,
Irreverend Steve
- The Feast Of Saint Jackie
My Fellow Comedists, A quick note to those who didn't see this item in the bulletin, but I will be appearing at Magooby's Joke House in Baltimore on Sunday. Show starts at 8 and I've got a new set, so would be great to see people there. This...
- Rip Larry Gelbart
My Fellow Comedists, We lost a good one this week. Larry Gelbart died. Amember of Sid Caesar's legendary writing team, he went on to give us A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Tootsie, and most memorably, he was the creative mind behind...
- Feast Of Saint Mort
My Fellow Comedists, This week saw the feast day of Saint Mort. Mort Sahl turned 82. He was the pivot point about which comedy turned from the slapstick gags and schticks of Vaudeville to the hip, smart, topical, observational humor of today. In the early...
- The Feast Of Saint David
Brothers, Sisters, and Transgendered Comedists Everywhere, This week we celebrated the feast day of Saint David. David Brenner is 73 years old. The son of a vaudeville performer, growing up in the tough parts of Philly, he became a pivotal figure in stand-up....
- Feast Of Saint Dan
Brothers, Sisters, and Transgendered Comedists Everywhere, This week saw the birthday of Dan Aykroyd. Born on July 1, 1952 in Ottawa, he gave us some of the finest comedy of the late 20th century. Intending to be a Catholic priest...until he was expelled...