Philosophy
Brothers, Sisters, and Transgendered Comedists Everywhere,
Today is Hitler's birthday. A less funny man, perhaps, never walked the face of the earth, Dick Shawn, however,...Comedy has powers that few other modes of human expression can claim. We can use prose or visual arts like photography to feel overwhelmed by the enormity of the horror, but it is maybe through comedy alone that we can reclaim our humanity in the face of it. We can own it, we can make it mean something that does not ignore it, but rather allows us to live with it.
"Hitler" was not actually his birth name. It was his stepfather came from a family named "Heider" which turned into "Hitler," but for a while he carried his mother's maiden name, Schicklegruber. I guess we see where teasing on the third grade playground can lead...
And here's Hitler himself doing stand-up at the ReichstagA genocidal evil maniac, sure, but you try getting laughs like that out of Estonia and Yugoslavia. Fortunately, he has all of eternity to work on his timing...during the credits as he is forced to watch infinite re-runs of Stop or My Mom Will Shoot in comedy hell.
Have a nice weekend, and please people, no brown shirts.
Live, love, and laugh,
Irreverend Steve
- The Feast Of Saint Martin
My Fellow Comedists, This weekend, we celebrate the feast of Saint Martin. Martin Lawrence turns 45 today. There is a long tradition of African-American stand-up comics who were major players in every generation, from Moms Mabley to Redd Foxx, Dick Gregory...
- A Comedist Request
Brothers, Sisters, and Transgendered Comedists Everywhere, This weekend, I, the Irreverend Steve, come to you for advice. I am in need of pastoral counseling from my flock. We stand a mere eight weeks from April 1, Saint Shecky's Day, the holiest...
- Comedist Theology
Brothers, Sisters, and Transgendered Comedists Everywhere, For those who are new to the Playground, weekends are dedicated to Comedism, the new religion. It's been a while since we've looked at the basic tents of the faith,so this weekend we'll...
- Comedism And Evil
Brothers , Sisters, and Transgendered Comedists Everywhere: For those who are new to the Playground, weekends are for the weekly Comedist sermons. For an introduction to Comedism, the new religion; passages from The Comedist Manifesto, our holy book;...
- The Birth Of Comedism
How did the new religion, Comedism, come to be? It was many years ago (well, nine), when I was teaching ethics at night for a local community college. I was trying to draw the distinction between ethical precepts and social mores. A student raised his...
Philosophy
It's Springtime for Hitler
Brothers, Sisters, and Transgendered Comedists Everywhere,
Today is Hitler's birthday. A less funny man, perhaps, never walked the face of the earth, Dick Shawn, however,...Comedy has powers that few other modes of human expression can claim. We can use prose or visual arts like photography to feel overwhelmed by the enormity of the horror, but it is maybe through comedy alone that we can reclaim our humanity in the face of it. We can own it, we can make it mean something that does not ignore it, but rather allows us to live with it.
"Hitler" was not actually his birth name. It was his stepfather came from a family named "Heider" which turned into "Hitler," but for a while he carried his mother's maiden name, Schicklegruber. I guess we see where teasing on the third grade playground can lead...
And here's Hitler himself doing stand-up at the ReichstagA genocidal evil maniac, sure, but you try getting laughs like that out of Estonia and Yugoslavia. Fortunately, he has all of eternity to work on his timing...during the credits as he is forced to watch infinite re-runs of Stop or My Mom Will Shoot in comedy hell.
Have a nice weekend, and please people, no brown shirts.
Live, love, and laugh,
Irreverend Steve
- The Feast Of Saint Martin
My Fellow Comedists, This weekend, we celebrate the feast of Saint Martin. Martin Lawrence turns 45 today. There is a long tradition of African-American stand-up comics who were major players in every generation, from Moms Mabley to Redd Foxx, Dick Gregory...
- A Comedist Request
Brothers, Sisters, and Transgendered Comedists Everywhere, This weekend, I, the Irreverend Steve, come to you for advice. I am in need of pastoral counseling from my flock. We stand a mere eight weeks from April 1, Saint Shecky's Day, the holiest...
- Comedist Theology
Brothers, Sisters, and Transgendered Comedists Everywhere, For those who are new to the Playground, weekends are dedicated to Comedism, the new religion. It's been a while since we've looked at the basic tents of the faith,so this weekend we'll...
- Comedism And Evil
Brothers , Sisters, and Transgendered Comedists Everywhere: For those who are new to the Playground, weekends are for the weekly Comedist sermons. For an introduction to Comedism, the new religion; passages from The Comedist Manifesto, our holy book;...
- The Birth Of Comedism
How did the new religion, Comedism, come to be? It was many years ago (well, nine), when I was teaching ethics at night for a local community college. I was trying to draw the distinction between ethical precepts and social mores. A student raised his...