Philosophy
My Fellow Comedists,
This week was the 30th anniversary of the passing of John Belushi. Hard to believe it was that long ago. He was to comedy what Hunter S. Thompson was to journalism. The 60s saw an institutionalization of radical comedy with Pryor and Carlin, something that started the generation before with Lenny Bruce and Dick Gregory. But with Belushi and gang in the 70s, it turned into something completely different, something that did not just challenge social norms, but was itself completely out of control. Belushi wasn't a shock comic, that takes cold calculation, he was a passion comic swept up in his art letting it not only come from him but over him.
He was born in Chicago to first-generation Albanian-Americans in Chicago, growing up just outside the city. In high-school, he was a model student and star middle linebacker and captain of the football team. He had intended to become a football coach, but appearing in school variety shows, he caught the drama bug. He went to college to major in drama, but after a bout of freshmanitis, transferred to a junior college in the Chicago-area.
He found himself preferring comic roles to the serious ones he had been playing and started an improv troupe in Chicago. When it got some notice, he earned an invitation to join THE improv troupe in Chicago. His time at Second City led him to work with some of those who would help him fill out that cohort of comedic geniuses.
His Joe Cocker impression, later made famous on Saturday Night Live, got him a spot in a National Lampoon stage show, "Lemmings," that spoofed Woodstock. It got him in the door with National Lampoon and he became part of their radio troupe, ultimately taking over as director. Here, he worked with many of those who would become the "Not Ready For Prime Time Players" when they made the move to television with Saturday Night Live.
So, what is the greatest Belushi bit? Man, tough call. A couple of classics:
Watch John Belushi - Ludwig van Beethoven Part 2 in Comedy | View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com
So, best Belushi bit ever?
Live, love, and laugh,
Irreverend Steve
- The Admiral Fell Inn
My Fellow Comedists, Taking advantage of one of the days when my semester is over but the short people are still in school, TheWife and I went down to Fells Point. At its heart is an establishment named after the namesake of the neighborhood, a...
- Rip Peter Bergman
My Fellow Comedists, This week, we lost another great comic mind. Peter Bergman has gone up to comedy heaven to take his place next to the Cosmic Comic. Founding member of Firesign Theatre, Bergman was a master of late 60s intellectual surrealist...
- Grammar Curmudeons
Had a student ask yesterday about grammatical pet peeves. His was "irregardless." My big three are: 1) "Quote" used for "quotation." Quote is a verb. You quote someone. What you write down is not a quote, but a quotation. ...
- Feast Of Saint Bill
Brothers, Sisters, and Transgendered Comedists Everywhere, This week saw the feast day of Saint Bill. Bill Murray turned 58. A native Chicagoan, he was born into a large Catholic family. Murray worked his way through Catholic school as a caddy and then...
- The Feasts Of Saints Ernie And John
Brothers, Sisters, and Transgendered Comedists Everywhere, This week saw the feast days of two Comedist saints. Ernie Kovacs was a pioneer in television comedy. Where all the comedy before him was televised versions of Vaudeville routines, it was Kovacs...
Philosophy
The Passing of Saint John
My Fellow Comedists,
This week was the 30th anniversary of the passing of John Belushi. Hard to believe it was that long ago. He was to comedy what Hunter S. Thompson was to journalism. The 60s saw an institutionalization of radical comedy with Pryor and Carlin, something that started the generation before with Lenny Bruce and Dick Gregory. But with Belushi and gang in the 70s, it turned into something completely different, something that did not just challenge social norms, but was itself completely out of control. Belushi wasn't a shock comic, that takes cold calculation, he was a passion comic swept up in his art letting it not only come from him but over him.
He was born in Chicago to first-generation Albanian-Americans in Chicago, growing up just outside the city. In high-school, he was a model student and star middle linebacker and captain of the football team. He had intended to become a football coach, but appearing in school variety shows, he caught the drama bug. He went to college to major in drama, but after a bout of freshmanitis, transferred to a junior college in the Chicago-area.
He found himself preferring comic roles to the serious ones he had been playing and started an improv troupe in Chicago. When it got some notice, he earned an invitation to join THE improv troupe in Chicago. His time at Second City led him to work with some of those who would help him fill out that cohort of comedic geniuses.
His Joe Cocker impression, later made famous on Saturday Night Live, got him a spot in a National Lampoon stage show, "Lemmings," that spoofed Woodstock. It got him in the door with National Lampoon and he became part of their radio troupe, ultimately taking over as director. Here, he worked with many of those who would become the "Not Ready For Prime Time Players" when they made the move to television with Saturday Night Live.
So, what is the greatest Belushi bit? Man, tough call. A couple of classics:
Watch John Belushi - Ludwig van Beethoven Part 2 in Comedy | View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com
So, best Belushi bit ever?
Live, love, and laugh,
Irreverend Steve
- The Admiral Fell Inn
My Fellow Comedists, Taking advantage of one of the days when my semester is over but the short people are still in school, TheWife and I went down to Fells Point. At its heart is an establishment named after the namesake of the neighborhood, a...
- Rip Peter Bergman
My Fellow Comedists, This week, we lost another great comic mind. Peter Bergman has gone up to comedy heaven to take his place next to the Cosmic Comic. Founding member of Firesign Theatre, Bergman was a master of late 60s intellectual surrealist...
- Grammar Curmudeons
Had a student ask yesterday about grammatical pet peeves. His was "irregardless." My big three are: 1) "Quote" used for "quotation." Quote is a verb. You quote someone. What you write down is not a quote, but a quotation. ...
- Feast Of Saint Bill
Brothers, Sisters, and Transgendered Comedists Everywhere, This week saw the feast day of Saint Bill. Bill Murray turned 58. A native Chicagoan, he was born into a large Catholic family. Murray worked his way through Catholic school as a caddy and then...
- The Feasts Of Saints Ernie And John
Brothers, Sisters, and Transgendered Comedists Everywhere, This week saw the feast days of two Comedist saints. Ernie Kovacs was a pioneer in television comedy. Where all the comedy before him was televised versions of Vaudeville routines, it was Kovacs...