Tag: Sid Caesar

Why Is Laughter in the Jewish DNA? Just Ask Sid Caesar.

I am often asked, “Why are there so many Jewish comedians?”

I’ve never done an assessment of the numbers in line with other ethnicities, but yes, Jewish people have always found it helpful to rely on laughter to lighten the load.

I’ve also found that unlike many other groups Jewish people seem to have no problem when it comes to laughing at themselves. This probably contributes a great deal to their ability to spawn so many funny people. If laughter is allowed then many will embrace its healing effect.

And lately that load of problems seems to have increased to the size of a mountain. So how are we going to plow through and laugh enough to ease the pain?

Comedy is king when it comes to lifting one’s spirit and television was my go-to kingdom for laughter.

So, what happens when you put the funniest comic writers in a room together, add top acting talent and a boss who wouldn’t settle for anything less than perfection? You get Your Show of Shows.

Of all the shows on television I remember as a child Your Show of Shows with Sid Caesar set the bar the highest. The man knew funny and recognized it others. It was the best example of what happens when you put some of the funniest Jewish writers and comics on the planet in the same room and let them soar. Caesar let his writers take risks and then his genius added the rest.  Just perusing the list of talent on that writing staff is a who’s who of the legendary comedians of our time. Probably of all time.

No one could ever deny Sid Caesar was a great comic and actor who knew how to take a joke over the top. He also had a cast of legends including Imogene Coca, Howard Morris, Carl Reiner and Nanette Fabray. But having great material raises comedy to a whole other level. And that level was astronomical.

Your Show of Shows was created and produced by, and many of the writers discovered by, a man named Max Liebman, a producer, director and composer who worked on Broadway. He made Sid Caesar and Imogene Coca stars and helped launch the careers of Carl Reiner, Howard Morris, Nanette Fabray and the writers Mel Brooks, Neil Simon, and Mel Tolkin.

Looking at the list of accomplishments of Caesar’s writers, I am in awe. Even the ones you might not immediately recognize just make me say “Wow, I never knew that.”

So here’s some wow moments starting with someone who surprised me.

Mel Tolkin isn’t a household name but I guarantee he delivered a whole lot of laughter into your home. As head writer on the show, he reined in all the comic geniuses and egos in that room. Tolkin went on to write for All in the Family, Archie Bunker’s Place, Dickens and Fenster and Bachelor Father among others. He won an Emmy and numerous WGA (Writer’s Guild of America) awards.

Joseph Stein wrote and received a Tony Award for Best Musical and Best Author for Fiddler on the Roof.

He was also awarded the New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award, Screen Writers Guild Award for the screenplay and the Newspaper Guild Award.

Among his other hits was a gem called Zorba the Greek and he also wrote and produced Mr. Wonderful starring Sammy Davis Jr.

There was also a guy named Mel Brooks you may know. Is there actually enough byte space on my computer for this guy? We needn’t even mention all the Tony, Academy, Bafta and Lifetime achievements awards this man has won. Suffice it to say his awards could fill a room.

I highly doubt you can find anyone on planet earth who hasn’t laughed at The Producers, Blazing Saddles, The Twelve Chairs, Young Frankenstein, Silent Movie, High Anxiety, A History of the World, Part I, Spaceballs, Robin Hood: Men in Tights or Dracula: Dead and Loving It.

He also produced critically acclaimed dramatic films through his company Brooksfilms, including David Lynch’s The Elephant Man and The Fly.

Brooks began his career on the show of shows where he wrote the 2000-year-old man with Carl Reiner. He went on to create Get Smart which won seven primetime Emmy awards.

It’s not just that Mel is funny. He is the kind of laugh-out-loud funny that makes you laugh so hard it actually hurts.

Moving on to Carl Reiner, one of my all-time favorites, his list of achievements is also admirable. The Dick Van Dyke Show, still one of the funniest and best written shows ever to fill a television screen.

His movies include The Jerk, Summer School and Dead Men don’t Wear Plaid among others.

I have always been impressed with his sheer ability to write great comedy that is not only funny, but intelligent.

Neil Simon wrote 30 Broadway hits that featuring some of the wittiest and most prolific dialogue ever produced. His plays starting with Come Blow Your Horn, Barefoot in the Park, The Odd Couple Plaza Suite, The Sunshine Boys: Chapter Two, Brighton Beach Memoirs, Biloxi Blues, Broadway Bound and

Lost in Yonkers, for which he received a Pulitzer Prize. 

The Sunshine Boys, California Suite and the Goodbye Girl were among his plays that found their way to the big screen. In his career he received numerous Tonys, WGA and other awards for his voluminous body of work.

Larry Gelbart left Caesar to co-write the Broadway hit A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. He moved on to his television mega hit M.A.S.H. and hit movies Tootsie and Oh God.

Gelbart’s work garnered him 14 Emmy Awards, a Peabody Award, six Golden Globe Awards, seven Directors Guild of America (DGA) Awards, and seven Writers Guild of America (WGA) Awards.

Selma Diamond was highly recognizable for her raspy voice and Dorothy Parkeresque wit.  Her unique voice and personality led her into acting and she was well known for her work as the Bailiff on Night Court, and role on Too Close for Comfort. Some say she was the model for the character of Sally Rogers on Reiner’s Dick Van Dyke Show.

Danny Simon, Neil’s older brother wrote material for comics like Buddy Hackett, Jan Murray and Phil Silvers. He and Neil began by writing for various radio and television shows including Broadway Open House and the Red Buttons and Jackie Gleason shows before as Your Show of Shows.

After they stopped writing together in 1954, Danny became head writer on The Colgate Comedy Hour and Danny Thomas’ Make Room for Daddy.

He also wrote for My Three Sons, The Carol Burnett Show, The Mac Davis Show, The Kraft Music Hall, The Facts of Life and Diff’rent Strokes as well as Joan Rivers.

Lucille Kallen was the first woman hired on the show. After Show of Shows she went on to write the popular C.B. Greenfield Mysteries book series.

Your Show of Shows morphed into Caesar’s Hour with some of the same staff, but also added writer’s like Woody Allen who went on to become Woody Allen.

The list was comedy royalty. The enormous body of work these writers went on to produce is legendary. I doubt I have ever, or will ever see such an illustrious and talented group of comedy geniuses in the same room again. Sad, when it seems now more than ever we need laughter.

If anyone ever wonders how Baby Boomers got their sense of humor, they need only watch reruns of Your Show of Shows.

How Jewish Can Jewish Comedians Be?

How Jewish Can a Jewish Comedian Be?

Being Jewish I grew up loving to laugh. It was a priority since I was younger than I even remember and the television became my Temple where I worshipped Sid Caesar, Milton Berle, Richard Pryor and all the other hilarious comedians of my time.

I have never stopped loving comedy and comedians and now I have noticed a great shift in Jewish humor.

When I was young Jewish humor sprouted its wings and took off from a heliport in the Catskill Mountains. Many of the great comics time honed their craft in front of appreciative Jewish audiences full and bloated from eating eleven meals a day and water retention from copious amounts of lox every morning.

If you could make a bloated Jew laugh, you were golden.

In large part the focus of Catskill humor was Jewish and catered to that audience. Yet can anyone truly say that marriage, children and parent jokes are funny to only Jewish people? Many comics were featured on the Ed Sullivan show which I watched with a certain reverence. Comedians like Myron Cohen specialized in Jew Jokes and pulled no punches when it came to who and what they were.

However, there was also another type of Jewish comedian far more prevalent at that time.

The Comics like Benny Kabalsky AKA Jack Benny or George Burns AKA Nathan Birnbaum who changed their names to assimilate into the times were highly successful.

Although they retained their Jewishness in many ways, on stage they attempted to fit into an American society that had a very strong hidden undercurrent of anti-semitism. What they used to call in the fifties a gentleman’s agreement, about never allowing Jewish people to frequent hotels, country clubs and restaurants reserved for only the WASPish Americans at that time.

Jewish comics like Alan King, Carl Reiner, Groucho Marx and George Burns both in Los Angeles and New York were forced to start their own country clubs where they could play golf and cards and socialize with their families.

The Alan Kings were obviously Jewish comedians despite the name change because their humor and mannerisms betrayed them, yet it was a way to bypass the rules of the time. Today modern comedians like Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David deliver Jewish sensibility humor in a more clandestine manner, and they always hit the mark in spades.

The Mel Brooks generation of comedians set a standard for comedy that to this day is tough to beat.

Their humor came from a place of pain and suffering in their DNA which is where the best comedy is born. It was nurtured by a young country that hadn’t accepted Jews, yet was willing to laugh and enjoy their brand of humor.

I have often been asked, why are so many comedians Jewish? I have written about this many times but the short answer is; because humor is the Jewish way to deal with pain. Laughter has sustained us throughout the centuries and also enables someone to diminish the power an enemy has over a person or a people.

Because so many Jewish comedians were forced to change their names in order to work years ago it is so interesting that now the best Jewish comedians have no intention of covering up their heritage or changing anything. In fact, they go out of their way to enhance their Judaism and are in your face about who and what they are.

Two examples of the “new” Jewish comedian today are Elon Gold and Modi Rosenfeld.

As a former stand-up comedian, I have seen and worked with many of the greats of our time. Therefore, when I say these two comics are not only hilarious, but fearless in their attitudes about being Jewish I speak from experience. As someone who myself was seen as too Jewish I am gratified to see this paradigm shift. Although as anyone who knows me is aware it would have been impossible for me to be perceived as anything but a Jewish woman.

The “new” gutsy out-there Jewish comedian talks about Jewish subjects, spouts Yiddish phrases and presents some of the most intelligent and well written comedy today.

There is certainly no surprise that a comedian is funny, but what is so unique is the fact that these two comedians, among others have chosen to display their Jewishness in a time that is the most anti-semitic in history.

To be so authentic in a time in America where Jews are hated, reviled and in constant danger not by only extremist groups, but by politicians in today’s Congress is incredibly brave and admirable. Anti-semitism is not only rampant today, but is overt and accepted.

So how are these comedians so popular and able to be so open about their religion?

In a short answer: I have no idea. It actually goes against what one would think was safe. Wouldn’t common sense dictate that one hide their religion in a time of oppression such as we’re seeing today?

So perhaps that’s the real point here. Have Jews been too afraid to stand up and stand out, and that has been the cause for much of our trouble?

I am a great proponent for humor as the universal language. People cannot be shooting one another when they are doubled over and laughing together.

Perhaps the fact these two comedians are openly Jewish about their wit and religion is exactly what we need right now.

Were we wrong to change our names and hide all those years ago instead of being authentic? Would Jewish people be further ahead in the world today if we’d stood up and fought to be our true selves?

I can’t say, but I must admit I have tons of respect and admiration for Elon and Modi and any others, black, Jewish or Muslim that aren’t afraid to be who and what they are in the face of prejudice.

Is there a lesson to be learned here? I imagine we’ll all have to wait and see if their honesty ultimately makes a dent in the level of hatred we are now experiencing.

Humor is a social language. One needs a funny person and a laugher to complete a humorous cycle. Throughout time, comedians have always served as social warriors and purveyors of truth. I imagine the court jesters must have leveled a few barbs at the king before they were beheaded.

Lenny Bruce AKA Leonard Schneider battled against censorship and comedians today benefit from his tormented career; although unfortunately it ultimately destroyed him.

For the sake of humanity, I sincerely hope this trend helps to eliminate hatred. Let’s face it, laughing about our foibles is in many ways a teachable moment. Self-deprecating humor has always served as a great leveler among audiences. Until we all accept one another for who and what we are these comedians not only deliver on the integrity, they deliver big laughs. In the end isn’t that all one can ask from a truly great comedian?

Heavy Handed Burger Review

I often try to include a recipe in my blog, however a friend quite rightly pointed out that many people who read my blog are past the time they enjoy cooking anymore. I’m not sure my readers have stopped cooking altogether, but if they have I imagine they have their favorite easy go to dining haunts and the days of experimenting with recipes might be in the rear-view mirror.

I thought it might be fun that since I enjoy so many of my meals outside my home, perhaps it would be fun to use my food judging skills from Baking It on NBC on restaurants. So from now on it’s Bubbe Norma’s reviews of the local and not so local places to dine.

I have to begin this review by saying as each birthday creeps upon me I eat far less meat. I’m not certain, but I believe many my age agree and have lightened their diets. Some not. But I have to say despite the whole less meat thing happening I still can’t resist a great burger. When I feel that Wimpy burger craving, I now go directly to Heavy Handed Burgers in Santa Monica or track down their food truck. I know it’s not what most people would imagine when they think about LA lifestyle food, but not everyone in LaLa Land lives on bean sprouts and kale, thank goodness!

Heavy Handed raises the burger bar to another level. The burgers are actually made of short ribs and they use beef tallow not only in the burgers but for their fries. The taste level is a ten plus and the burgers have a great mouth feel like a delicious steak from the first bite until the oh-my-gosh-it’s-gone moment. Cholesterol be damned this is a burger that shines from the addition of these ingredients. I’m very particular about the extras on my burgers and there is just the right kiss of cheese to compliment the meaty flavor explosion. The potato bun is sturdy enough to hold all the ingredients, but has a lightness that allows every flavor to truly shine. Their special sauce is just sweet enough and doesn’t overpower the rich flavors.  Some burgers are bogged down with additions and extra seasonings but Heavy Handed allows the beef to be the star with a perfect balance. The fries are tasty and crispy without feeling heavy or overly filling. When only a great burger will do, Heavy handed is definitely the place to turn for your burger fix. Their flagship location is at 2912 Main St.2912 Main St, Santa Monica, CA 90405.

Five Stars and two snaps up to Heavy Handed.