merican comedian Reginald D Hunter
was chatting to one of his advisors
recently. describing the content of his upcoming Edinburgh show. Pride and Prejudice and Niggus‘. It sounded like familiar Reg D terrain: love. family. cultural differences. big bums. ‘()h. and Jews.‘ A pause before the advisor asked whether he was being serious. 'Yes.’ Reg replied. ‘perfectly serious‘. This discussion reflects the ongoing dilemma which artists have to wrestle with when treating the subject of Jews and Jewishness. The civilised world still feels traumatised for what happened to the Jews during World War 2 and is etemally grateful for the comedic likes of Woody Allen. Roseanne. the Marx Brothers. Jerry Seinfeld. Mel Brooks. Joan Rivers. Larry David and Jeff Goldblum. But the crimes against humanity committed by Israel and its allies against the Palestinians are a stain on the second half of the 20th century and beyond.
So. how should we treat someone like Jackie Mason‘.’ To some. he is the epitome of the old school gag merchant. joke after joke oozing from him. resulting in no two shows ever being the same. To many. many others. he is an unreconstructed bigot. someone who should have been put to seed many years ago. rather than being allowed to continue peddling a pro- Israel agenda dressed up as stand-up comedy.
Born Jacob Moshe Milli! in I93()s Wisconsin but raised on the Lower [East Side of Manhattan. his family was rammed with rabbis and he was ordained at the age of 25. Feeling that the comedic urge was too strong to resist. he fled his calling three years later to pursue a new career. insisting that ‘somebody in the family had to make a living‘. His first brush with notoriety occurred when he fell out with variety show guru Ed Sullivan (showbusiness suicide for any aspiring American comic in the early 60s) when Mason was alleged to have given Sullivan ‘the finger’ live on air when asked to wrap up his routine (this is tantamount to a Countdown contestant suggesting that Carol Vorderman should hurry the fuck Up with the consonants). Mason won a libel suit over the scandal. and IS months later he was invited back on the show.
Throughout his career. he has been one of those comics who would do one thing to upset you and another thing to charm you. One minute he‘d be hanging out with Nelson Mandela and attacking Starbucks. the next taking a vicious verbal swipe at New York‘s first black Mayor. David Dinkins (‘a fancy schvartze with a moustache‘) and going around accusing other comics of nicking his material. But worst of all was the disgrace of August 2002 when he was set to appear at Zanie‘s Comedy Club in Chicago. His support act for the gig was one Ray Hanania. a Vietnam vet who had been performing comedy for less than one year and who was understandably excited at this opportunity for more exposure. Unfortunately. his new-found celebrity came about for a very different reason. Just hours before the show was to start. Hanania was bumped from the bill. for one simple reason. ‘Its not exactly like he‘s just an Arab-American] explained Mason‘s wife and manager. Jyll Rosenfeld. ‘This guy‘s a Palestinian.‘
The United Arab American League was livid. Its President. Ali Alarabi demanded an apology. ‘We demand an apology.‘ he raged. ‘It is an act of hate and racism against Palestinians.’ Why anyone would be surprised that Mason could have such hurtful feelings in his heart is the most
astonishing aspect to the incident. For every joke of this ilk: 'l have enough money to last me the rest of my life. unless I buy something’. there‘s a comment like this waiting round the comer: ‘My position is that anyone who is in favour of gun control is a fucking moron.’
Equally. while we have no problem in raising a wry snicker over this: ‘It's no longer a question of staying healthy. it's a question of finding a sickness you like.‘ how the hell are we meant to react to this: 'Islam is a murderous religion . . . everyone thinks that it's a legitimate religion that preaches love and brotherhood. The tnith is that terrorists are reflecting and following the religion. They are following their orders directly from the Qu‘ran: in plain Iinglish. the whole Muslim religion is preaching and teaching Irate. terrorism and murder. The Qu’ran is 50 versions of hate. venom. hostility. and murder . . .'
Perhaps it's better to ask those who may have more direct responses to such verbal attacks. With this in mind. I tried to contact the members of the Arab-UK comedy community. but most were unwilling or unable to express an opinion about Mason and his comedy influence. London- based Shappi Khorsandi did have a surprising take on the cult of Mason. ‘As an Iranian. I relate to so much of Jackie Mason‘s material.‘ she said. ‘My parents and their generation of Iranians are all big fans of his because all hisjokes about. for example. Jewish mothers and Jewish culture is so similar to Iranian culture and all the
‘ISLAM IS A MURDEROUS RELIGION. TERRORISTS ARE FOLLOWING ORDERS DIRECTLY FROM THE OU'RAN'
complexities of our family life. As a comic. the influence someone like Jackie Mason has on me is that he shows how it’s possible to talk about your specific cultural experiences on stage without marginalising yourself or alienating someone who doesn‘t share your background.’
For Khorsandi. there is a legitimate. simple reason why Jewish comedy should touch so many of those not sharing the faith. 'There is something about it that inspires warmth. The self-deprecation is done with wit and intelligence. Jewish comics seem to appreciate the idea of thought-provoking comedy more than most. perhaps that comes from the heavy sense of their history. I think comics who come from a diaspora are more likely to glean material from their cultural identity as we are so often in tunnoil about it.‘
Maybe there‘s something else afoot. Does another appearance by yet another ageing comic in these parts reflect a turmoil that may be currently afflicting the comedy world? After shows from Bernard Manning. Jim Bowen. Ken Dodd and Ronnie Corbett this year (with the Goodies. Bernie Clifton. Stu Francis and the Krankies to follow in August) does this signify a return to the good old days? Or does the comedy-watching audience demand more diversity: are these veterans actually the new altemative comedy"? In an era when TV comedy is trying too hard to bend all the rules that have been set before them. when it comes to live stand-up. maybe we just love the old boys‘ schtick.
Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow, Tue 13 Jun.
JACKIE MASON
OY VEY WITH WORDS
Need any more proof that the Jewish people have got a wicked self- deprecating sense of humour? Improve your own schtick with this little lot.
I MOIsho walks into a post ()iIlCi‘ to ‘it‘Iltl .l I .i: kits. to his ‘.VII(,‘. The postniastov Sgtyf; 'Ihiu iiii "mire is too heavy, you'll need another staiiiin Mr ) ~.l~. replies: ‘And that should makw it liijh'i-v "
I An Italian says: ‘I’m tired and thirsty. I must have wine.’ The Mexican says: ‘l‘m tired and thirsty. I must have tequila.‘ The Swede says: ‘l’m tired and thirsty. I must have aquavit.’ The Japanese says: ‘I‘m tired and thirsty. I must have sake.’ The Russian says: ‘I'm tired and thirsty. I must have vodka.’ The Jew says, ‘I'm tired and thirsty. I must have diabetes.’
I What did the waiter ask the group of .Jo ',.'. mothers? ‘ls anything OK’?‘
I Yankele was watching his Rabbi father write a speech. ‘How do you know what to say, daddy?’ Yankele asked. ‘Why, son, God tells me’, said the Rabbi. ‘Oh, then why do you keep crossing things out?’
I A German comes to London and stays f/lll‘ Maurice and his family. lhr: first llltiffllll’} tiny; ,iil ltt.‘ breakfast together and have INT!)th in.» (Vii-vim". exclaims. ‘Wow we don't have tiaqel'. likw fr. . ‘7) Germany.' Io which Maurice staiirl', Ill: ariil w it “And who's fault it; that?”
I A visitor came to Israel and saw the Western Wall. Not being too versed in religious aspects, he inquired of another tourist about the significance of the wall. The other tourist explained: ‘This is a sacred wall. If you pray
to it, God may hear you.’ The visitor walked close to the wall and started to pray. ‘Dear Lord, bring sunshine and warmth to this beautiful land.’ A commanding voice answered: ‘I will, my son.’ The visitor said: ‘Bring prosperity to this land.’ Again, the voice boomed: ‘I will, my son.’ ‘Let Jews and Arabs live together in peace, dear Lord.’ The voice answered: ‘You’re talking to a wall’.
I Three men are discussing their premous night", lovemaking. The Italian says: 'I rubbed My mfe all over With fine olive Oll. then we made wonderful lore, She screamed for five mmutes.‘ The Frenchman says: 'I smoothed sweet butter on my Wife's, bow. then we made passionate love. She screamed for half an hour.‘ The Jew says: 'l covered my wife". body With schmaltz. We made love and she screamed for SIX hours.‘ The others said. ‘How did you make her scream for SIX hours?‘ He shrugs. 'I wiped my hands on the drapes.‘
8-22 Jun 2006 THE LIST 19