Category Archives: Comedy

Home Of The Whoppers

02 Tuesday Apr 2019

Posted by in Comedy, Life, Writing

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The New York Times, which unapologetically lies in its pages, from Judy Miller’s Iraq stories to the current daily pro-Guaido Venezuela propaganda, from time to time deigns to run correction notices—as if to reassure its readers that the rest of the paper is copacetic. Here’s my favorite New York Times correction notice ever, from yesterday’s news story on the production of vegetarian patties for Burger King:

Correction: April 1, 2019:
An earlier version of this article misstated the kind of seeds on Whopper buns. They are sesame seeds, not poppy seeds.

 

Thank You, New York Times, for keeping up Standards!

 

Sitting Down On The Job: Gene Kelly and Donald O’Connor

27 Wednesday Mar 2019

Posted by in Comedy, Life, Music, Performance

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Gene Kelly and Donald O’Connor dance up a storm without leaving their seats. Nice work if you can get it. Stick with it and see what they do when they finally get off their butts…

Thanks to YouTuber Vladmir Zworkin

The Great Debate

20 Wednesday Mar 2019

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This parody debate of Trump vs. Sanders was done on the @midnight television show in 2016, but it looks like we may be experiencing Groundhog Day soon. James Adomian does a nice job of capturing Bernie, but Anthony Atamanuik’s Trump is uncanny. It’s way beyond Alec Baldwin’s very good impersonation; it captures something more sinister.

Thanks to YouTuber Comedy Central

“Hard Luck”: Sholom Aleichem

17 Sunday Mar 2019

Posted by in Books, Comedy, Life, Performance, Theatre, Writing

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Above is one of Sholom Aleichem’s amusing railroad stories, “Hard Luck,” which I performed and produced, as broadcast on WBAI radio’s Arts Express program last night.

Shakespeare Master Class: Fry and Laurie

16 Saturday Mar 2019

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Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie in a great, funny send-up of a Shakespeare acting class.

The two of them were poking fun at a popular British television series of the 1970s where director John Barton and the young actors of the Royal Shakespeare Company, like Ian McKellen, Ben Kingsley and Judi Dench, were put through their paces.

You can reference a clip from that series here.

Thanks to YouTuber CineLad

“Baby You Knock Me Out”

11 Monday Mar 2019

Posted by in Comedy, Music, Performance, Writing

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Monday morning, the extraordinary Cyd Charisse floats like a butterfly, stings like a bee, and schools the boys in boxing lore in this dance clip from It’s Always Fair Weather. Music and lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green.

Thanks to YouTuber Warner Archive Instant

Dead Easy Way To Do Impressions Of Famous People: Albert Brooks

09 Saturday Mar 2019

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This had me rolling in laughter. Comedian Albert Brooks explains to Johnny Carson his invention that helps him impersonate famous people.

More Johnny Carson clips at Johnny Carson

The Magic of Li King Si

02 Saturday Mar 2019

Posted by in Comedy, Life, Magic, Performance, Theatre

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The performance of magic by Caucasians in yellow face has a long history. The most famous practitioner was William Robinson, who performed as Chung Ling Soo, though he was by no means the only one. Throughout the 1950s and 60s in America (and other Western countries) it was a common trope. Here’s a clip from a 1957 television magic special hosted by Ernie Kovacs with a performance from a magician who called himself Li King Si.

I’ve not been able to find out too much about him or his assistant, but Magicpedia says he was a Frenchman whose real name was Edouard (Georges) Cassel He does a credible Zombie, but the most interesting effect to me was the banner waving that his assistant does in the middle of the act.

You can see the entire 1957 television special (it includes the famous television performance of Cardini) by visiting the YouTube channel of  Todd Karr.