My Comedic Influences.

Time for a more serious entry today. These are the people that most influence my style of humor. All of them dead now, but all of them are still funny today.

Groucho Marx. Real name Julius Marx. He was an early pioneer of improvisation in comedy. He used to his quick wit to become the archetype of the "smart ass". Whenever someone would say anything he had something to say back. It is very telling that he is the only Marx brother to find much in the way of solo success. His genius came at a price, he was married and divorced 3 time, because he couldn't turn off his mouth.

The angry preacher Sam Kinison. Yes, he did start off as a preacher. After his wife left him, he left the life of preaching, and took up comedy. His style while preaching and doing comedy was the same, that is to say very loud and very intense. He wold come on stage high, and work almost completely off the top of his head. In another time and place he would have been called prophet.

George Carlin. This should come as no surprise to regular readers. Carlin is easily the greatest and most influential comedian of the second half of the 20th century. He made a prolific mount of comedy both written and recorded. He took people to the edge of their comfort zones, and then pushed on past them. Nothing to him was scared.

Well that is my top three, not really in any particular order. There are other of course, but they are for a different time. These are my comedy heroes. Some my have died too soon, but all are still as funny today as they were in their prime. If you don't know there material, type their names into youtube.

No Hate This Week.

Many people say all that is posted here is a bunch of negativity. They might be right, it is meant with some amount of humor, but still there is a negative tone to most of what is posted here. So this week we are going to be positive and talk about some things which inspire, enlighten, or are simply enjoyed by me. This will be a different, and a much more personal kind of thing than you usually see here. I honestly hope you enjoy it.

George Carlin, easily the greatest comedian of the second half of the 20th century. This man inspired me to get into comedy. He never let taboos or other peoples discomforts get in his way. While he knew where the line might be drawn, he knew how to take people to the line and then take them past it.

Seeing this masterpiece was an epiphany moment for me. While the version I first saw was a much abridged, it still had a profound effect altering the way perceived and thought about everything. Now you can see a nearly complete version, which is mind blowing. If you feel like looking this one up, it is black and white, and a silent film.

Sorry for this not being longer. It was very difficult to write this, not so much from a content standpoint, but from things it was bringing to the surface of my mind. I hope you enjoyed it.