"Hello, Arthur? This is your mother. Do you remember me? .... Arthur, you were supposed to call me last Friday. I sat by that phone all day Friday, and all day Friday night, and all day Saturday, and all day Sunday, and your father finally said to me, 'Phyllis eat something, you'll faint", said Elaine May to Mike Nichols in their classic Mother and Son skit. "And I said, no, Harry, no; I don't want my mouth to be full when my son calls....". I've been listening to this, and all the other Nichols-May classics for 15 years now, and I swear, they never get old. Steven Korn, MD, CALL.YOUR.MOTHER!!!
One of my to do's this year is to participate in a stand up open mic night. I'm in LA; they're everywhere. I think I have close to 90 seconds of material already. Humor is the strongest weapon there is against pain. And, I love to laugh!
Loved the article. Thank you. Going to pass it along.
"Ultimately, Jewish humor rests on the deep Jewish theological instinct that despair deserves mockery — not because suffering is funny, but because suffering is arrogant. It keeps announcing itself as final, but history keeps proving otherwise. The Egyptians are gone. The Babylonians are gone. The Romans are gone. The Soviets are gone. The Nazis are gone. The Jews remain."
Vus ist dus? You think jews are funny? How funny? Funny Ha HA? FUNNY LOOKING?.. funny like a clown...? You calling jews clowns...that what you saying? How bout I tear you a new tochus? Ya laughing now?
Well I got a joke joke for you...why do jewish broads like circumcised peckers?
Cause they always want 10% off!
Why do jews like to play defense in football? Cause they always get the..
Growing up with the "greatest generation" of Jewish comics, I'd wonder why all the disparaging and self deprecating humor. Our great Jewish humorists...."who is the ugliest world leader of all time...Golda Meir." Seinfeld. The "bris" episode I hate and won't rewatch. Or as George said, "I'd rather attend a hanging." That's just one show....one which I find very funny, very New York Jewish. Now Israel is the punching bag of such as Jon Stewart and SNL. So Jews and Jewish self deprecating humor in '26. There is great humor in what Nichols and May did 70 years ago. Or Jackie Mason. Rodney Dangerfield. Today's Jewish humor? Where is it?
A beautiful essay, Nachum! PS I will call my mother, promise 😊
"Hello, Arthur? This is your mother. Do you remember me? .... Arthur, you were supposed to call me last Friday. I sat by that phone all day Friday, and all day Friday night, and all day Saturday, and all day Sunday, and your father finally said to me, 'Phyllis eat something, you'll faint", said Elaine May to Mike Nichols in their classic Mother and Son skit. "And I said, no, Harry, no; I don't want my mouth to be full when my son calls....". I've been listening to this, and all the other Nichols-May classics for 15 years now, and I swear, they never get old. Steven Korn, MD, CALL.YOUR.MOTHER!!!
I did, have and will call …
Such a good Yiddeshe kinderleh…. 🤪
One of my to do's this year is to participate in a stand up open mic night. I'm in LA; they're everywhere. I think I have close to 90 seconds of material already. Humor is the strongest weapon there is against pain. And, I love to laugh!
Do it !!
Loved this piece! Informative and funny! Thank you 😊
You nailed it. Made me laugh and cry at the same time.
Love it! And so true!
Loved the article. Thank you. Going to pass it along.
"Ultimately, Jewish humor rests on the deep Jewish theological instinct that despair deserves mockery — not because suffering is funny, but because suffering is arrogant. It keeps announcing itself as final, but history keeps proving otherwise. The Egyptians are gone. The Babylonians are gone. The Romans are gone. The Soviets are gone. The Nazis are gone. The Jews remain."
Nu, so where are the jokes about the proxies?
Jewish humor is one of my favorite things.....
A quarter (total 14 in a whole world) of Prima Ballerina Assoluta is Jewish. So, Jews are godd in the classical ballet too. Oy, gevalt :)
https://ellguy.substack.com/p/the-dsa-outlawed-the-independent?r=17hq7h
Vus ist dus? You think jews are funny? How funny? Funny Ha HA? FUNNY LOOKING?.. funny like a clown...? You calling jews clowns...that what you saying? How bout I tear you a new tochus? Ya laughing now?
Well I got a joke joke for you...why do jewish broads like circumcised peckers?
Cause they always want 10% off!
Why do jews like to play defense in football? Cause they always get the..
Oi gevalt...foughedaboutit!
Wonderful!
Growing up with the "greatest generation" of Jewish comics, I'd wonder why all the disparaging and self deprecating humor. Our great Jewish humorists...."who is the ugliest world leader of all time...Golda Meir." Seinfeld. The "bris" episode I hate and won't rewatch. Or as George said, "I'd rather attend a hanging." That's just one show....one which I find very funny, very New York Jewish. Now Israel is the punching bag of such as Jon Stewart and SNL. So Jews and Jewish self deprecating humor in '26. There is great humor in what Nichols and May did 70 years ago. Or Jackie Mason. Rodney Dangerfield. Today's Jewish humor? Where is it?
Thank you!