Greg Kelly writes, regarding this discussion of Sarah Silverman…
Hi, I'm glad you addressed that critique and the defense of Silverman.
For what it is worth, she's funny. I don't always laugh at some of the material I've seen her do because it sometimes seems like her delivery involves gently, underhanded, lobbying softballs to a crowd. Do you know what I mean? It is like every time I've seen her, she is saying lines to get a rise out of people and expecting that each joke, each line is worth noting. That delivery and timing messes it up. It would be different if I heard her do anecdotes which rely on funny parts that build up to a big payoff. But, so far, I haven't.
That said, the shock humor doesn't faze me too deeply.
Which brings me to someone whom I should revere because he taught me and my generation so much: Bill Cosby.
I have a problem with the Puritanical, hifalutin', Holy-than-thou-ever-were attitude of Cosby. The Ebonics thing rankles me. In part because I've studied black English/Southern Dialect (to know what we were/are doing) and because I rely on a George Herriman influence for some gags I do/make (it is so much wordplay).
I get what he means and that he means well. My sister meant well, too, when she lectured me on how to present myself to white people so that I don't let them believe I'm stupid. But, another thing I was taught is that if you gonna lecture someone you don't do it in front of people who should not hear you (those would be white people). Cosby did that. Maybe he still does.
He was on The Daily Show earlier in the week, as you may know. He — in defense of himself, which is always the case because he's such a beacon — gibed Jon Stewart for using foul language. He acknowledged when he saw Stewart and Stewart used "those words" which he and Stewart humorously coded as being "Jewish" words, that the audience laughed. And Cosby intimated that the audience seemed to be laughing at the bad words rather than laughing at something funny Stewart said. Obviously, Jon was right there and he didn't take offense and didn't defend himself per se so it seemed like there was no harm or foul.
But, Cosby is cantankerous these days. I've heard Bob Newhart say he still likes to listen to Richard Pryor records. Would Cosby burn those LPs these days? He probably wouldn't. He'd probably turn it into a Good Richard, Poor, Poor Richard example of how one thing can lead to a downfall.
(And, yes, I know the change in Cosby seemed to happen after one of his sons got killed. I get loss and how it changes people and parents. So, I'm not trying to be rude towards him as much as wishing he be more like the Old Cosby, cooler; instead, he's just Old.)
Anyway, it seems fair to say there are still those — in entertainment — who'd have a problem with comedians working blue.
My problem with comedians lecturing others about not working blue is that every older comedian I've ever heard in person make one of those speeches would then, as soon as the camera was turned off or the reporters had taken the advice down and left, tell a really, really filthy joke. Red Skelton told me how shocking it was that "those new comedians" use naughty language and then, without a note of irony, Red told me a joke about a little boy who passed a whorehouse every day on his way to school. I saw Milton Berle tell the Entertainment Tonight cameras about how if you have talent, you don't need to work blue. And then as soon as the camera was turned off, Uncle Miltie told everyone a joke about a nun who got the clap. And so on.
I only met Mr. Cosby once and it wasn't for long enough to add to this discussion. My sense in watching him over the years is that he really doesn't pay much attention to other comedians and that like a lot of folks in show biz, he respects success and doesn't respect or disrespect the work. What others do just doesn't matter to him too much but at times, he feels an obligation to say something as an Elder Statesman of Comedy and particularly as the Elder Statesman of Black Comedy. But of course, what is relevant to someone in Cosby's position isn't all that relevant to a comedian of any color who is under 65 and has yet to attain Legend status.
I didn't sense that he was scolding Jon Stewart that much as acknowledging the breach in their relative ages and styles. I may even have glimpsed a wisp of envy in there. I suspect Stewart is currently the most respected comedian among those who work in the humor business. I know comics who don't like his politics but even they acknowledge how good he is at what he does.
Cosby's new special is on my TiVo, awaiting the time. I'll write about it after I get to see it. I did like Sarah Silverman's special and one of these days, I may find the time to explain what it is I like about her so much.