Jewish Comedians: An Enduring Cultural Imprint
To speak of American comedy is to speak of Jewish American comedy. In fact, so pervasive is their impact that you could argue that our comedic spine is made up of Jewish vertebrae. If we were to trace the influence back to the 1930-40s, we’d arrive at the Borscht Belt—i.e., a region in the Catskills that birthed many popular performers—and find some of the most influential comedians to be Jewish. On the evolutionary timeline, they were the fish that would one day become Homo sapiens.
Don Rickles was one of these Borscht Belt comedians. Rickles arguably helped pioneer insult comedy, which led the way for the popularization of Comedy Central Roasts—midwifed along by “Roast Master General” and one of the funniest—genial yet lacerating—Jewish Americans, Jeff Ross.
Then we have Joan Rivers, another fearless comedian whose career spanned nearly 60 years. Rivers’ unapologetic, often pitch-black humor showed the world that Jewish comedians, notably Jewish women, were some of the funniest people around. Following in her footsteps would be a gaggle of other hilarious women, including Sarah Silverman, whose comedy show, The Sarah Silverman Program, has to be seen to be believed, with no taboo being too sacrosanct for Silverman to take on (no surprise to anyone who’s seen her special, Jesus is Magic, or her scene-stealing work in the documentary, The Aristocrats). We can also look at another comedic stalwart, Nikki Glaser, who was the standout performer in the Roast of Tom Brady. Later that year, Glaser released her special, Nikki Glaser: Someday You’ll Die, spoiling audiences with more of her affable, bawdy humor.
But the Borscht Belt also gave us Rodney Dangerfield, who inspired the likes of Jim Carrey, Chris Rock, and Jeff Foxworthy. The comedic riches of this milieu also gave us Mel Brooks, who, while less known for his stand-up comedy, this Jewish American’s spoofs hacked a trail for classics such as The Naked Gun and Scary Movie franchises.
But the comedy scene in the United States (and let’s face it, globally) was also shaped by yet more influential Jewish people.
One of the most groundbreaking sitcoms, Seinfeld, owes much of its success to three Jewish American comedy writers: Larry David, Jerry Seinfeld, and Larry Charles (who had a lot to say about another giant of comedy, Sacha Baron Cohen, in his memoir, Comedy Samurai). If Seinfeld set the template for a stand-up comedian turned sitcom star, yet another Jewish person (albeit Canadian) created a touchstone of American television: a sketch show that has lasted for half a century and brought us some of the biggest names in comedy.
We are speaking of Lorne Michaels, née Lorne Lipowitz, who of course created the groundbreaking Saturday Night Live.
And on the big screen we have yet more Jewish iconoclasts, from Ben Stiller to Adam Sandler down to Seth Rogen, who share a common comedic shepherd, and another Jewish former stand-up comedian, Judd Apatow.
Apatow helped co-create The Ben Stiller Show, gave Seth Rogen his big break on Freaks and Geeks, directed Sandler in Funny People, and did uncredited rewrites for Happy Gilmore and The Wedding Singer.
But the comedy scene in the United States (and let’s face it, globally) was also shaped by yet more influential Jewish people.
One of the most groundbreaking sitcoms, Seinfeld, owes much of its success to three Jewish American comedy writers: Larry David, Jerry Seinfeld, and Larry Charles (who had a lot to say about another giant of comedy, Sacha Baron Cohen, in his memoir, Comedy Samurai). If Seinfeld set the template for a stand-up comedian turned sitcom star, yet another Jewish person (albeit Canadian) created a touchstone of American television: a sketch show that has lasted for half a century and brought us some of the biggest names in comedy.
We are speaking of Lorne Michaels, née Lorne Lipowitz, who of course created the groundbreaking Saturday Night Live.
And on the big screen we have yet more Jewish iconoclasts, from Ben Stiller to Adam Sandler down to Seth Rogen, who share a common comedic shepherd, and another Jewish former stand-up comedian, Judd Apatow.
Apatow helped co-create The Ben Stiller Show, gave Seth Rogen his big break on Freaks and Geeks, directed Sandler in Funny People, and did uncredited rewrites for Happy Gilmore and The Wedding Singer.
We’d also be remiss not to mention Marc Maron, another Jewish stand-up comedian. But where Maron’s influence arguably looms largest is in podcasting. An earlier adopter of the format, Maron became one of the most well-known podcasters with his sometimes playful, frequently earnest, and occasionally heartbreaking podcast WTF. Maron recently announced he’ll be ending his podcast after 15 years.
Why exactly so many Jewish people are adept at comedy is beyond the scope of this blog. However, Ariel Elias, a Jewish comedian and woman with a rising star (who went viral after chugging a beer lobbed at her head), has one idea.
“Humor is intrinsic to being Jewish…in part because of oral tradition,” says Elias, in a profile in Forward, a Jewish news site.
While there is much to say about Jewish humor and the role Jewish comedians have played in global pop culturare, we’ll leave you with one suggestion.
Do yourself a favor and watch Caught Stealing, where Liev Schreiber and Vincent Donofrio play two Hasidic, Orthodox Jews and absolute forces of nature. It’s no short miracle that they somehow wring so much levity and menace from their brief screen time.
Book a Jewish Comedian Today
At The Comedian Company, our roster of comedians includes many Jewish comedians who carry on the tradition of Jewish humor in America’s comedic landscape. We also have many Jewish keynote speakers if you are looking for someone to address your next event.
Call our office at (586) 218-8745 to discuss hiring a Jewish comedian.
