Let me offer a suggestion-

Robin Williams, Billy Crystal, and Whoopi Goldberg come to mind. They
are all intelligent, funny people who demonstrate by their performances
that they are capable of drama and well as comedy. They each do a
number of characters that are very symapthetic as well as humorous.
They deal with serious issues such as injustice, inequality, and
poverty in a humorous way. Much more clever, difficult and complex
than just talking about it. And more importantly, it makes the point
more powerfully.

Tim Allen on Home Improvement deals with family issues. His programs
have dealt with cancer in children, infidelity and sexuality. Frasier
deals often with loneliness and being unsuccessful with women. Which
is probably more funny when it happens to him than when it happens to
any of us. ;-) He has dealt with the pain of divorce and custody,
caring for a parent, honor and justice, to name a few lightwieght
topics.

The reason we mistake these programs for lightweight is because of the
brilliant writing that makes us laugh.

The Simpsons is also a very smart comedy. They have dealt with
hunting and gun laws, honesty, worker's compensation, married life,
family issues, parents in nursing homes, etc.

These are all examples of excellent humorous writing that Twain
would really appreciate.

Really good humor is never lightweight. It has many levels, it makes
a point and it is usually something many people can relate to.

Mary Lou Caskey
Utica, NY


Vern Crisler wrote:
>
> At 05:29 PM 7/4/98 -0400, Barry Crimmins wrote:
> <snip>
> Barry said:
> >I hope that intellect is not the sole domain of the dry, inaccessible and
> >boring. Any dope can petrify others into a coma with his/her expertise and
> >views. It  takes a certain genius to effectively smuggle content to a
> >general audience. People let their guard down when they are laughing. A
> >smart and subversive humorist will make sure that before that guard is
> >brought back up, it protects at least a somewhat more sophisticated point
> >of view.
>
> Good points, except that I don't consider being "subversive" as what makes
> someone funny.  (It usually makes them boring.)  Humor is a form of
> entertainment, not necessarily a conduit for revolutionary propaganda.  On
> the other hand, Twain did claim that his humor lasted because he
> "preached"--though, in my judgemnt, when Twain really does preach, he's as
> dry as an Arizona desert.
>
> >Humorists are as diverse a group as, say,  any college faculty. There are
> >lightweight, obvious jokesters, there are learned lampooners of all that
> >deserves to be targeted. There are all sorts in between. They come in every
> >gender, age, race, nationality, religion.  No hard and fast rule  should be
> >applied to such a varied group of people.
>
> Can you give some examples of current day humorists who are also profound
> thinkers.  My mind is drawing a blank. :-)
>
> > I was very impressed with Twain's views on many issues, but then, I'd like
> >to think I have a sense of humor. I allow that it may just be that I  do
> >not possess the intellectual depth required to make such an assessment.
> >That said, if a sense of humor belies a shallow mind, why do they call it
> >"wit"?
>
> Do you agree with Twain's views on Shakespeare?  Or do you think the main
> value of his essay on Shakespeare was his tale about his arguments with the
> steamboat pilot?
>
> Cordially,
>
> Vern