On 11/16/05 1:22 PM, "[log in to unmask]" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> What bothers me is that real writers are given short shrift in this
> alleged "prize." It's given to, for the most part, comedians with lots of
TV
> exposure. That may be lucrative, but it's also deeply problematic.

But what if the award is not for writing?  According to the website, "The
Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize for American Humor thus recognizes an artist
who has made a significant contribution to the world of American comedy."

The website says nothing about writing or any kind or genre of comedy.  It
is basically an award for humor.

To reiterate my earlier comments, based on the description of the award,
Steve Martin, Bob Newhart, Richard Pryor, and the others make perfect sense.
Who is funnier than those guys?   Writing is not given short shrift, by the
way.  According to the wesbite it is given no shrift at all.  And it is not
a posthumous award, like the Nobels, so forget about Groucho.

Who are the funniest Americans right now?  Well, you all can name your own
favorites, but besides Martin, Robin Williams, Jim Carrey, Jerry Seinfeld,
and George Carlin come to mind pretty quickly.  I expect they will all win
it in the future--which is fine by me.

I am just glad they associate comedy with Twain--for all I know, the award
might have been for terminal cigar smoking.

Ps -- in the spirit of the MT Prize, please disregard the quote below as you
head into the thanksgiving season.

Peace,

Dr. Harold K. Bush, Jr.
Saint Louis University