At 04:45 PM 10/27/98 -0500, Glen M. Johnson wrote:
<<<Also included is something I had forgotten, Pauline Kael's review of the
Pryor concert movie from (?) around 1980. In that review, Kael claimed that
Pryor was the only working comedian who rose to the level of art. (I think
she said poetry; but I don't think she compared him to Mark Twain.)>>>

A rather bold claim on Ms. Kael's part.

<<<I'm already on record as believing that Pryor was an inspired choice. I like
Baker, Keillor, Vonnegut, et. al., but let's face it, they're establishment
figures. Their humor is comfortably provocative. They don't threaten
fundraising week (after week after week) on PBS.  Mark Twain's humor could
always be dangerous, and I think that's the sense in which Pryor is his true
heir.>>>

I personally don't consider any of the named individuals to be funny, and
I'm somewhat at a loss that anyone else thinks them to be funny, but tastes
differ.  With the (possible) exception of Jean Shepherd (sp?), I don't think
anyone even comes CLOSE to the level of Twain.  I guess when you've had the
best, everyone else -- even Rabelais! -- seems second-rate.

<<<Those who haven't seen the Pryor concert film, I recommend it. Just send the
kids out of earshot. And probably grandma and granddad too. Also hope you
don't run into Reverend Jones when you're checking it out of the video store.>>>

I personally do not like the kind of comedy that makes use of dirty
language, etc., that appeals to (say) 13 year olds.  Even Twain's "dirty"
humor just seems stupid to me, not funny.  Dirty jokes are a compliment to
humor like porn is a compliment to art -- not the real thing, really, but
hey, good enough for an award . . . or maybe not. :-)

Vern
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