The Washington Post had a couple of articles last week on the Mark
Twain
award to Richard Pryor. They're well worth seeking out: maybe they're
still
at washpost.com.
There are some good comments in one of the
articles from those who organized
the prize. 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.)
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.
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.
Glen
Johnson