The Haunted Smile: The Story of Jewish Comedians in America

Rating:
Summary: Great Book!
Review: I loved the jokes and stories in the book. I thought I knew a lot about comedians, but there was an incredible amount of new information and interesting explanations in this book. It's a great pleasure to read, too. What struck me most, though, was how the emotional struggles the comedians went through and how they used humor to cope with their fear and anger seems similar to the emotional struggles we're going through as Americans right now.

Rating:
Summary: The Haunted Smile!
Review: In 1979 Jews made up three percent of the US population and 80 percent of its professional comedians. To win acceptance, Jews could remake themselves in comedy. The populism of Jewish humor, its basis in language, and its self-mockery spoke for a nation of immigrants. Puns and irreverent satire allowed sanctioned subversion. After all, Judaism would question even God. The more the US knew alienation, insecurity, and intellectual questioning, the more it embraced the pain and liberation of the Jewish experience. Psychologist Samuel Janus found in 76 Jewish comedians a common depression and alienation. From his own interviews, Epstein (English, Suffolk County Community College) fleshes out these statistics with biographical nuggets. He demonstrates how Jewish comedy changed with the US's popular culture: vaudeville, radio, film comedy, Borscht belt, early television, the Mort Sahl revolution in stand-up, post-Woody Allen film, the Seinfeld/Roseanne TV generation, the performance art of Andy Kaufman and Sandra Bernhard. He closes with a chapter on new Jewish comedians and a fine appendix on the nature and sources of Jewish humor. Rippling with exemplary jokes, this shrewd social history belongs in all performing arts collections.

Rating:
Summary: Surprise! Surprise! Surprise!
Review: Learn who's Jewish and who's not, who pretended not to be Jewish and who led with Jewishness. Learn who had it really, really tough and who had it relatively easy. Discover who could work together and who couldn't. Get the skinny on some really poor, skinny comedians. Rodney Dangerfield's true story seemed stranger than fiction. Find out who whacked Sinatra with a pie and got away with it. Find out how Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis really got together. Be privy to literally dozens of stories about famous people and get the history of radio, movies and television as a bonus.

I ended up liking some people I didn't know well enough to like. Some overt dishonesty shocked me. All the stories were at least interesting, many exciting and a few really disgusting.

What more could you possibly ask of one book?

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Read
Review: This book is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand the complete history of Jewish comedians in America. It is both funny and perceptive. What struck me most was Epstein's assertion that America's Jewish comedians have from the very beginning used their wonderful comic skills to help themselves -- and all Americans -- through difficult times. It's a lesson that holds true even now. Especially now. Epstein's scholarship is impressive, and the great comic routines and one-liners kept me laughing and wanting more, more, more. I highly recommend it.

Rating:
Summary: Smiling through the Sadness
Review: This book is a wonderful look at the many Jewish comedians- from the Marx Brothers to Jerry Seinfeld- who have made America (and the world) laugh over the years. This book is more than just a superficial look at Jewish humor, however. It's an insightful and thoughtful probe into the sources of Jewish humor and a tribute to the strength and courage of a people who managed to find humor in even the most desperate of circumstances.American humor just would not be the same without Jewish comedic genius. This book clearly points that out. I thought this was expertly written and very entertaining. Highly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: Smiling through the Sadness
Review: This book is a wonderful look at the many Jewish comedians- from the Marx Brothers to Jerry Seinfeld- who have made America (and the world) laugh over the years. This book is more than just a superficial look at Jewish humor, however. It's an insightful and thoughtful probe into the sources of Jewish humor and a tribute to the strength and courage of a people who managed to find humor in even the most desperate of circumstances.American humor just would not be the same without Jewish comedic genius. This book clearly points that out. I thought this was expertly written and very entertaining. Highly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: Please buy it!
Review: This book is full of history, anecdotes, personal stories, samples from comedians' stand-up material and movie dialog, and immigrant sociology and circumstances. He even gives details tying Yiddish language to Jewish American humor. He tells of vaudeville artists adapting to radio, then tv. So many details provided! At first I was not going to buy it (I am a frugal African American who buys paperbacks), but I am glad I did. Also, at first, I thought it was going to be too scholarly and dry, but once I got INTO IT -- I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN!! BUY IT, BUY IT, BUY IT! And share it with your friends.

Rating:
Summary: The Best Book I've Read In What Seems Like Forever
Review: This book is masterfully written and sheer joy to read : a truly remarkable blend of laughter and insight. Just in time for the Holiday season, Dr. Epstein has given us all an evergreen gift: I've read this treasure trove three times over and keep finding golden nuggets of delight. And believe me, it will be as welcome under the Christmas tree as alongside the Chanukah menorah as this Season's perfect present!

Rating:
Summary: The Best Book I've Read In What Seems Like Forever
Review: This book is masterfully written and sheer joy to read : a truly remarkable blend of laughter and insight. Just in time for the Holiday season, Dr. Epstein has given us all an evergreen gift: I've read this treasure trove three times over and keep finding golden nuggets of delight. And believe me, it will be as welcome under the Christmas tree as alongside the Chanukah menorah as this Season's perfect present!

Rating:
Summary: The Haunted Smile
Review: This book shows what a diverse writer Dr. Epstein is- from books on converting to Judaism to a book on Jewish Comedians. He writes about a vocation for Jews who never lost their ability to laugh despite constant prejudice and sadness. How appropriate for today's world. Barbara Shair