Paying Homage To The Legends of Comedy

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Since the recent passing of comedy and film legend Gene Wilder, I’ve been thinking a lot about some of the comedy legends we’ve lost in the recent past. The one that still burns deep in my mind is Robin Williams, a loss that still bothers me to this day. I have come around a bit though, watching Bicentennial Man recently. Until then, I hadn’t been able to think about Robin, much less watch any of his work.

I really want to devote some of my Steemit time toward blogging about comedy legends, but don’t necessarily want to make this series about who died this past year. I will mention a few, though and get on with the article; Garry Handling, Doris Roberts, Abe Vigoda. If I forgot anyone, please mention them in a reply.

Henny Youngman - The King of One Liners

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Being a fan of comedy, it goes without mentioning that I’m a huge Henny Youngman admirer. The Undeniable King of One Liners, Henny Youngman virtually invented television back in the 1950’s. His movie and TV career spanned decades as well as being one of the pioneers of modern-day stand up comedy. Comics like Rodney Dangerfield, Don Rickles and Shecky Greene admittedly attribute their comedy career to Henny’s influence.

Take My Wife Please!

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The immortal Henny Youngman, once said, “Take my wife … Please! Perhaps one of the most famous one liners in all of modern comedy schtick, in reality Henny Youngman adored his loving wife, Sadie Cohen. In fact, when she took ill and eventually passed away in 1987, Henny built an intensive care unit in their home, a gesture motivated by her intense fear of hospitals.

Now that we know a little more about the reality of Henny Youngman’s marriage and his true relationship with Sadie, doesn’t it make his signature bit all the more funny? I think so, but I’m not Sadie. She took the brunt of that joke for over 60 years of marriage to Henny.

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Maybe it wasn’t the “Take My Wife” part that made the joke, but rather the “Please”. Please is a funny word in comedy. Please laugh. Please applaud. Please don’t heckle. Please don’t throw a chair at me. It’s hard to think of any other profession where you’re so vulnerable, so “hat in hand” to room full of strangers hoping to satisfy them armed with nothing more than your capacity to amuse. It might well be the most difficult thing to do, stand up and make people laugh.

Henny, my hat, as well as any other stitch of clothing it would take to illustrate just how much respect I have for you as a comedian, are off to you :)