Laugh Loudly and Carry a Big Schtick, with Meish Goldish

Thurs, 2:45-4:00, Jan 30, Feb 20

Since the dawn of television, there have been many popular comedy variety shows on the air, including The Milton Berle Show, The Sid Caesar Comedy Hour, The Carol Burnett Show, Second City Television, and Saturday Night Live. Each show featured either a cast of regulars or guest celebrities who performed in humorous skits. In this class, we will watch a number of hilarious short episodes. Discussion questions will follow: What makes each skit funny? Is it the writing, the acting, or both? If a skit is decades old, would it still be considered politically correct to televise today? Meish is the author of Oy Vey! A Yiddish Coloring Book?