"The World According to Me" - Jackie Mason (1988)

If you have never listened to; or seen; Jackie Mason then you should take the time to do so. And, if you find that his comedy is infused with the wit and wisdom of thousands of years of Jewish Talmudic teachings, there is a reason; he used to be a Rabbi. But, as he notes; “I began to slip in a joke here and there…” And so his career was born.

Coming from a family of Rabbis dating back several generations, he was expected to remain true to the family tradition. But, as he read the Talmudic teachings, and observed the human behavior around him, he began to see the funny side of just about everything.

His most well-known faux paus occurred on the Ed Sullivan Show in the 1960’s. The producers were signaling him to cut his act short so they could switch to the news; which was going live to the White House for a speech by the President. Responding to their hand signals he gave one of his own; which looked like the middle finger. Ed Sullivan had him blacklisted and for about 10 years he was relegated to playing stand-up comedy clubs in Los Angeles, where he caught the eye of Rodney Dangerfield and several other comics. He was then featured in the film “Car Wash” and then “Caddy Shack”; playing a curmudgeonly cheap Jew. With these films; featuring a trademark rapid fire cadence and quick witted humor; his career was re-ignited.

By the 1980’s he was headlining again and by 1988 he had the first of two one man comedy shows on Broadway; in which he poked fun at everyone and everything. The best bit in this one is the side splitting part about his psychiatrist and the search for the real Jackie Mason.

Whether or not you have seen this before, it’s still worth the time to watch, and listen as he spins joke after joke; all based on reality. Be prepared to laugh at yourself or don’t bother to listen at all. This is the one comedy album which I listen to on a regular basis.

"The World According to Me" - Jackie Mason (1988)

Hang on to your seat for this rollicking one hour ride with America's favorite former Rabbi, Jackie Mason as he takes you on a trip throughout his lucid mind. In his skillful way he tackles everything from religion to politics, and even Sweet and Low in this film of his one man show which ran for several years on Broadway before touring some of the major cities across the country.

Everybody knows the story of how he was blacklisted by Ed Sullivan over that mistaken thumb gesture in March 1968. "Here's big one for you" was the line that got him in such hot water. That line was the result of the show's director signaling to him with fingers, how many seconds he had left before they cut away to a news bulletin. I believe it was the night that President Johnson announced he would not seek re-election as President that year.

But there was life for Mr. Mason after Ed Sullivan. He did a bit of time in purgatory, playing all the comedy clubs in Los Angeles before landing a role in the Film "Car Wash". From there he got a big break with Jay Leno and then more film cameos came his way. Before long he was back on top; doing his thing on Broadway; where he even did a follow up to this show in the early 1990's.

If you have never seen this gifted performer before, take special note of the psychiatrist routine. It rivals any of the double talk ever done by Abbott and Costello, or even the Marx brothers. It also is very logical as well as comedic, questioning just who we really are.

Sue and I saw him in an impromptu performance at the Lyric in Baltimore one time. He did a bit of old stuff; realized there were Jews in the audience; his words, not mine; and then proceeded to slay us with another 2 hours of new material which had part of the audience leaving, and the other part laughing. He even warned them beforehand. This is one of my favorite comedians; enjoy the show!