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Comedians, The
In The Comedians, comedy historian Kliph Nesteroff brings to life a century of American comedy with real-life characters, forgotten stars, mainstream heroes, and counterculture iconoclasts. Based on over 200 original interviews and extensive archival research, Nesteroff's groundbreaking work is a narrative exploration of the way comedians have reflected, shaped, and changed American culture over the past 100 years.
Starting with the vaudeville circuit at the turn of the last century, Nesteroff introduces the first stand-up comedian - an emcee who abandoned physical shtick for straight jokes. After the repeal of Prohibition, Mafia-run supper clubs replaced speakeasies, and mobsters replaced vaudeville impresarios as the comedian's primary employer. In the 1950s, the late-night talk show brought stand-up to a wide public, while Lenny Bruce, Mort Sahl, and Jonathan Winters attacked conformity and staged a comedy rebellion in coffeehouses. From comedy's part in the Civil Rights movement and the social upheaval of the late 1960s to the first comedy clubs of the 1970s and the cocaine-fueled comedy boom of the 1980s, The Comedians culminates with a new era of media-driven celebrity in the 21st century.
Starting with the vaudeville circuit at the turn of the last century, Nesteroff introduces the first stand-up comedian - an emcee who abandoned physical shtick for straight jokes. After the repeal of Prohibition, Mafia-run supper clubs replaced speakeasies, and mobsters replaced vaudeville impresarios as the comedian's primary employer. In the 1950s, the late-night talk show brought stand-up to a wide public, while Lenny Bruce, Mort Sahl, and Jonathan Winters attacked conformity and staged a comedy rebellion in coffeehouses. From comedy's part in the Civil Rights movement and the social upheaval of the late 1960s to the first comedy clubs of the 1970s and the cocaine-fueled comedy boom of the 1980s, The Comedians culminates with a new era of media-driven celebrity in the 21st century.
12 pages, MP3 CD
First published November 3, 2015
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About the author
Kliph Nesteroff
5 books96 followersKliph Nesteroff is a best-selling author regarded for his vast knowledge of show business. Vice Magazine has called Nesteroff "The Human Encyclopedia of Comedy," and Los Angeles Magazine profiled him as "The King of Comedy Lore."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 399 reviews
October 29, 2015
This book probably annoyed my wife more than any book I have read in years. I seldom went two pages without interrupting her with: "Did you know Jack Benny refused to perform for segregated audiences, starting in 1940?" or "When Redd Foxx was a dope dealer his partner was Malcolm X!" or "Rodney Dangerfield was a crooked telemarketer!" or "You will never believe where the phrase "stand-up comedian' originated."
This book takes us through the history of American comedy, all the way from Frankie Fay (the first burlesque M.C., and the subject of the best dirty riddle I have ever read), right through Stephen Colbert. No matter how well you think you know your favorite comics you will learn a ton more.
This book takes us through the history of American comedy, all the way from Frankie Fay (the first burlesque M.C., and the subject of the best dirty riddle I have ever read), right through Stephen Colbert. No matter how well you think you know your favorite comics you will learn a ton more.
July 31, 2019
This book is a prime example of why trade non-fiction books need something like the process of academic peer-review. Nesteroff, who is on television and described as "a human encyclopedia of comedy" is unarguably knowledgeable and clearly did a huge amount of work to produce this book, including hundreds of interviews with comedians. His website with its recordings of old comics is a valuable resource: http://classicshowbiz.blogspot.com/. This book, unfortunately, is really uneven. As others have said, it is much stronger in the early chapters than it is toward the end, though it picks up when Nesteroff is writing about his own period and context - the "alt" comedy scene of the 1990s-early 2000s. Anyone who knows as much as Nesteroff does about his subject is not going to be able to coherently contain *everything* in one book. He tries to cover everything from variety shows, to stand-up, to sketch comedy, as well as live venues, television, and radio, explaining how comedians worked both as performers and writers for others in a huge variety of contexts in "showbiz". While occasionally pulling this off, the book suffers greatly from seemingly random choices of what to emphasize, which leads to glaring omissions. The weakest chapters cover the the 1970s and 1980s. A peer-reviewer would surely have pointed it out to him that he doesn't provide a narrative about the genesis, development and influence of Saturday Night Live despite having done this for Laugh In, the Tonight Show, David Letterman and the Daily Show. Instead, SNL appears here and there as it plays a role in the lives of individual comics from the 1980s-on. Since he includes quotations about the show's decline from George Carlin towards the book's conclusion, he clearly sees it as central to comedy history, making the omission seem like an accident rather than a choice. Similarly, while he discusses Steve Martin's early career, he never discusses the impact of Martin's SNL appearances or his comedy records. John Belushi gets one sentence - about his drug use and death. Another major influence from this era who he never discusses is Al Franken. Perhaps even worse, given the book's discussion of TV variety shows is the total failure to discuss the Carol Burnett Show, which ran for 11 years and won 25 Emmys. And yet, he does spend a paragraph on the failed Tim Conway spin-off attempt. The omission of Carol Burnett is part of a larger problem in the book that seems less random. Nesteroff has very little to say about women in comedy, whether as writers or performers. He does briefly discuss both Joan Rivers and Lily Tomlin. He occasionally mentions Phyllis Diller as an 'old timer" without ever saying what was funny about her. But that's about it. Think of all the women he doesn't discuss (or even mention): Lucille Ball, Roseanne Barr, Gilda Radner, Louise Lasser, Bette Midler, Carol Burnett, Betty White, Bea Arthur, Lizz Winstead (who c0-created the Daily Show and Air America - both of which he does mention), Whoopi Goldberg, Carol Leifer (who wrote for shows that he does discuss, including Seinfeld), Margaret Cho, Wanda Sykes, and Sarah Silverman. I'm sure there are many more. I imagine that this omission replicates the interests of people he interviewed, which may also have something to do with his own taste in comedy. This might explain why he chose to spend a page+ on Andrew Dice Clay while never mentioning Ellen DeGeneres, who appears on the book's cover, but not in the index.
April 26, 2015
I am a sucker for this kind of book. I like a good History book, especially when it covers a subject I am interested in.
At 57, there isn't an era of comedy covered here that I don't have a connection to. To clarify, I wasn't around for vaudeville, but I certainly remember seeing Groucho Marx and Jimmy Durante on my television screen at an early age.
This book touches on just about everyone, but never goes too deep. If like me, you grew up reading Rolling Stone profiles of Steve Martin, Sam Kinison and every SNL member who made it big, you will not get much new information here. Likewise with the histories of The Tonight Show, SNL or the Daily Show.
If you didn't read these articles growing up (or did but are only 24 years old), you will find a ton of good information here!
The book does a nice job of showing you how the comedy torch was passed, albeit begrudgingly, from generation to generation.
It is also fun to see the stories of people like Lorne Michaels and Steve Martin come together and pull apart like strands of DNA.
An interesting footnote, Because I was reading an advanced copy, there were no photos as there will be in the finished book.
10 years ago this would have been a real loss, but now, hello google and hello you tube, not a problem. In fact, a real enhancement that the author doesn't have to shell out time or money on.
PS-while a few of their members were mentioned separately, a few paragraphs about Kids in The Hall would have been nice. I know, I know, they are Canadian, but so influential to their time here in the states.
At 57, there isn't an era of comedy covered here that I don't have a connection to. To clarify, I wasn't around for vaudeville, but I certainly remember seeing Groucho Marx and Jimmy Durante on my television screen at an early age.
This book touches on just about everyone, but never goes too deep. If like me, you grew up reading Rolling Stone profiles of Steve Martin, Sam Kinison and every SNL member who made it big, you will not get much new information here. Likewise with the histories of The Tonight Show, SNL or the Daily Show.
If you didn't read these articles growing up (or did but are only 24 years old), you will find a ton of good information here!
The book does a nice job of showing you how the comedy torch was passed, albeit begrudgingly, from generation to generation.
It is also fun to see the stories of people like Lorne Michaels and Steve Martin come together and pull apart like strands of DNA.
An interesting footnote, Because I was reading an advanced copy, there were no photos as there will be in the finished book.
10 years ago this would have been a real loss, but now, hello google and hello you tube, not a problem. In fact, a real enhancement that the author doesn't have to shell out time or money on.
PS-while a few of their members were mentioned separately, a few paragraphs about Kids in The Hall would have been nice. I know, I know, they are Canadian, but so influential to their time here in the states.
March 13, 2016
As the subtitle says, this is a history of American comedy from vaudeville to the death of Robin Williams. Odds are, your personal favorite comedian is given short shrift in this book--if they're even mentioned at all--but that's because Nesteroff gives EVERYONE short shrift. The subject is huge in scope. It's not much exaggeration to say that entire books can be (and have been) written on the subject of each paragraph in this tome. What Nesteroff has given us is an invaluable overview of comedy history and the outside forces (if any) that helped shape it. His prose flows well, and the text is bristling with incident and anecdote. If the book has a fault, it is that it is too superficial. People and events fly by and are gone before you're ready to move on. It's not entirely Nesteroff's fault; there's simply too much history to be contained in a book this size. He gives an overview and a bibliography. Further digging is left up to the reader.
December 15, 2015
The earlier sections of the book when it covers the comedians who came out of vaudeville was interesting. The Marx Brothers, Milton Berle and many others paid their dues in the declining backwater of the vaudeville circuit before they made the transition to radio and TV. As the book develops it becomes dry reading and even a chore to plow through as it reads more like a list of comics and venues. Probably closer to a 2.5 rating as it does give a good snapshot of comedians like Woody Allen, Seinfeld, et al. Also has good coverage of how the Mob dominated the stand-up comic world and how Hugh Hefner proved very progressive by offering outlets for black comedians who were largely invisible in more high profile settings.
Unfortunately there is no unifying story line that holds the narrative together and it could have used editing to slash some of the clutter.
Unfortunately there is no unifying story line that holds the narrative together and it could have used editing to slash some of the clutter.
April 7, 2022
There were parts of this book that were fascinating. There were parts I had problems with. And there were parts that were missing. Let's take these one by one.
I really enjoyed the first portion of the book, on the early history of American comedy. In this portion, Nesteroff takes the time to explain who people are (if you aren't a huge comedy fan, be prepared to spend the last half of the book with your phone in your hand so that you can google names every sentence or two), describe the context in which they performed, and discuss their lives. It's really noticeable that his work is substantially better when he's writing about this period -- one that someone else has already written a book about. I'm not saying he plagiarized; I'm saying maybe the existence of books on the subject helped him organize his thoughts to be more book-suitable. It's also possible that this part is more coherent because he had to write most of it from scratch, since his own area of interest seems to be considerably later in the period. The first part of the book was truly interesting, and I enjoyed it a lot.
The first sign that I wasn't going to enjoy the whole book to that level came with the discussion of midcentury comedian Rae Bourbon, and I'm going to hide this under a cut because it is so incredibly transphobic. It's probably notable that this is one of the very few queer comedians mentioned in the book and definitely the one covered in the most detail -- and the entire section is just viciously, horribly prejudiced.
Then we get to Woody Allen. Nesteroff clearly loves Allen, and his entire segment on him is, essentially, a hagiography. He's portrayed as the perfect comedian, beloved by all. Later, in a section on Bill Cosby, Nesteroff says: "Cosby and Woody Allen emerged as potent stand-up comics at the same time, coincidental in light of the sexual accusations against them decades later." That's it. That's the entire mention of, you know, the rape and the child sexual assault. And let me emphasize that this is not a book about just the comedy part of the comedians -- even the subhead ("Drunks, Thieves, Scoundrels, and the History of American Comedy") makes it clear that he's talking about their behavior on and off stage. But once he gets out of the 1960s, he never mentions any of the sexual assault the men he profiles committed.
And I say "men he profiles" because, and probably this shouldn't surprise you at this point, this is mostly a history of straight male comedy. Notable female comedians are either left out entirely or given brief mentions as part of other comedians' sections -- Lily Tomlin is in there mostly for her writing team, for example. Lucille Ball is mentioned in a few places, most prominently as a witness to the death of a male comedian during a Friars' Roast and as someone accused during the Red Scare era. Carol Burnett is again included largely for her writing team. Gilda Radner doesn't even get a mention. Neither does Ellen DeGeneres. Neither does Wanda Sykes. And as the book moves into time periods where there were more female comedians, Nesteroff mentions women less. I came to the conclusion that in the last part of the book, he was writing mostly about the people who interested him: male comedians. The end.
The last part of the book is also much more disjointed. I genuinely don't know if that's an editing error, a relic of Nesteroff's blog (from which the book draws heavily), or a case of biting off more than he can chew, but it's super weird that, for example, he never really talks about the origins of SNL even while he describes it as key -- and he spends a ton of time discussing Lorne Michaels's earlier TV creations, so it just feels like he forgot to write the SNL part. Basically, in the last third of the book, I thought a lot more about what wasn't there than what was.
So, essentially, I'm giving the book two stars for the first part of it, plus an effort at a big, difficult topic. But I really hope someone else comes along and writes a better history of comedy sometime soon.
I really enjoyed the first portion of the book, on the early history of American comedy. In this portion, Nesteroff takes the time to explain who people are (if you aren't a huge comedy fan, be prepared to spend the last half of the book with your phone in your hand so that you can google names every sentence or two), describe the context in which they performed, and discuss their lives. It's really noticeable that his work is substantially better when he's writing about this period -- one that someone else has already written a book about. I'm not saying he plagiarized; I'm saying maybe the existence of books on the subject helped him organize his thoughts to be more book-suitable. It's also possible that this part is more coherent because he had to write most of it from scratch, since his own area of interest seems to be considerably later in the period. The first part of the book was truly interesting, and I enjoyed it a lot.
The first sign that I wasn't going to enjoy the whole book to that level came with the discussion of midcentury comedian Rae Bourbon, and I'm going to hide this under a cut because it is so incredibly transphobic. It's probably notable that this is one of the very few queer comedians mentioned in the book and definitely the one covered in the most detail -- and the entire section is just viciously, horribly prejudiced.
Then we get to Woody Allen. Nesteroff clearly loves Allen, and his entire segment on him is, essentially, a hagiography. He's portrayed as the perfect comedian, beloved by all. Later, in a section on Bill Cosby, Nesteroff says: "Cosby and Woody Allen emerged as potent stand-up comics at the same time, coincidental in light of the sexual accusations against them decades later." That's it. That's the entire mention of, you know, the rape and the child sexual assault. And let me emphasize that this is not a book about just the comedy part of the comedians -- even the subhead ("Drunks, Thieves, Scoundrels, and the History of American Comedy") makes it clear that he's talking about their behavior on and off stage. But once he gets out of the 1960s, he never mentions any of the sexual assault the men he profiles committed.
And I say "men he profiles" because, and probably this shouldn't surprise you at this point, this is mostly a history of straight male comedy. Notable female comedians are either left out entirely or given brief mentions as part of other comedians' sections -- Lily Tomlin is in there mostly for her writing team, for example. Lucille Ball is mentioned in a few places, most prominently as a witness to the death of a male comedian during a Friars' Roast and as someone accused during the Red Scare era. Carol Burnett is again included largely for her writing team. Gilda Radner doesn't even get a mention. Neither does Ellen DeGeneres. Neither does Wanda Sykes. And as the book moves into time periods where there were more female comedians, Nesteroff mentions women less. I came to the conclusion that in the last part of the book, he was writing mostly about the people who interested him: male comedians. The end.
The last part of the book is also much more disjointed. I genuinely don't know if that's an editing error, a relic of Nesteroff's blog (from which the book draws heavily), or a case of biting off more than he can chew, but it's super weird that, for example, he never really talks about the origins of SNL even while he describes it as key -- and he spends a ton of time discussing Lorne Michaels's earlier TV creations, so it just feels like he forgot to write the SNL part. Basically, in the last third of the book, I thought a lot more about what wasn't there than what was.
So, essentially, I'm giving the book two stars for the first part of it, plus an effort at a big, difficult topic. But I really hope someone else comes along and writes a better history of comedy sometime soon.
September 24, 2024
Interesting stuff and the book left me wanting to know more about the subject and the personalities mentioned. But when I finished reading I had the feeling that this could have been a much better book or, at the very least, more entertaining. I gave it only 2 stars because I feel I remain mostly ignorant of the subject matter even after finishing the book.
It read at times like a series of lists of often obscure names for the benefit of industry insiders. To make it more difficult for the uninformed, the timeline seemed to jump around as comedians entered and exited the vaudeville and standup circuits, radio and TV gigs and writing contracts. Although, I guess, the book could be worthy of a better grade for historical accuracy or simply the feat of collecting all of the information offered in one place, it wasn’t very entertaining. Maybe a reader with more knowledge of the history and the various aspects of American show business over the years, and particularly, a comic’s life throughout the last hundred years, would say “OK - that’s insightful, but I couldn’t decide that from the material presented.
The book had no spark and very few funny or warm hearted anecdotes. The sheer numbers of names of people I’d never heard of and, mainly, very brief references to their role in standup comedy left me with no context with which to judge the author’s expertise or the validity of his remarks.
Overall, the writing itself was a bit sophomoric and thesis-like. Oh well - I’m not unhappy that I read this book but I wish it had been better. I’ll warrant the subject is simply too broad and overwhelming in its complexity to have been well referenced in the available space and is, almost assuredly, beyond the scope of any single book.
It read at times like a series of lists of often obscure names for the benefit of industry insiders. To make it more difficult for the uninformed, the timeline seemed to jump around as comedians entered and exited the vaudeville and standup circuits, radio and TV gigs and writing contracts. Although, I guess, the book could be worthy of a better grade for historical accuracy or simply the feat of collecting all of the information offered in one place, it wasn’t very entertaining. Maybe a reader with more knowledge of the history and the various aspects of American show business over the years, and particularly, a comic’s life throughout the last hundred years, would say “OK - that’s insightful, but I couldn’t decide that from the material presented.
The book had no spark and very few funny or warm hearted anecdotes. The sheer numbers of names of people I’d never heard of and, mainly, very brief references to their role in standup comedy left me with no context with which to judge the author’s expertise or the validity of his remarks.
Overall, the writing itself was a bit sophomoric and thesis-like. Oh well - I’m not unhappy that I read this book but I wish it had been better. I’ll warrant the subject is simply too broad and overwhelming in its complexity to have been well referenced in the available space and is, almost assuredly, beyond the scope of any single book.
September 26, 2016
Books like this one are what it’s all about, people. I am a comedy nerd and the current comedy boom is the sweet stuff that dreams are made of. My dreams, anyway. Yes, with any boom comes an excess of participants. Most will fade away when said boom goes bust, forever forgotten. Unless of course some avid fan (read: nerd) writes a book about them.
Enter the Comedians by Kliph Nesteroff.
Documenting the life and history of comedy for the past 100 years seems like a daunting task but it’s pretty clear early on that Nesteroff is the right man for the job: his writing is clear and engaging, and very thorough. The man knows his stuff.
Another great aspect of the Comedians is its flow. Instead of devoting tiresome chapters or going on and on about certain topics grinding the narrative to a halt, the Comedians instead briefly flashes a spotlight on a trend, or comedian, or club and smoothly moves the story right along. Everything serves to propel the narrative forward. From the old vaudevillian days to the latest comedy boom, we learn about the birth of standup, the feuds, the clubs, the trends, the mob, the locations, the shows and characters that helped the genre evolve through all the years. The results are engaging and damn-right exciting. The only flaw in this book is that unfortunately Nesteroff cuts his story a bit short, ending his chronicle in the late 2000s and leaving us craving more. But then again, that’s a pretty great problem to have.
The Comedians is an informative and imperative read for anyone interested in show business and entertainment. And for comedy fans it’s absolutely essential.
Enter the Comedians by Kliph Nesteroff.
Documenting the life and history of comedy for the past 100 years seems like a daunting task but it’s pretty clear early on that Nesteroff is the right man for the job: his writing is clear and engaging, and very thorough. The man knows his stuff.
Another great aspect of the Comedians is its flow. Instead of devoting tiresome chapters or going on and on about certain topics grinding the narrative to a halt, the Comedians instead briefly flashes a spotlight on a trend, or comedian, or club and smoothly moves the story right along. Everything serves to propel the narrative forward. From the old vaudevillian days to the latest comedy boom, we learn about the birth of standup, the feuds, the clubs, the trends, the mob, the locations, the shows and characters that helped the genre evolve through all the years. The results are engaging and damn-right exciting. The only flaw in this book is that unfortunately Nesteroff cuts his story a bit short, ending his chronicle in the late 2000s and leaving us craving more. But then again, that’s a pretty great problem to have.
The Comedians is an informative and imperative read for anyone interested in show business and entertainment. And for comedy fans it’s absolutely essential.
February 26, 2021
Did you know that the very first comedy roast, the “Friar’s Insult Night,” took place in 1921? Or that the Mob controlled most of the nightclubs from the 1930s through the 1960s? Or that the third comedy club in the country was owned by Rodney Dangerfield, who was once arrested for home repair fraud? Or that neither the Improv nor the Comedy Store paid most of its performers, resulting in a strike in which folks like David Letterman joined the picket line?
If you enjoy classic comedy or the history of professional entertainment in general, then you’ll enjoy these stories and dozens more in Kliph Nesteroff’s The Comedians. Nesteroff has taken on the task of covering professional comedy from vaudeville at the turn of the 20th century to the current state of late night comedian/talk show hosts. That’s a lot of material to cover, so it’s understandable that it’s mostly the big names and events that are hit, though Nesteroff manages to sneak in a lot of gossipy stories about feuds and other notoriously outrageous behaviors.
If you enjoy classic comedy or the history of professional entertainment in general, then you’ll enjoy these stories and dozens more in Kliph Nesteroff’s The Comedians. Nesteroff has taken on the task of covering professional comedy from vaudeville at the turn of the 20th century to the current state of late night comedian/talk show hosts. That’s a lot of material to cover, so it’s understandable that it’s mostly the big names and events that are hit, though Nesteroff manages to sneak in a lot of gossipy stories about feuds and other notoriously outrageous behaviors.
January 28, 2016
Absolutely one of the very best books you will ever read about the history of stand-up comedy! This is a scholarly, exhaustive, but yet entertaining study of this unique creative art form. It's gritty too, plenty of tooth and fang and comic dish. The author is a real student of the craft and this book isn't fluff piece or PR released. He commented on and corrected a lot of misperceptions I had that I had seen multiple times across the board. The research and writing are impressive, I believe the author did some features on WFMU about comedy history. His experience as a stand-up himself helped him fashion some amazing and insightful interviews. Hands down, this book is a must have for fans of comedy, stand-up and entertainment in general. Bravo!
July 1, 2024
Damn. Who knew the World of comedy was that incestuous or that cutthroat?
I half expected this to be a compendium of profiles, but it is actually a history of comedy in the United States starting with vaudeville and black face and going through to the current names in satire and TV such as Colbert, Robin Williams (May he RIP), and CK Louis. I would like to have seen more current female comedians covered, such as Ellen DeGeneres, Jessica Williams, or Tina Fey, none of whom were mentioned. Still, there was a lot of ground to cover, and the author must’ve interviewed half the industry and their kids to get the background info that he did.
What you learn is that the world of comedy is often more dangerous and cut throat — sometimes literally — than funny.
I half expected this to be a compendium of profiles, but it is actually a history of comedy in the United States starting with vaudeville and black face and going through to the current names in satire and TV such as Colbert, Robin Williams (May he RIP), and CK Louis. I would like to have seen more current female comedians covered, such as Ellen DeGeneres, Jessica Williams, or Tina Fey, none of whom were mentioned. Still, there was a lot of ground to cover, and the author must’ve interviewed half the industry and their kids to get the background info that he did.
What you learn is that the world of comedy is often more dangerous and cut throat — sometimes literally — than funny.
January 19, 2016
Astonishingly funny & enlightening read.
Nesteroff knows the turf & strides upon it like a giant among comedy fans.
Really rich in detail -you can almost feel the flop sweat trickling down your collar.
Enthusiastically recommended.
If you love to laugh this book pays off.
If you're looking for tragedy - it's got that.
Gossip?
Down low & gritty?
Look no further.
May 11, 2018
This book is a great overview of the history of comedy from Vaudeville to podcasts and everything in between. It is well organized moving from vaudeville and traveling shows to radio, television, night clubs, comedy albums, late night, comedy clubs and the internet. It is humorous but not written for laughs. It is historically grounded but meant to be enjoyed for the anecdotes and personalities. If there is a fault to the book it is that it could have been two or three times the length. Many many people get only a cursory mention. But Nesteroff is giving an overview and wants to paint the big picture which is why I loved the book. I lengthy biography of Richard Pryor or Bob Hope, as valuable as they may be, will not show how comedy has changed over the years. This is the value of Nesteroff's book. Occasionally it gets bogged down describing the social setting of a time, like when he discusses the communist witch hunts of the 50s or the Vietnam war protests of the 60s. But this is a minor critique. If you love comedy or are interested in the entertainment culture over the last 100 years this book is highly recommended.
February 4, 2022
I discovered the author while listening to WTF podcast w/Marc Maron.
If you are interested in 20th (and a little of 21st century) American comedy, I would recommend this book. The stories of all the greats and some lesser known people are fascinating. Whether you believe them or not, you will be entertained.
I listened to the audiobook; Nesteroff knows how to tell other peoples jokes.
If you are a history buff, you'll enjoy this book as well. A lot is covered. What stood out: mafia owning the industry, censorship, drugs, joke thievery, how Blacks were not even acknowledged and therefore when we speak of "the first..." it's credited to a White man [usually] but may not be the truth. Great and fast-paced read.
***Some people are bickering about historical fact discrepancies; if you care, it might annoy you while reading this book; or so I've been told.
If you are interested in 20th (and a little of 21st century) American comedy, I would recommend this book. The stories of all the greats and some lesser known people are fascinating. Whether you believe them or not, you will be entertained.
I listened to the audiobook; Nesteroff knows how to tell other peoples jokes.
If you are a history buff, you'll enjoy this book as well. A lot is covered. What stood out: mafia owning the industry, censorship, drugs, joke thievery, how Blacks were not even acknowledged and therefore when we speak of "the first..." it's credited to a White man [usually] but may not be the truth. Great and fast-paced read.
***Some people are bickering about historical fact discrepancies; if you care, it might annoy you while reading this book; or so I've been told.
November 8, 2018
Wow, a tour de force of the world of comedy. A wonderful history book that covers most all aspects of Comedy from its earliest roots in Vaudeville up to the current time. Very well laid out the book introduces us to each era of Comedy and those comedians who helped make comedy such a wildly successful art form. I must admit that one or two chapters were a tad boring because comedy was boring at those times. But it is so great to discover or rediscover these comics and then go over to YouTube and catch some clips of their work. One of my favorites is Timmie Rogers a black comic whose "Oh Yeah" routine is both hilarious and timeless. Great book, not a lot of actual comedy material or jokes, but a great, great book to learn about the history of Comedy.
September 14, 2017
It's a monumental task to cover 100 years of comedy and still keep it at a readable length, but this one does it. Fantastic book. Wildly entertaining, fantastically informative. Can't recommend it enough.
October 30, 2021
The topic (a history of comedy from Vaudeville to today) is a huge one, so any single volume has to be cursory.
But this book does a nice job covering some high points. There are some huge oversights (scant mention of Gracie Allen Lucille Ball, Bernie Mac and Johnny Carson) and some other unusual choices (is Phil Silvers that important?)
But what he does cover, it’s full of interesting tidbits.
If you come to this as “a history of comedians” and not “the history of comedians” you’ll be very happy. If you’re looking for a complete history, you’re going to keep looking.
But this book does a nice job covering some high points. There are some huge oversights (scant mention of Gracie Allen Lucille Ball, Bernie Mac and Johnny Carson) and some other unusual choices (is Phil Silvers that important?)
But what he does cover, it’s full of interesting tidbits.
If you come to this as “a history of comedians” and not “the history of comedians” you’ll be very happy. If you’re looking for a complete history, you’re going to keep looking.
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January 13, 2019This is a must read for anymore who has any interest in comedy. What a great history lesson.
March 28, 2016
I liked "The Comedians" by Kliph Nesteroff but I felt it was uneven overall. I also thought it ended abruptly.
Nesteroff is incredibly informative. He taught me a lot about comedy as an entertainment medium. I was especially impressed by his early 20th century chronology. Nesteroff also segues seemlessly from one topic to the next, much like a stand-up comedian. This was clever, just like the book's cover, a play on The Beatles' famous Sgt. Peppers' album cover.
My criticism of "The Comedians" mainly stems from what I felt was an uneven synopsis of particular performers and/or programs, most notably Bill Cosby, Steve Martin, Eddie Murphy, Jerry Seinfeld and "Saturday Night Live." While I understand that Nesteroff had an enormous task, I found it hard to accept that four of the biggest comics of all time received almost no play, nor did the 40-plus-years and running program that triggered more comedic careers than anything else. SNL received little fanfare, less than "In Living Color," one could argue. I also thought there was surprisingly little written about female comedians, at least outside of Joan Rivers.
Nice effort, Mr. Nesteroff. You could have gone further, however.
Nesteroff is incredibly informative. He taught me a lot about comedy as an entertainment medium. I was especially impressed by his early 20th century chronology. Nesteroff also segues seemlessly from one topic to the next, much like a stand-up comedian. This was clever, just like the book's cover, a play on The Beatles' famous Sgt. Peppers' album cover.
My criticism of "The Comedians" mainly stems from what I felt was an uneven synopsis of particular performers and/or programs, most notably Bill Cosby, Steve Martin, Eddie Murphy, Jerry Seinfeld and "Saturday Night Live." While I understand that Nesteroff had an enormous task, I found it hard to accept that four of the biggest comics of all time received almost no play, nor did the 40-plus-years and running program that triggered more comedic careers than anything else. SNL received little fanfare, less than "In Living Color," one could argue. I also thought there was surprisingly little written about female comedians, at least outside of Joan Rivers.
Nice effort, Mr. Nesteroff. You could have gone further, however.
February 9, 2017
On the one hand, it's hard to argue with as a history, since it is simply packed full of little details about the history of American comics, from Vaudeville until the present. Nice surveys of black comedians on record, the rise of the Comedy Club, and television's changing impact.
On the other hand, pick pick pick. What makes it readable is sometimes what drags it down, since it very much concentrates on scandal and anecdote to make for a quick and interesting read. Comedy is certainly full of drunks, junkies, sex maniacs, nasty pieces of work, and the like. But sometimes it just gets a bit like Comedy Store Babylon. Good stories are plentiful, but so are pages about penis size and who fellated who right at the comedy club table. Not to pick on Nesteroff (Kliph?), but if you only do ten pages about Richard Pryor or Lenny Bruce, why must nine of them detail their drug use,arrests, unreliability,etc. What made them interesting besides that? For some lesser comics (e.g.,Sam Kinison),you get no sense of why they might be special at all, except that they were mad, bad, and dangerous to know.
Of course, anything that sends one searching for more is a good thing. So this is a good thing.
On the other hand, pick pick pick. What makes it readable is sometimes what drags it down, since it very much concentrates on scandal and anecdote to make for a quick and interesting read. Comedy is certainly full of drunks, junkies, sex maniacs, nasty pieces of work, and the like. But sometimes it just gets a bit like Comedy Store Babylon. Good stories are plentiful, but so are pages about penis size and who fellated who right at the comedy club table. Not to pick on Nesteroff (Kliph?), but if you only do ten pages about Richard Pryor or Lenny Bruce, why must nine of them detail their drug use,arrests, unreliability,etc. What made them interesting besides that? For some lesser comics (e.g.,Sam Kinison),you get no sense of why they might be special at all, except that they were mad, bad, and dangerous to know.
Of course, anything that sends one searching for more is a good thing. So this is a good thing.
February 23, 2019
I feel bad writing a review and rating a book i couldn’t finish but I’ve tried twice! I don’t remember when I first tried but I know I probably didn’t make it much further than I did this time.
The big difference is now I know exactly what is wrong with it and how to verbalize my complaints. There is no argument to be made here. Clearly the sheer amount of research done led to this book’s publishing.
The writing is mediocre, or maybe it isn’t, as he relies far too much on others’ words for me to tell.
A history book should answer a question and make an argument. What is the argument here? Comedians face much the same struggles today as they did 100 years ago? Okay... and? Why? What does this say?
I would only continue reading if it was assigned for a seminar class and we could spend 3 hours ripping it to shreds. Sometimes I do miss graduate school, but I’m not in it! I got my degree! I don’t have to read this “history”
The big difference is now I know exactly what is wrong with it and how to verbalize my complaints. There is no argument to be made here. Clearly the sheer amount of research done led to this book’s publishing.
The writing is mediocre, or maybe it isn’t, as he relies far too much on others’ words for me to tell.
A history book should answer a question and make an argument. What is the argument here? Comedians face much the same struggles today as they did 100 years ago? Okay... and? Why? What does this say?
I would only continue reading if it was assigned for a seminar class and we could spend 3 hours ripping it to shreds. Sometimes I do miss graduate school, but I’m not in it! I got my degree! I don’t have to read this “history”
July 17, 2019
Tirelessly researched and filled with fun tidbits to annoy your friends and family with (the father and son on Sanford and Son didn't like each other, Betty White encouraged David Letterman to move to Los Angeles, Jackie Gleason straight up stole a catchphrase!), Comedians is a lot of fun to read through. It probably could have gone on for a couple hundreds pages more, as there are plenty of funny people who were barely touched on.
If I had any big complaint is that the book wraps up too quickly, there's no overarching point or summary the author is trying to make. Well, also he really puts over Marc Maron (much like Shawn Michaels put over Steve Austin at WrestleMania 14.), and who has a big, fat, glowing endorsement on the back cover? Marc Maron. SNEAKY.
If I had any big complaint is that the book wraps up too quickly, there's no overarching point or summary the author is trying to make. Well, also he really puts over Marc Maron (much like Shawn Michaels put over Steve Austin at WrestleMania 14.), and who has a big, fat, glowing endorsement on the back cover? Marc Maron. SNEAKY.
April 18, 2020
A good overview of comedy in the last 100 years, but it left me wanting more. And I think it misses the boat on some key influences. Nesterhoff seems to concentrate on one medium at at a time and doesn't sufficiently discuss how the different media play off against each other. For instance, he has a chapter on the"golden" age of radio, and never mentions it again. In so doing, he misses the big influence of Howard Stern (who is not even mentioned in the book), who battled the FCC and popularized a new kind of "shock" comedy that carried over into other media as well. It didn't all happen in the clubs, especially if you lived in an area that didn't have any. A good read, but it lacked the insider's perspective I was hoping for.
July 5, 2019
An exceptional read for anyone interested in comedy. I found myself putting it down to look up clips, and download albums I'd never heard. Made me feel good and bad about what this art form is, was, and could be! My only issue is that the last two decades (1995-2015 when the book was pub'd) fly by in a single thin chapter, but I also believe this guy could wait 10 years and have a better grasp on what the 2000s were really like. If you're looking for more about contemporary comedy and comedy writing, check out both of Mike Sacks' books!
January 29, 2017
Essential. Required. A perfect showbiz overview.
September 25, 2021
Lots of historical facts and stories. Style is very basic, but still enjoyable
July 27, 2020
For me, this was a Covid-inspired selection. In search of something to provide some laughs during this very unfunny period of time we're living in, I scrolled through the comedy section on my Kindle and stumbled upon this book. The front cover shows a number of dead comedians that I grew up listening to and some that are still around so that caught my attention along with the title which inferred that some personal tidbits on the lifestyles of these people would be exposed. And on that assumption, the book did not disappoint.
Starting with the vaudeville era of the 20's and continuing through the remainder of the twentieth century, the author, Kliph Nesteroff, lets us know about the jerks, the good guys, the philanderers, the alcoholics, the heavy weed smokers, the big time cocaine users, and those who took the heroin path. Breaking into comedy takes as much guts and resiliency as it does talent and material, and for those comedians who worked in Las Vegas in the 50's and 60's it also took a lot of working with the Mafia figures who dominated everything. And if you didn't go along, well, that's also described in the book. It also exposes how many comics, some of whom are the most well known in American entertainment history, shamelessly stole their material from other acts and got away with it. All of these elements offered an interesting education for me and some truly eye-opening surprises. I won't mention any of them in this review to make sure that any surprises I had will also offer potential readers the same revelations.
If the 5-star rating system were solely based on research, I'd give this author the full 5 stars, but as an analogy, the book was like a director falling in love with his film so much that he/she loses perspective on the need to edit. The result is something that goes on too long and passages become boring. I found myself skipping through parts of the book that could have and should have been shorter and able to be concisely described rather than the over-dependence on seemingly every garnered fact that was learned.
And by the way, Mr. Nesteroff, it's not your right as the author to describe someone as a slob or other inflammatory insult unless you're making your own personal observation. It appears that during your interviews with certain comedians it was their opinion, not yours, so that is another problem I encountered.
Overall, I did learn many interesting things that I'll remember both good and bad about certain performers. If nothing else, a number of these comedians have many YouTube clips available for their standup routines and that's been something I've started watching to give me those laughs I was searching for when I first discovered the book, so thank you Kliph Nesteroff for these great comic reminders.
What would this review be without one funny passage to end with? America's first standup comic was a man named Frank Faye, and he was disliked by many fellow comedians as well as people in the Hollywood community for his notable arrogance and vocal anti-Semitic views. After marrying a young Barbara Stanwyck, the joke going around was, 'Who has the biggest prick in Hollywood?' Answer, 'Barbara Stanwyck.'
Starting with the vaudeville era of the 20's and continuing through the remainder of the twentieth century, the author, Kliph Nesteroff, lets us know about the jerks, the good guys, the philanderers, the alcoholics, the heavy weed smokers, the big time cocaine users, and those who took the heroin path. Breaking into comedy takes as much guts and resiliency as it does talent and material, and for those comedians who worked in Las Vegas in the 50's and 60's it also took a lot of working with the Mafia figures who dominated everything. And if you didn't go along, well, that's also described in the book. It also exposes how many comics, some of whom are the most well known in American entertainment history, shamelessly stole their material from other acts and got away with it. All of these elements offered an interesting education for me and some truly eye-opening surprises. I won't mention any of them in this review to make sure that any surprises I had will also offer potential readers the same revelations.
If the 5-star rating system were solely based on research, I'd give this author the full 5 stars, but as an analogy, the book was like a director falling in love with his film so much that he/she loses perspective on the need to edit. The result is something that goes on too long and passages become boring. I found myself skipping through parts of the book that could have and should have been shorter and able to be concisely described rather than the over-dependence on seemingly every garnered fact that was learned.
And by the way, Mr. Nesteroff, it's not your right as the author to describe someone as a slob or other inflammatory insult unless you're making your own personal observation. It appears that during your interviews with certain comedians it was their opinion, not yours, so that is another problem I encountered.
Overall, I did learn many interesting things that I'll remember both good and bad about certain performers. If nothing else, a number of these comedians have many YouTube clips available for their standup routines and that's been something I've started watching to give me those laughs I was searching for when I first discovered the book, so thank you Kliph Nesteroff for these great comic reminders.
What would this review be without one funny passage to end with? America's first standup comic was a man named Frank Faye, and he was disliked by many fellow comedians as well as people in the Hollywood community for his notable arrogance and vocal anti-Semitic views. After marrying a young Barbara Stanwyck, the joke going around was, 'Who has the biggest prick in Hollywood?' Answer, 'Barbara Stanwyck.'
January 15, 2022
I bought this book back in the end of July 2021 and pretty much forgot about it until I stumbled across it while browsing my kindle for something different. And that it is
This is an in depth history of what I will call modern comedians starting with Vaudeville and working its way up to the early 2010's
And don't be fooled by its 437 pages 16% of the length is taken up by notes and index.
If you are fan of old films and TV shows you will probably be interested in the writing aspect of comedy but as other reviewers have mentioned you may actually be more disappointed by not finding your favorites or them receiving little attention.
Mel Brooks makes appearances as a writer and as a Borscht Belt comedian but almost none for his films. endless lines are devoted to Jack Parr and other late night denizens but almost none to I love Lucy or the other comedy shows that
I was mostly off put by his sycophantic praise for Woody Allen who manages to appear endlessly despite not being funny since the early 70s and further being a toxic human being.
I really would only recommend it to people who are big fans of early television and silent movie comedies
This is an in depth history of what I will call modern comedians starting with Vaudeville and working its way up to the early 2010's
And don't be fooled by its 437 pages 16% of the length is taken up by notes and index.
If you are fan of old films and TV shows you will probably be interested in the writing aspect of comedy but as other reviewers have mentioned you may actually be more disappointed by not finding your favorites or them receiving little attention.
Mel Brooks makes appearances as a writer and as a Borscht Belt comedian but almost none for his films. endless lines are devoted to Jack Parr and other late night denizens but almost none to I love Lucy or the other comedy shows that
I was mostly off put by his sycophantic praise for Woody Allen who manages to appear endlessly despite not being funny since the early 70s and further being a toxic human being.
I really would only recommend it to people who are big fans of early television and silent movie comedies
December 9, 2021
The Comedian by Kliph Nesteroff is a MUST READ for comedy fans. This 357-page book is filled with the detailed history of comedy in the USA including major events from the following timeline...
1880s - Burlesque and Vaudeville shows
1930s - Radio shows, mafia-run night clubs
1950s - TV shows, Late Nite talk shows, and Las Vegas
1960s - Comedy records
1970s - Comedy clubs
1980s - Standup comedy boom
1990s - Comedy bust
2010s - Social media and podcasts
The book also discusses how comedy was impacted by censorship, drugs, politics, the 9/11 attacks, race relations, and comedy workshops (e.g., Second City in Chicago and The Groundlings in Los Angeles). While it mentions Hollywood movies occasionally, the book is a little light on coverage of comedy movies. It is also a bit light on the comedy scene since year 2000. Although the book itself does not give many laughs, it held my attention til the last page and was very informative.
Bottom line: I highly recommend The Comedians to anyone who is a fan of comedy and wants to learn how it developed over the last 140 years of American history.
1880s - Burlesque and Vaudeville shows
1930s - Radio shows, mafia-run night clubs
1950s - TV shows, Late Nite talk shows, and Las Vegas
1960s - Comedy records
1970s - Comedy clubs
1980s - Standup comedy boom
1990s - Comedy bust
2010s - Social media and podcasts
The book also discusses how comedy was impacted by censorship, drugs, politics, the 9/11 attacks, race relations, and comedy workshops (e.g., Second City in Chicago and The Groundlings in Los Angeles). While it mentions Hollywood movies occasionally, the book is a little light on coverage of comedy movies. It is also a bit light on the comedy scene since year 2000. Although the book itself does not give many laughs, it held my attention til the last page and was very informative.
Bottom line: I highly recommend The Comedians to anyone who is a fan of comedy and wants to learn how it developed over the last 140 years of American history.
August 22, 2017
I love this type of book, jumping deep into the histories of things I love. I always had a deep love of all things comedy and Mr. Nesteroff does an excellent job covering the history of the artform from its beginnings to current day.
I rounded up to 4 from 3.5 however, here's why. Comedy, although being a broad subject, Mr. Nesteroff glossed over alot of stuff. He gives short shift to several artists, which I don't know if I can blame him due to the length of directions the topic can go in, BUT..I didn't like that. Then, there was a LOT of focus on the negative aspects, the sex, the violence, the substance abuse..again, I am sure it makes for a more entertaining story, but really? is it that necessary?
That being said, wonderful history of the funny men and women in comedy, I recommend it.
I rounded up to 4 from 3.5 however, here's why. Comedy, although being a broad subject, Mr. Nesteroff glossed over alot of stuff. He gives short shift to several artists, which I don't know if I can blame him due to the length of directions the topic can go in, BUT..I didn't like that. Then, there was a LOT of focus on the negative aspects, the sex, the violence, the substance abuse..again, I am sure it makes for a more entertaining story, but really? is it that necessary?
That being said, wonderful history of the funny men and women in comedy, I recommend it.
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