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One night while Rivers was bombing at the Duplex in the Village, Lenny Bruce walked in and caught her act. He sent a note backstage: “You’re right and they’re wrong.” From then on whenever she doubted herself she looked at Bruce’s note.
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Marvelous Mrs Maisel inspiration
“Woody Allen made a PBS television special called Men of Crisis: The Harvey Wallinger Story in 1971, a half-hour satire of Henry Kissinger. The mockumentary was a natural follow-up to Allen’s directorial debut, Take the Money and Run. It opened with a Kissinger-esque character played by Allen, complaining on the phone: “I want you to get an injunction against The Times. Yes, it’s a New York, Jewish, Communist, left-wing, homosexual newspaper. And that’s just the sports section.” President Nixon already believed PBS was against him and had sent word through Clay Whitehead of the White House Office of Telecommunications Policy that criticism of the administration would result in funding cuts. PBS screened the Woody Allen special for its legal department, which found nothing objectionable. Still, station president Ethan Hitchcock wrote a memo: “Under no account must it be shown.”
― The Comedians: Drunks, Thieves, Scoundrels, and the History of American Comedy
― The Comedians: Drunks, Thieves, Scoundrels, and the History of American Comedy
“President Richard Nixon was a common target for comedians, and that was no surprise. What was surprising was that the reverse was also true—comedians were a common target of the president. Any disparaging remark made him defensive and he used the tools of the presidency to fight back.”
― The Comedians: Drunks, Thieves, Scoundrels, and the History of American Comedy
― The Comedians: Drunks, Thieves, Scoundrels, and the History of American Comedy
Brian’s 2025 Year in Books
Take a look at Brian’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
Favorite Genres
Polls voted on by Brian
Lists liked by Brian
