Comedy Showcase: Jerry Seinfeld and Conan O'Brien on Raising Children

In 2009 Jerry Seinfeld was a guest on Conan O"Brien's late night show. They discussed the realities of raising children and the humorous aspects of modern fatherhood. 

The conversation explores shared frustrations with evolving technology and the impact of handheld devices on interpersonal communication.

Enjoy!

Modi Rosenfeld at the 92nd Street Y - "How I Became a Comedian"

In a special interview in February at the 92nd Street Y, we step into the world of stand-up comedian Modi who is joined by author, comedian, and co-host of his podcast, Periel Aschenbrand as they navigate the complexities of finding light and joy in the midst of rising tensions and antisemitism. 

In an excerpt from the interview, Modi shares the story of how he left the world of finance to start a career as a comedian.

Click here to see the full hour interview.

Enjoy!

A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO MAY NOT BE VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY ON SOME COMPUTERS AND TABLETS.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.

Mel Brooks Reflects on His Remarkable Life in Show Business in His New Book "All About Me"

Shortly after publication last year of his new biographical book All About Me, Mel Brooks was interviewed by George Stephanopoulos on ABC News. 

The 95-year-old actor, comedian, film producer, director and screenwriter has had a career in show business that’s spanned over seven decades. His new memoir tells his journey of a lifetime.

In the interview, Brooks reflects on his career and offers anecdotes about the creation of some of his most memorable films.

Enjoy!

A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO IS NOT VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.   

Remembering Larry King: A Wide-Ranging Interview at a 2017 Jerusalem Post Conference

Larry King, Jewish television legend and longtime host of Larry King Live on CNN died yesterday at 87, one month after being hospitalized with COVID-19 in Los Angeles.

King was born Lawrence Harvey Zeiger in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn in 1933 to Orthodox Jewish parents who emigrated to the United States from Belarus.

As Tamar Beeri wrote in The Jerusalem Post,

King was considered the king of interview talk shows, having conducting by his ucount over 60,000 interviews in his 63 years in the business. He was at his peak on “Larry King Live” on CNN, which kicked off in 1985 and ran for 25 years. It remained the network’s top-rated show throughout his tenure.

In 2017, King received an award at the Jerusalem Post Conference where he was interviewed. In a wide-ranging session, he spoke frankly about his Judaism and his love for Israel. He expressed his views about war and peace, and reminisced about his interviews with Eleanor Roosevelt, Vladimir Putin, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Yitzchak Rabin, and Donald Trump.

A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO MAY NOT BE VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY ON SOME COMPUTERS AND TABLETS.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.  

 

Today is Election Day; Jewish Humor Central Announces its Presidential Endorsement

Today is Election Day. We know that you've been anxiously awaiting Jewish Humor Central's choice for President of the United States. After weighing all the pros and cons of each of the leading candidates, we have come to the conclusion that there is only one choice: Yoely 2020 of the Heimish Party.

We have been posting Yoely's videos since he first announced his candidacy in June. As we approach the finish line, we are backing up our endorsement with an interview that Yoely granted this week on his own YNN network to outline the specifics of his program and plans for governing for the next four years.

In the interview below, Yoely explains the Heimish party platform and addresses all of the hot button issues in this year's campaign, including the pandemic, the economy, LGBTQ issues, legalization of marijuana, the second amendment, and how his White House will be different.

Enjoy, and don't forget to vote!

A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO MAY NOT BE VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY ON SOME COMPUTERS AND TABLETS.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.

Comedy Showcase: Mel Brooks Interviewed on Comedy and Love

In an recent episode of CBS Sunday Morning, Turner Classic Movies host Ben Mankiewicz sat down with director and comedy writer Mel Brooks, now 93, who opened up about his politically-incorrect films like Blazing Saddles and The Producers, and whether they could be made today.

In the interview, Mel talks about his relationship with his soul mate, actress Anne Bancroft, with whom he was married for 41 years until her death in 2005. 

Enjoy!

A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO MAY NOT BE VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY ON SOME COMPUTERS AND TABLETS.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.

Watch Comedian Mike Fine's Funny Interview on the Jake Ehrenreich Show

Actor, comic and author Jake Ehrenreich hosts music acts, comics and guests on his weekly show on the Jewish Broadcasting Service. 

Ehrenreich, who gained fame with his one man show A Jew Grows in Brooklyn, entertains audiences from the small stage of the Triad theatre and mixes his own comedy and music with interviews of Jewish show business guests.

In this clip from a recent episode of The Jake Ehrenreich show, Jake conducts a funny interview with funnyman Mike Fine that includes jokes and funny anecdotes from the lives of both comedians.

Besides being a standup comic, Fine is also an ordained rabbi and incorporates his experiences as a rabbi into his comedy act and into this interview.

Enjoy!


A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO IS NOT VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.

Origins of Jewish Comedy Explored on PBS by Professor Jeremy Dauber

In a TV interview on the PBS show Metro Focus, host Jack Ford has a conversation with Jeremy Dauber, Columbia professor and author of the book Jewish Comedy: A Serious History.

The interview touches on an analysis of Jewish humor -- its nature, its development, and its vital role throughout Jewish history. Dauber's book contains plenty of jokes to illustrate the rich tradition of Jewish humor.

Dauber explains how humor has sustained the Jewish people, even through the harshest of times. Jewish comedy is not just an American phenomenon -- it goes all the way back to the Bible.

Enjoy!

A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO MAY NOT BE VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY ON SOME COMPUTERS AND TABLETS.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.

What is Jewish Humor? Ricky Gervais Meets Larry David

What is Jewish humor? Many books and articles have addressed the subject, and there are as many answers as people expressing their opinions. 

The subject was revisited in 2006 when Larry David of Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm fame, sat down for an interview with Ricky Gervais, the British comedian, creator and star of The Office. 

The two comedians exchanged views and showed short video clips of funny Jewish situations featuring Woody Allen, Joan Rivers, Jackie Mason, and Lenny Bruce.

Here's a clip from the interview. Enjoy!

A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO MAY NOT BE VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY ON SOME COMPUTERS AND TABLETS.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.

Jerry Seinfeld Reflects on His Career and His Love for Standup Comedy

Jerry Seinfeld is obsessed with cars, and was inspired to produce an Internet series featuring comedians in cars talking about comedy. But finding a platform for his "Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee" was a hard sell. 

In this interview he talks with correspondent Anthony Mason about the nuts and bolts of comedy, and about the series which has proven to be a mega-hit. The interview was originally broadcast on CBS Sunday Morning on May 31, 2015.

Enjoy!

A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO IS NOT VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.

Throwback Thursday Special: Billy Crystal's Australian Interview

Billy Crystal appeared on the "Denton" show in Sydney, Australia in 1994. He was in Australia promoting his new film "City Slickers 2". 

Host Andrew Denton gave Billy a genuine kangaroo scrotum pouch, the watch from "City Slickers 1" and a boomerang which Andrew threw into Sydney Harbor.

Join us in the time machine as we go back 23 years to see this Billy Crystal interview. 

Enjoy!

A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO MAY NOT BE VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY ON SOME COMPUTERS AND TABLETS.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.

Dinner with Don: A Legacy Comedy Series Tribute to Don Rickles

The original insult comic, Don Rickles was usually introduced with a wink as “Mr. Warmth,” his entrance music a bullfighter’s trumpet fanfare. He was fearless. He publicly taunted the biggest bulls in America—Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Ronald Reagan among them—and left them all howling. 

Born in Queens with the name Rikhters to a Yiddish-speaking family, he began doing stand-up comedy performing in hotels in the Catskill Mountains in New York. He became known as an insult comedian by responding to his hecklers. The audience enjoyed these insults more than his prepared material, and he incorporated them into his act.

Rickles passed away in April, but as a parting gift, the comedian left a YouTube series called Dinner with Don, 13 episodes that feature chats over dinner with talented younger artists and celebs—Snoop Dogg, Jimmy Kimmel, Sarah Silverman, Amy Poehler, Paul Rudd, Marisa Tomei and others. AARP Studios coproduced the series. 

Today we're sharing an episode with Sarah Silverman in which the two comedians talk about Don's trailblazing approach to standup comedy, Sarah's dream retirement, and Don's idol Milton Berle.

Enjoy!

A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO MAY NOT BE VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY ON SOME COMPUTERS AND TABLETS.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO. 

Oldie But Goodie: Woody Allen and William F. Buckley Jr. Square Off on Woody's TV Show

The year was 1967, and comedian Woody Allen and conservative intellectual William F. Buckley Jr. both had interview shows on TV. 

Allen invited Buckley to be his guest and Buckley accepted. The result was a funny exchange between a brilliant liberal comedian and a brilliant conservative thinker.

In the video below, Allen and Buckley share the stage while members of the studio audience ask them questions. Their responses are thoughtful, funny, witty, and surprisingly relevant to our world 47 years later.

The topics they touch on include wars between Israel and the Arabs, presidential politics, conservatism vs. liberalism, and the length of miniskirts. It's refreshing to look back to a day when political opponents could be friendly, respectful, and charming. 

Enjoy!

(A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO IS NOT VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.)

Jerry Lewis Celebrates 50th Anniversary of "The Nutty Professor"

Jerry Lewis was honored in Hollywood last month on the 50th anniversary of the release of his classic funny film The Nutty Professor. The film is a parody of Robert Louis Stevenson's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

Interviewed on the CBS weekday TV show The Talk, the 88-year-old Lewis revealed the details of the character and script development that went into the film. The 50th anniversary 4-disc DVD set was released last week and is available on Amazon.com and on Netflix.

Lewis, born Joseph Levitch in Newark to Russian Jewish parents, also talked about his secret friendship with President John F. Kennedy and Robert Kennedy. The president hosted him eleven times in the White House without the press knowing that he was there.

On one visit to the Oval Office, Kennedy gave Lewis a plaque for his office containing a motto that he quoted without hesitation on The Talk:

"There are three things that are real: God, human folly, and laughter. Since the first two are beyond our comprehension, you must do the best you can with the third."

Judging from the successes of his long show business career, it would seem that Jerry Lewis listened very carefully to this advice to the delight of audiences everywhere.
 
Enjoy!

(A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO MAY NOT BE VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY ON SOME COMPUTERS AND TABLETS.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.) 

Happy 87th Birthday, Mel Brooks! Reflections on a Long Comedy Career

Today is Mel Brooks' 87th birthday and we wish him a very happy one and many more in the years ahead.

This has been quite a year for Mel. He was the recipient of a Life Achievement award from the American Film Institute. He was the subject of a PBS American Masters TV Special, achieved an Honorary Fine Arts Degree from the AFI, and released a new 5-DVD comedy collection.

After returning home from World War II, Mel got his start in stand-up comedy at the Butler Lodge in Hurleyville, New York, in the Catskills Borscht Belt. He went on to become a film director, screenwriter, composer, lyricist, comedian, actor, and producer.

To mark his 87th birthday, we're sharing a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter's Scott Feinberg at the TCM Classic Film Fest. In the interview, he reflects on how he got his start in comedy, how he first crossed paths with Sid Caesar, and the legacy he'd like his films to leave.

Enjoy!

(A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO IS NOT VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.)

Gene Wilder at 92Y: You Asked For More, So Here's The Interview Video

Earlier this month we posted our reflections on an interview with Gene Wilder by Robert Osborne onstage at the 92nd Street Y. We summarized the conversation in a few paragraphs and included a clip from The Frisco Kid.

Now the 92nd Street Y has made an excerpt from the video available and we're delighted to bring it to you. It runs for 28 minutes and includes Wilder's reflections on making movies and answering questions from the audience.

In the interview Wilder reminisces about his experiences in filming Willy Wonka, Blazing Saddles, and Young Frankenstein. Below the half-hour interview video, we're sharing a few clips from his performances in these movies.   

(Please be warned that when talking about the excessive swearing that he doesn't like in the movies, he uses an expletive for illustration purposes. We said we'd warn you before posting anything that might offend readers who object to language that the mainstream media find unfit to print. So if you don't want to hear the word, don't watch the video.)

Enjoy!

(A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO MAY NOT BE VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY ON SOME COMPUTERS AND TABLETS.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.)  




Willy Wonka's Grand Entrance



Wilder as the Waco Kid in Blazing Saddles



Puttin' on the Ritz from Young Frankenstein