Featured Column

Week of 5.17.2009

More humor is needed

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written by Leah:

    
     I believe humor is very important for us to relieve all the serious news that we hear so often, such as wars, disease and famine.
     The earliest humor I can remember is that of Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton, whose films I enjoyed as a child. There were also comic strips in the newspaper, such as "Bringing Up Fathers," created by George McManus and whose major character was "Jiggs."
     Nowadays I watch comedy shows on television, such as Jon Stewart's Daily Show and the Stephen Colbert Report. Also, "Keeping Up Appearances," a BBC television show, and "Are You Being Served." Not to mention "Monty Python's Flying Circus," another BBC import.
     There are newspaper and magazine cartoons; political cartoons as well as those that are simply extremely funny. There are humorous films such as those of Woody Allen and others. And humorous books, like the writings of Calvin Trillin, or Alexander McCall Smith . And, of course, there is comedy in the theatre as well.
     There's a newspaper which have seen on line as well as in print, "The Onion" which provides a humorous slant on the news, often relating outrageous and impossible events.
Chaplin, Keaton and those of that ilk could be called slapstick comedians. The ones I enjoy most nowadays are the more political: Jon Stewart, for instance, who makes fun of current news events and personalities.

(Editor's note: Leah Lieberman was born in 1922. She lives in Manhattan and continues to stay current with world and local affairs. Leah is a regular contributor to these pages.)