Known for his singular wit and inimitable New York timbres, Jackie Mason, now 85, will entertain District audiences at the Howard Theatre Saturday, during which the funnyman jests that his material will be “as fresh as the news.”
“If it’s in the news, it’s in the show. That’s the slogan I’ve used for the last 40 years,” Mr. Mason told The Washington Times ahead of his show Saturday afternoon. “People have a fear that when you come to see an old Jew tell jokes, you’re going to get an old story from a hundred years ago,” he said.
Mr. Mason has been telling jokes since the golden age of television, where he brushed elbows with the likes of Mel Brooks and Ed Sullivan. On Sullivan’s show, according to legend, Mr. Mason once made “obscene gestures on-camera.” This led to a public fallout and Sullivan canceling Mr. Mason’s agreed-upon six appearances on his show, according to The New York Times.
Mr. Mason said District audiences can certainly expect a decent helping of political jokes with the election just weeks away, as well as him riffing on such seemingly mundane subjects as the new iPhone. He even uses Black Lives Matter for comical fodder — but through his own cultural sensibilities.
“I do a whole routine about how come you never hear about how Jews matter?” he said.
Mr. Mason’s stand-up specials have included “The World According to Me,” “Jackie Mason in Israel,” “Jackie Mason on Campus” and “Jackie Mason: The Ultimate Jew.”
“Comedians are like everybody else in show business: They’re bitter and jealous of somebody who is more successful than them,” Mr. Mason said of the cutthroat nature of his profession.
“There’s nobody more desperately sick than a politician or an entertainer,” he said. “The only reason to go into this business is a violent ego problem. The day you go into this business, you become a competitor to become the biggest star in the world. And if somebody becomes bigger than you, you want to see if you can find a way to wipe them out.”
A new generation of fans found him thanks to “Caddyshack II” and his lending his voice to Rabbi Hyman Krustofsky, Krusty the Clown’s father, on “The Simpsons.” Mr. Mason first voiced the jester’s pop in a 1990 episode, and will do so again when the episode “The Nightmare After Krustmas” airs Dec. 11.
“It’s not exactly the biggest starring role in the world; it’s not going to shake up America,” Mr. Mason deadpanned of returning to the animated gig on the long-running sitcom, which just aired its 600th episode. “But it’s a good job, they pay me, and it’s entertaining, so I’m glad to do it.”
Mr. Mason, who spent the High Holy Days praying for people everywhere who are persecuted, bemoans what he feels is a coarsening of the culture, particularly in entertainment.
“Dirty words became more and more acceptable over the years,” he said. “What used to be censored became popular forms of expression. What was once consider dirty is today just natural conversation.”
Indeed, after the notorious tape of Donald Trump conversing on a bus with Billy Bush became public, newscasters everywhere — not just entertainers — couldn’t help but discuss Mr. Trump’s offensive language, in which he bragged about grabbing women “by the pussy” against their will.
“Nobody is shocked by dirty words,” Mr. Mason said. “It used to be this was not allowed. Now you can say anything in front of any crowd.”
He made notice of comedians such as Amy Schumer, whose humor traffics in profanity, and who uses what Mr. Mason calls “the word” regularly in her shows.
“It goes to show you that there’s no such thing as vulgar anymore,” he said.
Mr. Mason, a staunch supporter of Israel, took issue over the summer with Sen. Bernard Sanders, the Vermont independent who ran unsuccessfully to be the Democratic nominee for president before losing out to Hillary Clinton. Mr. Mason calls Mr. Sanders a “self-hating Jew” who “blames Israel for anything.”
“Before he knew what happens, it’s Israel’s fault,” Mr. Mason said. “[Mr. Sanders] sounded to me like a self-hating Jew who was trying to apologize for being Jewish in the first place. He avoided the issue or idea of being a Jew.”
Mr. Mason believes Mr. Sanders’ approach to his own religious and cultural heritage is precisely opposite of President Obama.
“Barack Obama never lets you forget that he’s black, and anytime a black person is involved in a problem with a white person, he always blames the cops before he even knew what the situation was about,” Mr. Mason said.
Mr. Mason believes that persistence, in show business or any endeavor, is key to success. For aspiring comedians, he advises studying other performers, writing material and then trying it out at clubs to see what works and what doesn’t.
“If you ask any successful person, they will all tell you the same thing: perseverance,” he said. “Never say die, never give up, keep trying until you make it. Have confidence in yourself to believe ultimately you will succeed.
“And don’t let anybody talk you out of it. If you are vulnerable enough to give up, you’ll never make it. Believe in your own destiny, and fight like hell until you make it.”
Asked if he will do any sightseeing while in the nation’s capital this weekend, Mr. Mason brushes off the notion of hanging around memorials to great Americans long since deceased. Rather, Mr. Mason entreats tourists to come and look for him on the streets of Washington.
“Whatever there is to see, it’s nothing compared to seeing Jackie Mason,” he said. “You’re not really going to get much out of looking at an Abraham Lincoln statue. Although I revere the memory of Abraham Lincoln, I think you’ll have more fun if you see Jackie Mason.”
Jackie Masons performs at The Howard Theatre Saturday at 3 p.m. Tickets are $49.50 to $100 by going to Ticketmaster.com.
• Eric Althoff can be reached at twt@washingtontimes.com.
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