Tag Archives: Comedian

George Carlin Dies

George Carlin the famously laid-back bearded, ponytailed comedian whose use of foul language made him a hit with fans and a target for critics died of heart failure late today. He was 71. According to Carlin’s publicist, the funnyman who stand-up act was immortalized in his “Seven Words You Can Never Say On TV” routine had a history of heart trouble. Reports say Carlin walked into a California hospital this afternoon complaining of chest pain and died a few hours later. The unapologetically irreverent comedian constantly took aim at people who tried to regulate his routine. When Carlin debuted his … Continue reading →

Television News: Two Surprising Finales

This week marked the end of two fairly popular reality shows – Big Brother and Last Comic Standing. I devotedly watched each and was a bit surprised at the final outcomes. If you had been watching Big Brother 8, you know the Donatos. If you have not, let me tell you about them. This year’s big twist (other than Eric being America’s Player and having to vote according to how we wanted) was to reunite three people in the house with three people with which they had unfinished business. One was Dustin and Joe, boyfriends who had a bad parting. … Continue reading →

Where Are They Now—Jerry Seinfeld

Jerry Seinfeld used to be a regular member of my household—-in my pre-mom days. Like millions of others, I too was a rabid “Seinfeld” fan, and even when the NBC hit comedy ended in 1998 I remained loyal by watching the show in syndication. Since then I got married, gave birth and life changed—my “Seinfeld” days are now officially over. Coincidentally, in the days since his award-winning sitcom went off the air Seinfeld too has gone from top paying actor to husband and dad. The comedian still does standup, but spends most of his time as husband to wife Jessica … Continue reading →

Steve Martin: Understatement Runs Amuck!

Stephen Glenn Martin was born on August 14, 1945, in Waco Texas to real-estate salesman and aspiring actor, Glenn Vernon Martin and Mary Lee Stewart, a housewife. The family was of English, Irish and Scottish descent, and Steve grew up in Garden Grove, California. His talents for magic, juggling and playing the banjo were developed and honed at Disneyland, where as a teenager, he worked in the Magic Shop. After high school, he teamed up with classmate, Kathy Westmoreland, and the duo performed a musical comedy routine at local coffee houses and at the Bird Cage Theater in Knott’s Berry … Continue reading →

Richard Pryor: Storyteller Extraordinaire

Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor III was born on December 1, 1940, in Peoria, Illinois. This African-American comedian, actor and writer told stories that attracted a wide audience, but his acerbic and sometimes trenchant examinations of race and customs in the modern world divided public opinion of his act. His first professional performance came at the age of seven, when he played drums at a local nightclub. He grew up in his grandmother’s brothel, where his mother, Gertrude, worked as a prostitute. His father, Leroy, was a boxer, bartender and World War II veteran. From 1958-1960, Pryor served in the … Continue reading →