A recent blog post by my dear friend and literary mentor, brought back so many fond memories and inspired this post. In it she mentions a classic comedian from the early days of “fifties” TV when life was simpler and it didn’t take profanity, degrading people, explicit or inferred sex or violence, to make people laugh and forget their troubles. Maybe I’m old-fashioned…no-- no maybe about it…I am!!!…when it comes to what is right and wrong with most of what passes for “comedy” today ( and a few other things, too). Hey, whatta ‘ya know!…a Baby-Boomer with old-fashioned values!
Jackie Gleason, Sid Cesar and Imogene Coca, Jimmy Durante, and of course, the inimitable and irreplaceable Lucy. (In case you haven’t a clue…that’s the incomparable, irrepressible, scatter-brained, hilarious, carrot-top, Lucille Ball). And if none of these names ring a bell, look them up on the WWW!
More recently people like Bill Cosby carried on the tradition of “rolling them in the aisles” with good, clean humor that your folks weren’t worried about their kids seeing and hearing. Oh, and how about “the Santa Clause”, better known as Tim Allen, whose TV show, "Home Improvement", was good wholesome family fun. How sad and what a pitiful commentary on the decline of social and moral values in this great country of ours that it has all but disappeared. Oh sure, some of these performers had other, more “adult” acts elsewhere, but not on TV, not in our living rooms. Even “Everybody Loves Raymond”, as family-oriented and funny as it was…and it was a great sitcom…focused on a dysfunctional and sometimes hurtful family and even they sometimes resorted to overt sexual situations, “potty humor” and double-entendres. Some “reality” is funny, a lot of it isn’t and comedy should help us escape reality, forget the hurts or laugh at what skims the surface of “reality” and feel better…not mirror our own pain or elicit uncomfortable, self-conscious laughs. Even the Bunkers were kinder and gentler with their witty, often biting, and very often not-PC, satire.
But, back to the topic at hand. A sweet, multi-talented man of many faces and characters who got his start in Vaudeville, just as many of his contemporaries did. Vaudeville was live, rough, and raunchy, but none of these comedians brought the seamy side of their comedy into our homes. We didn’t have to monitor programs or put “kid locks” on the remote.
His name was Red Skelton. Learn more about him and be delighted. He was Klem Kadidddlehopper, Freddie the Freeloader, and more. He was truly one-in-a-million. He made us laugh with him at his often poignant portrayals, and he always respected us and himself. These were the values of Red Skelton and those of us who loved watching and listening to him…
In tribute to Red Skelton, and with thanks for all he gave us.
…one more time in his own words…Good night, and God Bless.
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