Mishigas

There have been one or two questions about yesterday's second post. Well, in the words of George Carlin "I don't have to tell you that it goes without saying that there are some things better left unsaid. That speaks for itself, The less said the better.".

So, from an overtly atheist comedian to two Jewish comedians, Sol Bernstein and Adam Bloom. I saw these last night in a show that formed part of JFest International, which is apparently the exciting new name for the Jewish Performing Arts Showcase. Leeds of course has a large, well-established Jewish community (it's where Marks and Spencer started for example), but as I'm not one of them I struggled with the Yiddish expressions and cultural allusions that make up a large part of Berstein's act. I didn't struggle at all with the filth that makes up the rest of it and laughed a lot. Steve Jameson - whose alter ego the 84 year old Bernstein is - had apparently been told to tone it down for the largely middle aged and middle class folks who had driven in from Adel in their Jaguars; and if that was the redacted version I must seek out the full blown thing immediately.

Bloom was funnier on the night, with a more mainstream act with less focus on the religious makeup of the audience, at least until he found out that the tickets were only £10. He does look like Harpo Marx without the hair though. It was interesting that both acts were able to get laughs from the fact that there were clearly some subjects which the audience wasn't comfortable with jokes being made about, in particular Islam.

Let's finish with another quote from Carlin: "I think everyone should treat one another in a Christian manner. I will not, however, be responsible for the consequences."