Even if you are chareidi or very chareidi, you may still have heard of “Mr. Bean.” The reason is that for a decade or so, particularly in Europe, this TV character’s antics have been shown on video monitors on airplanes, especially on low-cost airlines where numerous channels are not on offer. Of course…as enormous numbers of Jews and certainly frum ones, always seem to be flying from one country and one chasuna or bar mitzvah to another, Mr. Bean became well known even in the frumest of places.
The actor who created and plays the Bean character is called Rowan Atkinson. He is one of the UK’s, and indeed the world’s most funny people. I never met nor appeared with him when I used to write and appear on BBC TV and Radio programs. I did appear alongside some of the people he has worked with in comedy like John Cleese of Monty Python fame and others.
The interesting thing about really successful comedians in my experience, is the fact that despite their clowning and joking around, they are usually extremely intelligent and highly educated. John Cleese and most of the Monty Python team, were all educated at Cambridge University. Rowan Atkinson has an MSc in Electrical Engineering from Oxford University.
With his academic background, Rowan Atkinson actually lectures at universities on the topic of humor and what it is that makes us laugh. In it he analyzes the various categories of humor; slapstick, incongruity, jokes, etc., examining what it is about them that makes us laugh. The feature that tickles people’s funny bones across all areas of humor, he explains, is the “unexpected.” That’s why the funny part of a joke is called the “Punch Line.” Like a punch, you don’t see it coming.
It occurred to me that there is a huge amount of laughter and giggling to be had from the current Presidential campaign, particularly from Team Harris. After all, there is so much that her campaign team requires her to say that is frankly ludicrous and no one would ever anticipate or expect …and that is exactly what makes folks laugh the loudest.
So…I imagined that early on, Team Harris contacted some really, really famous comedian who specializes in absurd and whacky humor to help get her message across to a skeptical electorate and increasingly skeptical American-Jewish voters.
After much research, and contacting old friends in the BBC, I found out that my suspicions were correct! I even found out which famous comic helped guide and craft the Kamala relaunch/rebrand.
I went to meet him in his luxurious home in a gated community in Calabasas, California. Marty (not his real name) was originally from New York and he was also originally Jewish before he became rich, famous and a Hollywood personage.
After swearing solemnly never to reveal his real name or gender (he’s actually no longer sure about either) he told me what happened. I will try to recall events exactly as they happened for Jewish Press readers. For added authenticity, I will use Marty’s own voice and words.
“Well Rabbi, when they come to see me for the foist time, I thought to myself Marty dis is gonna be a comedic dream. They insisted it was important to emphasize that no matter what words I write to come out of her mouth, it has to be clear that she still hasn’t changed her “values.” That was really important they told me.”
I asked him if the Vice President was there at the meeting, and he told me,
“She just sat there nodding at whatever her team thought was a good idea and occasionally saying, “If you think I should say it, that’s OK with me.” If they weren’t sure about one of my ideas, they said they had to call someone called, “The Big O” to make sure he approved. I was really surprised at this coz I thought Roy Orbison died of a heart attack in 1988.”
I asked Marty how he adapted the expertise of a lifetime writing comedy to a Presidential campaign? Marty’s answer was enlightening.
“Look! It’s really all the same shtick. The more outrageous and ridiculous the story, the better for getting a laugh. Let me give you an example. The material they sent me showed both on video and in writing that when she was a senator her voting record was way to the Left of Bernie Sanders right? Well, this is comedy gold! Who would expect to believe her if she now claims to be a middle of the road moderate. No one right? And that’s when you get folks laughing their heads off, isn’t it?”
I asked Marty but then won’t people be laughing “at” her? This is where Marty smiled at me with an expression of pity.
“Nope! What you don’t realize is that when you make people laugh over and over again they like it. Most people are so busy enjoying laughing that they don’t notice how silly and ridiculous the joke actually is.”
I told him that I still wasn’t sure I got it and he gave me another example.
“Look, you must have seen that clip of the interview she gave at the time of the BLM riots when all those cities were burning to the ground right? You know that one where she said the protesters were right to protest and she even supported bail for those arrested on the streets during the disturbances. Well, what could possibly be funnier than to claim that she’s now tough on law and order?”
At this point Marty burst into laughter himself and grabbed a Kleenex as tears ran down his cheeks. Then he continued to what he said was a real knee-slapper, getting Kamala to say that she was going to be tough on illegal immigration.
“I mean can you believe that? It’s totally hilarious.”
What about the Israel-Hamas war I asked him. What did you have her say about that, that’ll bring the house down?
Marty looked at me with that pitying look again and said,
“Look, as one ex-Jew to a current one, you gotta to see how totally ‘Marx Brothers’ this is. Here she is, the Vice President of an administration that has withheld arms shipments to Israel, something she said the other day she’s proud of, allowed the Jewish State to be crucified at the UN and played the “Bad Cop” to Biden’s “Good Cop” threatening Israel with “consequences” for defending itself.
What did I give her to say that is so whacky and loony tunes? I had her say that as President she will ‘always defend Israel’. I mean come on Rabbi, gimme a break” he said reaching for another Kleenex, “Totally unbelievable, no? Isn’t that the biggest joke of all?”
I looked at Marty and nodded. I had to agree with him that it was.
