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Arts & Entert
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MASON-IC ORDER
from page 61
Jackie Mason: "In th y`
old days, I used to have
to find comedy writers
for my routines. Now, I
can just stand on stage
and read front the pages
of the New York Times."
By the 1980s and '90s Mason was reg-
istering an impressive number of come-
backs: several one-man Broadway shows
(including the fabulously successful
Politically Incorrect), best-selling compact
disk recordings, appearances on televi-
sion, numerous media interviews and
sold-out houses on road trips.
Critics recognized him with a special
Tony Award for Outstanding Theatrical
Achievement in 1989, and he garnered
two Outer Critics Circle Awards, Emmy
and Ace awards, and even a couple of
Grammy nominations.
While he hasn't appeared on a Detroit
stage for 15 years, this rabbi-turned-
comedian played three command per-
formances for British royalty — one for
the Queen Mother, one for Queen
Elizabeth II and another for Prince
Charles.
In 1995, he was invited to speak at
Parliament on American politics, the
first person outside of the political realm
ever invited to do so. The next year, he
was presented with an honorary degree
from the Oxford University Debating
Society. Only three other individuals
throughout history have received this
honor: Mahatma Gandhi, John F.
Kennedy and Jimmy Carter.
They can't get enough of Mason at
Oxford. That's where they established
the Jackie Mason Lectureship in
Contemporary Judaic and Hebraic
Studies for postgraduate study. Yarnton
College at Oxford even awarded Mason
an honorary "Fellow in the Humanities"
degree in 1995.
During the Persian Gulf War, Mason
closed his Broadway show to fly to Israel
to show his support. Benjamin
Netanyahu, then Israel's deputy foreign
minister, presented him with an award
for "bravery, commitment and valor to
the State of Israel."
Along with Raoul Felder, Mason
writes a monthly political column for
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the American Spectator and the
Washington Times — two icons of
American political conservatism.
During his recent month-long run of
Much Ado at Toronto's Performing Arts
Centre, Mason peppered his largely
Jewish audiences with his standard
monologue consisting of the following
general ingredients: teasing guests sit-
ring in front rows; labeling all adver-
saries with ungracious epithets; making
critical remarks about minority groups,
of whom Jews were singled our as the
most attractive targets; offering biting
criticism of the feminist movement;
and targeting the affectation found in
high-priced restaurants.
And let's not forget the Clinton scan-
dals. From Monica Lewinsky through
Marc and Denise Rich — you can rest
assured, it's all fodder for the fertile
mind of Mason.
"In the old days, I used to have to find
comedy writers for my routines. Now, I
can just stand on stage and read from
the pages of the New York Times,"
Mason told the Jewish News in a recent
telephone interview.
One of the problems in attending a
Jackie Mason show is that audiences tend
to enjoy Mason's outrageous humor but
are inevitably embarrassed to be doing so
because the enjoyment is based on the
acceptance of stereotypical thinking.
Therefore, when going to a Mason
evening, as with all stand-up comedians,
one must suspend the normal critical
faculties and join in the merriment.
Part of Mason's comedic technique
flows from the disclaimers with which
he prefaces much of his fast-paced
remarks. He denies vehemently that he
harbors any resentment toward any eth-
nicity, just before launching into a
laughter-provoking assault on Jews —
especially Jewish women — Italians and
other minority groups.
Mason is the vivisectionist par excel-
lence of materialism, affectation and cant
no matter what the source. ❑
— Alan Abrams contributed to this story
NOW TAKING
ORDERS FOR
PASSOVER
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at the Second City-Detroit
Theatre. Show times are 7:30
p.m. Mondays-Thursdays, 8 p.m.
Fridays and Saturdays and 3 p.m.
Sundays. Tickets, at $35 and 545,
may be purchased at the Second
City-Detroit and Fox Theatre box
' offices and all Ticketmaster loca-
tions. Call (313) 965-2222 or
(248) 645-6666.
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