Seriously Funny: The Rebel Comedians of the 1950s and 1960s

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It was kinda sad. Sep 14, Kurt rated it really liked it Shelves: I was more aware of the television, movies and even music of those years than most people my age. As a kid I was not attracted to the brash, loud and often cartoonish comedians that dominated—even today I am less drawn to the three ring circus than I am to the quiet guy in the corner cracking wise.

They all wove stories that I could visualize. Not designed merely to deliver punchlines every 15 seconds, these routines created characters that lived and breathed. I was invited into the world where these characters lived instead of being kept at arms length. This book chronicles that transition from the loud to the observational, from the broad to the personal—when machine guns were replaced by sniper rifles. The Joan Rivers section in particular is fascinating—even though the reader is aware of her ultimate success, her path was so difficult that you remain stunned every time she succeeds.

The lengths vary depending upon the importance, longevity and impact of the artist, but I never felt cheated that one was too short and only once or twice did one feel too long. Each is well crafted balancing the personal with the professional and their influence upon each other. Just enough of that humor is on display for each person to get their flavor down. While I would have enjoyed myriad more examples, the book would never have ended. Also, the humor is better served by watching or listening to the originals—much of this humor can be sampled on YouTube, etc.

Then came others who went beyond Saul's stand up: Kovacs has always been a particular favorite of mine creating the template for humor on TV still in evidence today. Fascinating how the vast majority of these funny people functioned as comedians largely because of major dis-functions in their personal lives.

And those same issues that fueled their humor did not disappear upon achieving success.

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Most of these folks self destructed in either their personal or professional lives ultimately destroying both. On the whole a neat new way to look at post war America—how the America that entered the war was not the same America by the end. The cookie cutter America with rules of etiquette and sharply defined rules for men and women and minorities began to crumble.

A minor quibble for a big bundle of a book that I thoroughly enjoyed. The toughest part of the book to get through for me was the section on Bill Cosby. Given his current circumstances I had to force myself to read it—but it was interesting that the accusations against him fit quite well with the person described in the book.

Aug 14, Dave rated it liked it. I almost didn't read this because Nachman is not a very good writer. His entries on each comedian are badly organized, wandering from present to past tense and throughout time, with occasional confusion as to whether the comedian is saying something as a revelation or a joke. It's as if the wealth of material from Nachman's own interviews and from fifty years of journalism was just too much for him to organize. That said, the content of those interviews and articles is fantastic, and once I ignor I almost didn't read this because Nachman is not a very good writer.

That said, the content of those interviews and articles is fantastic, and once I ignored Nachman I greatly enjoyed getting a many-angled, very candid view of 50s and 60s comedians, most of whom I knew next to nothing about.

If only Nachman had taken the extra step and removed his own voice altogether--made it an oral history--I would have enjoyed it even more. Aug 14, Penny Peck rated it it was amazing Shelves: If there were a college course on the history of stand-up comedy in the U. Nachman, a features writer for the San Francisco Chronicle, focuses one chapter each on many of the noted stand-up comedians of the 's and 60's, which is still the type of comedy we see today. He includes people like Nichols and May, who didn't do regular stand-up but performance pieces, as well as comedians like Lenny Bruce, Shelley Berman, Phyllis Diller, George Carlin, Richard Pryor, If there were a college course on the history of stand-up comedy in the U.

I would read a chapter, then listen to an album by that performer like Bob Newhart , to get a real feeling for that comedian's work. This is the standard to which other books on stand-up comedy should be compared. Dec 14, John E rated it really liked it.

Over pages of mini-biographies of the 27 ground-breaking comedian of the time. It was a great wander down memory lane. The common backgrounds and winding histories of their rise to stardom was well worth the read. Aug 16, Aaron rated it really liked it Recommends it for: Most of the big ones are here: It's very similar in format to Richard Zoglin's "Comedy At The Edge" -- which examines the comedians of the s -- but it's a notch better in my opinion.

The character studies are a bit fuller, and the reader gets a better sense of what inspired the various personalities e "Seriously Funny" is a series of character studies on the premier comedians and comediennes of the s and s. The character studies are a bit fuller, and the reader gets a better sense of what inspired the various personalities explored.

Which is not to say that both books aren't very good. If you like one, you'll probably like the other. If you only have time to read one, however, this is it. Jan 29, k reads rated it liked it Recommends it for: Interesting look at some of the comedians from the s and 60s who changed the course of comedy.

Almost all the comedians gets their own chapters which gives an overview of their careers and it was fascinating to read about many of them. The writing is ponderous, though and poorly structured which made reading too much of the book at once a bit of a slog. I recommend reading it a few chapters at a time and then putting it down for a bit. Jul 18, Frederick rated it liked it Shelves: If you're interested in stand-up comedy this book will probably interest you, and if you're interested in the changing social mores of the mid-century, seen through the prism of the entertainment world, this book may fascinate you.

I found it engrossing, if somewhat disorganized. Nachman succeeds most when he provides biographical detail. He also gives us a very good idea of what any given comedian's colleagues thought about him. I got a sense of the milieu in which these comics rose, thrived an If you're interested in stand-up comedy this book will probably interest you, and if you're interested in the changing social mores of the mid-century, seen through the prism of the entertainment world, this book may fascinate you. I got a sense of the milieu in which these comics rose, thrived and fell.

Seriously Funny: The Rebel Comedians of the 1950s and 1960s

Feb 28, Mark added it. I'm grateful to Marc Maron. On an old podcast of his WTF, he shared his delight in reading this book. One day I'm browsing in a public library and came across it.

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Recognizing my good fortune, I checked out the heavy tome. Yet this tome is easily consumed and well worth the light effort for those who share my desire for more Steve Allen and Johnny Carson and less Paris Hilton and Duck Dynasty. Not merely a collection of fascinating biographies, this provides insightful history for those who care I'm grateful to Marc Maron.

Not merely a collection of fascinating biographies, this provides insightful history for those who care about the heritage of comedy. Nachman for your work! Mar 09, Andy added it Shelves: I had to return the book before I had finished it. The author does a pretty good job discussing comics from the s and , that are still with us, and that the author had a chance to talk to. His writing stumbles however, when he is writing information about comic that have long since passed on, or that he had not had a chance to meet. Still, it is interesting to read about the background of early comics in radio, tv, the movies, and standup.

I listened to this book on tape. It was written by an entertainment journalist. He profiles some humorists "whose satire helped usher in cultural changes of the s, s, and s.

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The Beginning Jessica Christ Book 1. God's second child is born. And she's not too thrilled about it. Start this comedy now because you deserve a break. Down All The Days. Cigarettes and alcohol, Ativan and Adderall. A cheeky burnout takes a road trip holiday to find what dreams are left for the modern American man-child. The musings of a bewildered middle-aged woman. Pop culture musings, laugh-out-loud quips and witty anecdotes abound in this humorous collection of shorts.

First, they trusted him with a Twitter account; then they gave him the nuclear codes to the country. A memoir about the wild and crazy s. Lessons of resistance in the s for today. Back Stage Books September 1, Language: Related Video Shorts 0 Upload your video. Try the Kindle edition and experience these great reading features: Share your thoughts with other customers.

SERIOUSLY FUNNY: The Rebel Comedians of the 1950s and 1960s

Write a customer review. Read reviews that mention mort sahl lenny bruce woody allen tom lehrer bill cosby seriously funny steve allen bob and ray gerald nachman comedians covered great book nachman book comedy comics chapters comic chapter brilliant early era. There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later. Nachman is a brilliant chronicaller of generations, passioniate and on such a mission his enthuisiasm gushes through with each Peabody Award waiting to happen phrase whether or not you share his enthuisiasm.

The chapters simply paint portraits of the people. Further, though Nachman did interview subjects and did research, a lot of the information isn't exactly new atleast if you're a nerdish comedy album collector and already into what the book is about. Also what I like about this book is the choice of comedians go well beyond the obvious and really make you think All in all, this is a great book presented through the mind of a brilliant columnist The only danger of reading this book is that after each chapter you want to go out and get the CDs Kindle Edition Verified Purchase.

Nachman's book is a collection of profiles of some of the most creative people on the planet, comedians who rebelled against the accepted practices of joke telling and formed the basis of stand-up comedy as we know it and appreciate it today.

Biographical sketches of trend-setting comedians and satirists that have greatly influenced every comic performing today and shaped the entire trajectory of the art as performed in the early 21st century are included here. These are the true innovators of comedy and their stories are told with great insight and style. There are only a few format errors in the Kindle edition but otherwise the text is written quite well. If you think Carlin is the only significant comic to appear in the late '60s, read Nachman and begin to appreciate the ground-breaking work of people like Sahl, Freberg, Diller.

I learned that the tremors of the Cultural Revolution which shook the '60's were first heard in the '50's in the early cafes and clubs which featured the people who make up the chapters of this book. Nachman makes great selections from the familiar circle of early stand-up and television comedians and also casts a wider net, capturing the contributions of personalities such as Bob and Ray and Ernie Kovacs, all of whom contributed to the premise that comedy was shifting from the frantic joke-machine entertainers to people who could put forth a complicated and insightfully humorous personality or present their own unique facet of a changing social consciousness.

Each of Nachman' selections is portrayed first and foremost as a person, though it is interesting to see how, in some cases, that line between the person and the comic can become blurred. He intersperses small but delightful flavorings of each person's material and, thankfully, does not attempt to squeeze his own humor in among the ranks of these geniuses.

His style is clear, engaging, and consistent with his material - a great read to someone interested in comedy and the changes in our popular culture. One person found this helpful. It covers both their professional careers as well as some things about their private lives that led them to be the funny people they were - or are! Enjoyed many of them when they were popular, and surprised to learn that several are still plying their trade.

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