THE GREAT JEWISH-AMERICAN COMEDIANS' IDENTITY CRISIS Samuel S. Janus

This paper is a result of a lO-year study of great American comedians. The field of comedy is unique in that 80 percent of its most prominent practicioners are Jewish, while Jews comprise only 3 percent of the population of the United States. This is a long-term phenomenon dating back to the evolution of the stand-up comic from the monologist around the turn of the century. Such names as Weber and Fields and Smith and Dale (the Sunshine Boys), who were in comedy early in the century, were all Jewish as well. To most Americans, comic and Jew are synonymous. The psychic price these men pay for their fame and acceptance as comedians is the subject of this paper, which examines the drive and pain that make comedy their only emotionally gratifying outlet. More than any other group of entertainers, comics search their souls and agonize, as they seek their identities. They plead, cajole, and seduce audiences into accepting them and fill their gnawing self-doubts with audience laughter, to ease the pain of another day and justify their existence. The recent deaths of Freddie Prinze and Groucho Marx, and the revelations of their tortured existences, highlight the findings of this study. POPULATIC)N The population for this study consisted of 76 comedians--71 men and 5 women. Although the number of women is small, it fairly accurately reflects the 85 percent dominance of men in field of comedy. All subjects are fulltime stand-up comics with six-to-seven-digit annual incomes. Longevity in comedy ranges from six years upwards. The average age was 44. Comedians included in this study were all Jewish. METHOD

The author personally interviewed all subjects. Personality tests, includSamuel S. Janus, Ph.D., Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry, New York Medical College. The American Journalof Psychoana/ysis © 1980 Associationfor the Advancement of Psychoanalysis

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ing the Machover Human Figure Drawing Test were administered, and a two-to-three-hour clinical interview was held, analyzing family constellation and eliciting early memories and dreams. The material and routines were analyzed, live performances personally monitored, and the data included in this study. Comedians were interviewed primarily in California, New York, and Las Vegas. FAMILY BACKGROUND

Whether Jewish by birth or conversion, there was a tremendous similarity found; 92 percent of subjects came from families in the lowest socioeconomic class. Fathers were poor providers, and though physically in the home, had minimal or negative impact on the subjects. The family struggle to survive economically was seen and felt acutely by the subjects, who equated poverty and despair as a condition of being Jewish in a Gentile world. Their parents were immigrant. Yiddish was the primary language of 75 percent of the subjects in the parental home. East-European accents were a source of embarrassment to the children, many of whom overcompensated by trying to do and be all things American and to sound totally American {or English). Myron Cohen, whose Oxford English belies his elementary school education, is a prime example of this. Subjects were virtually unanimous in feeling closer to their mothers, whom they saw as struggling to keep the wolf from the door because of father's failure, due to his inability to adapt. Many families, such as Alan King's, lived with grandparents in a large extended family during the 1929 depression, because they could not even afford their own apartment. Many subjects--especially the Old Greatsmreported having to share a bed with one or more siblings. Alan King, for example, talks about having two fathers --his biological father and his grandfather, who was his spiritual father. The aura of poverty and desperation, as well as a sense of rejection from this strange yet exciting society were indelibly etched on their minds. Our subjects are exquisitely sensitive to in-group and out-group psychodynamics, and stratagems for superiority and dominance games are a part of their core personality. No matter how wealthy or famous they became, they could not forget the tenuousness of their existence--that the acceptance of today is just for today; tomorrow is another struggle. There is an expression among comedians that mirrors this perfectly: "you are only as good as your last show." Rodney Dangerfield's famous quote, "1 don't get no respect," applies to all comedians. There is never enough respect. To many, rejection of their parents' values and life-stylenfrugality, worry, guilt, caution, and passivity, which are equated with being Jewish--

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seemed the only way out. Thus they see themselves as relieving themselves of the inborn albatross about their necks. They feel the need for psychic space to survive. It is fascinating that while 80 percent of all Jewish comics who have married twice or more have had at least one non-Jewish wife, none has converted to Christianity. Their complaints about Judaism center about its being too restrictive to let them live with any sense of joy; yet the laughter they seek as acceptance of themselves personally is too ephemeral to give them long-term relief. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE OLD GREATS~NEWBREED/CATSKILL COMEDIANS

Three categories of American stand-up comics are delineated during the twentieth century. These are the "Old Greats," the so-called "New Breed," and the "Catskill Comics." Characteristics of each are as follows: The Old Greats

This includes the era of Milton Berle, Jack Carter, and Sid Caesar--the 1920s to the 1950s. (1) Parents are immigrants. (2) Subject is either immigrant or first generation. (3) 60 percent dropped out of elementary school to help support family. (4) 20 percent dropped out of high school, while only 15 percent graduated high school..5 percent had some college. (5) Yiddish is the primary home language. (6) Kosher home--82 percent. (7) Large family, with from 3 to 11 siblings. (8) From New York's Lower East Side or Brooklyn. (9) 90 percent changed their family names to Anglicized names. The New Breed

Includes David Steinberg, Robert Klein, David Brenner--the 1950s to 1970s. (1) Primarily second generation American. (2) 88 percent had one or both parents American born. (3) 10 percent dropped out of high school, 40 percent dropped out of college, while 10 percent did graduate study. (4) English the primary language at home, although contact with relatives, especially grandparents, gave subjects some knowledge of and fascination with Yiddish. Most frequent response was "my parents spoke Yiddish when they didn't want me to understand what they were saying." (5) Kosher home --24 percent; most of the balance had homes that observed some rituals. (6) Small family size, from one to four siblings. (7) More specific about being comics and not general entertainers, and much more specialized in subject matter of comedy--e.g., politics, ethnicity, etc. More apt to have a message in their comedy.

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Catskill Comics

Includes Mac Robbins, Jack Eagle, Bernie Berns--the 1930s to present. Demographic data approximates that of the old greats, with most of this age group being in the 40-66 range. These men perform over 90 percent of their work with Jewish audiences, in the Catskills, Miami Beach, Israel Bond Drives, Jewish Centers, etc. While the Catskills have been the spawning ground of most of our top T.V. comics, some have never left home. These are the angriest and most frustrated comedians. The Catskills are also referred to as "The Borscht Circuit," "The Derma Road," and "The Jewish Alps." Significantly, though most comics were quite cooperative, especially for possible publicity, most of the Catskill comics insisted that they not be identified as Catskill comics, as this would in some way harm them. They cooperated on the basis of a pledge of anonymity. Somehow, for these men, the fact of not having been able to leave the "Ghetto" of the Catskills is a living reminder that they had not earned their "acceptance.'" Certainly the income of the T.V. comics is higher, but the primary gratification is not the money; it is a state of mind. One can often hear from comics how gratifying it is to feel that acceptance by Gentile audiences. One top comic said to me, "Did you hear that laughter and applause? Well, I almost feel guilty taking the money. I'll take the money anyway, but that applause is what makes it for me." Sam Levenson said, and most comics agree, "When you have a Gentile audience, you have an audience; but when you have a Jewish audience, you have critics." There is much concern expressed about career progress and about being Jewish. Alan King remembers a situation early in his career, when he was the opening act for Judy Garland. A major newspaper review after a New York theater performance read: "Strong, young comic, don't know how he'll do West of the Hudson." This review embodies all the doubts and terrors comics obssess about. Translated it read that outside New York, in Middle America, we don't know how this Jewish comic will be accepted. ObviousEy, Alan King's success answers the question of how he did West of the Hudson, before television, in the 1940s, when the review appeared.

ACTING OUT--JOKES AND STEREOTYPES

There are specific areas of Jewish stereotype--i.e., qualities that the Gentile world sees as the basic Jew, and which the Jewish comic incorporated into his self-image in childhood. The subjects both identified with and utterly rejected the Semitic traits attached to his parents, family, and himself by the "outside" world. The struggle for separation-individuation is a lifelong one for them. The fear of winning this struggle is as great as that of losing. Subjects felt that if they truly separated and removed the close family ties,

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they would be totally isolated, for they cannot count on the Gentile world to accept them. Each senses that it is his fame and his capacity to play the court jester that has earned him as much "acceptance" as he has. If his professional success falters, then rejection by his new Gentile friends cannot be far behind. Yet, losing the battle for separation is also frightening, for if he does not separate, then he is truly just like the stereotype of the East-European-Ghetto-immigrant "greenhorn," from which he is only one generation removed. Many Jews besides the comics regard as a high compliment the comment: "You don't look Jewish," or "1 never thought you were a Jew." For the comic, his personal image and professional success are inseparable --they both demand acceptance. Many comedians interviewed attributed Lenny Bruce's legal difficulties and his inability to obtain bookings in his last years to his attacks on the Catholic Church. Yet they feel safe in ridiculing their own people--Jews, after all have to take it--but don't fool around with the "Goyim" (non-Jews). in speaking about female comics, Phyllis Diller makes an important point: "You can make as much fun of yourself as you want to without offending anyone." One can appreciate, then, why 95 percent of all comics insisted that they had no message and were just trying to entertain. This, in spite of many who have famous routines which clearly show them at their best as social critics. SEMITIC TRAITS

Following are specific traits that are stereotypically considered to be Jewish and which form the core of much of the comedy materia.I. There is also an overriding quality of passivity that appears in many forms, and which causes the most pain at being singled out as a "Jewish" personality trait.

Stereotyped Traits Frugality I ntel lect Caution Loud Strong mothers Domineering wives "Different Rituals" Ghetto clustering

Viewed by Subjects as being cheap and stingy; saving and never spending study hard; be smarter; read more; be a doctor or lawyer be careful; don't get hurt; cowardly; no waves; passivity very emotional; no couth; uncultured; unsophisticated mother hangup; Jewish guilt; Oedipal problems Jewish American Princesses particularly circumcision, Bar-Mitzvah, and fasting e.g., the Catskills, Lower East Side of New York, and Brooklyn.

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As comedy material lends itself well to projecting feelings and attitudes about life--especially aspects so basic--here are some examples:

Frugality. (a) In my family we had to take a majority vote before we could change a tea bag, you see we're Jewish. (b) The definition for a Shickse [non-Jewish girl] is a girl who buys retail. Intellect. You know Jewish mothers wanted us to be smart and read, so you learn book = good, hammer = bad. Now when you're married and you have to finish the patio, the Jewish guy tries to hammer the nails in with a book. Caution. (a) I'm still suffering from shock from the last war--I was nearly drafted. (b) My parents are retired; they have gone in for hunting. Do you know what Jewish huntin 8 is? They bring the animals to your house and you shoot them in the cage. Sometimes they make it dangerous; they untie the feet. Ritual. (a) Definition of a home where circumcision, is taking place--a clip joint. -C, (b) Definition--a large catered affair about a J~,nor surgicai procedure. (c) I thought I was the only one who had the cocl~,ed Mohel [one who performs circumcisions] in Philadelphia who cut on the bias, till one day I was standing at the urinal, and these two guys are there, and one had a nervous tick about the mouth, and the other is blinking his eyes. So the guy with the mouth twitch says to the other guy, "'1 see you have the affliction too," and the other fellow says, "No I don't, you're splashin 8 me." Strong Mothers. My family was stereophonic; when I did something wrong ! heard it from all sides. Mother-in Law. Definition of ambivalence is watching your mother-in-law going over a cliff in your brand new Cadillac. Wives. (a) I never ask my wife what she cooked for dinner--especially while I'm eating it. (b) Do you know why Jewish women keep their eyes closed when they make love? So that they cannot see another person's pleasure. Marriage. (a) My wife and I solved our marital problems. People told us to go out, dance, live it up. We now go to a motel two days a week. My days are Monday and Wednesday and hers are Tuesday and Thursday. (b) I'm walking along with my best friend on the beach, and suddenly I see my wife and my mistress coming toward us. So I said to him; "Oh my God, here comes my wife and my mistress;" he looked up and said, "mine too." Bar Mitzvah. The Rabbi told me that if I didn't learn my portion of the Bible, instead of becoming a man, I would become a woman . . . . Hebrew is such a hard language to learn, it looks like crushed insects. (b) American Jews are becoming so assimilated that I was at a Bar-Mitzvah last week that was more bar than mitzvah. Catskills. (a) I asked the manager of the hotel how many guests he had. He said: "Judgin 8 by reservations, we have 800, but going by the meals, 5,000. (b) This hotel owner was complaining about business, so I asked how it was, and he said "terrible," I asked "why"? and he said, "1 have one empty room." So I said, "What's wron 8 with that?" and he said, "It's the dining room." The material above shows the ambivalent love-hate relationship Jewish comedians have with their "roots." Two questions arise: (1) Why do Jewish

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audiences tolerate this kind of abuse? (2) Why do Jewish comics obsessively overinvolve and torment themselves with this type of consciousness? The answer is the same for both--audience and comic. These same traits are precisely what American Jewish audiences are themselves conflicted about. The comedy act is a form of ritual exorcism. But for these traits, they would be just like everyone else. By tolerating this type of humor, Jewish audiences attempt to distance themselves from the stereotype, and are thus laughing at qualities they seek to externalize--i.e., some Jews may be like that, but not me. The comic seems for the moment to come across as a tiger, tearing his audience apart and beating them into submission. But which audiences is he battling? Other Jews. To be like everyone else is a fantasy that causes both delight and dread. While there is a sense of specialness about being Jewish, even if it is a painful specialness, it gives one a sense of belonging. At least one knows why one is hurting, or laughing in a "different" way. Acceptance by Middle America is an obsession of Jewish comics. There is a concomitant fear of loss of identity, and images of being reduced to white bread and mayonnaise are terrifying. The masochism needed to survive the climb to stardom in comedy is justified by the expression all comics use, of "having to pay ones dues" for success. To be so close to being accepted as everyone else, and yet not be exactly like them is the dilemma. Comics are aware of the "just noticeable difference." This dilemma was expressed by numerous comics; several first insisted that I shut off the tape recorder on which I was recording the interview, saying, "Even if we forget we're Jewish, the rest of the world won't let us forget."

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