Last week legendary comedian Alan King died of lung cancer at age 76. I've always had an affinity for the old school "Borscht Belt" comics and King was my favorite. What made him special was how he updated the style to suit contemporary audiences and slipped in some really tart observations about day-to-day life and politics. He was clearly a guy who had his brain in gear and never seemed out of place or dated next to more explosive talents such as Pryor or Bill Hicks simply because he was every bit as smart and his timing was perfect. He was also a damn fine character actor (his turn in Casino was especially good) and a well respected humanitarian.
His passing reminds me of my favorite Friar's Club joke.....
Q: What's the average age of a Friar's Club member?
A: Dead.
RIP Alan King (Belated)
I had missed this completely...and am very sorry to find out about it. He was a great comedian and I also think he'd done some fine acting in movies like Casino and, one I remember watching multiple times one summer when I was in middle school, Memories of Me (with Billy Crystal).
A lot of Christians wear crosses around their necks. Do you think when Jesus comes back he ever wants to see a fuckin' cross? It's kind of like going up to Jackie Onassis with a rifle pendant on.