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Inspirational Jackie Mason

There's something spectacular about the great Jewish comedians of the past, unafraid to make fun of themselves or their heritage. The AJN explores the world of Jewish comedy and reflects on the life of influential Jewish comedian Jackie Mason, who died last week in New York aged 93.

By Jessica Abelsohn July 30, 2021, 9:00 am Edit
Comedian Jackie Mason recording his album "I Want To Leave You With The Words Of A Great Comedian" on February 20, 1963 in New York. (Photo by PoPsie Randolph/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
Comedian Jackie Mason recording his album "I Want To Leave You With The Words Of A Great Comedian" on February 20, 1963 in New York. (Photo by PoPsie Randolph/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

The European Jews who arrived in America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries were different to the average American Joe. They looked and sounded different, and soon after their arrival, they found themselves targeted by ethnic-based mockery, with American comics adding fake noses, beards and jokes about Jews and money to their repertoires.

While there was a lot of widespread resentment, Jewish comedians decided to embrace the racial comedy – after all, who else would be better at making fun of Jews than Jews themselves?

Some of the best found their start in the Borscht Belt or the Jewish Alps, a colloquial term for the Catskill Mountains in Upstate New York, where Jews would flock to spend the summer at all-inclusive resorts – much like Kellermans from Dirty Dancing or Steiner Resort in The Marvelous Mrs Maisel. Well-known names such as Mel Brooks, Sophie Tucker and Billy Crystal all got their big break in the Catskills, with their self-depreciated and unapologetically Jewish comedy.

So too, did Jackie Mason.

A rabbi turned comedian, he was a legend. And not just in the comedy world.

Mason was known for his feisty brand of stand-up comedy. He delighted audiences with sharp wit and piercing social commentary, and was never afraid to talk about his Judaism or his own inadequacies. Together with the greats of his time, Mason is known for inspiring a generation of Jewish comedians.

Jackie Mason kept audiences in stitches with his shamelessly-Jewish humour. Photo: Michael Bush | Dreamstime.com

Mason’s big break

Mason’s father was a rabbi. His grandfather was a rabbi. His great-grandfather and great-great-grandfathers were both rabbis. You can see a trend here.

After college, Mason, who was born Jacob Maza, was ordained as a rabbi too. And he was a popular one, telling the Chicago Tribune that even non-Jewish people would come to synagogue to enjoy his sermons because he told so many jokes.

In the 1950s, after the death of his father, Mason turned to comedy full time, performing in the Catskills. He also made appearances on several television shows including The Steve Allen Show, The Ed Sullivan Show, and The Dean Martin Show.

Known for his heavy Yiddish accent peppered with New York twang, Mason’s humour was full of innuendo and puns, and often included lots of politically-incorrect statements. According to The Times of Israel, Mason’s comedy style was “amused outrage”. It was, of course, also brazenly Jewish.

One Time Magazine critic explained Mason’s accent as “Yiddish locutions of an immigrant who just completed a course in English. By mail.”

It was this accent though, that made him so relatable. Which is why he staunchly rejected the very idea of taking vocalisation lessons to lose it.

A Jewish inspiration

Mason’s brand of comedy is especially appreciated for spotlighting Judaism.

“Jackie Mason is one of my heroes in stand-up comedy,” said legendary Australian comedian Austen Tayshus. “Like myself, he was controversial but unapologetic. He was knowledgeable about yiddishkeit but performed widely in front of all types of audiences, especially in the early days of his career. He was proudly Jewish and uncompromising.”

Melbourne professional boxer turned comedian, Ben Horowitz, agrees. “The one thing I learnt from him was that talking about my Jewish background on stage was acceptable.”

Dave Bloustein, who has written for many Australian comedies including Good News Week (which he won five Australian Writers Guild awards for) credits Mason for helping him grow up in 1980s Adelaide.

“Like Joan Rivers, Mad Magazine and Mel Brooks, Mason made being Jewish mainstream,” said Bloustein. “Hearing his brutally concise one-liners, it was impossible not to be inspired by him and embarrassed by him at the same time.”

While comedian Jack Levi, whose alter-ego Elliot Goblet is known for his deadpan delivery of one-liners, said Mason didn’t inspire his own personal comedy, Levi believes the legendary comedian should be studied by those who want to excel at Jewish humour.

“He looks at the generally accepted characteristics of Jewish people and wonderfully exaggerates those characteristics. With the winning double of having both edge and likeability, Jackie Mason has a huge following of both Jews and non-Jews.”

The Wisconsin native’s success was also acknowledged by Hollywood. His one-man show, The World According to Me!, won a Special Tony Award, Outer Critics Award, Ace Award and an Emmy. It was also nominated for a Grammy. He won an Emmy and another Ace Award for Jackie Mason on Broadway and, of course, an Emmy for his role as the voice of Krusty the Clown’s father, Rabbi Hyman Krustofski, in The Simpsons.

Turns out, Mason’s sermons did much better on stage than in synagogue.

Horowitz remembers Mason fondly, especially his role in Caddyshack. “I remember he called someone in it a Funzanoom,” Horowitz laughed. “I don’t recall who he said it to, but in it he explains a Funzanoom is a man who farts in the bath and bites the bubbles.”

Typical Mason comedy

For Austen Tayshus, there are very few comedians left holding the Jewish torch. “His passing is the end of an era. Mel Brooks is now almost the only survivor of ‘Comedy with Chutzpah’ and openly Jewish.”

The great Jewish comedians who passed before him are welcoming him with open arms, ready to make great comedy together.

Wouldn’t it be great to be a fly on the wall?

Tributes flow

Notable Jewish celebrities have paid tribute to Jackie Mason on Twitter

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