# Are Sarah Silverman and Jonathan Silverman related? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 1, 2007, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-sarah-silverman-and-jonathan-silverman-related/390459 "2007-02-01T21:32:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Sarahfeena](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarahfeena/32/519_2.png) [@Sarahfeena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarahfeena)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2007, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-sarah-silverman-and-jonathan-silverman-related/390459/41 "2007-02-02T17:50:05Z")
[QUOTE=What Exit?] As usual, this is a matter of personnel taste. I have never found Cho funny or entertaining. Her comedy style is painful. Sarah is not one of the great stand-ups, but she is funny. The last really funny female Stand-Ups were Rita Rudner and Roseanne. I cannot think of any since. I might be forgetting someone. Jim [/QUOTE] Yeah, I don’t find Margaret Cho all that funny. I agree with you on Rita Rudner and Roseanne (although that latest thing of hers showing on HBO is…well, let’s just say it’s not good.) But my vote is for Ellen Degeneres…maybe the greatest female stand-up of all time. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2007, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-sarah-silverman-and-jonathan-silverman-related/390459/42 "2007-02-02T17:59:30Z")
[QUOTE=Kalhoun] I see a resemblance but I can’t find a reference. I can’t believe she dates that asshole Jimmy Kimmel. [/QUOTE] Really? She strikes me as exactly the sort of person who would date an asshole. I saw her on one of those Celebrity Poker shows once and she reminded me of every hgh school drama twit who acts out and trolls for shock value because of a desperate, I’m-a-broken-human-being need for any kind of attention she can get. ---
**Author:** ![Logan\_5](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/fbc32d/32.png) [@Logan\_5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Logan_5)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2007, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-sarah-silverman-and-jonathan-silverman-related/390459/43 "2007-02-02T18:02:44Z")
I enjoyed the show and also thought of Chris Elliot and his brand of dorky humor. It wasn’t spectacular by any means, but I like it just the same. It’s bratty, snarky, gleefully sociopathic and doesn’t take itself seriously. I’ll take this over yelling obnoxious dude humor (Mencia). ---
**Author:** ![Wee\_Bairn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/90db22/32.png) [@Wee\_Bairn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wee_Bairn)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2007, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-sarah-silverman-and-jonathan-silverman-related/390459/44 "2007-02-02T18:08:03Z")
Let me qualify my disgust for the show by stating that as much as I disliked it, it was still lightyears ahead of the Ned Holness (Carlos Mencia) show in quality, intelligence and humor. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2007, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-sarah-silverman-and-jonathan-silverman-related/390459/45 "2007-02-02T18:24:38Z")
[QUOTE=Wee Bairn] Let me qualify my disgust for the show by stating that as much as I disliked it, it was still lightyears ahead of the Ned Holness (Carlos Mencia) show in quality, intelligence and humor. [/QUOTE] I’m by no means a fan but to be accurate his name was Ned Mencia at birth. He went by Holness for a while to honor his father but it was never his legal name. I think it was Mitzi Shore who told him to change his first name since Ned didn’t go with his accent. Like I said I’m not a fan but the Joe Rogan “fake beaner” thing annoys me. He was born in Honduras, his mother is Honduran and when he wasn’t living in Honduras as a child he lived in East LA. I don’t know of any instance where he claimed to be specifically Mexican but he lumps in Central Americans like himself with the Mexicans. The only reason I know this is because when Joe Rogan started flinging his shit I got curious and looked it up. To say the least Rogan exagerated a bit. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2007, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-sarah-silverman-and-jonathan-silverman-related/390459/46 "2007-02-02T19:13:20Z")
I’ve liked Sarah Silverman on TV before, on SNL and on Greg The Bunny; not having seen the new show, I can’t comment on how bad it was or wasn’t. I will say that I listened to a standup performance by Ms. Silverman just last week, and it was painful. Half the time, she seemed to be struggling for something to say next. I got exactly one laugh from the whole performance (paraphrasing): “When I was younger I was raped by my doctor…which for a Jewish girl is kinda bittersweet.” ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2007, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-sarah-silverman-and-jonathan-silverman-related/390459/47 "2007-02-02T19:19:18Z")
[QUOTE=Sean Factotum] But he was in Chicago’s Second City for years before getting tapped for _Seinfeld_. I guess his improv was better than his stand-up. [/QUOTE] He was never with Second City as far as I can tell… let alone the Chicago wing. He’s an LA guy. He might have done some stuff with the Groundlings but he’s not Second City. ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2007, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-sarah-silverman-and-jonathan-silverman-related/390459/48 "2007-02-02T19:25:32Z")
[QUOTE=Sarahfeena] Yeah, I don’t find Margaret Cho all that funny. I agree with you on Rita Rudner and Roseanne (although that latest thing of hers showing on HBO is…well, let’s just say it’s not good.) But my vote is for Ellen Degeneres…maybe the greatest female stand-up of all time. [/QUOTE] Her conversation with God was one of the best bits ever. I sometimes imagine a sitcom consisting soley of one-sided conversations between Ellen and Bob Newhart. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2007, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-sarah-silverman-and-jonathan-silverman-related/390459/49 "2007-02-02T19:29:27Z")
[QUOTE=Push You Down] He was never with Second City as far as I can tell… let alone the Chicago wing. He’s an LA guy. He might have done some stuff with the Groundlings but he’s not Second City. [/QUOTE] He was on Friday’s way back when. He was not especially funny, nor was the show. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2007, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-sarah-silverman-and-jonathan-silverman-related/390459/50 "2007-02-02T19:51:26Z")
[QUOTE=sturmhauke] I think you mean Heisenberg relationship. [/QUOTE] I’m uncertain what I meant there. ---
**Author:** ![BMax](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bmax/32/4267_2.png) [@BMax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMax)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2007, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-sarah-silverman-and-jonathan-silverman-related/390459/51 "2007-02-02T21:25:13Z")
[QUOTE=What Exit?] He was on Friday’s way back when. He was not especially funny, nor was the show. [/QUOTE] I found the show funny, but that was in comparison to SNL during Joe Piscopo & Billy Cristol (sp?) 's cast. I have to admit that I didn’t find either as funny as SCTV and it was my senior year of high school, so I didn’t exactly have a sophistocated sense of humor. ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2007, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-sarah-silverman-and-jonathan-silverman-related/390459/52 "2007-02-02T21:47:08Z")
[QUOTE=What Exit?] He was on Friday’s way back when. He was not especially funny, nor was the show. [/QUOTE] Yep. So was Larry David. ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2007, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-sarah-silverman-and-jonathan-silverman-related/390459/53 "2007-02-03T06:32:45Z")
I loved it. If you saw Jesus Is Magic then, well, then you should have known what to expect. She’s about the only comic that can mix seemingly ‘shock’ material with high-brow artsy-ness and she does it perfectly. _“Oh, now that I see you up close I can tell you’re old.” “Thank you, wise old black lady puppy.” “Factitious? That’s my baby’s name!”_ Plus her incredibly goofy yet catchy songs! Too bad it probably won’t last more than six episodes… ☹ ---
**Author:** ![lawoot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/35a633/32.png) [@lawoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lawoot)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2007, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-sarah-silverman-and-jonathan-silverman-related/390459/54 "2007-02-03T18:37:40Z")
[QUOTE=sturmhauke] I think you mean Heisenberg relationship. [/QUOTE] No, he meant a Schroedinger relationship - not only do you want to kill yourself, usually it involves a box and a cat. ---
**Author:** ![lawoot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/35a633/32.png) [@lawoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lawoot)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2007, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-sarah-silverman-and-jonathan-silverman-related/390459/55 "2007-02-03T18:45:23Z")
Oh, and Laura has a history with Comedy Central, as she was the voice of the receptionist (named, oddly enough, ‘Laura’) on the series [Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0111942/?fr=c2l0ZT1kZnx0dD0xfGZiPXV8cG49MHxxPURyIEthdHp8bXg9MjB8bG09NTAwfHNjPTB8aHRtbD0x;fc=1;ft=20). ---
**Author:** ![scotandrsn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a4c791/32.png) [@scotandrsn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scotandrsn)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2007, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-sarah-silverman-and-jonathan-silverman-related/390459/56 "2007-02-03T18:58:55Z")
[QUOTE=Hail Ants] …See was even drawn (squigglely) like herself (as were all the characters on that show). … [/QUOTE] \ I took voice-over lessons from [Will Le Bow](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0494128/) , who played Dr. Katz’ bar buddy, Stanley. Stanley does not look remotely like Will Le Bow. \ And Laura Silverman’s performance and (drawn) appearance on that show are about a thousand times funnier and hotter than Sarah Silverman has been in her whole life. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2007, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-sarah-silverman-and-jonathan-silverman-related/390459/57 "2007-02-03T20:08:34Z")
[QUOTE=scotandrsn] \ I took voice-over lessons from [Will Le Bow](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0494128/) , who played Dr. Katz’ bar buddy, Stanley. Stanley does not look remotely like Will Le Bow. \ And Laura Silverman’s performance and (drawn) appearance on that show are about a thousand times funnier and hotter than Sarah Silverman has been in her whole life. [/QUOTE] In other words the cartoon version of Laura doesn’t look remotely like her either? d&r ---
**Author:** ![Sarahfeena](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarahfeena/32/519_2.png) [@Sarahfeena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarahfeena)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2007, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-sarah-silverman-and-jonathan-silverman-related/390459/58 "2007-02-03T20:11:41Z")
[QUOTE=DanBlather] Her conversation with God was one of the best bits ever. I sometimes imagine a sitcom consisting soley of one-sided conversations between Ellen and Bob Newhart. [/QUOTE] She does have that Newhart-esque quality to her…I like your sitcom idea! ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2007, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-sarah-silverman-and-jonathan-silverman-related/390459/59 "2007-02-03T22:12:22Z")
I thought the premiere was pretty funny, although I’m not sure whether the format or her “obnoxious asshole” persona will have much longevity. I can definitely understand people being turned off by that type of humor; it either clicks with you fundamentally or it doesn’t. It reminded me a lot of the “Stella” series from a couple of years ago, which I also enjoyed despite its being intensely stupid. I especially liked seeing Jay Johnston (who was great in the series “Mr. Show with Bob and David”) again, deadpanning the cop clichés. “You know, being a cop, I’ve seen things that make you crap a book on how to puke.” Come on. That’s funny. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2007, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-sarah-silverman-and-jonathan-silverman-related/390459/60 "2007-02-03T22:51:38Z")
[QUOTE=Wee Bairn] I must be missing something on Margaret Cho- I thought her act consisted of standing in front of a crowd of gays, telling them how much she likes to eat pussy 😕 [/QUOTE] I didn’t realize she had time to talk about eating pussy, what with the seemingly endless stretches she devotes to her “Hey! My mom’s got a funny accent!” bit. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-sarah-silverman-and-jonathan-silverman-related/390459.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-sarah-silverman-and-jonathan-silverman-related/390459.md?page=4)