I was watching an infomercial (bored in the Doctor’s office, couldn’t change the TV channel) about “The Best of Johnny Carson” and they were showing old clips of his show.* In one famous scene, which they said was the longest extended duration of live audience laughter in TV history, Ed Ames is asked to throw a hatchet at a cardboard target, and hits it right in the crotch. After peals of laughter, Johnny Carson says “I didn’t even know you were Jewish!!” And the crowd went totally beserk with laughter.
I have no idea why that line is funny. Ed Ames was famous for playing an Indian on the old TV show Daniel Boone - is there some sort of Indian-is-Jewish joke there I don’t understand? Is there something inherently Jewish about an ax to the crotch?
*some of these are hilariously dated - ex: Bob Hope, Dean Martin and George Gobel are all smoking like fiends and drinking beer…out of plastic keg cups!!
I still don’t get it. What about circumcision is specific to being Jewish? AFAIK just about everybody gets circumsized. At least that’s what JDT tells me.
But back in the old timey days, 'twas not the case. That’s mainly a post-WWII phenomenon.
Another example, in an episode of “All in the Family” (Stretch Cunningham, Good-Bye), Arch is asked to deliver the eulogy for his old work buddy. He is shocked when he arrives at the funeral, and is asked to wear–gasp–a yarmulke [insert “Creature of the Black Lagoon” music here]. Turns out old Stretch Cunningham (real last name “Kuhnheimer”) was Jewish.
Arch mentions that he never knew his pal was Jewish because [and I apologize for forgetting the exact words], “I never knew he was Jewish, ‘cause I only saw his face–and never saw nuttin’ else.”
Also, In one of the Rat-Packers’ performances, Dean Martin made a similar circumcision reference about being Jewish.
The operation is called for in Genesis 17 and is considered the strongest required sign of adherence to Judaism. It is also a powerful symbol of the Covenant of Abraham. As implied by the Talmudic tractate Nedarim 31b, circumcision was originally performed because the foreskin was considered to be a blemish.
But hey, if you don’t think the thing is funny it’s your personal call. No big deal.
This was done to death in the Jr.High 50s.Made the rounds like the Ooh Ooh bird and the Ooh Aah bird.Old vaudeville lines,as most of Carson’s schticks were.
I hope by quoting that scripture you’re not implying that I am somehow insulting the Jewish faith. I simply did not know anything about this. I am in no way religious nor have I ever been. Nor have any of my Jewish friends ever felt the need to explain it to me. I didn’t think it was funny b/c I didn’t understand why it was supposed to be.
No offense intended. Consider my ignorance fought.
I love researching things. You quite often find out info for which you aren’t looking.
Ed Ames was in the Broadway production of “One flew over the cuckoo’s nest” as the Chief. That got him the role on TV of Daniel Boone’s Indian buddy. Neat!
