Kvetching and Shpritzing

Retired history professor from Long Island University, Joseph Dorinson lives in Floral Park, New York.

• Table of ContentsAcknowledgmentsForeword by Joseph BoskinPrefaceIntroduction—Jewish Humor: Mechanism for Defense, Weapon for Cultural AffirmationOne. God, Jokes and Money: A Subversive Look at Jewish HumorTwo. Jewish Men and Women in VaudevilleThree. YiddishFour. Funny Jews: Up from the Catskills—Danny Kaye and Sid CaesarFive. Catskill Alumni from BrooklynSix. A Sacred Monster in Lamb’s Clothing: Jerry LewisSeven. Comedy’s Changing Landscape: Two Jews and a Black Crossover ArtistEight. Jewish Humor in LiteratureNine. Dialectical Jewish Humor: Mickey Katz, Sam Levenson and Jackie MasonTen. Up from the Bronx: Red Buttons, Billy Crystal and Robert KleinEleven. Sitcoms from Benny to SeinfeldTwelve. Shpritzing and Jiving: Jews and BlacksThirteen. Yip’s Rainbow: Songs of Social SignificanceFourteen. Coda: Around the World in Eighty Jokes PlusChapter NotesBibliographyIndex

“Jewish humor has remained alive and well in the United States, and Kvetcing and Shpritzing celebrates this phenomenon both thoroughly and enjoyably!”—Humor Journal Review; “fascinating work of history, scholarship, and philosophy”—Jewish Currents; “an invaluable history of important Jewish humorists in America that is at once enlightening and enjoyable. And it’s pretty funny, too”—Studies in American Humor; “Jewish humor has remained alive and well in the United States, and Kvetching and Shpritzing celebrates this phenomenon thoroughly and enjoyably.”—De Gruyter Mouton; “Kvetching and Shpritzing is thought-provoking, meticulously researched, and by the way, funny as hell. I envy readers about to turn to page one.”—Lawrence Richards, Writer-Producer, When Comedy Went to School.