Recently I had a podcast interview. Great time where I was asked about things I don’t regularly get to discuss. My favorite type of conversation.
One topic was about who inspires my life and work.
There’s many, and in this case, I decided to talk about beloved Jewish comedians.
See as a kid I grew up on the Colgate Comedy Hour, Late Night talk shows, Abbot & Costello, and of course, Jack Benny.
If you don’t know Mr. Benny, give a listen sometime.
He made his claim to fame on 1930s radio, where they had to set a scene in an instant, and deliver a punchline. Meaning each second had to pack a whole lot of story.
This is the kind of wit and pithiness that has to be dialed in with precision to make a diverse audience laugh.
Yet Jack Benny was one of the best, and it sets the tone for everything you find funny today.
I bring this up because it’s why I talk the way I do in all media.
The style is not about Great grammar, proper enunciation, or elegant prose.
NAH.
It’s about reliability.
See I do not say things for me, I say it for the intended listener.
That’s proper communication.
Making sure the person you want to connect with gets the message in the way that best suits your relationship with them.
If more people approached conversation like this, the world would be a better place.
No major lesson today besides that.
More of a chance to school you on classic acts that set the foundation for what makes you laugh today.
Dig this famous routine Jack Benny performed back in the day.
Enjoy…
Be well,
— Papi Knox