A few days ago I stumbled across a Lenny Bruce documentary (Lenny Bruce Without Tears) in Casa Video.
It was pretty bad filmmaking but it did have some of the hilarious bits he did on tv shows in the early 60’s before the legal troubles destroyed him.
At one appearance on the Steve Allen show he did an extended bit about the breakup of his marriage. It was funny and poingant and it hurt to watch it because it was so true and honest and that’s why it was so perfect and beautiful.
What I found intriguing is that I seem to be channeling Lenny Bruce’s story telling style, the jumbling of perspectives and notions, to make the point rather than to be a simple easy joke, the poking at authority and the constant attempt to make sense of an insane world.
I was watching that and felt like I’ve been channeling Lenny Bruce on this mess of a website. Lenny Bruce is in me and he’s trying to get out! (Super bonus points to anyone who gets that reference.)
And that was scary because I’m not quite sure how insane I’ve gotten in the past few months. Is it a good insane? Or is it a bad insane? And how long before all this honesty gets me committed? Will they have Costco pies when I get there? Or will a big Indian smother me to save me from a fate worse than death?
Lenny died 08/03/1966.
Your musings and brilliant insight and observations, at times combined with a frenetic approach, sarcasm….are you getting bags under your eyes? Have you taken up smoking??? I think you are channeling. Carry on you make us laugh
Do i get the bonus points if i say that the reference is to Mojo Nixon’s “Elvis Is Everywhere”? In it he says that Elvis is in Joan Rivers….”But he’s trying to get out!!”