REBELLIOUS STANDUP COMEDIANS.

REBELLIOUS STANDUP COMEDIANS. This article reflects a dividing line in literature. art and theater as well as in standup comedy. Many feel that art should be subversive of the status quo, and that entertainment or the pursuit of beauty is too trivial for good art. A belief that entertainment is not an important goal may seem paradoxical in comedy, but note the values that are reflected in Ron Rosenbaum’s article (which takes the form of an attack on Jerry Seinfeld). Rick Shapiro, the comic who is the hero of the article, is described as “corruscatingly obscene, vicious, bitter, self-loathing, world-hating”, “far too obscene and extreme,” who has “broken through to a new dimension of filthiness.” His “obscene authenticity” comes out of “his uniquely obscene background.” You get the idea. Is he funny? Rosenbaum indicates a couple times that he is; he uses the word “hilarious” once and says Shapiro had him “reeling with shock, awe, and convulsive laughter”, but you can tell that being funny is not the highest priority. Of course, there is an irony here. If you have spent time in comedy clubs, you will know that are a lot of obscene comedians so that Jerry Seinfeld is, in his own way, a rebel on the standup circuit.