Happy Hanukkah, Everyone!
In all honesty I didn’t know it had even started until midday yesterday. I guess it actually hadn’t yet but it was close. The liability of being a Jew alone, dating a non-Jew, with family that had other things on their mind. I had to be reminded by someone texting me their lit candles in NYC.
It’s okay. Another day. An Amazon package came with some buttons I ordered to fix my overcoat. I’ll look at them as the first day’s gift.
I’m not hopeful in any way but it does seem exciting that the three narcissists who tend to drive the vapid news cycle seem to be flaming out at the same time. Trump, Ye and Musk are all spiraling and it’s a beautiful thing. The singularity has clearly happened and the way the machines are controlling us is by making us all think that we need to give a shit about these globally consuming egoists. What a bunch of bores who aren’t even courageous enough to take their mental illness seriously. To see comedians and anyone who talks publicly feel like they need to address these windbags is so pathetic.
There are probably more interesting people down the street from you. There’s probably a guy around the corner on the phone to a vets office concerned about his dog’s dick and that’s an infinitely more interesting story than anything being churned out by the triad of doofuses. There’s probably a lady knitting a hat somewhere that would be a better news story.
Two of them are hopped up on speed and delusional and the other is an unmedicated bipolar person and also delusional. Though I must say that Trump hocking NFT trading cards of him as a superhero is exactly who that guy is. How do you feel about ‘your’ president now, dummies?
On a serious, emotional note I would like to say a few words about someone who passed. Silver Saunders Friedman was the owner of the original Improvisation club in NYC on 44th street. The first Improv. She got the club in the divorce settlement from her husband Budd, who most people know. When I got to NYC and was just starting out as a comic in the late eighties Silver was one of the first people to believe in me and give me work. The club was pretty beat up at that point and a lot of the acts there were old timers and hangers on but it was THE club. It was a historic place and she was the final word. She was a bit volatile and intense but had good creative input and the clubs was always welcoming to us younger comics. Her daughter, Zoe, is also in the business and worked as a booker for the Letterman show for a spell. She gave me my first Letterman spot. The two Friedman women changed my life. I went to the memorial for a bit to pay my respects but I just wanted to write something because she was very important to my development as a comic.
RIP, Silver.
Today I talk to Rian Johnson about his films Brick, Looper, Knives Out and Glass Onion among others and other things. On Thursday I talk to Scott Cooper about his films Crazy Heart, Into the Furnace, Hostiles, Black Mass and The Pale Blue Eye among other things. Directors are great to talk to.
Enjoy!
Boomer, Monkey and LaFonda live!
Love,
Maron
Triad of Doofuses.
