Thursday, July 13, 2006
There is a table on the mezzanine outside my office, set up by the Just Buffalo Literary Center, full of used books. It is an eclectic mix-- a lot of just dreadful stuff, a lot of stuff that looks like it's been in the attic for the last thirty years, and an occasional gem. I'm not sure what category the copies of "How to Talk Dirty and Influence People" and "The Essential Lenny Bruce" belong in-- attic stuff, I think, but I have mostly never found Bruce to be all that funny. Still, I thought I'd have a look inside, just to see if there was something that grabbed me, and I found this:
"The reason I don't get hung up usually with doing anything I've done on records is that-- well the reason I'm in this business, I assume all performers are-- it's 'Look at me, Ma, look at me Ma.' And if your mother watches, you'll show off till you're exhausted; but if your mother goes Ptshew!....
So I knew if I ever do everything you want record-wise:
'What do you want me to do?'
'Do Religions Incorporated, and do the Hitler bit, and do the Pope bit, and do this bit, and the prison bit--'
and I do all the bits you want me to, you walk out,
'How do you like him?'
'Ah, alright. But every time you see him it's the same shit, man.'
I never want that, Jim, so I got to be one step this way, this way, this way, all the time with you.
But I'm going to do one bit for you. It's a bit about a comedian, a comedian that thinks there's such a thing as a 'class room,' that rooms have identity. And he's got a manager, and the scene opens up in Sherman Oaks, California. The pool isn't in yet, but the patio's dry."
I still don't know what it means, but we are hot on the trail.
"The reason I don't get hung up usually with doing anything I've done on records is that-- well the reason I'm in this business, I assume all performers are-- it's 'Look at me, Ma, look at me Ma.' And if your mother watches, you'll show off till you're exhausted; but if your mother goes Ptshew!....
So I knew if I ever do everything you want record-wise:
'What do you want me to do?'
'Do Religions Incorporated, and do the Hitler bit, and do the Pope bit, and do this bit, and the prison bit--'
and I do all the bits you want me to, you walk out,
'How do you like him?'
'Ah, alright. But every time you see him it's the same shit, man.'
I never want that, Jim, so I got to be one step this way, this way, this way, all the time with you.
But I'm going to do one bit for you. It's a bit about a comedian, a comedian that thinks there's such a thing as a 'class room,' that rooms have identity. And he's got a manager, and the scene opens up in Sherman Oaks, California. The pool isn't in yet, but the patio's dry."
I still don't know what it means, but we are hot on the trail.
