Comedy History 101

Yakov Smirnoff is a comedian from Russia. He's known for his catchphrase: "What a country."

Yakov's comic persona was of a naive immigrant who was perpetually confused and delighted by life in the United States.

And then came the fall of the former Soviet Union. What happened to Yakov's career? We have a surprise twist that will make you say....what a country!

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From the archives: Gallows humor is witticism in the face of – and in response to – a hopeless, tragic, or deathly situation. Gallows humor is typically made by or about the victim of such a situation. In this episode of CH!01 - we actually chart gallows humor - made by people in history right before they’re about to be executed.

Yes, gallows humor on the gallows.

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Spuds MacKenzie was the original party animal - that women adored. The fictional dog made his debut in a Bud Light beer commercial during the Super Bowl in 1987. 

Spuds appeared in a series of commercials and became a marketing sensation. The premise of every ad: once Spuds arrived, the party could really begin. And there was the Spudettes, of course. Long after the ads dried up, Spuds MacKenzie lives on in our pop culture through references on The Simpsons and The Family Guy.

Let's hear it for the “Ayatollah of Partyollah!”

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When Charlie Chaplin hit the silver screen - the country suffered from a case of ‘Chaplinitis’. Audiences couldn’t enough of his films - so in 1917 a fake Charlie Chaplin, named Billy West, popped onto the scene. West stole Chaplin’s character and starred in 24 films - as a “tramp” character.

Yes, being a hack was even a thing back in old-timey days.

We also explore other comedians who tried to rip-off Charlie Chaplin - such as in 1920: Charlie Aplin.

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"Where's the beef?" became the legendary commercial catchphrase for Wendy's.

Back in 1984, the ad starred cantankerous old lady, Clara Peller, who uttered: "Where's the beef?" The commercial skyrocketed 81-year old Keller to fame - and the catchphrase is now in our pop culture lexicon. But things didn't go smooth with Keller and Wendy's - she was eventually fired from the ad campaign appearing in a Prego's commercial that broke her contract.

Still: Where's the beef?

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Yo Mama jokes are a comedic staple. But did you know Yo Mama jokes date all the way back to ancient Babylon? Making fun of one’s mother was also mentioned in the Bible - and Shakespeare even utilized this comedy device.

We also dive into the history of The Dozens - an interactive insult game - where participants try to one up each other - and saw the rise of Yo Mama jokes.

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From the archives: We dive into the history behind the legendary sketch comedy show: SCTV.

Learn how SCTV was an offshoot of the original Toronto company of Second City - and find out more about the original SCTV cast that consisted of John Candy, Joe Flaherty, Eugene Levy, Andrea Martin, Catherine O'Hara, Harold Ramis, and Dave Thomas.

Hear what about our favorite episodes - and learn the meaning behind, "Crane shot!"

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Mother-in-law jokes were big back in the era of Mad Men and the ‘50s. The joke genre was once a mainstay for stand up comedians. The premise includes the stereotype that mothers-in-law are generally overbearing, obnoxious, and unattractive.

What’s the historical origins of mother-In-law jokes - and what change in society led to their demise?

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Remember in Goodfellas when mobster Henry Hill took his date, Karen, to The Copacabana? That was pretty true to form. The mob actually owned the legendary club. We saw this recently in the movie The Irishman - when Don Rickles was on stage performing for Crazy Joe Gallo.

We dive into the mob’s connection with The Copacabana - where you’ll learn such interesting tidbits as what happened to comedian Allan Drake’s wife when she had an affair with a mobster. Spoiler Alert: It doesn’t end well…

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