Comedy History 101

By Harmon LeonComedy TV & Film Society & Culture History

Comedy History 101 episodes

July 01, 2019 History of Comedians Getting the Hook
A classic comedy trope is the comedian getting the hook - and being pulled off stage. But how did this come about in your comedic lexicon? It’s usually depicted as a shepherd’s crook. that pulls off a horrible act.
We dive into the history of comedians getting the hook - from the early days at the Bowery Theater to the legendary Howard "Sandman" Sims at The Apollo in Harlem.
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33 min
June 24, 2019 (Pt 2) History of Lenny Bruce, Censorship, and Free Speech
We continue with the literal trials of Lenny Bruce - and the nature of free speech in comedy clubs.
Does free speech mean that we occasionally have to listen to what we don’t want to hear?
We dive into the gamut of free speech from the controversy of Milo Yiannopoulos appearing at a NYC comedy club - to comedian Ahmed Ahmed having a comedy club patron call 911 on him for making ‘Middle Eastern’ jokes.
Are there limits to Lenny Bruce’s plight?
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34 min
June 17, 2019 History of Lenny Bruce, Censorship, and Free Speech
Lenny Bruce was a comedian who wasn’t afraid to speak his mind. And because of that, he became a martyr for free speech. Between 1961 to 1964, he was arrested on obscenity charges 8 times - for performing stand up comedy. You might have seen a fictional portrayal of Bruce on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.
In this CH101 episode we dive into the history of Lenny Bruce, censorship, and free speech in stand up comedy.
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32 min
June 03, 2019 History of Beatles Producer George Martin's Ties To Comedy
The late George Martin will always be best remembered for his legendary work as the producer of The Beatles. Did you know that the man who made the Fab Four sound amazing got his start as a producer of comedy albums?
Yes, the man behind creating the soundscape for A Day in the Life - also produced comedy albums for Peter Sellers, The Goon Show, and Beyond the Fringe (featuring Dudley Moore). Producing comedy is where Martin learned his chops to produce such Beatles classics as Strawberry Fields Forever.
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43 min
May 28, 2019 History of Right-Wing Comedians Punching Down
Roseanne was supposed to be the big comedy breakout star of Trump’s America… and look how that turned out. So, why are there so few right-wing Republican comedians who can extend the comedic olive branch across both sides of the political aisle? And how come every time there’s a Republican version of The Daily Show - it fails?
We dive into the fine art of right-wing comedy and its proclivity to punch down rather than punch up….
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50 min
May 21, 2019 History of Tim Conway
Tim Conway was one of the greatest second bananas in comedy history. Sadly, he passed away on May 14th at the age of 85. Conway’s comedy career started on a local TV station in Ohio, and he made his mark in sketches alongside Harvey Korman on the Carol Burnett Show. He also starred in the much overlooked TV movie: Roll Freddy, Roll.
We love the comedy work of Tim Conway - and today’s CH101 episode is a tribute!
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1 hr 1 min
May 14, 2019 History of Alex Jones on Austin Public Access TV
Alex Jones began his career in Austin, Texas, back in the ’90s, as a local cable access cult figure - and He built a rabid national audience by spewing out conspiracy theories.
To set the stage, ACTV (Austin Community Access TV) in the ’90s was pure Austin at it’s weirdest. Find out how Jones jumped on the scene as an amped up 22-year old - and originally wanted to be a standup comedian. Learn what happened when he got in a fight in the parking lot of ACTV - and claimed he was attacked by a man with “strange goat eyes.”
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46 min
May 06, 2019 History of Slipping on a Banana Peel
Since the beginning of the 20th century, slipping on a banana peel has been a fixture in physical comedy. A comedy trope, if you will. We’ve seen such legendary silent comedians as Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd, and Laurel and Hardy - all do a variation of the slipping on a banana peel gag.
But how did the “slipping on a banana peel” gag come into our lexicon? And why don’t we see people slipping on banana peels in 2019? Find out all this and more as we do a CH101 deep dive into the history of slipping on banana peels!
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51 min
April 15, 2019 History of Knock-Knock Jokes
Knock knock? Who’s there? It’s time for the history of knock-knock jokes…
Knock-knock jokes are the classic question and answer kid joke. But did you know that its origin goes all the way back to Shakespeare’s Macbeth? Well it does.
In the episode we dive into the joke’s origin - and how Rowen and Martin’s Laugh In - helped it’s comeback into pop culture.
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36 min
March 25, 2019 History of Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road
You know the classic childhood joke: Why did the chicken cross the road? Seems harmless, right? Well, this seemingly carefree joke has ugly disturbing origins - rooted in American racism. Eeewww!
We dive into the origins of this anti-joke - and show how things aren’t what they seem to be…
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36 min

About Comedy History 101

From the publisher's feed

Comedian and journalist Harmon Leon dives deep into the wild, weird, and hilarious history of comedy. Each episode explores the backstories of legendary comedians, iconic sketches, cult classics, stand-up milestones, and forgotten gems from the comedy world. From SNL to viral videos, we unpack the moments that shaped what makes us laugh. Whether you're a hardcore comedy nerd or just comedy-curious, this is your crash course in the funny business. Subscribe now and discover how comedy got to where it is today—one punchline at a time.