What's My Schtick? Trivia Quiz

Answer: Joan Rivers

Comedian, actress, author, producer and TV host, Joan Rivers (1933-2014), born Joan Alexandra Molinsky, could do it all! Born in Brooklyn, New York, Joan was a pioneer; she was the first woman to host a late night talk show, i.e., "The Late Show with Joan Rivers". Never one for political correctness, Joan would "tell it like it is", often offending some with her acerbic wit.

She wrote twelve best-selling books, in addition to producing comedy albums like "What Becomes a Semi-Legend Most". She was, truly, one of a kind.

Answer: Steven Wright

Many of you may never have heard of Steven Wright, the deadpan comic whose jokes were, at times, philosophical, surreal and ironic, but always brilliant and thought-provoking. Wright was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1955. In 1988, he won an Academy Award for Best Action Live Short Film for "The Appointments of Dennis Jennings". On December 15, 2008, he was the very first inductee of the Boston Comedy Hall of Fame. If you love wordplay and existential concepts, I urge you to catch up on some of his quotes. You won't be disappointed.

Answer: Woody Allen

I'm sure most of you are familiar with Woody Allen as a film writer, producer, director, actor, author and musician. But did you know that Woody, born Allan Stuart Konisberg, was originally a stand-up comedian in the 1960s? He was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1935.

His "schtick" was his monologues about an insecure, neurotic, nebbish (hmmm...stick with what you know?). He won an Academy Award for Best Director for "Annie Hall" (1977), and multiple Oscars for Best Original Screenplay. He is that paradox of a genius and an 'everyman' all in one.

Answer: Lenny Bruce

Back when political comedy was in its infancy, there was Lenny Bruce (1925-1966), helping to turn it into a teenager. Leonard Alfred Schneider was born in Mineola, Long Island. He was a stand-up comedian who used satire and social criticism to make people laugh and to make changes in society. Bruce was not afraid to incorporate sex and religion into his act.

He was first arrested for 'obscenity' in 1961 for saying "to is a preposition, come is a verb". In 1964 he was convicted of obscenity and sentenced to four months. Times certainly have changed.

Answer: Kathy Griffin

In 2017, Kathy Griffin came under intense criticism for a picture of her holding a severed, bloody head. While she was not advocating violence and just trying mock someone's previous statements, she was censured and fired by CNN. She may have exercised poor judgment, but her 'schtick' was always to try to offend. Kathy was born in Oak Park, Illinois in 1960.

In 1978, she joined an improvisational group called "The Groundlings". Her show "Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List" won two Emmy Awards for Outstanding Reality Program. I hope she is not done.

Answer: George Carlin

George Carlin (1937-2008) is one of my favorite comedians of all time. Carlin was a brilliant wordsmith, in addition to being an acerbic social critic and astute political cynic. He was born in New York City and was one of the first to deal with the subject of taboos, e.g., his routine, "Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television", for which he was arrested for performing in Wisconsin in 1972.

His 1997 book, "Brain Droppings", became a best-seller. In 2001, he was given a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 15th annual American Comedy Awards.

Answer: Wanda Sykes

Wanda Sykes was born in Portsmouth, Virginia in 1964. She is an actress, a writer and a stand-up comedienne. She also happens to be Black and gay, and "tells it like it is". Her comedy is both topical and based on her particular life circumstances. Wanda won a Primetime Emmy Award in 1999 as a writer on "The Chris Rock Show".

She has also appeared on "The New Adventures of Old Christine" and "Curb Your Enthusiam". She is an activist and a supporter of PETA. In 2001, she won the American Comedy Award for Outstanding Female Stand-up Comic.

Answer: Robin Williams

Did you know that before Robin Williams (1951-2014) became a major TV and movie star, he was a stand-up comic in California in the mid 1970s? His frenetic style of humor, his improvisational style, and his remarkable ability to mimic foreign accents foreshadowed his future successes. First seen as Mork on "Happy Days", he went on to star on "Mork and Mindy".

His success led to films where, in 1997, he won a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award for "Good Will Hunting". It is so sad that the man who made so many laugh ended his own life in despair.

Answer: Flip Wilson

The first Black comedian to successfully host a TV variety show was Clerow Wilson Jr. (1933-1998). You might know him better by his nickname, i.e., Flip Wilson. Flip was born in Jersey City, New Jersey, and was one of ten children. He wound up in foster homes, reform school and, finally, the U.S. Air Force which is where he got his nickname because he was always "flipped out".

His eponymous show, from 1970 to 1974, won two Emmy Awards. On the show, one of his famous characters was Geraldine, a sassy woman whose catchphrase was "The devil made me do it".

Answer: Bill Cosby

While history may cast a cloud on entertainer Bill Cosby, his contributions to television and comedy will be remembered. He was born in Philadelphia, PA in 1937. He was the first Black man to co-star on a TV drama, i.e., "I Spy", from 1965 to 1968. He was a regular on the children's show "The Electric Company", and gave us "Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids", from 1972 to 1985.

Then, of course, he was on "The Cosby Show" (1984-1992) which presented one of the first images of an upscale Black family. What will history say, I wonder, about this paradoxical man?