Lenny Bruce, Vindicated at Last (4 Letters to NY Times)

NY Times Letters ^ | December 25, 2003 | Various

[Pharmboy]

Published:

To the Editor:

Re "No Joke! 37 Years After Death Lenny Bruce Receives Pardon" (front page, Dec. 24):

The welcome and overdue pardon of Lenny Bruce is a commentary on how the world has changed in 40 years. I represented him and Howard Solomon, the owner of Cafe au Go Go, in 1964 when they were arrested for obscenity and had them released from custody that night after a midnight hearing at the apartment of Appellate Justice Arthur Markewich.

I had the pleasure and good fortune to see Lenny Bruce's act; he was brilliant and funny. In comparison with the present everyday commonplace use of profane words, on television, radio, on the stage and in movies, his act was mild, temperate and very inoffensive.

BENTLEY KASSAL New York, Dec. 24, 2003 The writer is a retired associate justice of the Appellate Division of the New York State Supreme Court.

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To the Editor:

Re "No Joke! 37 Years After Death Lenny Bruce Receives Pardon" (front page, Dec. 24):

It goes against my political grain to praise Republicans, let alone vote for them. In this case, however, I might diverge from past practice. First Amendment advocates as well as Lenny Bruce fans owe Gov. George E. Pataki a vote of gratitude for the legal resurrection of that brilliant but ill-fated comedian who died for our sins.

JOSEPH DORINSON Brooklyn, Dec. 24, 2003

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To the Editor:

Re "No Joke! 37 Years After Death Lenny Bruce Receives Pardon" (front page, Dec. 24):

Imagine the obscenities Lenny Bruce would have directed at Gov. George E. Pataki's pompous statement that the comedian's posthumous pardon should remind us of "the precious freedoms we are fighting to preserve as we continue to wage the war on terror."

SAM LUDU Baldwin, N.Y., Dec. 24, 2003

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To the Editor:

Freedom of speech is a precious liberty that we enjoy as Americans, and work hard (even die) to protect. Our forefathers believed that free people have a right to speak out against corruption, dishonesty and injustice, or any issue of concern, wherever it exists.

The social commentary of Lenny Bruce (front page, Dec. 24) had value, but it's sad that he expressed it by using vulgarity and words that offend and shock many people. But today, we don't bat an eyelash at words that were shocking and offensive some 30 years ago. If nothing else, Lenny Bruce contributed greatly to the coarsening of America.

JEANNETTE OLLODART MARX Towson, Md., Dec. 24, 2003

[Pharmboy]

I especially enjoyed Sam Ludu's letter and I thought you folks might appreciate another quick peek into that mysterious, sick and vapid entity: The Liberal Mind.

[Tacis]

But, a white man still dare not use the N word! And, there are many other words like faggot, wetback and greaser that the neocommunists have changed into words that dare not be used. Thus, the only thing that has changed is that the ability to censor, to stifle free speech, has shifted from conservatives to flaming ultra-liberals.

[Age of Reason]

37 Years After Death Lenny Bruce Receives Pardon

Well, at least the slob is still dead.

[razorback-bert]

there are many other words like faggot, wetback and greaser that the neocommunists have changed into words that dare not be used

Think Lenny would be saying them?

[Jeff Chandler]

NPR was going nuts in praise of Bruce. Yeah, the First Amendment was written to protect obsenity, wasn't it?

[RLK]

Bruce was gutter trash making money by parading his mental disorder.

[Huck]

Lenny Bruce is one of those famous icons that you accept as genius whether you get it or not, like, say, Miles Davis.

[Huck]

Or else face scorn. (Janis Joplin is another.)

[IronJack]

If nothing else, Lenny Bruce contributed greatly to the coarsening of America.

Lenny Bruce has had his 15 minutes. It doesn't take many brains to stand up in front of an audience and swear for an hour. Any sailor worth his grog can do that.

Besides, it wears out pretty quickly. Ask Eddy Murphy.

[MarkL]

NPR was going nuts in praise of Bruce. Yeah, the First Amendment was written to protect obsenity, wasn't it?

Yes it was... However, it was NOT written to protect "political speech." At least according to 5 dimwits on the SCOTUS.

I recently saw a posting from someone here on FR who stated it best... Something along the lines of, "Soon, obscenity will be the only protected speech."

Mark

[G.Mason]

"Lenny Bruce is one of those famous icons that you accept as genius whether you get it or not, like, say, Miles Davis."

Thanks for the laugh.

"Famous icon" indeed.

He's probably on my desktop, but he's so small he isn't visible.

[VOA]

Lenny Bruce, Vindicated at Last

Ban religious speech and make Lenny Bruce into a saint during "Holiday Season".

ACLU Uber Alles! Ja!

[metesky]

He wasn't even all that funny forty years ago. I imagine his routines have not worn well.

[Pharmboy]

Excellent point, friend...

[Pharmboy]

He did manage to say a few funny things over the years, but he was far too self-obsessed for my taste.

One of the most clever things he railed about was commenting about his obscenity trial, words to the effect of:

"I spent years perfecting my shpiel and then at the trial of my life this schmuck DA is doing my act!"

[Servant of the 9]

Yeah, the First Amendment was written to protect obsenity, wasn't it?

Our founders were highly intelligent and superbly educated men.
They used language with precision.
If they had intended the First Amendment to not apply to any type of speech, they would have said so.

The 18th century was not a Puritan one.
The people were generally bawdy in deed and word.
Read Ben Franklin if you don't think so.

So9

[GeneD]

I think what the comedian -- George Pataki, not Lenny Bruce -- tried to say was:

"I-I-I know I'm a R-R-Republican, b-b-but...aren't I a -- human being? If you prick me, do I not bleed? Honest Pinch, I'd tr-tr-trade that R for a D in a New York m-m-minute, but I'm a-a-afraid D-D-Dubya wouldn't understand. Pl-pl-please Pinch, t-t-take this in the spirit in which it's offered: the spirit of t-t-total capitula...agreement."

Liberals make fun of born-again Christians for believing the literal word of the Bible, yet they have the exact same notion about The New York Times. That's one reason so many politicians "grow", and why our culture's mired in quicksand.

[rcocean]

A perfect display of the liberal mind at work. Don't say G_D in public and let's ban the "C" word (use "holiday" instead) - but isn't it great we can use four-letter swear words on TV.

As for Lenny Bruce - I must be too young too appreciate his "genius". Based on TV clips of his act he's as funny as Bill Maher. And to Quote Mort Sahl on Bill Maher "..there's not a lot of talent there"

[Hacksaw]

If they had intended the First Amendment to not apply to any type of speech, they would have said so.

Total libertarian revisionist BS. The same people passed the Alien and Sedition acts.