Looking for Lenny Page #8

You know, that kind

of awkwardness,

for a lot of people.

I think it's few

and far between

where the races

have integrated

in a comfortable way.

Lenny Bruce should be taught

in universities.

All young people should listen

to a handful

of Lenny Bruce records,

and say,

you know, just be told,

"look, the reason that you

"get to write 'f***'

on your pee chee notebook,

it's guys like him

took it on the snout

for guys like you."

There has never been a comedian

that pushes the boundaries

of taste, of political

correctness, etc., etc.,

who would not genuflect

in Lenny Bruce's presence.

Nobody.

They did a thing on the 100 most

famous comedians,

and Lenny was right up there.

You have to pay him homage,

because he started it.

You know, he was first.

And he took the risks,

and didn't back down.

He'd get arrested

and do it again.

Many people wouldn't

have the balls to do that.

Like every comedian I think

that's my age,

or my generation

or younger,

they're influenced

by him.

Whether they know it,

or not.

All we have to worry about

when we're on stage,

is are we going

to get laughs.

Are we going to be funny?

It's all we have

to worry about.

Is this going

to be funny?

Are we going to get

laughs,

and can we go home feeling

like we're not terrible?

Right.

And, he, in his mind,

as he's telling

these jokes, going,

"am I going to be in jail

later tonight?"

Later tonight.

Right.

That's insane.

How am I going to shoot

heroin in jail?

Where do you get

heroin in jail?

If he paved a path

for anything,

it wasn't really

for comics.

He really paved a path

for people

being able to criticize

and say it.

Whereas they never

were able to before.

And it really wasn't about

his language

that he got arrested for.

It was about what

he was saying.

Lenny represented something

that is important.

Was important then,

and it's important now.

And I think your

documentary reflects that.

It's an indication

of the extent which

free speech requires

eternal vigilance.

We have George carlin, and

there's Richard pryor

and Eddie Murphy,

but before all those guys,

it was Lenny.

Lenny is a legend.

I wonder if he had

lived longer

what would have happened.

How cool would it have been

to have him live

as long as Milton berle and

sid Caesar and red buttons?

It would have been

the greatest blessing

comedy could have.

I'll say this last thing

about him.

Lenny Bruce was the kind

of comic

that at his best

when I watched him,

he makes me want to quit comedy

and be a welder,

because I know

I'll never be that good.

That's how good he was

at his best.

Are you trying to convert

when you work?

Oh, no.

Not at all.

I'm trying

to make a buck.

All right,

granted.

No.

Oh, how terrible

of you.

That's not my motivation

for being up there.

What is?

To have fun.

Yeah.

I really dig

being up there.

[Jazz music]

All alone

all alone

oh a joy to be

all alone

I'm happy alone

don't you see

I'll convince you

I don't know what

I get so dramatic about.

You're better

off alone, man, I gotta--

that's it, I want to get

a whole bunch of new suits.

You know, I've had the same

dumb suit for ten years.

You walk into her closet,

you can't even breathe.

That's it, I'll get

a whole bunch of suits,

I'll get a chick

that likes to hang out, man.

I'm having a vodka party.

That's smart. A vodka party,

bring it up, ball it up,

I'll get a chick.

I'll get a chick

who likes to drink.

Oh, my wife sure used

to look good,

standing up

against the sink.

She's the lowest, though.

I really put her down,

no, no, I really

miss her.

I don't want some

sharp chick

that can quote kerouac

and walk with poise.

I just want to hear

my old lady say,

"get up and fix

the sink.

It's still

making noise."

All alone

all alone

like a near-sighted dog

where's the bone

ah, but it's better

to be all alone

no more taking out

the garbage

hear her yakking

on the phone

I gave her everything

even my mother's ring

but to me

she was so petty

Sometimes I wish

that she were dead,

but it'd probably

take her two hours

two get ready.

[Audience laughs]

When she's old

then she's going to be sorry.

That's it.

Like she's young

and swinging now,

and she can get

a lot of guys,

but when she's old,

I can see her about

20 years from now.

How're you doing, Annie?

I haven't seen

you in a long time,

you look

pretty good, baby.

You're still

washing your hair

with Dutch cleanser,

I see.

[Audience laughs]

Yeah, you look good,

you gained a few pounds,

what happened

to your neck?

I heard you got married

a few times, huh?

Me, no, I've always

stayed single.

I've been investing

in property.

I picked up

a little place in Mexico,

maybe you've heard of it,

it's called acapulco,

I don't know.

[Audience laughs]

Where are you living,

a furnished room?

That's nice, you cook on

the radiator, the paper drapes.

Sit in the lobby

and watch television

and all.

That's cool, yeah.

Yeah, that's cool,

you have the diner's club,

you sign, you go first class

in those joints, I know it.

Yeah, that's it.

Her future spells

a murky gloom.

I'll be rich

and famous,

and she'll be living

in a furnished room,

but it's going to be

too late.

I won't hear

her moan.

I'll be living in my

Nob Hill mansion rich

and all alone.

All alone

all alone

I'll be rich

but so

all

alone

[Audience applauds]

Some people think that

Lenny's problems

with the law had to do

with dirty words.

Uh, it was the ideas

that got him into trouble.

Uh, in strip clubs,

you could hear the dirty words.

But you couldn't hear

the kind of insights,

the truly revealing insights

that were a part

of Lenny's act.

And when they did get him

into, into--

after the arrest

in Chicago

as a matter of fact,

in the months

that followed,

I was doing this editorial

series called

"the playboy philosophy,"

uh, I wrote about

the arrest,

and accused the administration

in Chicago

of being too interconnected

to the church.

And subsequently,

the cops came

and arrested me.

And charged me with

obscenity for a pictorial

we ran on Jane Mansfield,

which was no different

than any other pictorial

we've run

in the months before.

But it was because of our...

Defense of Lenny.

You have this brilliant guy

who got addicted to drugs.

And it's like

Jesus' words

still live every day,

they're important words,

because no one ever found Jesus

in a bathtub

with a needle hanging

out of his arm.

You know, all of a sudden,

the context of the guy changes.

And I think if you look

at Lenny's arrests and stuff,

it wasn't because

he was on stage saying things,

once the personality

becomes bigger

than the message,

then people will go after you.

And once he became

not Lenny Bruce,

brilliant comic,

but Lenny Bruce,

heroine addict,

that's when people

started attacking him,

because they saw a chink

in the armor

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