Search Details

Word: sahl (lookup in dictionary) (lookup stats)
Dates: during 1990-1999
Sort By: most recent first (reverse)


Usage:

Parents like Mort Sahl. My mom really likes Mort Sahl. At first glance, the number of balding heads and hearing aids in Mort Sahl's audience is daunting. One wonders what kind of night one is in for. But he comes with good recommendations--Morn's got taste, she married Dad, after all. Sahl was host of the Academy Awards, the world's most watched television program. He was our parents' Billy Crystal, Whoopi Goldberg and Robin Williams. It'll be great to get a cross-generational perspective on humor, right...

Author: By Sarah M. Rose, | Title: Mort Sahl Speaks | 10/13/1994 | See Source »

...Mort Sahl walks on stage, you are overcome with a mixture of dread and fascination. You realize you know who he is--he's loud Uncle Mort whom you only see on Thanksgiving and the Fourth of July. He knows everything, he knows he's funny and successful, and he tells you all about it. Until he's had a few drinks in him, he will insist on displaying his wit, connections, and catalogue of anecdotes, while you wonder how long the holiday will take. Ultimately, you begin sneaking illicit shots to make him tolerable. Too bad they...

Author: By Sarah M. Rose, | Title: Mort Sahl Speaks | 10/13/1994 | See Source »

...first five minutes shows that exactly one joke was funny. To look at all the gray-haired ladies splitting their sides with laughter, however, makes one wonder if maybe his humor is an adult thing, like knowing how to fill out a tax form. Mort Sahl's audience loves...

Author: By Sarah M. Rose, | Title: Mort Sahl Speaks | 10/13/1994 | See Source »

Admittedly, it's nice to see a polysyllabic comic whose topic is politics rather than the mundane, but his brand of political humor borders on frightening. Sahl's staying power can be attributed to the fact that he remains neutral on political issues. Perhaps it's to a comic's advantage to have, as he declares, "No Values." Hearing him attack both conservatives and liberals with equal glee, however, sets one on edge. The lack of moral center ultimately distracts. How can he be funny if I can't figure out which angle this joke came from? The same Jewish...

Author: By Sarah M. Rose, | Title: Mort Sahl Speaks | 10/13/1994 | See Source »

...Sahl is a self-declared expert on three things: Politics, Women, and Movies. His politics are disturbing. At the very best, he said nothing memorably offensive--or for that matter, memorable--about women. Boy oh boy, does he like to talk about movies. He gets such a kick out of telling you how many he's been a part of and how many famous folks he rubs elbows with. He's contributed to the scripts of such winners as "Regarding Henry," "My Year of Living Dangerously," and that cultural gem, "The Firm." (The exciting mail fraud...

Author: By Sarah M. Rose, | Title: Mort Sahl Speaks | 10/13/1994 | See Source »

Previous | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Next