Rodney

I just heard Rodney Dangerfield died. He was 82 and in a coma, so it wasn't a complete shock. Still, it's the end of an era. I'm not sure if Rodney was the last of the old-fashioned comics, or the first of the new. No question he was one of the funniest.

He operated in the "old style" of no-nonsense jokes. Not long stories, not political ruminations, not the world as I see it, but rat-a-tat gags. Once Henny Youngman left us, Rodney was the undisputed king of the one-liners. He's the kind of comedian whose jokes are irresistibly quotable. (But I'm going to resist. To read some, go here.)

But he was more than old school. Rodney had attitude. Whereas Youngman, or Myron Cohen or Milton Berle were telling jokes, he himself was the central joke. His "I don't get no respect" character was one of the greatest hooks ever in stand-up. It was the persona that launched a thousand laughs.

He had an odd career. A professional comedian as a teenager, he quit, discouraged, before he was 30. After a decade as a civilian, he relaunched his career at 40, a gutsy move. In a few years, he worked his way to the top of his field. His Tonight Show appearances were classics--he'd tell a barrage of jokes, sit down for the panel, and launch into a second routine.

He also opened his New York Club, Dangerfield's, and discovered many new comics (Roseanne, Sam Kinison, Bob Saget and others) on his HBO specials. Remembering how tough he'd had it, he was one of comedy's top mentors.

Then, at an age when many retire, he became a movie star. (He became hip when others were breaking theirs.) He was memorable in Caddyshack (1980) and became a full-fledged idol in the blockbuster Back To School (1986). Unfortunately, he waited too long and chose poor scripts, and never reached these Hollywood heights again.

Nevertheless, he remained until the end of his days a major headliner. I saw him in Vegas when he was in his mid-70s, and he gave his all. The audience wasn't there to catch a glimpse of a legend, they were there to be entertained, and Rodney always delivered.