The Most Metal Comedy God: Don Rickles?!?
Friday, June 6, 2014 at 12:01AM Today's post provided by regular commentor HIM.
You read the name and think: okay, so Him is a 70 year old Jewish man, lives near a casino, and pines for the days of the Rat Pack. No, you say, there is nothing metal about Don Rickles. Give me Andrew Dice Clay, or Sam Kinison, or Jim Florentine. Gimme a break, you say. Give me a break, I reply
So, before any of you get your spandex in a twist, hear me out.
On Wednesday, May 28, Spike hosted One Night Only: An All-Star Comedy Tribute to Don Rickles. Unlike some of the execrable "roasts" our metal idols having been putting out as of late--filled with canned jokes, cringe-inducing members of the C-list sharing the dais for no known reason, and comedic timing so bad it couldn't hit a beat if Neil were driving--this was truly an all-star event featuring comedic legends. Even the non-comedy guests, like newscaster Brian Williams (a sly joker familiar to those who watch his appearances on late night shows or SNL) and Johnny Depp (surprisingly reverential and self-effacing), managed not to embarrass themselves in what were heartfelt tributes to Mr. "I'm a Nice Guy" Warmth.
That provides a segue of sorts (more on that later). What makes Rickles metal is what makes metal metal. Uncompromising, vaguely (or increasingly) well-rehearsed, but always capable of paradox: a spontaneous moment of scripted brilliance, of turning a well-oiled line into a moment that gets people going the first, twentieth, and hundredth time. Even at 88 years of age, with his frame failing him, Rickles can joke like Jack Russell can sing (which he has recently proved he can still do, though Rickles rarely had so many bad nights or days or weeks).
Rickles is also a widely misunderstood phenomenon. You know the shtick: racist, sexist, offensive, obvious sexual references, and locked in a nostalgic time warp. Hmm. Ring any bells? But beneath that surface layer, there is a lot more going on: the joke is on everyone and everyone is welcome. Moreover, the stage show is a thin mask that covers all the extra work Rickles has done supporting younger and diverse acts and different causes. Hear n’ Aid? The metal community and their response to Halford? Simply put, Rickles is as racist as Venom are Satanic. It is a show. It is about release. It is edgy, yet safe. Dangerous, yet exciting. You feel like a member of a group. Then you look around and notice there are a lot of people in that group.
Rickles also, like the best metal, didn’t shift when tastes did. There is no Rickles Erase the Slate, or Slang, or Supergroup with Henny Youngman, Bob Saget, and Evan Seinfeld (who always was a joke). Like Motorhead or Saxon, he kept at it until a new audience found him or his old audience remembered why they loved him in the first place (or never forgot and waited for others to join the fun). Granted, Rickles, like metal, is an acquired taste. He doesn’t just fade into the background like some of the Muzac you hear in the elevators in the venues he plays. He never sold a Kia or a mini-van, never released a signature line of hot wing sauce, and never starred on a dumb show . . . oh wait, C.P.O. Sharkey. Scratch that last one.
What he did was . . . mocked Sinatra and hung out with the greatest stars of his time. And still, new stars pay him respect. Watch Tracey Morgan—especially the last part of his speech—and tell me if you can’t hear real emotion in his tribute. Listen to Eddie Murphy and tell me that isn’t a person who is being honest. From Bill Cosby to Tina Fey, from Jimmy Kimmel to Robert De Niro . . . they all savage the man as too old, too stupid, too unfunny, too Jewish. It is all about respect strangely. It is something to behold.
Those other comics? Dice was better than people gave him credit for, but his timing and material faded. Kinison was of his time (sadly). Florentine is too young and too forced. They are all funny. At least to me. But Rickles is metal: rapier-like execution, timeless, and fluid.
If Christopher Lee can sing metal, can’t Rickles be metal? I think so. And the world will be a far darker place when there is No More Mr. Nice Guy.
Reader Comments (12)
Howard told a story recently that he (also recently) had dinner with rickles. Rickles reportedly started to rapid-fire bust on howard; the jewness, the nose, the stern world... howard stopped him in his tracks and told don, "l love what you do, just don't do it to me."
They replayed the show that Friday and I assume that they will post it at some point (if it isn't already up on YouTube or other places). But it is a great show, a great example of what a roast can be, in honor of a great comedian.
Darktown: Carlin in his prime was unstoppable, same goes for Pryor (who acted as some sort of foul-mouthed foil for the genius of Cosby).
Jonathan Winters, Robin Williams, Andy Kaufman, Flip Wilson, Richard Pryor -- they are the legends who are almost as funny as Metallica, Iron Maiden, Megadeth, Pantera and Anthrax combined.
Notice I left Overkill out of it. Who of any of these "bands" could top their version of The Dead Boys, "Sonic Reducer"?
Yeah, I doubt Rickles would listen to metal. But who cares? Metal is a state of mind. Some metal band should, however, come out to his theme song, "La Virgen de la Macarena."
JMHO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!