Jackie Mason
Jackie Mason (born Yacov Moshe Maza; Yiddish: יעקב משה מזא; June 9, 1928 – July 24, 2021) was an American stand-up comedian and actor.
| Jackie Mason | |
|---|---|
Mason in 2006 | |
| Birth name | Yaakov Moshe Maza |
| Born | June 9, 1928 Sheboygan, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Died | July 24, 2021 (aged 93) New York City, U.S. |
| Medium | Stand-up Television Film Radio |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | City College of New York (B.A.), Mesivtha Tifereth Jerusalem Lower East Side, NYC |
| Years active | 1955–2021 |
| Genres | Political satire Observational comedy Improvisational comedy |
| Subject(s) | American politics International relations Current events Race relations Antisemitism Jewish culture American culture |
| Spouse |
Jyll Rosenfeld (m. 1991) |
| Children | 1 |
| Notable works and roles | The World According to Me! and Jackie Mason on Broadway |
| Website | Jackie Mason website |
His 1986 one-man show The World According to Me! won a Special Tony Award, an Outer Critics Circle Award, an Ace Award, an Emmy Award, and earned a Grammy nomination. Later, his 1988 special Jackie Mason on Broadway won another Emmy Award (for outstanding writing) and another Ace Award, and his 1991 voice-over of Rabbi Hyman Krustofski in The Simpsons episode "Like Father, Like Clown" won Mason a third Emmy Award. He wrote and performed six one-man shows on Broadway.
Known for his delivery and voice, as well as his use of innuendo and pun, Mason's often culturally grounded humor was described as irreverent. A critic for Time magazine wrote that, throughout his career, Mason spoke to audiences: "... with the Yiddish locutions of an immigrant who just completed a course in English. By mail."