GRACIE FOR PRESIDENT

Before Hillary, before Kamala, the zany Gracie Allen threw her hat in the ring.

WITSThe AtticAugust 23, 2024Gracie Allen, Burns and Allen, George Burns, old radio shows, old radio, vaudeville, comedy, American comedy Comment

SPEAKING TRUTH TO TEXAS

Bold, brash and just so funny, Molly Ivins taught us to laugh at the powers that be.

WITSThe AtticAugust 15, 2024Molly Ivins, American politicws, American satire, Newspaper columnists, Molly Ivins' Comments

1969 -- DON'T BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU HEAR. . .

With “truth” up for grabs, one year responded with hoaxes, clever and convincing.

BATTLING THE B.S., WITSThe AtticJuly 19, 2024Naked Came the Stranger, The Masked Marauders, 1969, The Sixties, Hoaxes Comments

THE HYSTERICAL HISTORIAN

Historians are a dour lot, but Sarah Vowell looks at America with dark amusement. And that voice!

WITSThe AtticJuly 12, 2024Sarah Vowell, American history, Assassination vacation, NPR, This American Life, Ira Glass, American humor Comments

THE SIGNS, THE RAVE -- BURMA SHAVE!

Through Depression and war, America got a lift from a little shaving company and its roadside verse.

WITSThe AtticMay 17, 2024Burma-Shave, Advertising, Americana Comments

WHEN TV TALKED SENSE

When TV was coming of age, Dick Cavett asked it to think.

WITSThe AtticMay 2, 2024Dick Cavett, The Dick Cavett Show, Late night TV, 1970s Comments

THE WONDERFUL WORDSMITH OF OZ

From Oz to the moon, Yip Harburg’s lyrics captured America’s hopes and dreams.

WITS, ATTIC AT THE MOVIES, ATTICATTHEMOVIESThe AtticOctober 12, 2023Yip Harburg, E.L. Yip Harburg, Wizard of Oz, Somewhere Over the Rainbow, Finian's Rainbow Comments

THE KINDLY CAREER OF WAVY GRAVY

From Woodstock to world humanitarianism, the former Hugh Romney has spread joy and healing.

WITSBruce WatsonJune 7, 2023Wavy Gravy, Woodstock Festival, 1960s, Sixties Counter-culture, Humanitarianism, Seka Foundation Comments

ART BY POPULAR DEMAND

Modern art was elitist, so Komar and Melamid asked people what they wanted. Then they painted it — by the numbers.

WITS, ART-ISHThe AtticMay 19, 2023Komar and Melamid, Vitaly Komar, Alexander Melamid, Pop Art, Soviet art, America's Most Wanted paintingComment

SCHOOL FOR WISE WITS

Once just a pack of Ivy League smartasses, the Harvard Lampoon is now the stepping stone to comedy careers.

WITSThe AtticMay 4, 2023Harvard Lampoon, National Lampoon, Doug Kenney, Henry Beard, American humor, Sit-coms, The Simpsons, Harvard University Comments

CRUISIN' WITH DAVID FOSTER WALLACE

On the verge of Infinite Jest, DFW took a cruise. His witty, acerbic, heartfelt account bore all the brilliance of his novels.

WITS, BOOK-ISHThe AtticMarch 10, 2023David Foster Wallace, DFW, Infinite Jest, Post-modern literature, Post-modern lit, A Supposedly Fun Thing, Harper's Comments

THE WISDOM OF MR. NATURAL

Laid back and lampooning the Sixties and himself, R. Crumb’s creation keeps on truckin’.

WITSThe AtticFebruary 9, 2023R. Crumb, Mr. Natural, underground comics, underground comix, Zap Comix, Sixties, Sixties Counter-culture, Haight-Ashbury Comments

BOB AND RAY AND WALLY AND KOMODO DRAGONS

From radio’s heyday to SNL and beyond, audiences loved the gentle mockery of Bob and Ray.

WITSThe AtticSeptember 15, 2022BOB AND RAY, Bob Elliott, Ray Goulding, American humor, American satire, American radio Comments

ROGER MILLER -- COUNTRY'S WACKY WORDSMITH

Nashville had plenty of Hanks and Patsys, but there was only one Roger Miller.

WITSThe AtticSeptember 8, 2022Roger Miller, Dang Me, King of the Road, Nashville, Country Music, Big River Comment

STEVERINO -- TELEVISION'S WISEST WIT

TV was “the boob tube” but Steve Allen brought intelligence, style, and a wacky wit that inspired generations.

WITSThe AtticJune 23, 2022Steve Allen, "The Tonight Show", humor, American humor, Jack Kerouac, Kerouac and Steve Allen Comments

CLASSICAL'S CLEVER CUT-UP -- P.D.Q. BACH

Tongue in cheek and baton in hand, Peter Schickle poked fun at classical music and the justly forgotten P.D.Q. Bach.

WITSThe AtticMarch 3, 2022PDQ Bach, Peter Schickele, Classical Music, P.D.Q. Bach Comment