Rodney Dangerfield: The Joke as a Perfect Object

Jerry Seinfeld was asked which joke he'd send to aliens to represent all of comedy. He picked Rodney Dangerfield. Johnny Mac looks at why — the no-respect premise as a structural achievement, the rapid-fire construction that makes the jokes work even when you already know them, the 31-year comedy club on the Upper East Side that launched Seinfeld, Roseanne Barr, Sam Kinison and Robert Schimmel, the Caddyshack role that was written for Don Rickles, and the honest question of whether the film fame softened the thing that made the early club material great. Rodney Dangerfield built jokes the way a watchmaker builds watches. It's worth understanding how.

"Why was Rodney Dangerfield so funny?" – "What did Jerry Seinfeld say about Rodney Dangerfield?" – "What is Rodney Dangerfield's best joke?" – "What was Dangerfield's comedy club in New York?" – "Who did Rodney Dangerfield help early in their career?" – "What was Rodney Dangerfield's real name?" – "Did Don Rickles almost play Al Czervik in Caddyshack?" – "Why isn't Rodney Dangerfield talked about more?" – "What made Rodney Dangerfield's comedy style unique?" – "Who performed at Dangerfield's comedy club?"

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Daily Comedy News is hosted by Johnny Mac and releases every weekday. Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favorite app. Part of the Caloroga Shark Media network. For transcripts and show notes visit www.dailycomedynews.com

Daily Comedy News with Johnny Mac is a daily podcast covering comedians, stand-up comedy, late night television, and the comedy industry. New episodes every morning. Follow on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen.  

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