Gene Wilder, RIP

Very sad to hear that comic genius Gene Wilder passed away. I have no idea how many times I have seen "The Producers," "Blazing Saddles," and "Young Frankenstein," all of which he made with another comic genius, Mel Brooks. Truly the Golden Age of Comedy.

What made Wilder and Brooks into classic comedians was their willingness to go where no comic had ever gone before, but without being disgusting or degrading; I think they were much funnier than Lenny Bruce or any of the foul-mouthed "comics" who now hold forth.  They also did not hesitate to skewer sacred cows. Brooks has recently said that he could not make his signature comedies in today's politically correct Hollywood. They made fun of racism and racist stereotypes, of pompous politicians, and even turned Hitler's Germany into a joke. Who can think of Hitler without the song "Springtime for Hitler" bouncing around in his head? Watching Pryor teach Wilder how to act "black" is a masterpiece of comedy which could not be done today. Any attempt to replicate the whole send-up of racial prejudice we see in "Blazing Saddles" would have the precious snowflakes on our campuses and media board-rooms running for cover and tweeting outrage. I remember watching "Blazing Saddles" in a rural theater in Israel. The crowd went wild with laughter when gunslinger Wilder shows his shaking hand--I won't even try to describe the howls when Mel Brooks as a Native American chief speaks to a black settler family in Yiddish . . . I thought the building was under attack.

Every time I watch as the Wilder character in "Producers" realizes how crazy their idea is to rip off Broadway, and he goes totally insane, I can't stop laughing. He gives voice to the guy trapped in something he doesn't quite understand but can't quite escape.

Thanks, Mr. Wilder. You made my life a little better.