Jewish humor is also a response to persecution and sadness. There s a holiness in humor. It increases health and raises the spirits. It s a healthy thing that Jews use. And Jews are really in love with language.
Good comedy is a linguistic exercise that requires precision.
Other material, he says, comes straight out of real life, without embellishment. A while ago my daughter, Jessica, left a message on our answering machine saying that she had decided to change her name to Iris. I phoned her back and said, Hi, Iris, this is your parents, Bucky and Louella. Alper has been physically described as a cross between Steve Martin and Alan Alda. He seems grateful for the comparison.