Long but funny - Rickles on Carson. 1973

[underpants]

[Laffy Kat]

1. OMG, my sister and I would stay up to watch "The Tonight Show" and when Rickles came on...

We would laugh to the point of tears. NO ONE could get away with that today, nor should they, yet he was one of a kind.

[mucifer]

7. I think Larry David learned a bit from Rickles. He said as much in interviews.

[Dennis Donovan]

2. What a lineup! Buddy, Burt and Rickles

The Borscht-Belters and the Bandit!

[True Blue Drew]

3. Rickles was Fantastic

Some people objected to his frequent use of ethnic humor, but I never did, because he skewered everybody, including Jews, of which he was one. And most important of all, he was genuinely hilarious!

[underpants]

4. Welcome to DU

[True Blue Drew]

5. Hey!

[Laffy Kat]

8. There was something about his delivery that negated the insults.

I can't explain it and I don't think it's been done since.

On edit: Welcome!

[True Blue Drew]

9. Rickles' Approach, IMHO

Was along the lines of, "Hey, no matter what ethnic group we belong to, there are stereotypes about us, so let's play with that, let's laugh about it!" And laughing at biases is the best way to deprive them of their power.

[YOHABLO]

6. And they're all gone now.