Jack is one of Variety's 20th Century Icons

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Jack is one of Variety's 20th Century Icons

Postby Brad » Fri Oct 21, 2005 11:45 pm

Variety includes Jack as one of the 20th Century's top 100 entertainment icons.


http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout ... 1117930685

I would think that he is probably in the top 10 most influential entertainment figures, but that's just me.
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Postby Jack Benny » Sat Oct 22, 2005 3:12 am

he is probably in the top 10 most influential entertainment figures


Probably number one in terms of influencing comedy and late night talk shows. Jack's really not dead, he lives in every self-depreciating television Dad, he's on my TV every night that I see Conan O’Brien making a joke at his own expense. His influence shows no sign of ever going away - thank goodness! Now do others recognize this, probably not. Many of them give the credit to Johnny Carson, but Johnny knew exactly where the credit belonged and often told us about the importance of Jack in his life both personal and professional.
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Re: Jack is one of Variety's 20th Century Icons

Postby LLeff » Sat Oct 22, 2005 9:15 am

Brad wrote:Variety includes Jack as one of the 20th Century's top 100 entertainment icons.


I must say that I'm very struck by this list, and agree with most of it. Someone really knew their stuff to bring out some of the names on it (e.g., D.W. Griffith). Names I don't know (e.g., Tupac Shakur) are in fields I don't know (e.g., rap), and I don't have enough information to disagree with their inclusion. They well may have been as important to their genre as Griffith was to pictures (ironic juxtaposition).

And to note that many of them were active in the first part of the century. Seems like most of the time that I hear about the greatest whatever, it's more like the latest whatever. A documentary on standup comedy a few years ago had multiple people saying things like, "It all began with Woody Allen, Richard Pryor, and Lenny Bruce. They defined the genre." No denying that Allen (one of my favorite standups), Pryor, and Bruce were all Great and revolutionary, but come on...that's like saying the Beatles invented music.

And what's up with that strange pic of Jack? Looks like he's trying to kiss the microphone.

Bravo to Variety!
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Postby Brad » Sat Oct 22, 2005 9:22 am

>Seems like most of the time that I hear about the greatest whatever, it's more like the latest whatever

This is the reason that most "top 100" lists from the last century, millenium, etc are utter nonsense. If such lists were made in 1978 then the Fonz would probably have been included as one of the century's great icons.

Still, someone did do their homework, though I wish a less atypical photos was included.
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