How Jackie Mason missed an opportunity to promote peace S3E6

Ray Hanania on Politics, Media & Life

Jackie Mason and how he missed the punchline of his life July 26, 2021

Season 3, Episode 6

Ray Hanania looks back at his fight with Jewish Comedian Jackie Mason when Hanania was booked to perform at Zanies Comedy Club in August 2002, nearly one year after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Hanania explains how he turned to comedy as means of helping Americans to better understand Arabs, Palestinians and Muslims and talks about his background. He also discusses how humor is a fundamental talent of great journalists and one of the most powerful forms of effective communications.

Zanies had been working with Hanania through 2001 and 2002 and his comedy performances were getting coverage from major news media including CNN, the Today Show and many regional newspapers. An Arab American performing comedy after Sept. 11, 2001 was a news story.

In July 2002, Zanies informed Hanania that they were going to give him his own show, 9 performances over a six day period. Several weeks before the performance, Zanies owner Rick Uchwat called him to say that Jewish Comedian Jackie Mason needed a place to practice his comedy in preparation for a new Broadway show in late September and October. He asked if Hanania had a problem appearing with Mason, a Jewish comedian. Hanania said of course not. Zanies took 3 of Hanania's shows and made Mason the opening act and Hanania the feature act. When Mason finished the three shows, Hanania would return to be the opening major act for the remaining six shows.

Hanania thought it was big break. But on the opening night on Tuesday, Mason's wife/manager Jyll Rosenfeld called to say that Mason did not want Hanania to open for him because "he is Palestinian."

The performance had been filled with Hanania's friends, family, relatives and even the news media. Linda Moses, the Zanies Manager, called Hanania at home before he left for the show to tell him, only two hours before the opening, that Mason isn't want him to be on the show.

In this audio podcast, Hanania talks about all that the media coverage, Mason's hypocrisy and lies, and why Zanies and the news media sided with Mason, a famous Hollywood comedian and actor rather than with him, a SouthSide Chicago former Vietnam Era Veteran and former City Hall Newspaper reporter.

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Read Ray Hanania's column on this topic in the Arab News Newspaper by clicking here.