On the subjects of television and of lost context, there’s this: Klein’s act wasn’t so foreign that a network variety show couldn’t book him. It’s observational like Seinfeld and absurdist like Martin, but at the same time firmly in the stand-up mainstream of the early 1970s. You can hear all of Child of the 50s here. The reference points have changed, but the experiences remain universal. We all watched TV shows that annoyed us, listened to the radio, dealt with surly retail clerks, and tried to get a date. Although Klein’s growing-up stories are set in a faraway time and for many of us, a faraway place-the Bronx-they’re still relatable, because we all dealt with school discipline, subtitute teachers, and lunch ladies. But Child of the 50s is still consistently hilarious 45 years after its original release. Styles change, context gets lost, new comics shift the paradigm of what’s funny. Comedy does not always translate over time. His most famous of several albums is Child of the 50s, which came out in 1973. If you read the history of modern stand-up comedy, you’ll notice how many major stars, up to Steve Martin and Jerry Seinfeld, mention Robert Klein as an influence. It’s time again to plunder my drafts file for fragments that never added up to a full post. (Pictured: Robert Klein, in an acting role on Love American Style, 1973.)
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