Comics Ask, Did the Joke Die With Anna Nicole?
Feb. 18, 2007 — -- Anna Nicole Smith was a character. Her life played out like a soap opera and her fame launched her into the unrelenting public spotlight, providing constant fodder for the comic circuit.
But in the days and weeks after her untimely and mysterious death, stand-ups are left to wonder: Did the joke die with Anna Nicole?
Smith, a stripper turned celebrity, has provided an abundance of material for comedians over the years. From her marriage to a man 63 years her senior to making a career as a spokeswoman for TrimSpa, Smith led an extraordinary life.
Wayne Rada, general manager of Stand-Up New York, a comedy club in New York City, said jokes about Smith have been bringing laughs in his club for years. But after 15 years, perhaps it is time for the Smith jokes to go.
"She had been such a joke for so long," said Rada. "She's already been so played out."
Chris Regan, an Emmy-award winning comedy writer agreed. He said the way Smith lived her life made her a bulls eye for parody, taking some of the fun out of it for comedians.
"There's a soft target element to the Anna Nicole story. The best jokes come at the expense of people who take themselves too seriously, who have an air of importance or significance to them," Regan said. "I think Anna Nicole took herself less seriously than anyone."
As a precaution, most comedians have a grieving period for jokes after a tragic event or death, but that doesn't mean the jokes won't come back eventually.
"She's certainly not over, there's a mourning period," said Chris Mazzilli, owner of Gotham Comedy Club in New York. "What comics will do when someone dies is they give them a little time … then they go after them."
Rada agrees that a grace period is necessary to maintain a sense of professionalism.
"Her passing was really sad. Comics tend to stay away from things like this as a whole: It's like kicking a puppy," said Rada. "It's just not worth it to make some random smart-ass remark. Where it stands now, it's just too easy. It would be perceived as kinda hacky."
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