The movie Blazing Saddles used everything and anything to get a laugh. When the African American sheriff, newly assigned to a rural town, patrolled the main thoroughfare he happened upon an elderly lady and greeted her kindly. She gave him a deadpan look then said, “Up yours, nigger!”. The racial slur, having long lost most of its punch at the point in the movie wasn’t nearly as funny as the “up yours” ...

The Jester: Masters of Merriment and MirthOnce upon a time, in a kingdom far, far away (or maybe just down the street—let's not get bogged down in geography), there lived a figure so extraordinary, so flamboyant, and so downright entertaining that they were the life of every royal court, tavern, and village square. No, not a stand-up comedian or a circus performer, but the Jester! These colorful characters weren't just ...