``...Hope always played the same character, which was Bob Hope. A fitting tautology. Hope was a fool, and nearly a clown, but he was never even remotely a comedian...'' Hitchens
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But much more interesting to ask, is why was Hope considered a comedian? How could a guy whose only humorous feature was his vanity, apparently make an audience laugh. The answer is consider the audience.
Hope was a little older than my father, and I am here to tell you Hope was a whole lot funnier. The so-called great-generation of the Depression and WWII were some of the least funny, least pleasant, most authoritarian assholes I ever knew---right or left it didn't matter. They seemed to me to be grim bastards one and all. On the other hand, the very next generation, those who were barely old enough to get into the military by WWII were funny as hell. In fact, it seems to me some of them made a point of taking life a lot less seriously. My next father was one of these and he still makes me laugh.
I actually agree with Hitchens for a change--but for reasons he probably wouldn't approve. If you never laughed at anything Hope said and I didn't, then remember who he was playing to. Night of the living dead.
Chuck Grimes