[lbo-talk] f'in' hell

John Mage jmage at panix.com
Fri Oct 10 17:05:42 PDT 2003


saying fuck on stage was one of the early turning points in the 60s collapse of censorship in Manhattan, a process that ended with the apparently successful prosecution of Lenny Bruce by Dick Kuh that so outraged everyone with any brains and/or decency in town that not only Kuh's career was ruined but almost that of the Manhattan DA Hogan.

the story as i know of it was that the first time fuck was said on stage in Manhattan was by the Living Theatre (when they were on 14th st at the start of the 60s) in a Paul Goodman play; it resulted in police harassment but no prosecution. next Joel Oppenheimer was unable to get anyone to risk putting on his _Great American Dream_, where most everyone said fuck in all grammatical variations & a lot.

Judson Church had just started their theatre and put on the play. The great Judson pastor Howard Moody tells the story that on opening night just after the play ended he nervously joined a visiting high Baptist official, who earlier had slipped out of the play. Just then the official's wife came out and went over to her husband and said "George, that's the best fucking play I have seen in years."

john mage



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