Whatever happened to Judy Tenuta?

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 2/5/14 at 1:12pm

Oh, she's here. And is it just me or does Jack Plotnick look a little like Sean Penn?

Posted: 2/5/14 at 6:30pm

She turned up on Stephanie Miler's radio show from time to time. She did a song about Palin called "The Vice President has a gun."

[DAME]

Posted: 2/5/14 at 6:33pm

She lives in Van Nuys. That should say it all.

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 2/5/14 at 6:36pm

For the West Coast-impaired: What does it mean to live in Van Nuys?

[FishermanBob]

Posted: 2/5/14 at 6:45pm

What happened to her? She had a schtick and when that schtick got tired and worn out, she didn't have anything else. End of story. See also Andrew Dice Clay, Dr. Irwin Corey, Craig Shoemaker, Paula Poundstone, Fred Travelena and many, many others.

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 2/5/14 at 6:45pm

She has always lived in Van Nuys, is the same huge house she's always lived in.

I just saw her two weeks ago and did some work for her. She's fine and keeping busy.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 2/5/14 at 7:05pm

I hope she made you her slave.

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 2/5/14 at 7:07pm

I have always been her slave.


If you have her "ATTENTION BUTT PIRATES AND LESBITIARIANS" cd, I am the person introducing her.

[Jane2]

Posted: 2/5/14 at 7:31pm

She's barbequeing.

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 2/5/14 at 8:02pm

For the West Coast-impaired: What does it mean to live in Van Nuys?

It doesn't necessarily mean anything. The major part of Van Nuys is in the San Fernando Valley, which is essentially "Jersey" to Hollywood.

But lots of entertainment people live in the southern block or two of the Valley in the Hollywood Hills. That's considered okay, since the views can be gorgeous and it is a short hop over the hills to the studios. Many younger stars live there. (The area even has a name: "South of Ventura" (Ventura being the boulevard that runs along the base of the hills.)

I'm sure she doesn't have Ellen Degeneres' money, but Tenuta still works (which is pretty good for a comic who never had a hit sitcom).

Updated On: 2/5/14 at 08:02 PM

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 2/5/14 at 8:09pm

FishermanBob, I couldn't disagree more about Paula Poundstone having nothing more than a single schtick.

In her last HBO special, she spent 40 minutes out of the hour ad libbing with a very foolish, would-be heckler and it was as funny as any rehearsed material I've ever seen.

I think it was the DUI and (eventually dismissed) charges of child abuse that derailed her career. She'll be back someday playing the mother in somebody else's sitcom.

Updated On: 2/5/14 at 08:09 PM

[DAME]

Posted: 2/5/14 at 8:12pm

"But lots of entertainment people live in the southern block or two of the Valley in the Hollywood Hills. That's considered okay, since the views can be gorgeous and it is a short hop over the hills to the studios. Many younger stars live there. (The area even has a name: "South of Ventura" (Ventura being the boulevard that runs along the base of the hills.) "

Gave; That block or two in the Valley is borderline Sherman Oaks. When locals refers to Van Nuys... that is not what they mean. And Judy has a nice house.

Updated On: 2/5/14 at 08:12 PM

[FishermanBob]

Posted: 2/5/14 at 9:33pm

Gaveston, in her case, I think it was more of a distinct style, delivery and look but we can agree to disagree. She had a nice run but after a while I think it got old and her star was fading even before the legal issues. Not saying she or any of the others I mentioned can't still be funny, but the kind of mainstream popularity where you saw these folks popping up on TV constantly that she and the others enjoyed in the 1980's and 1990's isn't coming back any time soon.

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 2/6/14 at 10:15pm

Bob, we'll agree that the "comedy craze" of the last century has been replaced by You Tube and Twitter and so-called "Reality" TV. There is nothing like the comedy circuit that Poundstone and Tenuta used to play.

But none of that was caused by any lack of versatility on Poundstone's part.

As much as I love Ellen Degeneres' stand-up (which has only improved over time), I don't think she can hold a candle to Poundstone in that art form. (Which is not to disparage ED as a talk-show or Oscar host.)

ETA: just to be clear, of course we can agree to disagree. I'm still discussing this only because it interests me. There's no feud here, certainly not with you.


Updated On: 2/6/14 at 10:15 PM

[FishermanBob]

Posted: 2/7/14 at 1:35am

No problem with me Gaveston. It's all good. One of the things I love about standup comedy is that two people can have wildly different views about a particular comic and they're both right!

[best12bars]

Posted: 2/7/14 at 7:55am

Didn't most of those standup comics you mention make about a gazillion dollars working in Vegas? I wouldn't cry too much for them. And Andrew Dice Clay has a role in "Blue Jasmine" with Cate Blanchett. And he's good, too!

As far as Van Nuys ... it's part of the San Fernando Valley, which is huge (as far as geography) ... and Van Nuys is huge. It means a lot of different things to a lot of different people. It's the suburbs of Hollywood and Greater Los Angeles. It's also home to a lot of suburban white folks, a lot of latinos, and it's also one of the gay porn industry's main locations for filming (several studios there).

In short, there's no quick answer to what "Van Nuys" means to So. Cal. residents.

Updated On: 2/7/14 at 07:55 AM

[Melissa25]

Posted: 2/7/14 at 10:42am

Gaveston- I agree about Paula Poundstone. I caught her live show last year and her ability to ad lib with different audience members was the highlight. She had an interchange with a "customer service rep" about how customer service people are suppose to ask 'is there anything else I can help you with?' at the end of a call, when they haven't helped you at all regarding your initial reason for calling. It was brilliant. I cried it was so funny and so true. She's the best at deadpan.

[artscallion]

Posted: 2/7/14 at 11:07am

I love Paula Poundstone too. I saw her standup several years ago in a theatre-in-the-round where the stage slowly revolved. She was so amazed by the stage that she decided to just lay down on it and stare up at the ceiling as she revolved. She did about 15 minutes of her act in that position, slightly tailoring her act as she went to reference this. It was improvised brilliance and absolutely hysterical.

She's an amazing talent and it's a shame her career was derailed by those charges. This may be my own issue. But I've always suspected that the court of public opinion kind of went, "yeah, see, I knew those gays shouldn't be raising kids." And wrote her off for it.

[JerseyGirl2]

Posted: 2/7/14 at 1:04pm

...And I love to hunt because I like to wear safety orange!

[DAME]

Posted: 2/7/14 at 2:04pm

Bestie; When someone in LA says they live in Beverly Hills the assumption is that they live in a nice area ( and there are some not so nice areas in Beverly Hills). When someone says they live downtown the assumption is they live in a not so nice area ( and there are one or two very nice living areas in downtown). When someone says they live in West Hollywood the assumption is that you live in the gay friendly part of town ( and we know about that). But for me.. and most people I know.. when someone says they live in Van Nuys... very .. very.. mixed things come to mind. One street is nice, one is gang infested, another one is latin, another one is middle eastern ( and other great backgrounds and cultures)... It is a mixed bag ... not where you would think a C level celebrity would live in. Tenutas house is very nice, and she lives in a nice and safe street. Bonnie Franklin used to be her neighbor. I am not trying to be snobby.... but I stick to my reference of .. She lives in Van Nuys ( which was meant lovingly with humor)

Updated On: 2/7/14 at 02:04 PM

Posted: 2/7/14 at 7:07pm

Paula Poundstone is a regular on NPR's Wait Wait Don't Tell me, their #1 rated show. I know part of the reason she took that gig (and cut back on others) is to spend more time with her kids.

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 2/7/14 at 9:10pm

Thanks to DAME and best12. Your explanations of "Van Nuys" in the LA imagination is what I was trying to imply: the term is normally derogative and synonymous with dull suburbia, but the reality is more complicated.

[Jon]

Posted: 2/8/14 at 8:57pm

Wasn't Paula Poundstone a regular contributor to Jay Leno's show, covering the political conventions in 2008 and 2012, for example?