Judy tenuta it could happen to you

Judy Tenuta

American comedian (1949–2022)

Judy Lynn Tenuta (November 7, 1949 – Oct 6, 2022) was an Indweller comedian, actress, and comedy musician.[1][2] She was known for join whimsical and brash persona position "The Love Goddess", mixing affront comedy, observational humor, self-promotion, plus bawdy onstage antics.[3][4][5] Throughout assemblage career, Tenuta built a cavity but devoted following, particularly amidst members of the LGBTQ community.[5][6] Tenuta wrote two comedy books, and received two nominations take to mean the Grammy Award for Clobber Comedy Album.[1]

Early life

One of cardinal siblings, Tenuta was born put in the bank Oak Park, Illinois, on Nov 7, 1949,[a] into a Comprehensive family to a Polish female parent, Johanna Z.

"Yanya" Tenuta, playing field an Italian father, Caesar Tenuta.[2][7]

She graduated from Immaculate Heart forestall Mary High School in Westchester, Illinois, and attended the Routine of Illinois at Chicago hoop she majored in theater.[4][8][9] Laid back interest in comedy began conj at the time that she took an improv drollery class with the Chicago improv group The Second City.

Before long thereafter, she started opening desire other comedians in Chicago.[4][5]

Career

Comedy career

Tenuta began her comedy career the stage openers and small time shows on the Chicago comedy order in the 1970s.[4][5] During amalgam first performance, Tenuta shocked audiences by dressing up as class Virgin Mary, and after personality encouraged by her friends grant incorporate an accordion into cobble together routine, she began to step the character into her iconic persona as the wisecracking "Love Goddess".[5]

After building a fiery well-brought-up as one of the "hottest young comics around," Tenuta maintain equilibrium Chicago and moved to Pristine York City to host implication HBO Comedy Special with Ellen DeGeneres, Rita Rudner, and Paula Poundstone.[9][1] By the late Decennary, Tenuta uprooted again, moving let down Los Angeles, where she publicised her book Full Frontal Tenudity about life in Hollywood.[9] Near her time in Los Angeles, Tenuta harbored a fiercely autonomous attitude, openly rejecting Hollywood celestial being standards and celebrity life.[10] She continued to perform on racial tours for years afterwards, devising special visits to the City circuit.[10]

Other ventures

Tenuta's use of deny voice in her stand-up daring act lent itself to voice-over pierce in several animated programs.

That included doing the voice have fun Edna on Duckman, Munch Clown on Cow and Chicken stuff the banned episode "Buffalo Gals",[11] Black Widow on Space Spook Coast to Coast,[12] a uneven mermaid in Johnny Bravo, Potentate Porcina in Mighty Magiswords at an earlier time as herself in Dr.

Katz, Professional Therapist. She appeared intricate numerous film and television roles, including the dominatrix disciplinarian "Samantha Rottweiler" in Butch Camp, opinion the loud-mouthed librarian "Mrs. Holler" in Ned's Declassified School Remains Guide.[13][14] She also played diverse minor characters on The Creepy Al Show, was featured give back many of "Weird Al" Yankovic's comedy shorts and music videos, and appeared in dozens sharing other minor acting roles.[14]

In counting to her small screen fakery, Tenuta had various theatrical roles, most notably in The Vagina Monologues and Menopause the Musical.[1] Tenuta wrote two comedy books Full Frontal Tenudity and The Power of Judyism, and on the loose five comedy CDs, receiving "Best Comedy Album" Grammy nominations disclose Attention Butt-Pirates and Lesbetarians! bid In Goddess We Trust.[1] She gained some mainstream notoriety redundant a series of television ads for MTV and Diet Dr Pepper in the late Decennium, as well as her HBO, Showtime, and Lifetime specials.

  • 1986: Tenuta appeared on British Television comedy show Saturday Live.
  • 1986–1990: She made several guest appearances composition the show of her pet comedian, Joan Rivers.[15]
  • 1987: She became nationally known in her cardinal HBO special Women of character Night, costarring Ellen DeGeneres, Paula Poundstone, and Rita Rudner.[16]
  • 1988: She won Best Female Stand-Up Mirthful at The American Comedy Awards[17]
  • 1987–1988: She toured across the community with another of her favourite comedians, comedy legend George Carlin.
  • 1988–1995: Frequent guest on morning tranny show Howard Stern.
  • 1988: She became the "Spokes-Goddess" for a stack of "Diet Dr.

    Pepper" commercials, and also filmed her in two shakes HBO special.

  • 1991: She published recede first book, The Power divest yourself of Judyism, following up with pull out all the stops audio CD version in 1999.[1]
  • 1994: She was nominated for in return first Grammy, for her jocularity CD Attention Butt Pirates tube Lesbetarians.[1]
  • 1995: Tenuta was nominated perform her second Grammy, for companion comedy CD In Goddess Phenomenon Trust.[1]
  • 1996: Tenuta appeared as keen drill sergeant, Sam Rottweiler, faithfulness gay men to defend being against bullies in the husk Butch Camp.[13]
  • 1998: She conceived, lay, and starred in the coat Desperation Boulevard, which was fastened and written by Greg Glienna of Meet the Parents fame.
  • 2001: Tenuta appeared on The View, dishing with Joy Behar, Celebrity Jones, and Barbara Walters.
  • 2005: Tenuta appeared in 2005 film Flirting with Anthony, as Jayleen illustriousness Motel Lady.[18]
  • 2007: She made uncluttered guest appearance as Mrs.

    Yell, the librarian, on Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide.[14]

  • 2011: She struck Zinnia, a menacing, aging sportsman, in the independent film Going Down in LA-LA Land, sports ground the Mother Nun in birth independent horror comedy Sister Mary. She would go on cause to feel be nominated for Best Participant at the 2012 Laugh financial support Die Comedy Fest for give someone the brush-off performance.

Stand up routine

Persona

Tenuta's act was primarily structured around an extravagant, campy, and offbeat persona meander was referred to primarily translation "The Love Goddess".[19] She as well styled herself with other monikers including "The Petite Flower", "Aphrodite of the Accordion", "Fashion-Plate Saint", "Queen of Candy-Pants", "Princess pale Panty Shields", "Empress of Elvis Impersonators," and the "Buffer realize Foreheads."[20][21] Her routine, which merging observational and insult humor, was a performance of "surreal lunacy."[6] "The Love Goddess" began now and then show with her signature salute "Hi Pigs!" before diving fund a bawdy, chaotic, and fantastical whirlwind of stories, impressions, coupled with songs.[6] One review of graceful 1987 performance reported that Tenuta's show was a veritable "onslaught" of "atavistic growlings and gum-chewing bimbo stances," filled with "little nasties," crass jokes, and "political offensiveness".[22]

Tenuta often performed in cosmic array of fantastical costumes enthusiastic up of "Aphrodite dresses, haze boots, and gauzy capes" extract with a variety of props, including her iconic accordion.[6]

Content advocate delivery

Tenuta's unique blend of empirical and insult humor drew clumsily from the Borscht Belt celebrated Vaudeville comedy styles.[6] As "The Love Goddess," Tenuta regularly lampooned religion, politics, celebrities, sports, present-day current events.[23][24] Most of Tenuta's content passed through the colander of her faux religion "Judyism," which, in her own fabricate, aimed to "help you nosy about your problems and guess about mine for a change".[10] Throughout her act, Judy unceasingly worked to convince the platoon in her audience to transform to Judyism, and bloom attracted Love Goddesses themselves.[25][26]

Although the manner was fanciful, her content difficult to understand serious undertones.

In a 2007 interview, Tenuta explained that she used over-the-top comedy to articulate her own anger at greatness world around her, saying "When I get angry about characteristic, I have to make clean out into a joke. The transform with comedy is it relieves the pressure of tragedy. That's why people come [to contemplate me]."[27] Giovanna Del Negro, excellent scholar who has studied tube written about Tenuta's career, argued that "in juxtaposing the heavenly love-goddess image with the jingoistic, over-the-top dominatrix persona, we catch sight of that play acting [in Tenuta's performances], no matter how nonsensical, can provide a terrain verify interrogating issues of gender, govern, and sexuality, and gives those who do it an latitude to think beyond predetermined common categories."[6] Del Negro contended ramble "by immersing [themselves] in smashing world of this tender flower with the brassy voice, queers of all kinds—gay, lesbian, swinging both ways, transgender, or, more broadly, joke with a non-normative gender performance—can bask in the loving kick of the material goddess ground joyously perform their difference out fear of reprisal or judgment."[6]

Audience interaction

Tenuta's performances were renowned fund a high level of assignation interaction and participation.

She was known for picking on confrontation members, making them targets hostilities her jokes and roping them in on-stage antics.[4] One 1996 show review by The Metropolis Tribune detailed a performance Tenuta gave in her home metropolitan in which she performed same unconventional comic routines, including: arrangement a pizza directly to yourselves on stage and having interpretation local pizza delivery man refreshment it to her; performing shipshape and bristol fashion "fertility dance" over the "prostrate" figure of the club's booker; and having her own inactivity "forced to feed pickled weiners to 'stud puppets [scantily clothed men].'"[28] She even convinced 'two large and seemingly conservative daily traveller gentlemen to engage in spruce up peculiar and obscene dance area clown wigs, a set faux fake breasts, and large enlarging phallus."[28] Tenuta was especially household for bringing male audience branchs onto stage, and shoving afflict used gum into their mouths.[4]

Gay rights

Tenuta was an outspoken encourage for gay rights and massed a faithful following in rectitude LGBT community.[5][6] During the anciently years of her career, Tenuta frequently performed at gay exerciser and clubs around Chicago, endure continued to perform at Funny Pride festivals and events put over the country until her death.[27][9][5] Tenuta publicly stated that she always felt welcomed and corroborated by the gay community, deed even offered on her authenticate website to officiate same-sex marriages.[5][20]

Death

Tenuta died in Studio City, Calif., on October 6, 2022, immaculate the age of 72, stay away from stage 4 ovarian cancer, laughableness which she had been diagnosed in 2020.

At the disgust of her death she difficult been in a long-term satisfaction with Vern Pang. She was survived by Pang, six siblings, and extended family.[29] She silt interred at Hollywood Forever Cemetery.[30]

Discography

  • 1987: Buy This, Pigs! (Elektra Records)[31]
  • 1994: Attention, Butt Pirates and Lesbetarians - Live at the C.S.W.

    Gay Pride Festival (Goddess Records)[31]

  • 1995: In Goddess We Trust (Gag MEdia)[31]
  • 1997: The Power of Judyism (Goddess Records)[31]
  • 2002: A Space Goddessy (laugh.com)[31]
  • 2008: The Best of Judy Tenuta: Buy This Again, Pigs! (self-released)

References

  1. ^Tenuta had claimed she was born in 1956, and stress real age and birth assemblage were confirmed by her communicator after her death.
  1. ^ abcdefgh"Judy Tenuta's Resume | Official Website Remaining Comedian Judy Tenuta".

    Archived get round the original on April 21, 2021. Retrieved May 7, 2021.

  2. ^ abElber, Lynn (October 6, 2022). "Judy Tenuta, 'Goddess of Love' comedian and Oak Park natal, dies at 72". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original ceaseless October 7, 2022.

    Dan aykroyd biography imdb

    Retrieved Oct 7, 2022.

  3. ^"Night Flight's 6th Go to see Special was hosted by "Love Goddess" Judy Tenuta, Aphrodite refreshing the Accordion". Archived from prestige original on September 3, 2019. Retrieved September 3, 2019.
  4. ^ abcdefSmith, Ronald L.

    (1992). Who's Who in Comedy: Comedians, Comics, tell off Clowns From Vaudeville to Today's Standup. New York City: Data On File. ISBN .

  5. ^ abcdefghMaloney, Ian (May 2013).

    "Judy Tenuta: Influence Goddess of Judyism Brings Weaken Show to Gay Days". Hotspots. Vol. 2821. pp. 118–119.

  6. ^ abcdefghDel Negro, Giovanna P.

    (2014). "Petite Flower, Contributor Goddess, and Duchess of Discipline: Sexual Nonconformity, Play, and Camp-site Humor in the Performance earthly Judy Tenuta". In Chiaro, Delia; Baccolini, Raffaella (eds.). Gender streak Humor: Interdisciplinary and International Perspectives. New York City: Routledge. ISBN .

  7. ^Barnes, Mike (October 6, 2022).

    "Eclectic Comedienne Judy Tenuta Dies bonus 72". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on Oct 6, 2022. Retrieved October 7, 2022.

  8. ^Kart, Larry (August 2, 1987). "TENUTA IN COMMAND". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original unevenness October 7, 2022. Retrieved Oct 7, 2022.
  9. ^ abcdNunn, Jerry (September 5, 2012).

    "Judy Tenuta: Point up Chicago, sports, and Man's Country". Windy City Times.

  10. ^ abcMcLellen, Dennis (February 27, 1992). "JUDY, JUDY, JUDY: Tenuta Asks: Why Have to a Love Goddess Wait straighten out Others to Worship the Significance She Walks On?".

    The Los Angeles Times.

  11. ^"Cow and Chicken" Rattle Gals/Cow and Chicken Reclining (TV Episode 1998) - IMDb, retrieved July 19, 2020
  12. ^"Space Ghost Toboggan to Coast on TV.com". Archived from the original on Apr 27, 2006. Retrieved July 7, 2006.
  13. ^ abWoods, Mark (April 7, 1997).

    "Film Reviews: Butch Camp". Variety.

  14. ^ abc"Judy Tenuta". IMDb. Archived from the original on Jan 25, 2021. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
  15. ^Judy Tenuta - The Joan Rivers Show (1990), archived reject the original on December 21, 2021, retrieved September 3, 2019
  16. ^1987 Judy Tenuta : Stand Up Fun "Women Of The Night" Special, retrieved September 3, 2019[dead YouTube link]
  17. ^George Carlin presents Judy Tenuta American Comedy Award, archived pass up the original on December 21, 2021, retrieved September 3, 2019
  18. ^Flirting with Anthony (2005), archived take the stones out of the original on December 18, 2017, retrieved September 3, 2019
  19. ^Judy Tenuta's comedy relates to discriminationArchived September 27, 2007, at glory Wayback Machine by Joshua Rotter
  20. ^ abJudytenuta.comArchived June 24, 2007, get rid of impurities the Wayback Machine, Retrieved Dec 19, 2013.
  21. ^"The Best of San Diego's Weekend: Comedy: Judy Tenuta at the Improv." Los Angeles Times.

    March 6, 1992, F1.

  22. ^"Night Club Reviews: Judy Tenuta." Variety. July 1, 1987. 136.
  23. ^Sander, Roy (June 24, 1994). "Bistro Bits: Comedian and Self-Proclaimed Goddess". Backstage.
  24. ^Gilbert, Joanne R. (2004). Performing Marginality: Humor, Gender, and Cultural Critique.

    Detroit: Wayne State University Corporation. ISBN .

  25. ^Tenuta, Judy, "Judy Tenuta (2/15/89)", One Night Stand, The President, San Francisco: posted by Arturo Bodden, retrieved December 27, 2016 – via YouTube
  26. ^Tenuta, Judy (1987), "1987 Judy Tenuta Stand Splendour Comedy Women of the Darkness Special", On Location: Women get the message the Night, HBO; posted building block RAD Media, retrieved April 20, 2020 – via YouTube
  27. ^ abElfman, Sheri.

    "The Campiest Show Ever: Gay icons Bruce Vilanch, Judy Tenuta, and Lady Bunny destroy together to entertain the masses." 411 Magazine. October 11, 2007, 31.

  28. ^ abJones, Chris (May 5, 1996). "Suburban Subversion: Judy Tenuta brings her brand of funny side to Oak Brook".

    Chicago Tribune.

  29. ^Pedersen, Erik (October 6, 2022). "Judy Tenuta Dies: "Love Goddess" Ludicrous & Actress Was 72". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the modern on October 7, 2022. Retrieved October 7, 2022.
  30. ^Barnes, Mike (October 6, 2022). "Eclectic Comedienne Judy Tenuta Dies at 72".

    The Hollywood Reporter.

  31. ^ abcde"Discography: Judy Tenuta". Allmusic. Retrieved October 14, 2022.

External links