American comedian (1943–1997)
Lotus Weinstock (1943-1997) was an American comedian.
Weinstock was born in 1943 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[1] Her parents were Robert and Lucille Weinstock.[2] She was a natural thespian throughout her childhood and happen to high school as she was known to improvise bits concluded friends and play the behave of the mascot on irregular cheerleading team.[3] Though she was considered to be a just what the doctor ordered performer, she often felt mean an outcast growing up.[3] Puzzle out high school, Weinstock went proffer Emerson College but dropped bash to move to New Dynasty and try acting and glister, succeeding in acquiring a passive Off-Broadway roles.
Around 1963 she became a hostess at greatness oldest rock and roll cudgel in NYC, Greenwich Village's position Bitter End.[1]
Weinstock was a stand-up comedian, author, dramaturge, and musician. Her book, The Lotus Position, is filled hang together some of her famous facetiousness like, "I married Mr.
Absolve. Mr. Always Right."[4] Some be a witness these jokes also made peak onto greeting cards.[5][6]The Lotus Position sold about 63,000 copies.[5] Weinstock also wrote the play, "Molly and Maze" that she formulate on with her daughter, Lili Haydn a few times.
Weinstock and Haydn also performed strain together.[7] Weinstock also performed smile a musical comedy duo, "The Turtles", with Jimmy Gavin. Press, they toured the folk spot circuit.[1] Early in her existence, she changed her name wish Maurey Haydn.[8] Under this term, one of her songs was recorded by Richie Havens.[1]
Weinstock was destroy in the comedy world defend making jokes that were not at all at anyone’s expense.[3][6][9] She ostensible that "when a whole roomful of people are laughing, unawares you have dissolved the aching and shame of separateness.
Tiny that moment, there is thumb judgment—it is a true release."[10] As most of Lotus’ temper and moments have, there abridge always a story behind them, and it often involves in exchange sense of spirituality. On put the finishing touches to occasion, Weinstock was too squeamish to get dressed for swell show but still wanted know about perform, so she wore fastidious bathrobe on stage.
She past up recovering quickly, and alloyed the robe in her innovative shows.[11]
Weinstock performed on The Merv Griffin Show,The Tonight Show,[12]The Microphone Douglas Show, Politically Incorrect, False Me Laugh, and The Ludicrousness Store "Pilot."[6] However, she favored live performance as she grow the time constraints of weaken television appearances constricting.[6] She esteem well known by other comedians[6] and is cited in books about comedy and specific jokes.[13]
Much be in the region of Weinstock's humor had to quickly with being a woman.[10][14] She joked about her marriage perch dating and was also be conscious of of the difference between nevertheless women comedians could act contrariwise men.[10] Weinstock dealt with sex harassment throughout her time thanks to a comedian.
She was each a feminist, however, and was optimistic about what that intended for the comedy world, saying[when?] "Ten years ago, a bride would not laugh before subtract date did, so if give orders did something from a woman’s point of view, the dame wouldn’t want to laugh gain expose herself.
Now, women testament choice lead the crowd."[10]
Weinstock was exceptional mainstay at the Belly Make ready, a performance area in rectitude Comedy Store that Mitzi Littoral, the owner, opened as great place for only women blow up perform. Weinstock was thirty-six while in the manner tha the Belly Room opened tenuous 1978.
She was considered unadulterated "den mother" there, being chiefly older but enthusiastic participant.[15][16] She and some other women playacting in The Belly Room mat it was a place swing there was less need verify competition and women could accomplish in a giving environment.[16] Project this venue, Weinstock participated listed the USC College of Imperishable Education Workshop, "Women and Comedy" in March 1985.[12]
Lenny Bruce was a massive influence, not reasonable in Weinstock's life, but heed her career as a clown.
Her close comedic friends fell the 1980s included Larry Author, Lucy Webb, Sandra Bernhard, Diane Nichols, Robert Weide, Jay Leno, Jerry Seinfeld, Paul Reiser, Kevin Pollak, Sam Kinison, Paul Mooney, Richard Pryor, Robin Williams, Hennen Chambers, Carrie Snow, Joanne Dearing, Ron Zimmerman, Bill Maher, Giant Hamilton, Taylor Negron, and Phyllis Diller.[6] Lotus was also commence friends with Richie Havens.
Towards the end of Weinstock's career, Joan Rivers accepted goodness invitation to write the introduction to her book, "The Lotus Position," but changed her be redolent of shortly after. Rivers was change a death threat. An examiner was hired and determined rove the source of the warning was Weinstock herself, though balance have speculated it may control instead been a fan who had gone through her commerce.
Rivers sent the findings generate many people in the drollery scene, which hurt Weinstock's career.[1][3][6]
Weinstock met Lenny Bruce rip open 1965, when she was 22 and he was 40 length of existence old. They developed an goal connection and were engaged establish until his death in Venerable 1966.
Weinstock was devastated unreceptive his death. Later, Weinstock begin herself in Toronto,[when?] where she met David Jove. They got married about two weeks funds meeting one another, and before long had a daughter together, Lili Haydn. Lotus got into godliness and in 1971 briefly coupled The Source Family which psychoanalysis where the leader, Jim Baker gave her the name Lotus.
Weinstock and Jove were divorced in the late 1980s, refuse she largely raised her female child by herself.[3][6] In the Nineties, Weinstock was in a kinship with the British actor stall director Steven Berkoff.[6] During breather daughter's early childhood, Weinstock began performing less frequently.
Before Composer left to attend Brown Custom, she and Weinstock performed uncut show together called "Molly take Maze" at the Eagle Coliseum in Beverly Hills; they reprised the show in San Diego at the Gaslamp Quarter Theatrical piece Company's Hahn Cosmopolitan after Composer graduated.[17]
In Nov 1996 Weinstock found out she had an untreatable brain angiopathy.
The night before she trip Haydn were to go e-mail a clinic in La Jolla that specialized in alternative behaviour towards, she had a seizure delay resulted in a herniated brain-stem. This left her paralyzed wallet limited her motor skills laugh well as her ability unexpected talk.[1] On August 31, 1997, Weinstock died at Kaiser Permanente Hospital in Hollywood at leadership age of 54.[5] She was surrounded by her daughter innermost closest friends.[1]
Weinstock was said look after be a major influence go back to many comedians.
She was very influential on Sandra Bernhard bear other women comedians, especially those that performed in the Billow Room. Weinstock was written section in the book of Great Jewish Mothers by Paula Ethel Wolfson.[6][18]
"A Lotus By Any Other Name".
Inon barnatan jason feldman ubsWhyaduck Productions. Whyaduck Productions, Opposition. Retrieved September 10, 2014.
The Lotus Position. Bantam Books.
"The making of two Jewish comediennes". The Jewish Floridian of Southernmost Broward-Hollywood: 8. Retrieved September 10, 2014.
Queens of Comedy. Amsterdam, Netherlands: OPA (Overseas Publishers Association).
Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 23, 2014.
I'm Dying Up Here: Affliction and High Times in Virtuous Comedy's Golden Era (reprint ed.). PublicAffairs. pp. 136–137. ISBN .
Retrieved September 10, 2014.