Filmed in 1988, near the tail end of his record-breaking, 2 1/2-year run, "Jackie Mason: The World According To Me" finds this legendary funnyman in fine form indeed. Clocking in at barely 60 minutes, this DVD gives us what I can only imagine is an edited overview of Jackie's first show on Broadway. For those of us who grew up watching Jackie kick comedic butt on "The Ed Sullivan Show," the DVD will be a comforting confirmation that our favorite rabbinical stand-up had, in 1988, lost not a whit of his biting wit; for those who have been living under a kreplach for the past 45 years, this short performance will serve as a nice introduction. Mason touches on topics here such as sex, psychiatry, Ronald Reagan and, of course, his favorite: the dozens of differences between Jews and Gentiles. The man could evoke a laugh by reading the phone book out loud, but his inimitable delivery, coupled with that piercing mind, brutal honesty (he's the only honest person left, he likes to tell us) and incredible sense of humor, make for a surefire comedic attack. He also does hilarious imitations of Ted Kennedy, Jesse Jackson and Ed Sullivan here, guaranteed to make you plotz, and his line about the "Chinaman" and the gefilte fish is just too funny. A solid if too short set. On a side note, I just saw Jackie Mason off-Broadway last week, performing in his eighth solo show, "Jackie Mason: The Ultimate Jew," and am happy to report that even at the age of 76, the man is as funny as ever. This is supposedly his "farewell NY" show, and I urge everyone to go see this national treasure while they still can!
