Old Jews Telling Jokes; First the Videos, Then the DVD, Now the Book

Old Jews Telling Jokes, the website that we highlighted the first week that we started blogging, has come a long way since it first appeared in January 2009.  Now in its second season, and with a DVD compilation of the first season's collection of jokes available, Sam Hoffman and Eric Spiegelman, the creators, have collected many of the jokes into a new book that's being released in August.

The book is as funny and as irreverent as the stand-up video bits that started running twice a week on the web and now are posted on a daily basis.

The book's publisher, Random House, gives the following description of the forthcoming volume:

A grasshopper walked into a bar and ordered a drink.
The bartender looked at him and said, “You know we have a drink named after you?”
The grasshopper replied, “You have a drink named Stanley?”

Schtick happens. For five thousand years, God’s chosen people have cornered the market on knee-slappers, zingers, and knock-knock jokes. Now Old Jews Telling Jokes mines mothers, fathers, bubbies, and zaydes for comic gelt. What we get are jokes that are funnier than a pie in the punim: Abie and Becky jokes; hilarious rabbi, doctor, and mohel tales; and those bits just for Mom (Q: What’s the difference between a Jewish mother and a Rottweiler? A: Eventually a Rottweiler will let go!).

Some are just naughty and some are downright bawdy—but either way you’ll laugh till you plotz. With Borscht Belt gags from Brooklyn to Bel Air to Boca, Old Jews Telling Jokes is like chicken soup for your funny bone. I mean, would it kill you to laugh a little?

Spiegelman recently was interviewed by Peter Kafka at All Things Digital about the web site and the DVD and book spin-offs.  Here's the video of the interview:

 

Filming for the next season is starting on June 18 in New York City.  Here's an opportunity for any of our readers who have a joke to share.  If you're 60 or older and interested in appearing on camera telling a joke, email Eric Spiegelman: espiegelman@gstreet.com.

If you aren't getting your daily dose from this really funny website, here's a recent joke to get you started.  It's not the best, but it's clean, which is not exactly typical.  Enjoy!