I respect Rodney Dangerfield

He was a rather homely man. large bulging eyes, wide silly grin, big nose and ears. He delivered his jokes with a nervous even desperate style like the boy trying to fit in with the cooler kids by being funny. shouting out one-liners in rapid session glancing around quickly to see others reactions to his salvo. Then spouting out the next joke.

He never seemed comfortable up on stage. unconsiously pulling at his tie. Bob Hope was much more arrogant in comparision. Bob would tell a joke slower, more deliberate. then survey the audience waiting, no demanding a laugh. Then moving on to the next joke.

Dean Martin told his jokes with the style of a man that didn't care one way or the other if you liked him and his jokes or not. Dean had his drink in one hand, a cigarette in the other. He would tell a joke, take a pull from his cigarette, tell another joke, take a sip of his drink. His whole manner seemed to say, "I've got my drink and my cigs, laugh or don't laugh I couldn't care.

Rodney's humor was always pointed directly at one target. Himself. " I get no respect "was a whining plea for just that, Respect. He was a grown man who never left behind the little boy that was teased or ignored by the other kids on the playground. Always on the outside waving his arms shouting Look at Me, I am here, I am apart of this group.

"I tell you my parents didn't respect me, For my first bath toy my mom gave me a toaster". "No respect." "My family don't respect me," "Last week my son sent me to my room." "My wife met me at the door last night in a skimpy night gown." "Yea, nice eh, Only she was coming home."

Even strangers had no respect for this man. "I was walking past a cemetery the other evening and two guys with shovels started chasing me ." " I used to date a girl, she was so old when she went to school they didn't have history." "She was homely too, I am here to tell you, she was a two bagger." "When you had sex with her you wore a bag in case her's broke."

Rodney started out in vaudeville, then when he married he left show business to get steady work selling aluminum. A job he stayed with for thirty yrs while he raised his family. He married Joyce Indig in 1949, had two kids, divorced her in 1961.Afterwards he went back to stand up . That is why I respect him. He did what was needed for his family then build a successful career for himself.    Then he married Joan Child,  Ironically  woman 30 yrs younger than himself.

He made several movies including Ladybugs, Back to school and Meet Wally Sparks.

I say Meet Rodney Dangerfield. A man we can all respect.