Comic Relief USA
charity | |
| 501(c)(3) non-profit | |
| Focus | Food, housing, health care, and other assistance for the homeless |
| Location |
|
Area served | United States and occasionally other parts of the world |
| Method | Comedy |
Key people | Bob Zmuda and hosts Billy Crystal, Whoopi Goldberg, and Robin Williams |
Revenue | Donations from Americans |
Comic Relief USA was a
merchandise
are typically for sale. Its slogans are “Where there’s laughter, there’s hope” and “Comic Relief—it’s no joke.”
Founding
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Based on the Comic Relief charity in the United Kingdom and dedicated to the memory of comedian Andy Kaufman, the American organization was created in 1986 by comedy writer, producer, and actor Bob Zmuda. He worked with HBO executive Chris Albrecht to found the U.S. version in 1986.[1]
Bob Goldthwait, Howie Mandel, Minnie Pearl, and George Carlin.[4] The first show netted US$2.5 million.[citation needed] According to the organization's website, more than $50 million has been raised since.[1]
Chronology of events
| Year | Event (see "Notes" below) | Televised By | Description/Highlights[5] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Comic Relief | HBO
|
Debut event, 29 March. Featured Tommy Flanagan, The Pathological Liar; Sid Caesar as Ludwig von Knowitall; Robin Williams as William F. Buckley Jr., commenting on the effects of "trickle-down economics" on the homeless; George Carlin describing a house as "a place for your stuff".; Garry Shandling, Jerry Lewis .
|
| 1987 | Comic Relief '87 | HBO | Featured men on the street" describing the Olympics; a song on the "Black Monday" stock-market crash, in parody of "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot ".
|
| 1989 | Comic Relief III | HBO | Debuted the song "Mr. President"—written by Joe Sterling, Ray Reach and Mike Loveless, and sung by Al Jarreau and Natalie Cole. Featured Jim Varney as Ernest P. Worrell; Catherine O'Hara smoking between bites of food and drink; Arsenio Hall on women with plastic surgery; Woody Harrelson talking to an "audience member" (Shelley Long) who, when asked if she watched Cheers, said, "Not that much." |
| 1990 | Comic Relief '90 | HBO | Featured Joan Rivers on exercise and swimmers; Dana Carvey doing his "Lady I Know/She's Choppin' Broccoli" song from Saturday Night Live; Steven Wright asking, "What's the youngest you can die of old age?" |
| 1991 | A Comedy Salute to Michael Jordan * | NBC
|
In honor of basketball player Michael Jordan. |
| 1992 | Hurricane Relief * | Showtime
|
9-hour marathon event to bring relief to areas of Shout ", backed up by a choir.
|
| 1992 | Comic Relief V | HBO | Featured pie-eating contest with Billy and Robin; Jim Carrey on drinking and cops.
|
| 1993 | Baseball Relief * | Fox
|
Featured comedians and baseball players. |
| 1994 | Comic Relief VI | HBO | Featured appearance by a representative of Enterprise crew—"researching" Comic Relief, and comparing "Hoo-pye Goldberg" to Guinan (a character who was played by Whoopi); Dave Chappelle on terrorists and the apparent lack of "black hostages"; Robin on John and Lorena Bobbitt; Paul Rodriguez on the 1992 Los Angeles riots; Bill Maher on America's culture of victimhood; Paula Poundstone on her adopted son; Marga Gomez on her culture and Spanish soap operas.
|
| 1995 | Comic Relief VII | HBO | Featured . |
| 1996 | American Comedy Festival * | ABC | Comic Relief's 10th anniversary. Featured ventriloquist ".
|
| 1998 | Comic Relief 8 | HBO | Featured Clinton impeachment; A celebration of Milton Berle as he approaches his 90th birthday; Kathy Griffin comparing a Jerry Springer talk show tape to a profane "Music Man " outtake (with "Pick-A-Little, Talk-A-Little" becoming "Fuck-A-Little, Cunt-A-Little").
|
| 2006 | Comic Relief 2006 * | HBO, TBS
|
Fundraiser for those affected by Entourage's Kevin Conolly, Kevin Dillon, Jerry Ferrara, Adrian Grenier and Jeremy Piven cursing and donating money into a "curse jar"; D. L. Hughley on general politics, race, and cops; Billy Crystal as his beloved "Jazz Man" character, scolding the perceived inactions of the Bush Administration; Lewis Black on government's alleged sharp attention to nuclear weapons abroad but not to the domestic hurricane; Fred Willard with "Pussycat" (Catherine O'Hara) and "Fur" (Jennifer Coolidge), promoting Comic Relief T-shirts; Roseanne Barr on being on stage with "other big former stars" and "Kirstie Alley 's yard sale".
|
| 2007 | Comic Relief WILD: The Concert for Animals * | HBO, TBS, On-line )
|
Worldwide event to combat animal habitat destruction.[1] |
| 2008 | Comic Relief: The Greatest...And the Latest * | (DVD) | Two-disc video compilation—featuring Comic Relief's greatest material and most recent material, up to 2006. Disc 1 ("The Greatest") features Comic Relief to Comic Relief 8 (1986–1998); disc 2 ("The Latest") features Comic Relief 2006. |
| 2010 | Comic Relief 2010 | HBO | Featured Benefit Album and Katrina Orchestra—"The return of Tony Clifton and his Katrina Kiss-My-Ass Orchestra with a bevy of beauties."[1] |
Notes:
- * indicates a special event, or a compilation.
- Italics indicates a formal Comic Relief show.
- There has also been an A&E Networkseries, The Best of Comic Relief.
Disbursement
Generally, HBO and other sponsors pick up all (or most) of the costs of Comic Relief events, so that every (or nearly every) penny raised or contributed goes to the cause. Also, the hosts and other performers of Comic Relief events often get involved personally in projects run or supported by the charity.[3]
- In Denver, Colorado, Paul Rodriguez helped open a medical facility made possible by Comic Relief funds; a woman holding a baby approached him, saying, "If it wasn't for Comic Relief, this child wouldn't have been born."[3]
- In battered women—and learned how, using Comic Relief funds, they were able to "take in a violent, alcoholic woman, slowly give her responsibilities and self-esteem, until she cleaned up and got a regular job."[citation needed]
Health Care for the Homeless (HCH)
Comic Relief distributes most of its funds raised to Health Care for the Homeless, which has project sites in 85 cities. This network of providers "was originally selected for start-up funding by the
U.S. Conference of Mayors
", and works annually in all 50 states with thousands of homeless children.
HCH projects are created and run by their 104 organizational members in local communities. Since 1 July 2008, 202 HCH guarantees of the
uninsured."[1]
Peripheral causes
Pets and Hurricane Katrina
In the wake of Hurricane Katrina (2006), Comic Relief made a point of rescuing pets and animals—and returning them to their owners when possible.[8]
Comic Relief Wild: The Concert for Animals
A new internationally held and aired event, Comic Relief Wild: The Concert for Animals, addressed endangered species and habitat destruction around the world in 2007.[when?][1]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h Comic Relief, Inc. Website: http://comicrelief.org
- ^ Comic Relief: The Best of Comedy for the Best of Causes. 1996.
- ^ ISBN 0-380-97391-X
- ^ "Comic Relief: The Greatest… And The Latest DVD". Shout! Factory. 2008. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
Featuring Appearances by Lewis Black, George Carlin, Jim Carrey, Dave Chappelle, Stephen Colbert, Bill Maher, Howie Mandel, Chris Rock, Ray Romano, Bob Saget, Jon Stewart, Sarah Silverman and Many More!
- ^ Unless otherwise credited, material covered in the "Description/Highlights" column of the chronology is from the 2-DVD box set, "Comic Relief: The Greatest...And The Latest", 2008
- ^ Lambert, Pam (12 October 1992). "Miami Spells Hurricane Relief G-L-O-R-I-A". People. Retrieved 28 October 2021.
- ^ "'Comic Relief' Returns to HBO". zap2it.com. 6 September 2006. Archived from the original on 27 September 2012. Retrieved 2 February 2007.
- ^ Pet Evacuation and Transportation Standards Actwas a result of the New Orleans pet tragedy.)
External links
- Archived website ComicRelief.org (now owned by Comic Relief, Inc.)