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  • Carol Burnett Criticizes Modern Sitcoms, Receives SAG Lifetime Achievement Award

    Comedienne and TV personality Carol Burnett shared her thoughts on the present state of comedy as she sat for an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.

    Burnett, who received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Screen Actors Guild Awards on Saturday evening, could not help but notice how much modern comedy has changed. She said much of today’s sitcom’s “sound like they’ve been written by teenage boys in a locker room.”

    While there is nothing wrong with sitcoms being edgy, she admitted she misses the old classic way of delivering jokes.

    “I am kind of bored of producers saying, ‘It’s got to be edgy.’ Edgy is fine — I’m not a prude by any stretch of the imagination — but what’s wrong with a good ol’ belly laugh? I miss that,” Burnett shared.

    Producers wanted sitcoms to be fast and Carol Burnett thinks because of this trend, “some of the writing isn’t good anymore.”

    “A lot of comedy today is so fast — it’s like: “Boom! Boom! Boom!” — because they think people can’t pay enough attention,” observed the 82-year-old comedienne.

    Burnett faced a lot of discouragement before she became a comedy icon just because she was a woman. In her acceptance speech at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, she shared the discrimination she experienced as a woman trying to make a name in the comedy department.

    Carol Burnett Delivers an Inspiring Speech at the 2016 SAG Awards

    She hosted the comedy variety series The Carol Burnett Show but revealed the network wanted something different. Carol Burnett was told to do a half-hour sitcom called Here Comes Agnes but she refused. She revealed that she was constantly told by the network that comedy variety was not for girls. “They said, ‘Carol, no, no, no no, look. All the comedy variety shows are hosted by men,” Burnett recalled.

    Carol Burnett Starred in Her Own Sketch Comedy Show

    Fortunately, Carol Burnett did not give up. The Carol Burnett Show won 25 Emmy Awards during its 11-year run.

  • Carol Burnett Praised By Amy Poehler Ahead Of SAG Award Announcement

    Carol Burnett will be receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award at January’s SAG Awards, and the comedian is earning praise from those who grew up watching her show and learning from her. Amy Poehler was asked to say a few words about Burnett on a new DVD that contains long-lost episodes of the Carol Burnett Show from the first five seasons, and she said that one of the things that drew her to the charismatic redhead is that she’s so versatile.

    “We all hail Carol as the queen for a lot of reasons. One is because we grew up watching her, and we will always have those memories of discovering comedy with her and through her. And the other is that she’s so versatile,” Poehler said.

    Carol currently has a full plate, as she’s working on her fourth book and is developing a project with CBS Films called Sunrise In Memphis. With her hit show being called a “masterpiece” by SAG president Ken Howard, it’s likely Burnett will have another couple of successes on her hands. She’s won dozens of awards over the years for her contributions to entertainment and will now join fellow trailblazing female actresses Rita Moreno, Mary Tyler Moore, and Debbie Reynolds as a recipient of the highly coveted SAG award.

    “Carol Burnett is a creative dynamo and a comedic genius. She embodies the generosity and courage that the greatest actors use in creating enduring and memorable characters. From her heartbreakingly hilarious Starlet O’Hara to the adorably inept Eunice and alarmingly funny Miss Hannigan, Carol has delighted and inspired millions of viewers and thousands of comedic actors. She took risks as a performer and through her courage, encouraged fellow actors to try new things and always, always reach for the sky. Her innate love of actors led to the creation of an ensemble cast that made The Carol Burnett Show a masterpiece of variety programming,” Ken Howard said.

  • Carol Burnett Given Harvey Award

    Carol Burnett was honored on Friday night at a fundraiser for the James M. Stewart Museum Foundation.

    The TV legend and iconic comedienne spoke at the ceremony about growing up enamored with Jimmy Stewart.

    “I just love Jimmy Stewart,” Carol Burnett said. She recalled her first movie encounter with him, but couldn’t remember the name of the film.

    “It was the late 30s and in a nightclub setting. I know I was 3 or 4 because my feet couldn’t touch the floor from my seat. I just remember I fell in love with that man.”

    So did America.

    Burnett got her big chance to talk in depth with Jimmy Stewart when she was going to have lunch with him. She was to meet him on the set of The FBI Story in 1958.

    But, when it was time to be introduced, she sort of lost it.

    “There he was. I saw him, my idol up there,” Burnett said. After the introduction, she was out of ideas and flustered, so she said, “Well, I guess it’s time to tie on the old feed bag … I wanted to die.”

    Burnett then proceeded to step right into a bucket of whitewash, which she said she then “dragged across the entire stage, and I left and never went back.”

    Sometimes stars are just like us.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3Q7SJp5ig8

    Stewart always had a special place in Carol Burnett’s heart. That is why it was so fitting that she receive the honor this year.

    The 81-year-old is in good company with past winners like Janet Leigh, Shirley Jones, Ernest Borgnine and Rich Little. Little was famous for his impressions of Jimmy Stewart.

    Congratulations to Carol Burnett on her Harvey award and more so on her illustrious career as one of the funniest women to ever grace American TV screens.

  • Carol Burnett And Jimmy Fallon Are Hilarious In ‘Tonight Show’ Skit

    On the Monday episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, legendary comedian Carol Burnett made an appearance to promote her play Love Letters. Burnett gave viewers a treat by pretending to recall a ‘90s soap opera in which she supposedly starred with Jimmy Fallon, and the trip down memory lane provided the studio audience with a barrel of laughs.

    Fallon “reminded” Burnett about a show called Tensions, in which they played a married couple. The show was supposedly canceled due to the heightened tension they were required to create in order to hook audiences. Fallon then invited Burnett to view a few “clips” from the show.

    These “clips” were actually skits that required Burnett and Fallon to run from the interview desk to an ornate set and don flamboyant costumes. The hilarious scripts had Burnett and Fallon getting worked up over ordinary things such as coffee, telling the time and walking the dog.

    What made the segments even funnier was the fact that Burnett and Fallon had to run back to the interview desk after each one and pretend they had been sitting there all along. After the first segment, Fallon’s face was still wet from Burnett having thrown her coffee into it. Burnett’s outfit was also noticeably in disarray after each “clip,” and she even stopped trying to pretend after the last one, giving away the joke by going back to the interview desk still in her turban and costume.

    Earlier in the show, Burnett and Fallon discussed how they both had a hard time trying not to laugh during comedic performances, and this was evident throughout their Tensions skit. Burnett will be appearing in Love Letters opposite Tony Award-winner Brian Dennehy for four weeks starting on October 11, Saturday. The comedian was also recently given the Harvey Award by the James M. Stewart Museum Foundation.

  • Carol Burnett Receives Harvey Award in Honor of Jimmy Stewart

    Comedienne Carol Burnett received the Harvey Award on Friday in honor of the late, great Jimmy Stewart. The award was bestowed upon her at a fundraiser for the James M. Stewart Museum Foundation, which is based in the late actor’s hometown of Indiana, Pennsylvania. Burnett was quite taken with Jimmy Stewart from the very first time she laid eyes on the A Wonderful Life star. That first time was when she was just a small child attending the movies in San Antonio, Texas, with her grandmother.

    “I saw this long, tall drink of water up there in black and white, and I said, ‘He’s my friend. I know him,’” she said right before she received the award. “And it came to pass.”

    The Harvey Award is named for the 1950 film in which Jimmy Stewart befriends an invisible rabbit. It is given annually to someone with entertainment industry connections to Stewart. Previous recipients include Janet Leigh, Shirley Jones, Ernest Borgnine, and Rich Little. Little was known for his stammering impression of Jimmy Stewart.

    Some might say Carol Burnett had fewer professional connections with Jimmy Stewart than others who might also have been considered for the award. She had an emotional connection, however, that simply couldn’t be surpassed. Jimmy Stewart even made a surprise visit to her final taping of The Carol Burnett Show back in March of 1978.

    “I have talked about him, I have worshipped him,” she said when he took the stage that evening.

    “They hid him in the dressing room from me,” she told the Associated Press of that surprise appearance.

    “I just love Jimmy Stewart,” Carol Burnett said after receiving her award, remembering that trip to the movies, but not the name of the film. “It was the late ’30s and in a nightclub setting. I know I was 3 or 4 because my feet couldn’t touch the floor from my seat. I just remember I fell in love with that man.”

    Carol Burnett is now 81 years old.

    Congratulations to Carol Burnett for receiving the Harvey Award in honor of Jimmy Stewart. He is no doubt smiling down on her with fondness and appreciation. She is a perfect choice for keeping his legacy and his memory alive.

  • Jerry Lewis Makes Attempt To Clarify Comments

    Jerry Lewis had some serious backpedaling to do after his comments a few years ago, and in his attempt, did graciously tip his hat to classic comediennes Carol Burnett and Lucille Ball, according to AP.

    The offensive comment that he made went something like he thought women were funny, but not when crude. I could agree, but some who are offensive on a regular basis might find that…offensive.

    He tried to clarify by saying, “Seeing a woman project the kind of aggression that you have to project as a comic just rubs me wrong. And they’re funny — I mean you got some very, very funny people that do beautiful work,”

    Then got a little confusing as he added, ” — but I have a problem with the lady up there that’s going to give birth to a child — which is a miracle,” Lewis said.

    So, you can be crude, unless you’re pregnant. I’m not sure what he’s trying to say, however, in his praise of Burnett and Ball, he did have some beautiful words. He said of Carol Burnett, “…when you have women like Carol Burnett, that’s the greatest female entrepreneur of comedy. I just saw Carol at the Smith Center at home in Vegas, and I was stunned by how brilliant she is and how brilliantly she brings the audience right up to her.”

    Of Lucille Ball, he said she “went to the lowest level of the barrel, and she was brilliant because of it.”

    His lovely remarks were made after a ceremony to put his hand and foot prints outside Hollywood’s Chinese Theater, after which he was to attend a 50th anniversary screening of The Nutty Professor as part of the TCM Classic Film Festival. He was accompanied by his only daughter, Danielle Sara Lewis. She is the youngest of his 7 children.

    “This is an incredible time for me,” he said. “I have never, ever had an experience like this and had my daughter present. And this is the first time I’ve ever asked her to join me.”

    That crazy Jerry Lewis.

    Image Via YouTube

  • Jerry Lewis Praises Lucille Ball and Carol Burnett

    Jerry Lewis was full of praise Saturday for fellow comedians Lucille Ball and Carol Burnett while having prints of his hands and feet immortalized in the cement outside the TCL Chinese Theater in Hollywood.

    Lewis, 88, hasn’t always been a big proponent of female comedians.

    In fact, there was a time when Lewis said he didn’t like female comedians at all. But after criticism for his remarks, he changed his tune, saying Lucille Ball was “brilliant” and Carol Burnett is “the greatest female entrepreneur of comedy.”

    During the ceremony, Lewis said Ball “went to the lowest level of the barrel, and she was brilliant because of it.”

    Lewis told reporters he likes a funny female comedian like the next guy, but says he draws the line at crudeness and does not like to see a woman demean her femininity by succumbing to crudeness and aggressive humor.

    “Seeing a woman project the kind of aggression that you have to project as a comic just rubs me wrong. And they’re funny — I mean you got some very, very funny people that do beautiful work — but I have a problem with the lady up there that’s going to give birth to a child — which is a miracle,” Lewis said. “But when you have women like Carol Burnett, that’s the greatest female entrepreneur of comedy. I just saw Carol at the Smith Center at home in Vegas, and I was stunned by how brilliant she is and how brilliantly she brings the audience right up to her.”

    Lewis’s wife and daughter were on hand at the cement ceremony and the actor asked his daughter, Danielle Sara Lewis, to take a bow.

    “This is an incredible time for me,” he said. “I have never, ever had an experience like this and had my daughter present. And this is the first time I’ve ever asked her to join me.”

    Lewis was to attend a 50th anniversary screening of one of his most famous films, The Nutty Professor, following the event.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Jerry Lewis Doesn’t Find Crude Women Funny

    Jerry Lewis Doesn’t Find Crude Women Funny

    Jerry Lewis isn’t impressed by female comics who cross the line into vulgarity. He simply doesn’t find them funny. The 88-year-old comedian and actor was once criticized for expressing what many believed was his distaste for female comics altogether. He clarified his comments, however, on Saturday when he was honored following the placing of his hands and feet in cement outside of Hollywood’s Chinese Theater.

    “Seeing a woman project the kind of aggression that you have to project as a comic just rubs me wrong. And they’re funny — I mean you got some very, very funny people that do beautiful work — but I have a problem with the lady up there that’s going to give birth to a child — which is a miracle,” Lewis said. “But when you have women like Carol Burnett, that’s the greatest female entrepreneur of comedy. I just saw Carol at the Smith Center at home in Vegas, and I was stunned by how brilliant she is and how brilliantly she brings the audience right up to her.”

    Lewis said Lucille Ball “went to the lowest level of the barrel, and she was brilliant because of it.”

    Jerry Lewis’s wife and daughter accompanied him to the ceremony. It apparently was a first for his daughter. He even asked her to take a bow. Hopefully Lewis didn’t temper his comments about comediennes because his daughter was present.

    “This is an incredible time for me,” he said. “I have never, ever had an experience like this and had my daughter present. And this is the first time I’ve ever asked her to join me.”

    Danielle Sara Lewis is the youngest of Jerry Lewis’s 7 children. She is his only daughter.

    Just imagine what Lewis must be thinking about female comics like Kathy Griffin or Lisa Lampanelli. Vulgarity flows from their mouths like water from the kitchen faucet. It might be interesting to hear what the comic legend would say about their performances.

    Jerry Lewis appeared frail at the event celebrating his success as an actor and a comedian. At one point he required some help standing when his legs appeared to fail him.

    Do you agree with Jerry Lewis’s reaction to female comics? Does this generation have a potential Lucille Ball or a Carol Burnett–or have female comics all sunk to the lows Lewis detests?

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Jerry Lewis Honored, Said Women Are Funny

    Jerry Lewis was immortalized in hand and foot prints at famed TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles on Saturday, and said that women are funny, but not when they are crude.

    The 88-year-old entertainer was criticized for expressing his distaste for female comedians a few years ago, but delivered clarifying comments on the matter after leaving his prints in cement outside the Chinese Theatre on Saturday.

    Lewis praised Lucille Ball, and said she “went to the lowest level of the barrel, and was brilliant because of it.”

    He also called Carol Burnett the “greatest female entrepreneur of comedy.”

    “Seeing a woman project the kind of aggression that you have to project as a comic just rubs me wrong. And they’re funny — I mean you got some very, very funny people that do beautiful work — but I have a problem with the lady up there that’s going to give birth to a child — which is a miracle,” Lewis said.

    “But when you have women like Carol Burnett, that’s the greatest female entrepreneur of comedy. I just saw Carol at the Smith Center at home in Vegas, and I was stunned by how brilliant she is and how brilliantly she brings the audience right up to her,” he said.

    Lewis entertained the crowd during the ceremonies. He took his own pictures of guests from the stage, made funny faces, led the crowd in an impromptu version of Silent Night, cracked jokes, and even bit Quentin Tarantino in the hand.

    “I just got bitten by Jerry Lewis,” said Tarantino, who introduced Lewis at the event, and spoke about the impact that Lewis had on his life.

    “I really think this man is a treasure,” said Tarantino.

    “He is one of the great actors/directors in the history of cinema,” Tarantino said.

    Lewis was joined by his wife and daughter, whom he adopted in 1992. He asked her to take a bow during the festivities, in a rare public appearance together.

    “This is an incredible time for me,” Lewis said.

    “I have never, ever had an experience like this and had my daughter present. And this is the first time I’ve ever asked her to join me.”

    The event was part of the Turner Classic Movie Classic Film Festival, and Lewis left the handprint ceremony to introduce a special screening of The Nutty Professor that evening.

    “It was wonderful to see all of you,” Lewis said, smiling and waving to the audience as he left.

    “I’ll see you all later,” said Lewis.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Carol Burnett: The PBS Fresh Air Interview

    Carol Burnett: The PBS Fresh Air Interview

    Who doesn’t know Carol Burnett! If you grew up in the 50’s and 60’s you probably saw her frequently on shows such as the Winchell-Mahoney Show, a children’s TV program, co-starring with Buddy Hackett on the sitcom Stanley and in the late 50’s, she became a regular on the Garry Moore Show. Over the years, she was also featured on CBS specials. Already a popular performer, she got her own comedy-variety show, The Carol Burnett Show, in 1967.

    She has quite the impressive biography and has accomplished leaps and bounds, and today at 80 years old, is still going strong.

    One of her long list of accomplishments include the upcoming Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, which will be aired on PBS on Sunday, November 24th. She was the first woman to host a TV variety show, winning 22 Emmy Awards.

    In her early days, she starred in the musical comedy, Once Upon a Mattress, and has starred in movies such as A Wedding, The Four Seasons and Annie.

    In a recent interview by Terry Gross of NPR, she talked about her childhood, being raised by alcholics and how humor was common in her family. She said, “I had a lot of laughs with my grandmother and my mother. They had great senses of humor.”

    When asked about the prevalence of alcoholism in her family, with both her parents dying from alcohol related diseases, she simply said, “… people who read the memoir… they think, oh, my gosh, that was a real tough upbringing. But I never felt that. We were poor, and both my parents died, eventually, of alcoholism, but I was kind of in the same boat with a lot of the kids in the neighborhood. Everybody was poor, and a lot of their folks had drinking problems. But we found a way to survive and to play and to laugh and thrive in a funny way.”

    What an incredible woman, and the PBS Special might be a show not to be missed!

    Image via Wikimedia

  • Carol Burnett’s Rise from Ashes

    The groundbreaking comedienne, Carol Burnett, won the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in October and the ceremony will air on PBS on Sunday, Nov. 24.

    The 80-year-old Burnett’s rise to fame began from humble beginnings and a troubled childhood. Raised by alcoholic parents, she eventually moved in with her ‘theatrical hypochondriac’ grandmother. In her 1986 memoir, One More Time and in an interview with NPR, she details her childhood and the influence her mother and grandmother had on her future in comedy.

    “They had great senses of humor. And people who read the memoir and have read it, they think, oh, my gosh, that was a real tough upbringing. But I never felt that,” Carol said. “We were poor, and both my parents died, eventually, of alcoholism, but I was kind of in the same boat with a lot of the kids in the neighborhood.

    “Everybody was poor, and a lot of their folks had drinking problems. But we found a way to survive and to play and to laugh and thrive in a funny way.”

    Burnett would eventually become one of the most influential comediennes in her field. She was one of the first women to host her own variety show, The Carol Burnett Show, which ran for 11 years and won 25 Emmy’s. During the run of the show on CBS from 1967 to ’78, she began a tradition of pulling on her earlobe at the end of each show as a tribute to her grandmother. She continues that tradition to this day.

    Equally well-known for her singing, writing and acting, Burnett has been the recipient of a Peabody Award, several Golden Globes and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005.

    During the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor ceremony, fellow comedienne Tina Fey spoke of the great influence Burnett has been in her own career.

    “A lot of female comediennes are going to come out and say that ‘I love you so much,’  ” Fey told Carol, “but I’m saying it first!”

    “I fell in love with sketch comedy watching your show, and you proved sketch comedy is a good place for women,” Fey said. “Only in sketch comedy does a woman get to play Cher, Scarlett O’Hara, the Queen of England, a Girl Scout, Mrs. Wiggins — all in one night.”

    Image via The Kennedy Center
    Video via NDN

  • 80-Year-Old Carol Burnett Receives Coveted Comedic Award

    Carol Burnett became one of the few women to receive the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor late last month. Fellow comedians including Martin Short, Tina Fey, Rashida Jones, Amy Poehler and long-time collaborator Vicki Lawrence filled the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC with high spirits (and no shortage of political jokes) to present the prestigious award to their friend and respected colleague.

    Most famous for her highly successful variety show, “The Carol Burnett Show,” Burnett’s eyes were opened to comedy while attending UCLA for Journalism. One acting course changed her aspirations, and a random talent scouting brought her to “The Ed Sullivan Show” singing a comedic rendition about the present secretary of state. This led her to Broadway, “The Garry Moore Show,” and then to a 10-year contract with CBS doing guest spots.

    “The Carol Burnett Show” followed in 1967, and although she met a bit of opposition (a woman hosting a variety show was unheard of in the 60s), the show ran for 11 years with over 30 million viewers each week. The show brought fame to Burnett as well as to other cast members- most notably Vicki Lawrence, who gave Carol Burnett credit for starting her career during her ceremonial speech. PBS will air this well-deserved celebration nationwide for the inspirational and buoyant comedienne Sunday, November 24th.

    Source: USA Today Image: YouTube

  • Carol Burnett Wins Mark Twain Prize

    Carol Burnett Wins Mark Twain Prize

    Carol Burnett has been a leading lady of funny for 50 years, acting, singing and staring in her variety show, The Carol Burnet Show.

    Because of Burnett’s comedic prowess, the iconic star was presented with the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. The award was presented to Burnett at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on Sunday night.

    “This is very encouraging,” the 80-year-old actress jokingly said.

    “It was a long time in coming, but I understand because there are so many people funnier than I am, especially here in Washington. With any luck, they’ll all get voted out, and I’ll still have the Mark Twain Prize,” said Burnett.

    Julie Andrews, Amy Poehler, Tina Fey and Martin Short were among the celebrities who shared their thoughtful words about the winning woman.

    “You were smart enough to know that sketch comedy is a great place for women,” Fey said.

    The 30 Rock writer and star won the award three years ago in 2010.

    Fey said, “because only in sketch comedy does a woman get to dress up like Cher, Scarlett O’Hara, the queen of England, Norma Desmond, a Girl Scout and Mrs. Wiggins, all in one night. You mean so much to me. I love you in a way that is just shy of creepy.”

    After the nearly two-hour tribute, Burnett herself took the stage and explained where her love for comedy began. She said that it all started while she was studying at the University of California, Los Angeles, where she received her first laugh playing a hillbilly.

    “I was hooked on making those laughs forever,” she said.

    The Mark Twain Award Winner has had other several honors including Emmys and a Peabody.

    Carol Burnett: The Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize will air on Nov. 24 on PBS.

    Photo Credit: YouTube

  • Carol Burnett Awarded Prize for American Comedy

    Carol Burnett received the 16th annual Mark Twain Prize for American Humor on Sunday evening at the Kennedy Center in D.C. Carol Burnett is seen as a role model to comedians past and present, such as Tina Fey, after she paved the way for women in comedy.

    Determined, The Carol Burnett Show ran from 1967–1978, with 11 seasons, 278 episodes and averaged 30 million viewers each week after being told by one TV executive “variety is a man’s game.”

    “I said ‘well this is what I know, and this is what I want to do,’” Burnett said.

    (image)
    The Carol Burnett Show, Season 8, Episode 14 via Youtube

    Burnett said it’s a thrill to receive the award named for humorist and satirist Mark Twain and that she’s in good company with past honorees, who include Tina Fey, Bill Cosby, Steve Martin, Lily Tomlin and Ellen DeGeneres.

    Fey opened the ceremony humorously of course, making jokes about Obamacare and the recent government shutdown, but then honored Burnett for opening doors for other women in comedy.

    “You mean so much to me,” Fey said. “I love you in a way that is just shy of creepy.”

    As she received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor entertainers including Julie Andrews, Tony Bennett, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler and others performed in Burnett’s honor.

    “This is very encouraging,” Burnett said in accepting the prize. “I mean it was a long time in coming, but I understand because there are so many people funnier than I am, especially here in Washington.”

    The show will be broadcast Nov. 24 on PBS stations.

    Image (via) WikiCommons

  • Carol Burnett Receives Top Comedy Honor

    Carol Burnett has been an icon for many over the years; as one of the first women to make comedy her business of choice, she paved the way for other funny ladies in an era when men dominated both stage and television. That all changed when Burnett took over with her own variety show in the ’60s, giving us now-classic characters that were all her own invention and helping those she saw potential in get their foot in the door.

    Now, she’s been given one of comedy’s top honors–the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor–and some of the nation’s funniest actors and comedians were there to celebrate her at the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts.

    “This is very encouraging,” Burnett said as she accepted her award. “I mean it was a long time in coming, but I understand because there are so many people funnier than I am, especially here in Washington. With any luck, they’ll soon get voted out, and I’ll still have the Mark Twain prize.”

    Burnett was known for her impressions and strong characters, as well as for involving her entire face and body in the joke; unafraid to look a little silly for the sake of a punchline, she was much like Jim Carrey in those days before anyone knew who Jim Carrey was. The trailblazing actress was honored by Tina Fey, Tony Bennett, Julie Andrews, Amy Poehler, and Martin Short, among others. Fey and comedienne Rosemary Watson were both inspired by Burnett growing up, and Watson says she was inspired to create her own funny characters–as well as do impressions–by watching Burnett growing up.

    “I do what I do because of her,” Watson said. “For me, she was it. She was the female comedian I wanted to be most like.”

    The awards show was recorded and will air on PBS stations on November 24.

    Image: YouTube