Jack Benny's Impact On Modern America

There are few people in the world who have the opportunity to impact millions of lives. Throughout the twentieth century, Jack Benny was able to reach millions of Americans by way of radio broadcast, television, film, and vaudeville act. For over three decades, Benny successfully connected comedy with the everyday life of an American. Audiences found his simple comedic acts hysterical and profound; possibly, they related Benny’s scenarios to their own personal lives. While in competition with the likes of Fibber McGee and Molly and the famous Bob Hope, Benny was able to find his niche in the radio game through early situational comedy. These early uses of situational comedy used in real-life scenarios ensured that the Jack Benny Show would become a precursor to many modern-day shows that Americans hold dearly. An array of shows in mid-twentieth century focused on a typical American life or on sketch comedy. For centuries to come, each of Jack Benny’s episodes would impact the media industry through his use of comedy in relation to real-life scenarios. The Jack Benny Program broadcasted for …show more content…
Unlike some stars that have been bred by famous performing families, Benny started his performance career at age six with the violin (Fein 17). After flunking out of grade school and business school, he headed to vaudeville theater with his violin. A few years passed by, then Benny joined the Navy during World War I (Fein 31). It was mediocre violin performance during the war that introduced Benny to comedy. While he received boos from his fellow comrades, he decided to ad-lib his way out of the predicament, and this moment allowed Benny to realize his talents in comedy (Fein 32). After the war he worked his way up to the top of the entertainment industry, and he became famous for his comedic timing and quick