Mason, who went through at least a partial career slump after the Sullivan episode, personifies the Borscht Belt comedian. There's little question a lot of his humor is Jewish-related, and his schtick is peppered with quite a bit of Yiddish, which to the uninitiated can make Mason seems like he's trying to cough up a hairball in the middle of any given routine. Mason is also unabashedly politically incorrect, incorrect enough to make Bill Maher look like Pollyanna by comparison. Mason, once on the cusp of one his many "major" comebacks, famously jettisoned his chance at prime time sitcom success with an ill-advised comment about blacks (the little remembered series was the short lived Chicken Soup, given the then plum spot following top rated Roseanne, featuring Mason and co-star Lynn Redgrave in an equally ill advised semi-update of Abie's Irish Rose, or, alternatively, a semi-geriatric remake of Bridget Loves Bernie). But the perhaps more jaded New York City audience, obviously consisting of a lot of, if not mostly, Jews, has helped resurrect Mason's career more than once, including with his one man Broadway show which earned him a Tony.

This "farewell" performance finds Mason surprisingly low key (he seems to be nursing a cold--he sniffles quite a bit and finally brings out a handkerchief to repeatedly wipe his nose late in the set), if no less scabrous. Taking on everything from Hillary Clinton to Barack Obama (the special was evidently taped sometime late in last year's primary race) to such cultural references as erectile dysfunction and rap music, Mason is an equal opportunity offender, of that there's little doubt. What struck me repeatedly in this special, is how similar some of his rants sounded to Rush Limbaugh, of all people. Little comments about what exactly granted Hillary her "experience," or the disparity between others calling Blacks the "N" word and their own intracultural use of the term, sounded like they could have come straight from that vaunted "golden EIB microphone." I had to wonder if Mason was being deliberately ironic, or perhaps he, along with Joe Lieberman (someone Mason also skewers) are the two Jewish conservatives.

The audience seems entertained, if not at the point of hysterics very often, especially for something that's being blled as Mason's final New York performance. Part of this may be due to Mason's rather confrontational opening, where he chooses several people in the front row (ostensibly in jest) and then holds them up as examples of being "fagelehs" (gay in Yiddish) or other equally stereotypical pejoratives. Unlike Rickles, though, there's a certain gentleness, as hard as it may be to believe, in Mason's "attacks," softened up by his light laughter every few minutes. The actual performance is intercut with both historical footage (at least up front), and then every few minutes with some backstage commentary by Mason. To say that Mason appears full of himself is a bit of an understatement, but again, one has to wonder how much of this is intentionally ironic.

Mason is a relic in a way, and this concert memorializes a brand of comedy that is going the way of the Dodo. One of the most appreciated stand-ups within the comedy profession, Mason doesn't always translate well to the public at large. You may not need to be Jewish to at least like Jackie Mason, but my hunch is it's going to help if you are.

The DVD

Video:
Jackie Mason: The Ultimate Jew arrives in an above average enhanced 1.78:1 transfer. There's nothing much here to really marvel at--Mason, alone on a fairly dimly lit stage, with a scrim filled with various graphics. Color is fine, detail is sharp if not amazing, and contrast is at least acceptable--this is a pretty dark looking DVD, but you can at least make out Mason all the time.

Sound:
The standard stereo soundtrack is similarly just fine, but nothing to write home about. Mason can be heard just fine throughout, in fact, a bit too fine at times--he has an odd habit of hemming and hawing and making strange sounds after he's delivered his punchline, and that's all reproduced here in stunning (?) clarity. No subtitles are offered.

Extras:
An 11 minute extra has more of the backstage stuff featured in the main event, including some of the same footage that is used in the routine as interstitial material. There's also a bonus CD, featuring the soundtrack to the special, so that you can, I guess, travel with Mason in your car.

Final Thoughts:
Jackie Mason is an acquired taste. He ends his routine joking about being "too Jewish," but I fear that may indeed be what turns off some potential viewers of this performance. My recommendation is to Rent It first to see if Mason delights you enough to want to invite him into your permanent collection.

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"G-d made stars galore" & "Hey, what kind of a crappy fortune is this?" ZMK, modern prophet