Joke racin’ with Mason

Joe Delaney

Friday, March 27, 1998 | 9:36 a.m.

Jackie Mason took being politically incorrect to the extreme Thursday in the Sahara Congo Room before a large and mostly appreciative audience. Mel Kohl had the first 20 minutes and did nicely with his various ethnic accents, as heard on Los Angeles cable television. He is personable and versatile, but needs stronger material.

Mason is a voracious reader, right on top of today's events, with a brilliant, questioning mind. He tells the truth funny. His Yiddish accent makes it even funnier. Jackie is an equal opportunity destroyer. Nothing is safe or sacred.

He opened with a discussion of homosexuals vs. heterosexuals, went from there to the feminist movement and sexual harassment. He hit the various minority organizations, including fat people, and how each gathers strength and becomes very belligerent. Cerebral, true, but mostly hilarious.

His segment on President Clinton ran too long, repetitive but funny, half as much would have been twice as effective. Clinton haters loved it. He did mitigate it a bit with takes on Richard Nixon, George Bush and Ronald Reagan. Discrimination was the next topic and he came a cropper when he hit upon the Irish, not knowing there were 37 Irish citizens attending a security convention in the audience. He quickly went back to familiar territory: Jews vs. Gentiles.

Henry Kissinger, Ted Kennedy, William F. Buckley (hilarious); Willie Nelson and Julio Iglesias (likewise); Frank Sinatra (devastating); and Ed Sullivan (his best) wrapped up a laugh-filled hour at its highest point. No one funnier is working Las Vegas on a regular basis.

JOE DELANEY is a SUN entertainment critic.