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A Pioneer for Freedom of Speech and First Amendment Rights
& why it made the Carpe City list
Mr. Bruce is a recurring character in Amazon’s The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Actor Luke Kirby plays Bruce and highlights his sarcastic attitude toward his comedy. While the TV show does take some creative liberties, his story is portrayed pretty accurately. The show depicts how he spent nights in jail for offending the crowd at his stand-up shows. At the end of Season 2, Bruce performs a set in song form, which is about being alone in life which was a real Lenny Bruce set!
Freedom of speech was made official in the First Amendment to the Constitution in the year 1791 and included freedom of religion, press, and the right to assemble. Ancient Greeks first introduced the idea of this freedom in their concept of “parrhesia,” meaning “to speak candidly,” and this principle became a fundamental aspect of democracy in Athens. Just as ancient Athenians, politicians, philosophers, writers, and citizens alike were given the right to express their thoughts, and even criticize the government openly, Lenny Bruce felt that through his comedy, he should be able to do the same without the onslaught of obscenity charges. With Bruce’s pardon, Pataki said: “Freedom of speech is one of the greatest American liberties, and I hope this pardon serves as a reminder of the precious freedoms we are fighting to preserve.”
If you are interested in old school comedy, here is a round-up of some of the best. You can watch it for free if you have Amazon Prime:
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