Many people in their 80’s usually spend their birthday sitting down to a glass of hot milk. But if you’re Jack Rothman, you’ve just celebrated your 80th birthday on your feet, winning a stand-up comedy contest at the famous Ice House club in Pasadena. He took first place in the Uncle Clyde competition, downing nine other contenders, all of them young enough to be his grandchildren. This victory gains him a place in the year-end Grand Finals in November at the Ice House main room.
Realizing that he is older than most comics, Rothman muses, “Somebody has to replace George Burns, who went on doing great stand-up until he was 100 years old. Me, I’m only 80, so I’m looking out at a long career.” Rothman has hired MAYO Communications, an LA-based national publicity firm to get the word out that life begins at 80 and when you retire, anyone can help improve community life.
For Rothman, life has not been totally a laughing matter. He is a professor emeritus at UCLA, a researcher, and an author of 25 books. Rothman is considered by many the leading scholar, internationally, in his field of community change strategy. But for him, comedy has been a real change and it has been a gift. In fact, on his 75th birthday, he received a certificate for a comedy class from his children.
“I guess they figured if I’m going to be telling jokes, I might as well learn how to do it better,” he explained. Rothman has learned well, making appearances at the Hollywood Improv, the Comedy Store on the Sunset Strip, Pasadena’s Ice House, and at pubs and coffee houses all over Southern California.
Source: Mayo Communications
