Griffin Speaks

In the 1960s one of my favorite comics was the legendary Moms Mabley. She was so funny you would shed tears listening to her jokes. She was born Loretta Mary Aiken on March 19, 1897 in Brevard, North Carolina. She changed her name to Jackie Mabley. She said that she took the Mabley name from an old boyfriend because he had taken so much from her the least she could do was take his name. Mom’s comic character was that of an old cantankerous woman who wore a funny hat. She had a wide toothless grin. 

While still a young woman her father forced her to marry a very old man. She used that experience in much of her comic routines. A few examples of her jokes: “I’m telling you that man was pitiful. His suspenders were bigger than he was.. and weak. He was so weak, one day he went to pop his fingers and broke his wrist. One day he bit down on a pancake and got lockjaw. His shadow weighed more than he did. He was so old Santa Claus looked like his son. Why he was so old that when his sister died and we went to the funeral, the minister walked over, tapped him on the back and asked: “How old are you pops?”…Ninety-one, he replied, which prompted the minister to add: “No need for you to go home then!” And ugly—my, that man was ugly. He was so ugly he hurt my feelings. He had to tip up on a glass of water to get a drink of water. He had a job in the doctor’s office standing by the front door making people sick. And if you want to make me sick, just show me an old man!” I thought that man would never die… I shouldn’t talk about him like that though. He dead. They say you shouldn’t say nothing about the dead unless you say something good. HE DEAD. GOOD!!!

 “Colored fellow down home died. Pulled up to the gate. St. Peter looked at him, and said, “What do you want?” Hey man, you know me. Hey Jack, you know me. I’m old Sam Jones. Old Sam Jones, man you know me. Used to be with the NAACP, you know CORE and all that stuff, man marches, remember me? Oh man, you know me: He just broke down there, You know me. He looked in his book. “Sam Jones, no Sam Jones, no you ain’t in here. Oh man you know me; I’m the cat that married that white girl on the Capitol steps in Lower Mississippi. St. Peter asked: “How long ago was that? He said, “About five minutes ago!

 Moms Mabley performed at Carnegie Hall, the Apollo Theater and the Cotton Club. She recorded nine smash hit albums for Chess records. Moms is credited with influencing such comics as Bill Cosby, Whoppi Goldberg and Richard Pryor. Moms died on May 23, 1975 in White Plains New York. She is buried in Ferncliff Cemetery and Mausoleum in Westchester County, New York, plot: Knollwood Gdn1, Row 14, Grave 4. 

We love you Moms. May God rest your soul!

 Greg griffin is a freelance writer. You can read his previous articles by visiting his webpage at www.greggriffin.com