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From the Archives: Comedians and Actors Townsend and Belzer.

Interviews with comedians Richard Belzer and Robert Townsend. Belzer has been a professional comic for more than 15 years. For five years, he was the emcee at Catch a Rising Star, New York's best-known comedy club, and has appeared frequently on "Saturday Night Live" "The Tonight Show" and "Late Night with David Letterman." He's also written a book titled How To Be a Stand-up Comic. (Belzer first aired on Fresh Air on 12/31/87).

Robert Townsend is one of the few black film makers in Hollywood's recent history. His 1987 movie, "Hollywood Shuffle" poked fun at the film industry's racial stereotypes. Townsend also directed "Raw," the concert film of comedian Eddie Murphy. Terry spoke with Townsend on June 9th, 1987, just after "Hollywood Shuffle" opened.

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Other segments from the episode on December 29, 1989

Fresh Air with Terry Gross, December 29, 1989: Interviews with Phyllis Diller and Richard Lewis; Interviews with Richard Belzer and Robert Townsend; Interview with Al Franken.
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22:52

From the Archives: Comedians Diller and Lewis.

Interviews with comics Phyllis Diller and Richard Lewis. For more than 40 years, Phyllis Diller has made a career out of her own poor looks, and the exploits of her bumbling, imaginary, husband, Fang. Diller paved the way for an entire generation of female comics. Terry's interview with Phyllis Diller first aired on the weekly version of Fresh Air on 7/1/86.

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04:08

The Al Franken Decade.

For the last word on the 80s, comedian Al Franken looks back on the Al Franken decade. It's from an interview Terry did with Franken on March 22, 1988.

Interview

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Transcripts are created on a rush deadline, and accuracy and availability may vary. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Please be aware that the authoritative record of Fresh Air interviews and reviews are the audio recordings of each segment.

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03:50

Black Artists and Black Narratives

Critic-at-large Laurie Stone reviews a new play and movie about the African American experience, both written by African American artists. She says the works should be celebrated for their refusal to pander to white audiences.

Review
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10:01

Resisting Hollwood's Demand to "Be Blacker"

Film actor, writer, and director Robert Townsend satirizes his experiences as an African American in Hollywood in the new film, Hollywood Shuffle. He says that television commercials have given him more opportunities than movies to play diverse roles.

Interview

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Daughter of Warhol star looks back on a bohemian childhood in the Chelsea Hotel

Alexandra Auder's mother, Viva, was one of Andy Warhol's muses. Growing up in Warhol's orbit meant Auder's childhood was an unusual one. For several years, Viva, Auder and Auder's younger half-sister, Gaby Hoffmann, lived in the Chelsea Hotel in Manhattan. It was was famous for having been home to Leonard Cohen, Dylan Thomas, Virgil Thomson, and Bob Dylan, among others.

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This fake 'Jury Duty' really put James Marsden's improv chops on trial

In the series Jury Duty, a solar contractor named Ronald Gladden has agreed to participate in what he believes is a documentary about the experience of being a juror--but what Ronald doesn't know is that the whole thing is fake.

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