Joe Raiola

The spirit of John Lennon lives in the heart of New York City. See you tomorrow night at Town Hall!

Please join me on Tuesday, May 18 at 7pm for A MAD LIFE IN COMEDY, a FREE PROGRAM presented by Theatre Within and The Mark Twain House & Museum! Register here:
https://marktwainhouse.org/event/the-mark-twain-house-museum-and-theatre-within-present-a-mad-life-in-comedy-with-joe-raiola-gak/

It will be a fun evening of MAD stories, plus I'll be sharing some of my favorite MAD articles from my 33 years at America's dumbest magazine. Please note: During the Q+A period I will pretend to not hear anyone who asks a difficult question.

https://www.theatrewithin.org
https://marktwainhouse.org

"After the death of a Filipino man killed by police kneeling on his neck, the silence of anti-racists is deafening" -- my new essay published today in the Filipino Press in San Diego.

From the essay: There have been no protest marches inspired by the death of Angelo Quinto. There are no public memorials for him. There are no activists raising their fists and shouting, “Say his name.” Black Lives Matter has said not a word about Quinto, who was a Filipino-American. The death of an unarmed man who was not Black caused by police kneeling on his neck does not qualify for a mention on the Black Lives Matter website or in its Twitter feed."

From the latest Raiola Rant at JoeRaiola.com:

"When buildings and cars are set ablaze, when your hometown becomes a war zone, when there are shoot-outs on the streets, when black-owned businesses take to putting signs in their windows begging to be spared, what is the message being sent?"

Note To Liberals: Condemn Rioting and Destruction As You Do Racism Or Enable Trump — Joe Raiola! Earlier this week, the New York Times – not Fox News – reported that voters in Wisconsin were beginning to tilt right. As the Times put it, “As residents see fires and looting, some worry that Democratic leaders are failing to keep control of the situation.”   Yes, the shooting of

From "Why I Am a Proud Un-proud America," the latest Raiola Rant at JoeRaiola.com:

"Here is a list of things more important than pride: being informed, intelligence, openness to changing one’s mind, compassion, generosity, honesty, being a good listener, creativity, empathy and wisdom. Having pride doesn’t even crack my top ten."

Why I Am a Proud Un-proud American — Joe Raiola! I have often been grateful to be an American, but proud? Perhaps the happiness I felt when we landed on the moon, when Nixon resigned and when Obama was elected is akin to pride. Even so, I have never thought of myself as a “proud American” or a patriot, at least not in any conventional sense. B...

"The World Will Not Be Canceled" is the new song from The Kennedys, featuring music by Maura Kennedy set to my lyrics, which are posted below.

Proceeds from all digital downloads ($1.29) will benefit Theatre Within, the non-profit I lead which provides ongoing free workshops -- in songwriting, art, meditation and more -- in partnership with Gilda's Club NYC and Gilda's Club Westchester for children and adults impacted by cancer.

With the temporary closing of these two vitally important spaces, Theatre Within moved its life-affirming programs online. In April, we will provide 18 free workshops for the NY-metro cancer community. Please support our life-affirming work by downloading the song and sharing this post.

Lyrics:
The world will not be canceled
The stage will not go dark
You'll never stop the children
From playing in the park;
The world will not be canceled
The church bells will still ring
The light dispels the darkness
Sure as winter yields to spring

The world will not be canceled
The page will always turn
The soul will always wander
The heart will always yearn;
The world will not be canceled
The dove will sing her song
The candle still will flicker
Even when our days are gone

Mighty empires rise
Only to tumble down down down
Sometimes silence
Sometimes silence
Is the deepest sound

The world will not be canceled
The tide will still come in
To wash away our sorrows
And all that's ever been;
The world will not be canceled
The church bells still will ring
The light dispels the darkness
Sure as winter yields to spring

♫ The World Will Not Be Canceled - The Kennedys. Listen @cdbaby Click to listen at CDBaby

Joe Raiola updated their website address.

From the latest Raiola Rant at JoeRaiola.com: Bernie Sanders Can't Win an Election vs. the Trump Creature from the Black Lagoon:

"You may love Bernie, but if you don’t think his health – not Trump’s – would be a major campaign issue in a race between them, then I suggest you lay off the progressive Kool-aid. Bernie doesn’t look good and he will look much worse standing, or hunching as the case may be, next to President Sociopath, a mutant of a man with a perverse life force, possessing all the shimmering vitality of the Creature from the Black Lagoon."

Bernie Sanders Can't Win an Election vs. the Trump Creature from the Black Lagoon — Joe Raiola! Bernie Sanders reports that his campaign raised $34.5 million in contributions in the final quarter of 2019. It’s an impressive number, outpacing both of his closet rivals, Pete Buttigieg and Joe Biden, by over $10 million. The independent Democratic socialist from Vermont might actually be the De...

From 'An Open Letter to Maureen Dowd's Brother' -- the latest Raiola Rant at JoeRaiola.com:

Dear Kevin,I wish my sister was a big shot columnist at the failing New York Times who would turn her widely read column over to me once a year. You can thank the biased liberal press for such a wonderful opportunity...

An Open Letter to Maureen Dowd’s Brother — Joe Raiola! Maureen Dowd turns her New York Times op-ed column over to her Trumpster brother, Kevin, once a year on Thanksgiving.  Kevin, like the autocrat president he so admires, has a chip on his shoulder the size of Jupiter. Here is my reply to his colorful defense of all things Trum

"Stop the killing now." -- John Lennon

Since 1981, producing the Annual John Lennon Tribute has been a labor of love for me and all involved. This year promises to be a very special one.

Join Friends of the Annual John Lennon Tribute at LennonTribute.org/join-friends by July 30 to get tickets to The 39th Annual John Lennon Tribute with Natalie Merchant before the general public.

Here's how to get tickets for The 39th Annual John Lennon Tribute with Natalie Merchant in the pre-sale, which will be held August 1-4, before tickets are available to the general public:

Join 'Friends of the Annual John Lennon Tribute' by July 30 at LennonTribute.org/join-friends. On July 31, you will receive an email with pre-sale instructions and the access code.

Just thrilled to announce Theatre Within's 39th Annual John Lennon Tribute charity concert with John Lennon Real Love Award honoree Natalie Merchant -- Friday, December 6 at Symphony Space, NY. How fortunate I am to be producing the Tribute for the 39th consecutive year!

Tickets on sale August 6 at 1pm at LennonTribute.org, however pre-sale tickets are available by joining Friends of the Annual John Lennon Tribute by July 30 at LennonTribute.org/join-friends

All proceeds support the wonderful work of Theatre Within, which provides ongoing free workshops -- in songwriting, art, meditation and more -- at Gilda's Club NYC for children and adults impacted by cancer.

Learn more:

LennonTribute.org
TheatreWithin.org

From the latest "Raiola Rant" at JoeRaiola.com:

Against overwhelming odds, unfavorable market forces, and an exceptionally poor snack selection from our vending machine, we somehow managed to keep MAD going through the end of 2017, when Rolling Stone called it “America’s best political satire magazine.”

Longtime MAD Senior Editor, Joe Raiola Reflects on the End of the MAD Error As has been widely reported , MAD Magazine will soon disappear from newsstands. This raises the question of how long it will be before newsstands disappear, but that is a topic for another day. As an editor and contributor to MAD, the world’s best-selling magazine with that title, for 34 years

Can't wait to host Theatre Within's upcoming Bob Dylan celebration with Dana Fuchs, Chris Smither, Jill Sobule, David Broza, Mary Fahl and Cliff Eberhardt. This will be fun!

May 22 at City Winery NYC. Tickets at CityWinery.com

Check out the latest 'Raiola Rant' at JoeRaiola.com:

With Their Non-Stop Apologies and Humorlessness, Democrats Are Planting the Seeds of Their Own Defeat

"As an old, white, heterosexual, Christian man who touches women in public and has a sense of humor, Joe Biden is everything that the new left doesn’t want in a presidential candidate. So, of course, he’s being vociferously defended by the gang at Fox And Friends."

With Their Non-Stop Apologies and Humorlessness, Democrats Are Planting the Seeds of Their Own Defeat Joe Biden is the latest Democratic presidential hopeful to say he’s sorry. But his apology for invading the space of several women by being too physically affectionate has generated lousy reviews from liberal apology critics.  Biden’s apology was this: “I’m sorry I didn’t underst...

Looking forward to producing and hosting Theatre Within's Positively Bob Dylan charity concert, with proceeds supporting the organization's life-affirming workshops -- in songwriting, art, meditation and more -- for those whose lives have been impacted by cancer at Gilda's Club NYC. Stay tuned for details next week.

From my latest 'Raiola Rant" at JoeRaiola.com: "Our nation faces many many dire emergencies that a man of my hair should quickly address."

National Emergencies I Would Declare Right Now Donald Trump has declared a national emergency at our country’s southern border, even though there is none.  Meanwhile, there are actual national emergencies that he, and most everyone else, has overlooked. If so empowered, I would immediately declare the following national emergen

From "The Most Pressing Question of our Age: What is a Wall? -- the latest 'Raiola Rant" at JoeRaiola.com:

"Look to your left and right at this very moment and you will probably see a wall, but what is it? Have you even bothered to give this vitally important question any thought?"

The Most Pressing Question of our Age: What is a Wall? Not since Bill Clinton infamously wondered what the meaning of the word “is” is has America been so caught up in the definition of a word: What is a “wall?”  Look to your left and right at this very moment and you will probably see a wall, but what is it? Have you even bothered to give ...

A current CNN headline reads: "The Calendar Says 2019, But It's Already 2020." Now that IS fake news.

From "Louis C.K. Has Lost His Comedy Compass" -- the latest 'Raiola Rant" at JoeRaiola.com:

"The function of satire is to reveal truth through exaggeration and humor. There is no way that Louis C.K. doesn’t know that. But what is the truth revealed in this monologue? Is it his truth?"

Louis C.K. Has Lost His Comedy Compass Having spent my entire professional life in comedy, I can tell you in no uncertain terms that humorists are moralists. I am thinking of my 33 years as an Editor at MAD Magazine when I had a regular outlet to express my deeply felt moral outrage over every President from Regan to Trump. We mostly lik

The latest 'Raiola Rant' at JoeRaiola.com.

Baby, It’s Politically Correct Outside: More Christmas Songs That Should Be Banned Now that Frank Loesser’s holiday classic “Baby, It’s Cold Outside,” originally performed by Esther Williams and Ricardo Montalbán in MGM’s Neptune’s Daughter in 1949, has been banned because it promotes date r**e, it is time for a long overdue yuletide musical reckoning. Like it or not,...

Two weeks from tonight I will appear in Theatre Within's Annual John Lennon Tribute for the 38th consecutive year. Only 18 more to catch DiMaggio.

Tickets at LennonTribute.org.

From 'Kellyanne Conway Blames the Murder of Jews On Me, my colleagues and, of course, the Jews' -- the latest 'Raiola Rant' at JoeRaiola.com.

Kellyanne Conway is an Orwellian. Like Trump, she has no discernible interest in reality and any truth she speaks is incidental. She is a free-agent mouth piece for whichever Republican can pay her the most, though she seems to have found her true calling in being the staunch and vulgar defender of a lying sociopathic fascist.

Kellyanne Conway Blames the Murder of Jews On Me, My Colleagues and, of course, the Jews No, I did not storm into the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh and start gunning down Jews, but as one who has spent his entire professional life as a satirist, I am largely responsible for the horror that unfolded, and not just me. All comedians, especially those traitorous late night talk show