Lasso-twirling, gum-chewing Will Rogers quite famously never met a man he didn’t like. But there were some politicians he did not agree with, and Rogers told them so on the vaudevillian stage early in his career as a warm-up act for the Ziegfeld Follies, and later, as a current-events columnist syndicated in over 500 newspapers.
An affable character actor in 71 movies, Rogers is best known today for his succinct, quotable one-liners like, “Communism is like prohibition. It is a good idea, but it won’t work.” Coolidge, Roosevelt, Hoover, and other statesmen paid attention to Rogers’ observations.
“I don’t make jokes,” Rogers said. “I just watch the government and report the facts.”
Will Rogers warned America that Wall Street was “run by a bunch of gamblers!” and his legacy is studied seriously by scholars today as an effect of Jeffersonianism and populism. Late-night comedians study his humor.
An enthusiastic traveler and supporter of aviation as a necessary means of military defense, Rogers was flying with Wiley Post over Alaska when their plane went down. Rogers died in 1935, but his frontier wisdom and wry, pithy humor remains relevant to today’s political scene.
If your group members are interested in the history of vaudeville and the Follies, American aviation, westerns, cowboys, or early American movie-making, they will enjoy this special presentation: "Will Rogers: An American Original."
The speaker prefers a lapel microphone but is comfortable at a podium, as well.
To boook this talk, contact Daphne Simpkins:
Phone: 334.396.8618
Email:
[email protected]
*Daphne is a dementia-friendly presenter and welcomes the opportunity to serve all age groups, including those with memory or dementia issues.
