This isn't the Daniel Solzman that I know and love

One of the reasons that I am such a fan of the comedy of Daniel Solzman is that he continually rejects the common assumption that you have to “work blue” in order to be funny. Comedians today use the f-word as commonly as “the”, and their discussion of sex is explicit and deeply immoral. But Daniel Solzman has constantly bucked this trend. Daniel is able to be hilarious while staying true to his moral foundation. He is funny and insightful because of the content of his material, not because he uses lewd language and material as a simple shortcut to get laughs.

Which is why Solzman’s recent Youtube video is so troubling.



To say that this video is “blue” would be a great understatement. It is vulgar. It is crude. And it is deeply immoral. And it is a sign that this Daniel Solzman is not the Daniel Solzman that I became a fan of.

Why such a dramatic change in his comedy approach? I’ve been asking myself this question all week (while I should have been preparing myself for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur). Unfortunately, I think what has happened is that Fame and “the big city” have changed him.

When in Kentucky, he was still under the umbrella of our value system and still under the radar of national fame and notoriety. But in Chicago, he must be under the influence of some unsavory characters that have unfortunately rubbed off on him. And judging by the out-of-control material in his latest video, I would not be shocked to discover if this new crowd of goyim and shiksas he is running with has tempted him with the use of marijuana cigarettes, which have ruined the lives of countless young people. And his newfound fame has obviously had a negative effect on his value structure. Has he now succumbed to audience demand for lewd material, simply to satisfy his growing fan base in the Chicago/LA/NY crowd?

It certainly appears so, and it greatly saddens me.

Hopefully, Daniel comes back to his strong Jewish faith and realizes that while fame and notoriety have certain advantages, they do not outweigh the benefits of being a strong and moral role model for young people today, and the Jewish community. (Additionally, for Solzman to release this disgusting video just before Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, our holiest of days, is beyond insulting to people of our faith. What kind of example is this setting for his young Jewish fans???)

Let us hope that Solzman realizes this soon and comes back to the comedy material that boosted him to fame in the first place. Good, wholesome, moral comedy is what made Daniel Solzman a star in the comedy world. It is not disgusting talk of sticking your t*ngue into d*rk an*ses.

Daniel, may you soon find the path back to G-d (and our hearts). And may your tongue find a path less dark, too.

Michael Phelps Should Pay the Price

I'm so relieved that, after his move up north, Daniel Solzman did not leave the Kentucky blogosphere in his wake. And let me be the first to say kudos on his post about Michael Phelps's drug abuse. "What the fricking heck?" indeed, Solzy!

Marijuana may seem like "no big deal" to thugs and hippies, some of whom even suggest that Phelps should apologize for his apology, but pot smoking is SERIOUS. Neverminding the fact that Phelps is a star athlete and a role-model to so many young, white, athletic, middle-class males, who may not be able to succeed in life except for the opportunities that excelling in sports may provide them, but as someone who has smoked pot (which I have not done since I accepted the Lord into my heart in 2003), I know that it leads to nothing but a road paved with Doritos and empty Yoo-Hoo bottles. No one wants to see someone who lives on Taco Bell in a Speedo, of that much I can assure you.