Comedy

Jillette, along with his silent partner Teller, created his magic act partly in opposition to the comedy and theater performances he disliked. His duo's edgy, sometimes violent, performances have won Emmy Awards and spawned companion books and videos. Jillette takes pride in maintaining an aggressive persona while treating his audience with respect.

Wayans is the brother of actor and director Keenan Ivory Wayans, and has been pursuing a career in stand-up. He's been appearing in films recently like Beverly Hills Cop, though he's frustrated by the lack of complex and varied roles for black actors. Wayans' forthcoming movie is called Earth Girls are Easy.

Robert Kaplow and the Punsters return to Fresh Air with a satirical radio play about the Oscar-nominated film Dangerous Liaisons.

Humor writer Alfred Gingold's newest book, The House Trap, highlights his misadventures buying a house with his wife.

Whoopi Goldberg's one-woman show leans heavily on celebrity impersonations and a character named Fontaine -- a black man who expounds on various social issues affecting the African American community. But these monologues are often divorced from narrative context, and lose their power. Critic Laurie Stone says she's more impressed by Goldberg's action movie roles, and what her presence in movie does for black actors.

Critic-at-large Laurie Stone reviews a performance of the frequent Tonight Show guest host. She says that Leno's stand-up has some social consciousness, but avoids addressing specific policies or politicians. Leno also sidesteps sexuality; when the topic does come up, Stone says Leno is lewd and misguided.

Robert Kaplow and performance group the Punsters give their satirical, dystopian take on how 1989 will turn out. They warn of computer viruses, financial collapse, and a rise of chocolate addiction among teenagers.

Critic-at-large Laurie Stone recently saw the actor and comedian's latest routine, which was notable for avoiding the issue of race entirely. The jokes instead relied heavily on jokes about domestic life, many of which, Stone says, were unfunny and repetitive.

Rock critic Ken Tucker says the recent crop of comedy albums has the chaotic, aggressive spirit of rock music. They don't have the same structure and allure as LPs from the 60s and 70s, but new CDs from Sam Kinison, Will Durst, and Dennis Miller are worth checking out at least once.

Winters' stand-up comedy of the 1950s and '60s was often improvised, and featured a variety of different characters, all of whom he gave a different voice. He has a new book of paintings called Hang-Ups.