Moms Mabley (1897-1975) was an American stand-up comic.  Appearing as a frumpy older woman, speaking in a raspy voice, she made sexually explicit jokes, particularly focusing on her desire for young men and her disdain for older men.  Her grandmotherly appearance allowed her to get away with this.  She also delivered a patter that commented on racism, sexism and homophobia decades before other comedians were addressing this. An out lesbian, she dressed in a chic fashion, looking completely different off stage.  Mabley released numerous albums, like Moms the Word and Live at Sing Sing.  She also appeared in several films, such as The Emperor Jones and Boarding House Blues, and on several television shows, like The Mike Douglas Show, The Ed Sullivan Show and The Merv Griffin Show.  Her version of “Abraham, Martin and John” was a Top 40 hit.

Moms Mabley was a superb comedian.  I saw her on the The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour several times and was bowled over by her funniness.

A joke:

A friend asked her the age of her eldest child, and Moms answered, “Fifteen.” The friend then asked, “Why, hasn’t your husband been dead for twenty years?” To which Moms responded, “He dead. I ain’t!”

S. Gray