Masculine Gender Identity in Jack Benny’s Humor

Jack Benny’s comedy frequently upended the idea of heterosexual white masculine domination. Jack was portrayed as a struggling employer and a failure as a patriarch whose radio cast constantly get the better of him. The long-lasting comic feud with fellow radio comic Fred Allen demonstrated a playful camaraderie through insult-throwing. As a second-generation immigrant, Benny’s Midwestern Jewish identity seemed much assimilated, although his humorous themes were deeply rooted in Jewish traditions. Benny greatly enjoyed blurring the sharp divides between masculine and feminine presentation, and his role in the cross-dressing farce Charley’s Aunt, the occasional risqué humor of his radio shows, and his uncannily close imitations of Gracie Allen, discomfited an American culture becoming increasingly anxious about rules of gender identity.