You are now entering the Jewish Currents archive.
January 24: What a Country!
Comedian Yakov Smirnoff (Pokhis), who starred in a TV sitcom, What a Country! in 1986-7, was born in Odessa on this date in 1951. Smirnoff emigrated to the U.S. in 1977 and developed a comic persona as a Soviet naif appalled by communism, astounded by American consumerism, and befuddled by the English language. He became regular guest on Night Court, The Tonight Show, and other TV shows, but his career declined a few steps down the ladder of success after the break-up of the USSR. He nevertheless remained in the comedy business and bought his own theater in Branson, Missouri in 1992, where he has performed hundreds of times each year and presented other Russian artists, including dancers. Smirnoff also teaches “The Business of Laughter” at Missouri State University and Drury University. He had a one-man Broadway show, As Long as We Both Shall Laugh, in 2008. To see him in action (introduced by Rodney Dangerfield), look below.
“Powdered milk, powdered eggs, baby powder... what a country!” —Yakov Smirnoff
I’m Arielle Angel, editor-at-large of Jewish Currents. Before you go, there’s something I need to ask.
We’ve seen over and over how the mainstream media falters in telling stories on our beats—whether it’s antisemitism, Israel/Palestine in American politics, Jewish identity, or the American left. At Jewish Currents we’re committed to uncompromising analysis and longform reporting on these issues and more—stories you won’t find anywhere else. In a media landscape that obscures injustice and flattens discussion, we’re changing the conversation. But we need you.
If you believe in this work, please consider making a donation—or even better, a recurring one—to ensure that we are able to keep publishing stories like this one. We can’t do it without you.
