Dirty Dancing in the Borscht Belt

<p>August 17, 1987. On the red carpet in New York City, it’s the premier of a new movie: <em>Dirty Dancing.</em> The story is set in the sunburnt Shangri-La of New York’s Catskills resort region. The movie will introduce millions to the place that some call the Jewish Alps. "Disneyland with knishes." The Sour Cream Sierras. The Borscht Belt. Ironically,<em> Dirty Dancing</em> arrives as the heyday of the Catskills resort is ending. But how does its culture live on?&nbsp;And how did its signature style of Jewish humor make the leap to Hollywood, where it would fundamentally change American comedy?</p><br><p>Special thanks to our guests: Julie Budd, John Conway, Jeremy Dauber, Elaine Grossinger Etess, Bill Persky, Larry Strickler, and Alan Zweibel. You can learn more about Jewish humor in Dauber’s book, <em>Jewish Comedy: A Serious History.</em></p><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>