In Provenza’s Defense

I would like to reply to Sylvia Stark’s letter about Paul Provenza. The remark she referred to was essentially two lines from an article about Mr. Provenza. Two lines taken out of context from a 20-minute live routine cannot possibly contain the essence of the intention, the intonation and frankly, the wry sardonic humor of Mr. Provenza.

I am a person who is very proud of my Jewish faith. While I can certainly appreciate her sensitivity, I think Ms. Stark’s umbrage is, in this case, inappropriate. A comedian’s job is to make people laugh by observing and making light of the real and the ridiculous. The critical point that Ms. Stark seemed to miss is that Paul Provenza is one of the few entertainers who acknowledges the fact that not everyone celebrates Christmas.

Leanne Fader, Los Angeles