Lotus Weinstock
Lotus Weinstock was an American comedian.
Early life
Weinstock was born in 1943 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Her parents were Robert and Lucille Weinstock. She was a natural performer throughout her childhood and into high school as she was known to improvise bits with friends and play the role of the mascot on her cheerleading team. Though she was considered to be a great performer, she often felt like an outcast growing up. After high school, Weinstock went to Emerson College but dropped out to move to New York and try acting and dance, succeeding in acquiring a few Off-Broadway roles. Around 1963 she became a hostess at the oldest rock and roll club in NYC, Greenwich Village's the Bitter End.Career
Singing and writing
Weinstock was a stand-up comedian, author, playwright, and musician. Her book, The Lotus Position, is filled with some of her famous jokes like, "I married Mr. Right. Mr. Always Right." Some of these jokes also made it onto greeting cards. The Lotus Position sold about 63,000 copies. Weinstock also wrote the play, "Molly and Maze" that she put on with her daughter, Lili Haydn a few times. Weinstock and Haydn also performed music together. Weinstock also performed in a musical comedy duo, "The Turtles", with Jimmy Gavin. Together, they toured the folk scene circuit. Early in her career, she changed her name to Maurey Haydn. Under this name, one of her songs was recorded by Richie Havens.Comedy: style and stage presence
Weinstock was known in the comedy world for making jokes that were never at anyone’s expense. She believed that "when a whole roomful of people are laughing, suddenly you have dissolved the pain and shame of separateness. At that moment, there is no judgment—it is a true release." As most of Lotus’ jokes and moments have, there is always a story behind them, and it often involves her sense of spirituality. On one occasion, Weinstock was too sick to get dressed for a show but still wanted to perform, so she wore a bathrobe on stage. She ended up recovering quickly, and incorporated the robe in her future shows.Weinstock performed on The Merv Griffin Show, ''The Tonight Show, The Mike Douglas Show, Politically Incorrect, Make Me Laugh,'' and The Comedy Store "Pilot." However, she preferred live performance as she found the time constraints of her television appearances constricting. She is well known by other comedians and is cited in books about comedy and specific jokes.
Being a woman in comedy
Much of Weinstock's humor had to do with being a woman. She joked about her marriage and dating and was also aware of the difference between how women comedians could act versus men. Weinstock dealt with sexual harassment throughout her time as a comedian. She was always a feminist, however, and was optimistic about what that meant for the comedy world, saying "Ten years ago, a woman would not laugh before her date did, so if you did something from a woman’s point of view, the woman wouldn’t want to laugh and expose herself. Now, women will lead the crowd."Weinstock was a mainstay at the Belly Room, a performance area in the Comedy Store that Mitzi Shore, the owner, opened as a place for only women to perform. Weinstock was thirty-six when the Belly Room opened in 1978. She was considered a "den mother" there, being an older but enthusiastic participant. She and some other women performing in The Belly Room felt it was a place where there was less need for competition and women could perform in a giving environment. Through this venue, Weinstock participated in the USC College of Continuing Education Workshop, "Women and Comedy" in March 1985.