Comedian Judy Gold Shares Stories About Her NJ Childhood

Taped at NJPAC, Steve Adubato talks to comedian and New Jersey native Judy Gold, as she shares hilarious stories of growing up in the Garden State.

#1925 11/21/2016

 

 

 

 

Excerpt:

"Judy Gold is a comedian, actor, Emmy Award winning writer, producer, you won those Emmys with Rosie O'Donnell? Yes, for the Rosie O'Donnell Show. You made Rosie what she was at that time? No I didn't. She was her, I mean I helped with the show, I was the human interest producer. Will you stop? I'm just trying to build you up here. Oh. You're a Jersey girl? I am a Jersey girl, actually my family settled here when they came over from Europe, they came to Perth Amboy, and my grandfather... my great grandfather, my grandmother's father, Adolf Greenbaum, was the first president of Beth Mordecai Synagogue in Perth Amboy. And they had the first car. Hmm. In Perth Amboy. And my grandmother, who I knew, she was born in 1896, he would drive, they had a chauffeur... shofar, not a shofar, not Rosh Hashanah. Yeah. But... and he would... she made him drop her off a couple blocks away from school, because she didn't want to show off. And she went to Newark Normal, which is now Kean College, and became a teacher. And taught in Perth Amboy and then well into her 80's, she was a substitute teacher in Elizabeth. And... But you grew up in Clark? But I grew up in Clark. What was that like? Exit 135 on the Garden State Parkway. It's 135, yeah. I know these things.Yeah. Well if you're from New Jersey. I know. I thought that was impressive, but you're not impressed? Not really Steve. I knew it. I could... What was it like? It was... For you? For me... Describe you as a kid. Oh please. Come on! I was six feet at thirteen. And growing up in the New Jersey suburbs was not my ideal scenario for... Because? I got teased constantly. Why...? Why do you do that? I'm asking why? I mean, we're from, look at yeah but look, you're a Jersey guy. Go ahead. We're very, I was... Cynical? Oh yeah. I mean, we tell it like it is. Are we just jerks? We're jerks. I, yeah, I was teased an incredible amount. Bullied. They would say "bullied" these days. And I just, my mother grew up in Manhattan, and I just wanted to move to Manhattan. And but you know, here's the thing. I had older parents. They were older when they had me. We had a beautiful garden. Hmm. I mean they grew all their own vegetables. So it really truly is the Garden State, even though everyone makes fun of that. I went to Rutgers, I do feel, I mean, I travel all over. I can tell a Jersey person immediately. And I do feel some sense, I mean I feel my roots are here. You know. There's something about us, isn't there..."