free speech

History of Lenny Bruce, Censorship, and Free Speech

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Lenny Bruce was a comedian who wasn’t afraid to speak his mind. And because of that, he became a martyr for free speech. Between 1961 to 1964, he was arrested on obscenity charges 8 times - for performing stand up comedy. You might have seen a fictional portrayal of Bruce on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.

In this CH101 episode we dive into the history of Lenny Bruce, censorship, and free speech in stand up comedy.