Don Rickles was born in New York City in 1926, served in World War II and had a career in show business spanning six decades. There was no one like him, before or after.

Rickles was called an “insult comic,” but he himself called it attitude. He pummeled everyone from Johnny Carson to Frank Sinatra with his attitude. Even the audience members who sat up front weren’t shielded from his observations.

Many times I have written that it’s not what you say but how you say it. Rickles epitomized this. His comments, while both insulting and funny, were never mean spirited. It was a badge of honor to be picked on by Don Rickles.

Comedy today has become sensitive. Some comedians do take it too far. It’s never okay to make fun of someone in a mean way. Anyone who does this is showing a dark side of their heart, all for the sake of getting a laugh.

Rickles died in 2017. He lives on via YouTube. Catch him while you can. Someone might cancel him, and the world would lose a great artist…