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Home > Blogs > Celebrity Worship > Archives > 2009 > August > 26 > Entry
Comedian sued after one too many ‘take my mother-in-law’ jokes
Update: Sunda Croonquist appeared on the “Today Show” Thursday, Aug. 27, to defend her routine.
“It’s my family, it’s my reality,” she said, later adding that it has not always been easily to be in her family.
“A few times I’ve been asked to step out of family photographs. That’s a very crazy feeling,” she said. ” I guess I wasn’t right for the Bat Mitzvah pictures that day.”
Croonquist said she is upset her daughters can’t have their grandmother or spend the holidays with her husband’s family.
“Maybe she doesn’t like Swedes,” she said when asked why that was the case.
See video below.
Now who doesn’t like a mother-in-law joke?
Apparently not Sunda Croonquist’s mother-in-law.
Ruth Zafrin of Brooklyn has filed a lawsuit against Croonquist, a veteran comedian known to spit out a “take my mother-in-law, please!” joke, The New York Post says.
Croonquist has appeared on Comedy Central.
Zafrin claims Croonquist has spread defamatory and racist lies about her, the newspaper says. Zafrin’s daughter and son-in-law have also had enough and seek damages.
They want Croonquist to remove offensive statements from her routine, website and recordings.
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Croonquist, who is black and Swedish, converted to Judaism when she married Zafrin’s son, an attorney.
Croonquist says her jokes are not mean-spirited and reflect her culturally diverse background.
In one joke mentioned in the lawsuit, Croonquist makes a crack about her first visit to her mother-in-law’s home, the post says.
“I walk in, I say, ‘Thank you so much for having me here, Ruthie.’ She says, ‘The pleasure’s all mine, have a seat.’ ” Then, in a loud aside, ‘Harriet, put my pocketbook away.’
Check out a video of her routine above. Is the mother-in-law being too sensitive?Should the comedian knock it off?
What do you think?
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Permalink | Comments (17) | Post your comment | Categories: Star trouble
Comments
By flipper
August 26, 2009 10:20 AM | Link to this
In the words of the great Henny Youngman, Take my mother-in-law……Please.By Really
August 26, 2009 10:25 AM | Link to this
Ruth Zafrin needs to calm down.By Marianna
August 26, 2009 11:37 AM | Link to this
Zafrin’s lawsuit is a perfect illustration of why Croonquist finds good comedic material in her in-laws. Zafrin and her family need to take a chill pill!By p
August 26, 2009 11:39 AM | Link to this
That is funny, lighten up Ruthy.By Patricia
August 26, 2009 11:53 AM | Link to this
I have never listened to Croonquist before this. I think she is wonderfully comedic!! The in-laws just have to accept they have a comedian who can verbalize things we all think- including them!By Patricia
August 26, 2009 11:53 AM | Link to this
I have never listened to Croonquist before this. I think she is wonderfully comedic!! The in-laws just have to accept they have a comedian who can verbalize things we all think- including them!By Becky
August 26, 2009 1:56 PM | Link to this
Croonquist is funny.Tell your mother-in-law to lighten up lolBy R J..Miamisburg, Oh
August 26, 2009 2:55 PM | Link to this
Wonder if Jeff Foxworthy is going to be sued next, by Rednecks??By Comedian lover
August 26, 2009 3:48 PM | Link to this
I think this is one of the stupidest things I have ever heard. Can this lady not take a joke?? Guess not!! This is what comedians do is tell jokes about things and people. I had never heard of this comedian but after listening to her I will watch her ever chance I get. She is hilarious! Anyone who can’t take a joke needs to be made fun of. I could have done a routine on my mother-in-law because she did some stuff that would have made anyone laugh. She is gone now and I am thankful everyday I don’t have to put up with stupid. You know the old saying “You can’t fix stupid!” Best of luck to this comedian!!By VAA
August 26, 2009 6:14 PM | Link to this
OMG she is too funny! The in-laws definitely need to lighten up!By want to be funny
August 26, 2009 7:47 PM | Link to this
Does 1st addmendment ring a bell??? If not, then lets hope doesn’t have any lawyer jokes she’s been telling.By Keith
August 26, 2009 8:19 PM | Link to this
The in-laws need to GET A LIFE!!!!!!! Never heard of this lady before but will be looking for her now. She is GREAT!By Keith
August 26, 2009 8:20 PM | Link to this
The in-laws need to GET A LIFE!!!!!!! Never heard of this lady before but will be looking for her now. She is GREAT!By Joy
August 27, 2009 7:50 AM | Link to this
OMG, you got to be kidding? Is this a joke…LOL. Lighten up Mother-in-Law.By Meg
August 27, 2009 8:04 AM | Link to this
But her material has some truth right? The law suit proves that anyway. I think it will be really hard for the in laws to prove defamation.By wessside4life
August 27, 2009 9:44 AM | Link to this
Now I can take a joke as well as the next but I’m teetering on being offended at Mr Ullery’s comment. Is “iger” supposed to be tiger or ni**er? If the latter is correct, then I should advise Mr Ullery that a more appropriate term for people blessed with more melanin could have been used and his comment would be just as funny. And remember… God loves the igers and the cr@ckers alike.By Albert
August 29, 2009 11:24 AM | Link to this
Possibly this situation is planned? A comic who was fairly unknown before is now in the national spotlight. I would think dollars per appearance are going up up up. Maybe the whole family is laughing -all the way to the bank!