Judy Tenuta

Judy Lynn Tenuta (November 7, 1949 – October 6, 2022) was an American comedian, actress, and comedy musician. She was known for her whimsical and brash persona of "The Love Goddess", mixing insult comedy, observational humor, self-promotion, and bawdy onstage antics. Throughout her career, Tenuta built a niche but devoted following, particularly among members of the LGBTQ community. Tenuta wrote two comedy books, and received two nominations for the Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album. into a Catholic family to a Polish mother, Johanna Z. "Yanya" Tenuta, and an Italian father, Caesar Tenuta.

She graduated from Immaculate Heart of Mary High School in Westchester, Illinois, and attended the University of Illinois at Chicago where she majored in theater. Her interest in comedy began when she took an improv comedy class with the Chicago improv group The Second City. Shortly thereafter, she started opening for other comedians in Chicago. She continued to perform on national tours for years afterwards, making special visits to the Chicago circuit. Black Widow on Space Ghost Coast to Coast, a foul-mouthed mermaid in Johnny Bravo, Queen Porcina in Mighty Magiswords and as herself in Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist. She appeared in numerous film and television roles, including the dominatrix disciplinarian "Samantha Rottweiler" in Butch Camp, and the loud-mouthed librarian "Mrs. Holler" in Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide. She also played various minor characters on The Weird Al Show, was featured in many of "Weird Al" Yankovic's comedy shorts and music videos, and appeared in dozens of other minor acting roles. 1987: She became nationally known in her first HBO special Women of the Night, costarring Ellen DeGeneres, Paula Poundstone, and Rita Rudner. 1988: She won Best Female Stand-Up Comic at The American Comedy Awards 1987–1988: She toured across the country with another of her favorite comedians, comedy legend George Carlin. 1988–1995: Frequent guest on morning radio show Howard Stern. 1988: She became the "Spokes-Goddess" for a series of "Diet Dr. Pepper" commercials, and also filmed her second HBO special. 1991: She published her first book, The Power of Judyism, following up with an audio CD version in 1999. 2007: She made a guest appearance as Mrs. Holler, the librarian, on Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide. She also styled herself with other monikers including "The Petite Flower", "Aphrodite of the Accordion", "Fashion-Plate Saint", "Queen of Candy-Pants", "Princess of Panty Shields", "Empress of Elvis Impersonators", and the "Buffer of Foreheads". Her routine, which blended observational and insult humor, was a performance of "surreal lunacy".

Tenuta often performed in an array of fantastical costumes made up of "Aphrodite dresses, feather boots, and gauzy capes" and with a variety of props, including her iconic accordion. Most of Tenuta's content passed through the filter of her faux religion "Judyism", which, in her own words, aimed to "help you forget about your problems and think about mine for a change".

Although the demeanor was fanciful, her content had serious undertones. In a 2007 interview, Tenuta explained that she used over-the-top comedy to express her own anger at the world around her, saying "When I get angry about something, I have to make it into a joke. The thing with comedy is it relieves the pressure of tragedy. That's why people come [to see me]." She even convinced 'two large and seemingly conservative suburban gentlemen to engage in a peculiar and obscene dance with clown wigs, a set of fake breasts, and large inflatable phallus." from stage 4 ovarian cancer, with which she had been diagnosed in 2020. At the time of her death she had been in a relationship, since 2008, with Vern Pang. She was survived by Pang, six siblings, and extended family. She is interred at Hollywood Forever Cemetery.

Discography

1987: Buy This, Pigs! (Elektra Records) 1994: Attention, Butt Pirates and Lesbetarians - Live at the C.S.W. Gay Pride Festival (Goddess Records) 1995: In Goddess We Trust (Gag MEdia) 1997: The Power of Judyism (Goddess Records) 2002: A Space Goddessy (laugh.com) 2008: The Best of Judy Tenuta: Buy This Again, Pigs! (self-released)