Search - Bette Midler :: Mud Will Be Flung Tonight

Bette Midler not only sings she tells (really raunchy) jokes

Lawrance M. Bernabo | The Zenith City, Duluth, Minnesota | 10/07/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"When she married and became a mother Bette Midler stopped performing for a long time and I was fortunate to see opening night of her first show which was down in the Twin Cities. Why on earth would Bette Midler pick Minneapolis-St. Paul for her first concert in a decade? I think the obvious answer would be because that was the only way I was ever going to get to see that show, of course. What I saw was the greatest live performance I have ever seen. No wonder Johnny Carson picked the Divine Miss M to be the last guest on "The Tonight Show." That night Bette Midler performed over four dozen songs (several of them in medleys), and in addition to all that, she told a series of raunchy jokes, after introducing a certain pair of anatomical assets as "the Twins." The last joke she told became "Mother Theresa is taking a shower..." and the entire audience groaned with laughter. Literally. She had us hook, line and sinker by that point and we knew that whatever was coming with that opening, it was going to be pretty bad. (It was, which is why it is one of the few jokes I have heard in my life that I actually remember).This lengthy digression is simply to say that I already knew before I listened to this 1985 stand-up album recorded by Bette Midler that she was a very funny lady, the sort who will make you laugh so hard your sides will hurt. I imagine Midler developed her comedy style when she was the queen of the bathhouses in the early days. Her target is as often herself as it is the rich and famous, as evidenced by "The Unfettered Boob" and "Marriage, Movies, Madonna and Mick" (I do not want to give away any of the humor, so I am skimpy on the specifics and overloading you on the idea she is very funny on this album). Be warned: this album is not for kids, not only because the humor is often inappropriate but also because they will not be old enough to understand all the names being dropped of 80's artists (I still remembered the shock faces of the kids who were brought to that concert thinking of the Milder they had seen in assorted films for Disney, when her "Gypsy" segment involved real topless dancers). This side of Bette Midler is not as public as her singing, but "Mud Will Be Flung Tonight" just confirms what I already knew: the Divine Miss M is as good a stand-up comedienne as she is a musical performer."

I was in bed last night with my boyfriend Ernie.....

dbhutts | Richardson, Texas United States | 08/03/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"What can be said that hasn't already been said about the Divine Miss M? All I know is that Mud Will Be Flung Tonight is a must for any fan of Bette Midler. The humor is a little dated (a crack at the "We Are the World" recording session) but always laugh out loud funny. If you liked the Otto Titsling song from Beaches you'll love the racier version found on Mud Will Be Flung Tonight. She also included some choice Sophie Tucker jokes in the CD which are priceless! And one more fun tidbit, the song Bette sang in the late 80's/early 90's on the Carson show, "Fat as I Am," when she rolled across his desk is featured on the CD. So, buy it and enjoy it!"