Cultural References
The Fran Drescher sitcom The Nanny (1993–1999) made a direct tongue-in-cheek reference to the Richman sketches by showing brunette Fran Fine (Drescher), her blonde mother (Renée Taylor) and gray-haired grandma Yetta (Ann Guilbert) on the couch watching their respective "Coffee Talk" counterparts (Meyers', Madonna's, and Roseanne Barr's characters) on television, all very similar in their appearance, voice and mannerisms. While fussing over their big hair in the fashion of the "Coffee Talk" regulars, they complain, rather ironically, that the sketch is "so stereotypical".
The Richman character was inspired by Myers' then real-life mother-in-law, a woman of New York Jewish extraction who is actually named Linda Richman. During a Larry King interview of Myers, the real Richman called in and expressed good-natured amusement about the character. During his appearance on Inside the Actors Studio, he claimed that his impression for the character was "underplayed" and that his mother-in-law actually goaded him into performing the voice of the character when they were in public together.
Myers made an appearance as Richman during Streisand's '93/'94 New Year's Eve concert at the MGM Grand. Streisand talks about some comments made about her in The New York Times when Myers appears in the audience as Richman and tells her to not pay any attention to it ("Don't listen to that woman, Barbra; what does she know? Please! Feh!"). Streisand then invites Richman up on stage, and they perform a little comedy skit together. (Streisand: "Now, I'm getting faklempt! Talk amongst yourselves. I'll give you a topic. The Prince of Tides was about neither a prince nor tides. Discuss.")
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“The primary function of myth is to validate an existing social order. Myth enshrines conservative social values, raising tradition on a pedestal. It expresses and confirms, rather than explains or questions, the sources of cultural attitudes and values.... Because myth anchors the present in the past it is a sociological charter for a future society which is an exact replica of the present one.”
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