Yakov Smirnoff

Yakov Smirnoff (born January 24, 1951) is, according to his own description, a Russian-born American comedian.

"America: What a country!"

The largest part of the humour of Yakov Smirnoff falls into two wide categories:

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• Misunderstanding of American life and custom through the eyes of a new immigrant. For instance, reading employment announcements of "Part-Time Woman Wanted": "What a country! Even transvestites can get work". Upon being offered barman on a "graveyard shift", the remark "A bar in a cemetery! What a country! Last call? During Happy Hour the place must be dead."
• Bizarre comparisons between America and Russia. "We have no gay people in Russia — there are homosexuals but they are not allowed to be gay about it. The punishment is seven years locked in prison with other men and there is a three year waiting list for that."

He once told Johnny Carson, "You have such nice things in America. Like... warning shots!"

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Subsequently, "In Russia" was replaced with "In Soviet Russia" in many of these jokes.

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