🕷️ Crawler Inspector

URL Lookup

Direct Parameter Lookup

Raw Queries and Responses

1. Shard Calculation

Query:

Response:

Calculated Shard: 102 (from laksa071)

2. Crawled Status Check

Query:

curl -X POST \
  'http://laksa102.int.ahrefs:8124/' \
  -H 'Content-Type: text/plain' \
  -H 'X-ClickHouse-Database: crawler3' \
  -H 'Authorization: Basic YXBpOg==' \
  -d 'SELECT getAhrefsURLFromUnparsed(src_unparsed) AS found_url, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(download_stamp), 0) AS crawl_time, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(props_url_first_seen), 0) AS first_indexed_time, download_http_code AS http_code, src_unparsed AS src_unparsed, src_root_hash AS src_root_hash, history_drop_reason AS history_drop_reason, meta_title AS meta_title, meta_descriptions AS meta_descriptions, attrs_boilerpipe_text AS attrs_boilerpipe_text, attrs_markdown AS attrs_markdown, attrs_readable_markdown AS attrs_readable_markdown, meta_canonical AS meta_canonical, ml_categories_json AS ml_categories_json, ml_types_json AS ml_types_json, ml_intent_types_json AS ml_intent_types_json, meta_language AS meta_language, attrs_author AS attrs_author, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(attrs_publish_time), 0) AS attrs_publish_time, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(attrs_original_publish_time), 0) AS attrs_original_publish_time, ifNull(attrs_is_republished, 0) AS attrs_is_republished, ifNull(attrs_nr_words, 0) AS attrs_nr_words, ifNull(attrs_boilerpipe_nr_words, 0) AS attrs_boilerpipe_nr_words, ifNull(body_ext_links_number, 0) AS body_ext_links_number, ifNull(body_int_links_number, 0) AS body_int_links_number, ifNull(meta_nofollow, 0) AS meta_nofollow, ifNull(meta_noarchive, 0) AS meta_noarchive, ifNull(props_was_rendered, 0) AS props_was_rendered, ifNull(src_redirect, \'\') AS src_redirect, ifNull(download_time_msec, 0) AS download_time_msec, ifNull(download_ttfb_msec, 0) AS download_ttfb_msec, ifNull(download_size, 0) AS download_size FROM crawler3.page_info_local FINAL PREWHERE (src_root_hash, src_unparsed) IN ((getAhrefsRootHashFromUnparsed(getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.aol.com/articles/mel-brooks-became-funniest-man-110000056.html\')), getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.aol.com/articles/mel-brooks-became-funniest-man-110000056.html\'))) FORMAT JSONEachRow'

Response:

{"found_url":"https:\/\/www.aol.com\/articles\/mel-brooks-became-funniest-man-110000056.html","crawl_time":1772039729,"first_indexed_time":0,"http_code":200,"src_unparsed":"com,aol!www,\/articles\/mel-brooks-became-funniest-man-110000056.html s443","src_root_hash":"10243928666277241102","history_drop_reason":null,"meta_title":"How Mel Brooks Became the Funniest Man Alive - AOL","meta_descriptions":["According to the co-director of a new documentary about the Hollywood legend."],"attrs_boilerpipe_text":"I don’t have many memories before Mel Brooks. I do remember going to the movie theater to see\nBlazing Saddles\nwith my parents—I might have been six or seven—and having my mind blown. We also had the VHS tapes of his movies, and I’d watch them over and over again.\nWhen I was little I was attracted to people like the Marx Brothers and Abbott and Costello. There was a lot of slapstick, and you’re not that smart as a little kid. Then you see movies like\nDuck Soup,\nwhich was satirizing war, and\nBlazing Saddles,\nwhich was about race—and at the same time, there were things on TV like\nM*A*S*H\nand\nAll in the Family\n—and you felt like, Oh, there are some really hilarious people facing the serious problems of the world in a hysterical way. Watching\nHistory of the World, Part I\nand seeing who Mel was attacking and what power structures he was mocking told me about how society functioned.\nMel Brooks and Judd Apatow at the premiere of\nMel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!\n, a new documentary directed by Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio that’s airing now on HBO Max.\nRodin Eckenroth - Getty Images\nThe first time I met Mel I was asked to interview him on the radio, and that was just a dream. Then he and Carl Reiner kept asking me to help them promote the books they were writing. Mel called me one day and said, “Judd, I have a new book about\nYoung Frankenstein\n, and I was talking to my publishers, and we were trying to get someone to write the foreword. They said, ‘What about Spielberg?’ and I said, ‘Not good enough.’ They said, ‘What about Kubrick?’ and I said, ‘Not good enough.’ And then they said, ‘What about Judd Apatow?’ and I said, ‘Perfect.’ ” I was laughing so hard that he put on such a show to ask me.\nI think I only got into show business to be able to talk to Mel Brooks. I feel like I’ve made movies and television shows only to have enough credibility so Mel would talk to me. One of the reasons I liked making\nMel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!\nis because often these documentaries are the portal for people to enter to learn about an artist. In a hundred years these pieces might be the first thing people see when they hear there was a man once named Mel Brooks. —\nAs told to Adam Rathe\nThis story appears in the March 2026 issue of\nTown & Country.\nSUBSCRIBE NOW\nYou Might Also Like","attrs_markdown":"- [Home](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/ \"Home\")\n- [Montreal, QC Montreal, QC Local News](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/local\/ \"Local\")\n- [Subscriptions](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/products?ncid=mbr_rusacqlnk00000036 \"Subscriptions\")\n- [Animals](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/animals\/ \"Animals\")\n- [Entertainment](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/entertainment\/ \"Entertainment\")\n- Finance\n- [Food](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/food\/ \"Food\")\n- [Games](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/games\/ \"Games\")\n- Health\n- [Home & Garden](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/home-garden\/ \"Home & Garden\")\n- News\n- [Shopping](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/shopping\/ \"Shopping\")\n- [Style](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/style\/ \"Style\")\n- [Travel](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/travel\/ \"Travel\")\n- [True Crime](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/true-crime\/ \"True Crime\")\n\n- Back\n- Finance\n- [Finance](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/finance\/ \"Finance\")\n- [Banking](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/finance\/banking\/ \"Banking\")\n- [Business News](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/news\/business\/ \"Business News\")\n- [Estate & Retirement Planning](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/finance\/retirement-planning\/ \"Estate & Retirement Planning\")\n- [Loans & Mortgages](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/finance\/mortgages\/ \"Loans & Mortgages\")\n\n- Back\n- Health\n- [Health](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/health\/ \"Health\")\n- [Medicare](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/health\/medicare\/ \"Medicare\")\n\n- Back\n- News\n- [News](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/news\/ \"News\")\n- [Business](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/news\/business\/ \"Business\")\n- [Lighter Side](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/news\/lighter \"Lighter Side\")\n- [Politics](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/news\/politics\/ \"Politics\")\n- [Science & Tech](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/news\/science-tech\/ \"Science & Tech\")\n- [Sports](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/news\/sports\/ \"Sports\")\n- [Weather](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/weather\/ \"Weather\")\n\nMenu\n\n24\/7 Help\n\nFor premium support please call:\n\n[800-290-4726](tel:800-290-4726)\n\n[more ways to reach us](https:\/\/help.aol.com\/contact\/)\n\n[Sign in](https:\/\/oidc.www.aol.com\/login\/?lang=en-us&intl=us&src=fp-us&dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.aol.com%2Fentertainment%2Fmel-brooks-became-funniest-man-110000056.html \"Sign in\")\n\n[Mail](https:\/\/mail.aol.com\/ \"email link\")\n\n24\/7 Help\n\nFor premium support please call:\n\n[800-290-4726](tel:800-290-4726)\n\n[more ways to reach us](https:\/\/help.aol.com\/contact\/)\n\n[Mail](https:\/\/mail.aol.com\/ \"email link\")\n\n[Sign in](https:\/\/oidc.www.aol.com\/login\/?lang=en-us&intl=us&src=fp-us&dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.aol.com%2Fentertainment%2Fmel-brooks-became-funniest-man-110000056.html \"Sign in\")\n\n- [Home](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/ \"Home\")\n- [Montreal, QC Montreal, QC Local News](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/local\/ \"Local\")\n- [Subscriptions](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/products?ncid=mbr_rusacqlnk00000036 \"Subscriptions\")\n- [Animals](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/animals\/ \"Animals\")\n- [Entertainment](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/entertainment\/ \"Entertainment\")\n- Finance\n- [Food](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/food\/ \"Food\")\n- [Games](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/games\/ \"Games\")\n- Health\n- [Home & Garden](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/home-garden\/ \"Home & Garden\")\n- News\n- [Shopping](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/shopping\/ \"Shopping\")\n- [Style](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/style\/ \"Style\")\n- [Travel](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/travel\/ \"Travel\")\n- [True Crime](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/true-crime\/ \"True Crime\")\n\n- Back\n- Finance\n- [Finance](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/finance\/ \"Finance\")\n- [Banking](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/finance\/banking\/ \"Banking\")\n- [Business News](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/news\/business\/ \"Business News\")\n- [Estate & Retirement Planning](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/finance\/retirement-planning\/ \"Estate & Retirement Planning\")\n- [Loans & Mortgages](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/finance\/mortgages\/ \"Loans & Mortgages\")\n\n- Back\n- Health\n- [Health](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/health\/ \"Health\")\n- [Medicare](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/health\/medicare\/ \"Medicare\")\n\n- Back\n- News\n- [News](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/news\/ \"News\")\n- [Business](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/news\/business\/ \"Business\")\n- [Lighter Side](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/news\/lighter \"Lighter Side\")\n- [Politics](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/news\/politics\/ \"Politics\")\n- [Science & Tech](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/news\/science-tech\/ \"Science & Tech\")\n- [Sports](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/news\/sports\/ \"Sports\")\n- [Weather](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/weather\/ \"Weather\")\n\n[Sign in](https:\/\/oidc.www.aol.com\/login\/?lang=en-us&intl=us&src=fp-us&dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.aol.com%2Fentertainment%2Fmel-brooks-became-funniest-man-110000056.html)\n\n- [Home](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/ \"Home\")\n- [Montreal, QC Montreal, QC Local News](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/local\/ \"Local\")\n- [Subscriptions](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/products?ncid=mbr_rusacqlnk00000036 \"Subscriptions\")\n- [Animals](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/animals\/ \"Animals\")\n- [Entertainment](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/entertainment\/ \"Entertainment\")\n- Finance\n- [Food](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/food\/ \"Food\")\n- [Games](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/games\/ \"Games\")\n- Health\n- [Home & Garden](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/home-garden\/ \"Home & Garden\")\n- News\n- [Shopping](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/shopping\/ \"Shopping\")\n- [Style](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/style\/ \"Style\")\n- [Travel](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/travel\/ \"Travel\")\n- [True Crime](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/true-crime\/ \"True Crime\")\n\n- Back\n- Finance\n- [Finance](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/finance\/ \"Finance\")\n- [Banking](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/finance\/banking\/ \"Banking\")\n- [Business News](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/news\/business\/ \"Business News\")\n- [Estate & Retirement Planning](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/finance\/retirement-planning\/ \"Estate & Retirement Planning\")\n- [Loans & Mortgages](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/finance\/mortgages\/ \"Loans & Mortgages\")\n\n- Back\n- Health\n- [Health](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/health\/ \"Health\")\n- [Medicare](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/health\/medicare\/ \"Medicare\")\n\n- Back\n- News\n- [News](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/news\/ \"News\")\n- [Business](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/news\/business\/ \"Business\")\n- [Lighter Side](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/news\/lighter \"Lighter Side\")\n- [Politics](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/news\/politics\/ \"Politics\")\n- [Science & Tech](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/news\/science-tech\/ \"Science & Tech\")\n- [Sports](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/news\/sports\/ \"Sports\")\n- [Weather](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/weather\/ \"Weather\")\n\n# How Mel Brooks Became the Funniest Man Alive\n[![Town & Country](https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/FOtznsRx3T3xiUbyEkleRw--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTM4NDtoPTgw\/https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/os\/creatr-uploaded-images\/2020-12\/f8bb67f0-340e-11eb-bf7b-5a77467aab62)](http:\/\/www.townandcountrymag.com\/)\n\nJudd Apatow\n\nMon, February 23, 2026 at 11:00 AM UTC\n\n0\n\nI don’t have many memories before Mel Brooks. I do remember going to the movie theater to see *Blazing Saddles* with my parents—I might have been six or seven—and having my mind blown. We also had the VHS tapes of his movies, and I’d watch them over and over again.\n\nWhen I was little I was attracted to people like the Marx Brothers and Abbott and Costello. There was a lot of slapstick, and you’re not that smart as a little kid. Then you see movies like *Duck Soup,* which was satirizing war, and *Blazing Saddles,* which was about race—and at the same time, there were things on TV like *M\\*A\\*S\\*H* and *All in the Family*—and you felt like, Oh, there are some really hilarious people facing the serious problems of the world in a hysterical way. Watching *History of the World, Part I* and seeing who Mel was attacking and what power structures he was mocking told me about how society functioned.\n\n![Los Angeles Premiere Of HBO Documentary Films\\&\\#39; ](https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/RdO57nfnRhP8lAxHrxD_FA--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD04NjE-\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/aol_towncountry_108\/7eb450a9943a2aad0cb72860b8eae18d)\n\nMel Brooks and Judd Apatow at the premiere of *Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man\\!*, a new documentary directed by Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio that’s airing now on HBO Max. Rodin Eckenroth - Getty Images\n\nThe first time I met Mel I was asked to interview him on the radio, and that was just a dream. Then he and Carl Reiner kept asking me to help them promote the books they were writing. Mel called me one day and said, “Judd, I have a new book about *Young Frankenstein*, and I was talking to my publishers, and we were trying to get someone to write the foreword. They said, ‘What about Spielberg?’ and I said, ‘Not good enough.’ They said, ‘What about Kubrick?’ and I said, ‘Not good enough.’ And then they said, ‘What about Judd Apatow?’ and I said, ‘Perfect.’ ” I was laughing so hard that he put on such a show to ask me.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nI think I only got into show business to be able to talk to Mel Brooks. I feel like I’ve made movies and television shows only to have enough credibility so Mel would talk to me. One of the reasons I liked making *Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man\\!* is because often these documentaries are the portal for people to enter to learn about an artist. In a hundred years these pieces might be the first thing people see when they hear there was a man once named Mel Brooks. — *As told to Adam Rathe*\n\n***This story appears in the March 2026 issue of*** **Town & Country.** [**SUBSCRIBE NOW**](https:\/\/shop.townandcountrymag.com\/town-and-country-all-access-membership-1.html)\n\n**You Might Also Like**\n\n- [12 Weekend Getaway Spas For Every Type of Occasion](https:\/\/www.townandcountrymag.com\/leisure\/travel-guide\/g19702265\/spa-weekend-getaways\/?utm_medium=syn&utm_source=yah&utm_campaign=80)\n- [13 Beauty Tools to Up Your At-Home Facial Game](https:\/\/www.townandcountrymag.com\/style\/beauty-products\/g31943770\/best-beauty-tools-devices\/?utm_medium=syn&utm_source=yah&utm_campaign=80)\n\nShow comments\n\n0\n\nAdvertisement\n\n## From Our Partners\n[![Advertisement](https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/cv\/apiv2\/adbuilder\/gemini.png)](https:\/\/legal.yahoo.com\/us\/en\/yahoo\/privacy\/adinfo\/index.html)\n\nAdvertisement\n\n![background image pattern](https:\/\/s.aolcdn.com\/caas-assets-production\/assets\/v1\/images\/modules\/newsletter_signup\/bg.svg)\n\n![Aol](https:\/\/s.aolcdn.com\/caas-assets-production\/assets\/v1\/images\/modules\/newsletter_signup\/logo.svg)Entertainment\n\n![Aol](https:\/\/s.aolcdn.com\/caas-assets-production\/assets\/v1\/images\/modules\/newsletter_signup\/runningman.svg)\n\nFrom Hollywood to your inboxThanks for signing up\n\nTwice a week, our editors bring you the best entertainment and celebrity newsYou will receive a confirmation email shortly.\n\n#### In Other News\n[Finance](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/finance\/)\n\n[Finance](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/finance\/ \"Finance\")\n\n[![Yahoo Finance](https:\/\/s.aolcdn.com\/aoldotcom-releases\/lazyload\/blank.gif)](https:\/\/finance.yahoo.com\/)\n\n[Yahoo Finance](https:\/\/finance.yahoo.com\/)\n\n[Trump lays out a new ground rule for Big Tech's AI build-out: Bring your own power](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/articles\/trump-lays-ground-rule-big-161403286.html)\n\n[![Trump lays out a new ground rule for Big Tech's AI build-out: Bring your own power](https:\/\/s.aolcdn.com\/aoldotcom-releases\/lazyload\/blank.gif)](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/articles\/trump-lays-ground-rule-big-161403286.html)\n\n[Finance](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/finance\/ \"Finance\")\n\n[![Stacker](https:\/\/s.aolcdn.com\/aoldotcom-releases\/lazyload\/blank.gif)](https:\/\/stacker.com\/)\n\n[Stacker](https:\/\/stacker.com\/)\n\n[Regrettable attrition: Leading indicators and how to prevent it](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/articles\/regrettable-attrition-leading-indicators-prevent-163026285.html)\n\n[![Regrettable attrition: Leading indicators and how to prevent it](https:\/\/s.aolcdn.com\/aoldotcom-releases\/lazyload\/blank.gif)](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/articles\/regrettable-attrition-leading-indicators-prevent-163026285.html)\n\n[Food](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/food\/)\n\n[Food](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/food\/ \"Food\")\n\n[![Allrecipes](https:\/\/s.aolcdn.com\/aoldotcom-releases\/lazyload\/blank.gif)](https:\/\/www.allrecipes.com\/)\n\n[Allrecipes](https:\/\/www.allrecipes.com\/)\n\n[KFC just brought back a beloved '90s menu item fans have been begging for](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/articles\/kfc-just-brought-back-beloved-150000975.html)\n\n[![KFC just brought back a beloved '90s menu item fans have been begging for](https:\/\/s.aolcdn.com\/aoldotcom-releases\/lazyload\/blank.gif)](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/articles\/kfc-just-brought-back-beloved-150000975.html)\n\n[Food](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/food\/ \"Food\")\n\n[![Simply Recipes](https:\/\/s.aolcdn.com\/aoldotcom-releases\/lazyload\/blank.gif)](https:\/\/www.simplyrecipes.com\/)\n\n[Simply Recipes](https:\/\/www.simplyrecipes.com\/)\n\n[14 one-pot chicken dinners for busy weeknights (5 ingredients or less)](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/articles\/14-one-pot-chicken-dinners-140100278.html)\n\n[![14 one-pot chicken dinners for busy weeknights (5 ingredients or less)](https:\/\/s.aolcdn.com\/aoldotcom-releases\/lazyload\/blank.gif)](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/articles\/14-one-pot-chicken-dinners-140100278.html)\n\n[Lighter Side](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/news\/lighter\/)\n\n[Lighter Side](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/news\/lighter\/ \"Lighter Side\")\n\n[![MediaFeed](https:\/\/s.aolcdn.com\/aoldotcom-releases\/lazyload\/blank.gif)](https:\/\/mediafeed.org\/)\n\n[MediaFeed](https:\/\/mediafeed.org\/)\n\n[Things younger generations think are new but boomers did first](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/articles\/things-younger-generations-think-boomers-135517079.html)\n\n[![Things younger generations think are new but boomers did first](https:\/\/s.aolcdn.com\/aoldotcom-releases\/lazyload\/blank.gif)](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/articles\/things-younger-generations-think-boomers-135517079.html)\n\n[Lighter Side](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/news\/lighter\/ \"Lighter Side\")\n\n[![InStyle](https:\/\/s.aolcdn.com\/aoldotcom-releases\/lazyload\/blank.gif)](https:\/\/www.instyle.com\/)\n\n[InStyle](https:\/\/www.instyle.com\/)\n\n[This week's Mercury retrograde makes for romantic magic and vivid dreams — these sign…](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/articles\/weeks-mercury-retrograde-makes-romantic-120000388.html)\n\n[![This week's Mercury retrograde makes for romantic magic and vivid dreams — these signs will feel it most](https:\/\/s.aolcdn.com\/aoldotcom-releases\/lazyload\/blank.gif)](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/articles\/weeks-mercury-retrograde-makes-romantic-120000388.html)\n\n[News](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/news\/)\n\n[News](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/news\/ \"News\")\n\n[![USA TODAY](https:\/\/s.aolcdn.com\/aoldotcom-releases\/lazyload\/blank.gif)](https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/news\/)\n\n[USA TODAY](https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/news\/)\n\n[Bill Gates admits to affairs, apologizes for Epstein relationship, WSJ reports](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/articles\/bill-gates-admits-affairs-russian-152153486.html)\n\n[![Bill Gates admits to affairs, apologizes for Epstein relationship, WSJ reports](https:\/\/s.aolcdn.com\/aoldotcom-releases\/lazyload\/blank.gif)](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/articles\/bill-gates-admits-affairs-russian-152153486.html)\n\n[News](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/news\/ \"News\")\n\n[![Associated Press](https:\/\/s.aolcdn.com\/aoldotcom-releases\/lazyload\/blank.gif)](https:\/\/apnews.com\/)\n\n[Associated Press](https:\/\/apnews.com\/)\n\n[Canada pledges food aid for Cuba as US fuel blockade continues](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/articles\/canada-pledges-food-aid-cuba-163036076.html)\n\n[![Canada pledges food aid for Cuba as US fuel blockade continues](https:\/\/s.aolcdn.com\/aoldotcom-releases\/lazyload\/blank.gif)](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/articles\/canada-pledges-food-aid-cuba-163036076.html)\n\n[Sports](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/news\/sports\/)\n\n[Sports](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/news\/sports\/ \"Sports\")\n\n[![People](https:\/\/s.aolcdn.com\/aoldotcom-releases\/lazyload\/blank.gif)](https:\/\/www.people.com\/)\n\n[People](https:\/\/www.people.com\/)\n\n[Steelers GM says Aaron Rodgers could return this year: 'He knows how we feel about hi…](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/articles\/steelers-gm-says-aaron-rodgers-161951450.html)\n\n[![Steelers GM says Aaron Rodgers could return this year: 'He knows how we feel about him'](https:\/\/s.aolcdn.com\/aoldotcom-releases\/lazyload\/blank.gif)](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/articles\/steelers-gm-says-aaron-rodgers-161951450.html)\n\n[Sports](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/news\/sports\/ \"Sports\")\n\n[![Associated Press](https:\/\/s.aolcdn.com\/aoldotcom-releases\/lazyload\/blank.gif)](https:\/\/apnews.com\/)\n\n[Associated Press](https:\/\/apnews.com\/)\n\n[Penguins captain Sidney Crosby placed on injured reserve after getting hurt at the Ol…](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/articles\/penguins-captain-sidney-crosby-placed-162951693.html)\n\n[![Penguins captain Sidney Crosby placed on injured reserve after getting hurt at the Olympics](https:\/\/s.aolcdn.com\/aoldotcom-releases\/lazyload\/blank.gif)](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/articles\/penguins-captain-sidney-crosby-placed-162951693.html)\n\n[Weather](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/weather\/)\n\n[Weather](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/weather\/ \"Weather\")\n\n[![The Weather Channel](https:\/\/s.aolcdn.com\/aoldotcom-releases\/lazyload\/blank.gif)](https:\/\/www.weather.com\/)\n\n[The Weather Channel](https:\/\/www.weather.com\/)\n\n[Hurricane Melissa Recap: Catastrophic Jamaica Category 5 Landfall; Damage From Hispan…](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/articles\/hurricane-melissa-recap-catastrophic-jamaica-170000234.html)\n\n[![Hurricane Melissa Recap: Catastrophic Jamaica Category 5 Landfall; Damage From Hispaniola To Cuba, Bahamas](https:\/\/s.aolcdn.com\/aoldotcom-releases\/lazyload\/blank.gif)](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/articles\/hurricane-melissa-recap-catastrophic-jamaica-170000234.html)\n\n[Weather](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/weather\/ \"Weather\")\n\n[![The Weather Channel](https:\/\/s.aolcdn.com\/aoldotcom-releases\/lazyload\/blank.gif)](https:\/\/www.weather.com\/)\n\n[The Weather Channel](https:\/\/www.weather.com\/)\n\n[East Coast Blizzard, Bomb Cyclone, Nor'easter Hammering New York, New Jersey, Mid-Atl…](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/articles\/east-coast-blizzard-bomb-cyclone-111500530.html)\n\n[![East Coast Blizzard, Bomb Cyclone, Nor'easter Hammering New York, New Jersey, Mid-Atlantic, New England](https:\/\/s.aolcdn.com\/aoldotcom-releases\/lazyload\/blank.gif)](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/articles\/east-coast-blizzard-bomb-cyclone-111500530.html)\n\nAdvertisement\n\n- [Animals](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/animals\/)\n  \\|\n- [Business](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/news\/business\/)\n  \\|\n- [Celebrity](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/entertainment\/celebrity\/)\n  \\|\n- [Entertainment](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/entertainment\/)\n  \\|\n- [Finance](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/finance\/)\n  \\|\n- [Food](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/food\/)\n  \\|\n- [Health](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/health\/)\n  \\|\n- [News](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/news\/)\n  \\|\n- [Politics](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/news\/politics\/)\n  \\|\n- [Shopping](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/shopping\/)\n  \\|\n- [Sports](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/news\/sports\/)\n  \\|\n- [Style](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/style\/)\n  \\|\n- [True Crime](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/true-crime\/)\n\n- [Feedback](https:\/\/aol.uservoice.com\/forums\/923410-aol-com)\n- [Help](https:\/\/help.aol.com\/products\/aol)\n- [Join AOL](https:\/\/login.aol.com\/account\/create)\n- [Accessibility](https:\/\/www.yahooinc.com\/accessibility\/)\n- [EU Digital Services Act](https:\/\/www.yahooinc.com\/transparency\/reports\/eu-digital-services-act\/index.html)\n- [Terms](https:\/\/guce.aol.com\/terms?locale=en-US) and [Privacy Policy](https:\/\/guce.aol.com\/privacy-policy?locale=en-US)\n- [Privacy & Cookie Settings](https:\/\/guce.aol.com\/privacy-settings?locale=en-US)\n- [About Us](https:\/\/www.yahooinc.com\/about\/)\n- [About our Ads](https:\/\/legal.yahoo.com\/us\/en\/yahoo\/privacy\/adinfo\/index.html)\n- [Advertising](https:\/\/www.adtech.yahooinc.com\/advertiser)\n- [Licensing](https:\/\/info.wrightsmedia.com\/aol-licensing)\n- [Sitemap](https:\/\/www.aol.com\/htmlsitemap\/)\n\n- [![Google Play Store](https:\/\/s.aolcdn.com\/caas-assets-production\/assets\/v1\/images\/modules\/footer\/PlayStore_en.png)](https:\/\/app.appsflyer.com\/com.aol.mobile.aolapp?pid=NativePlacement&c=US_Acquisition_YMktg_320_AOLFooter_&af_sub1=Acquisition&af_sub2=US_YMktg&af_sub3=&af_sub4=100000510&af_sub5=creative1___&af_r= \"Google Play Store\")\n- [![Apple App Store](https:\/\/s.aolcdn.com\/caas-assets-production\/assets\/v1\/images\/modules\/footer\/AppStore_en.svg)](https:\/\/app.appsflyer.com\/id646100661?pid=NativePlacement&c=US_Acquisition_YMktg_320_AOLFooter_&af_sub1=Acquisition&af_sub2=US_YMktg&af_sub3=&af_sub4=100000510&af_sub5=creative1___ \"Apple App Store\")\n\n© 2026 AOL Media LLC. All rights reserved.","attrs_readable_markdown":"I don’t have many memories before Mel Brooks. I do remember going to the movie theater to see *Blazing Saddles* with my parents—I might have been six or seven—and having my mind blown. We also had the VHS tapes of his movies, and I’d watch them over and over again.\n\nWhen I was little I was attracted to people like the Marx Brothers and Abbott and Costello. There was a lot of slapstick, and you’re not that smart as a little kid. Then you see movies like *Duck Soup,* which was satirizing war, and *Blazing Saddles,* which was about race—and at the same time, there were things on TV like *M\\*A\\*S\\*H* and *All in the Family*—and you felt like, Oh, there are some really hilarious people facing the serious problems of the world in a hysterical way. Watching *History of the World, Part I* and seeing who Mel was attacking and what power structures he was mocking told me about how society functioned.\n\n![Los Angeles Premiere Of HBO Documentary Films\\&\\#39; ](https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/RdO57nfnRhP8lAxHrxD_FA--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD04NjE-\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/aol_towncountry_108\/7eb450a9943a2aad0cb72860b8eae18d)\n\nMel Brooks and Judd Apatow at the premiere of *Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man\\!*, a new documentary directed by Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio that’s airing now on HBO Max. Rodin Eckenroth - Getty Images\n\nThe first time I met Mel I was asked to interview him on the radio, and that was just a dream. Then he and Carl Reiner kept asking me to help them promote the books they were writing. Mel called me one day and said, “Judd, I have a new book about *Young Frankenstein*, and I was talking to my publishers, and we were trying to get someone to write the foreword. They said, ‘What about Spielberg?’ and I said, ‘Not good enough.’ They said, ‘What about Kubrick?’ and I said, ‘Not good enough.’ And then they said, ‘What about Judd Apatow?’ and I said, ‘Perfect.’ ” I was laughing so hard that he put on such a show to ask me.\n\nI think I only got into show business to be able to talk to Mel Brooks. I feel like I’ve made movies and television shows only to have enough credibility so Mel would talk to me. One of the reasons I liked making *Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man\\!* is because often these documentaries are the portal for people to enter to learn about an artist. In a hundred years these pieces might be the first thing people see when they hear there was a man once named Mel Brooks. — *As told to Adam Rathe*\n\n***This story appears in the March 2026 issue of*** **Town & Country.** [**SUBSCRIBE NOW**](https:\/\/shop.townandcountrymag.com\/town-and-country-all-access-membership-1.html)\n\n**You Might Also Like**","meta_canonical":null,"ml_categories_json":"","ml_types_json":"","ml_intent_types_json":"","meta_language":"en-us","attrs_author":"Judd Apatow","attrs_publish_time":1771844400,"attrs_original_publish_time":1771844400,"attrs_is_republished":0,"attrs_nr_words":"973","attrs_boilerpipe_nr_words":"439","body_ext_links_number":47,"body_int_links_number":50,"meta_nofollow":0,"meta_noarchive":0,"props_was_rendered":0,"src_redirect":"","download_time_msec":2783,"download_ttfb_msec":1618,"download_size":344936}

3. Robots.txt Check

Query:

Response:

4. Spam/Ban Check

Query:

Response:

5. Seen Status Check

ℹ️ Skipped - page is already crawled

📄

INDEXABLE

✅

CRAWLED

1 month ago

🤖

ROBOTS ALLOWED

Page Info Filters

Filter	Status	Condition	Details
HTTP status	PASS	`download_http_code = 200`	HTTP 200
Age cutoff	PASS	`download_stamp > now() - 6 MONTH`	1.9 months ago
History drop	PASS	`isNull(history_drop_reason)`	No drop reason
Spam/ban	PASS	`fh_dont_index != 1 AND ml_spam_score = 0`	ml_spam_score=0
Canonical	PASS	`meta_canonical IS NULL OR = '' OR = src_unparsed`	Not set

Page Details

Property	Value
URL	https://www.aol.com/articles/mel-brooks-became-funniest-man-110000056.html
Last Crawled	2026-02-25 17:15:29 (1 month ago)
First Indexed	not set
HTTP Status Code	200
Content
Meta Title	How Mel Brooks Became the Funniest Man Alive - AOL
Meta Description	According to the co-director of a new documentary about the Hollywood legend.
Meta Canonical	null
Boilerpipe Text	I don’t have many memories before Mel Brooks. I do remember going to the movie theater to see Blazing Saddles with my parents—I might have been six or seven—and having my mind blown. We also had the VHS tapes of his movies, and I’d watch them over and over again. When I was little I was attracted to people like the Marx Brothers and Abbott and Costello. There was a lot of slapstick, and you’re not that smart as a little kid. Then you see movies like Duck Soup, which was satirizing war, and Blazing Saddles, which was about race—and at the same time, there were things on TV like MAS*H and All in the Family —and you felt like, Oh, there are some really hilarious people facing the serious problems of the world in a hysterical way. Watching History of the World, Part I and seeing who Mel was attacking and what power structures he was mocking told me about how society functioned. Mel Brooks and Judd Apatow at the premiere of Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man! , a new documentary directed by Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio that’s airing now on HBO Max. Rodin Eckenroth - Getty Images The first time I met Mel I was asked to interview him on the radio, and that was just a dream. Then he and Carl Reiner kept asking me to help them promote the books they were writing. Mel called me one day and said, “Judd, I have a new book about Young Frankenstein , and I was talking to my publishers, and we were trying to get someone to write the foreword. They said, ‘What about Spielberg?’ and I said, ‘Not good enough.’ They said, ‘What about Kubrick?’ and I said, ‘Not good enough.’ And then they said, ‘What about Judd Apatow?’ and I said, ‘Perfect.’ ” I was laughing so hard that he put on such a show to ask me. I think I only got into show business to be able to talk to Mel Brooks. I feel like I’ve made movies and television shows only to have enough credibility so Mel would talk to me. One of the reasons I liked making Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man! is because often these documentaries are the portal for people to enter to learn about an artist. In a hundred years these pieces might be the first thing people see when they hear there was a man once named Mel Brooks. — As told to Adam Rathe This story appears in the March 2026 issue of Town & Country. SUBSCRIBE NOW You Might Also Like
Markdown	- [Home](https://www.aol.com/ "Home") - [Montreal, QC Montreal, QC Local News](https://www.aol.com/local/ "Local") - [Subscriptions](https://www.aol.com/products?ncid=mbr_rusacqlnk00000036 "Subscriptions") - [Animals](https://www.aol.com/animals/ "Animals") - [Entertainment](https://www.aol.com/entertainment/ "Entertainment") - Finance - [Food](https://www.aol.com/food/ "Food") - [Games](https://www.aol.com/games/ "Games") - Health - [Home & Garden](https://www.aol.com/home-garden/ "Home & Garden") - News - [Shopping](https://www.aol.com/shopping/ "Shopping") - [Style](https://www.aol.com/style/ "Style") - [Travel](https://www.aol.com/travel/ "Travel") - [True Crime](https://www.aol.com/true-crime/ "True Crime") - Back - Finance - [Finance](https://www.aol.com/finance/ "Finance") - [Banking](https://www.aol.com/finance/banking/ "Banking") - [Business News](https://www.aol.com/news/business/ "Business News") - [Estate & Retirement Planning](https://www.aol.com/finance/retirement-planning/ "Estate & Retirement Planning") - [Loans & Mortgages](https://www.aol.com/finance/mortgages/ "Loans & Mortgages") - Back - Health - [Health](https://www.aol.com/health/ "Health") - [Medicare](https://www.aol.com/health/medicare/ "Medicare") - Back - News - [News](https://www.aol.com/news/ "News") - [Business](https://www.aol.com/news/business/ "Business") - [Lighter Side](https://www.aol.com/news/lighter "Lighter Side") - [Politics](https://www.aol.com/news/politics/ "Politics") - [Science & Tech](https://www.aol.com/news/science-tech/ "Science & Tech") - [Sports](https://www.aol.com/news/sports/ "Sports") - [Weather](https://www.aol.com/weather/ "Weather") Menu 24/7 Help For premium support please call: [800-290-4726](tel:800-290-4726) [more ways to reach us](https://help.aol.com/contact/) [Sign in](https://oidc.www.aol.com/login/?lang=en-us&intl=us&src=fp-us&dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.aol.com%2Fentertainment%2Fmel-brooks-became-funniest-man-110000056.html "Sign in") [Mail](https://mail.aol.com/ "email link") 24/7 Help For premium support please call: [800-290-4726](tel:800-290-4726) [more ways to reach us](https://help.aol.com/contact/) [Mail](https://mail.aol.com/ "email link") [Sign in](https://oidc.www.aol.com/login/?lang=en-us&intl=us&src=fp-us&dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.aol.com%2Fentertainment%2Fmel-brooks-became-funniest-man-110000056.html "Sign in") - [Home](https://www.aol.com/ "Home") - [Montreal, QC Montreal, QC Local News](https://www.aol.com/local/ "Local") - [Subscriptions](https://www.aol.com/products?ncid=mbr_rusacqlnk00000036 "Subscriptions") - [Animals](https://www.aol.com/animals/ "Animals") - [Entertainment](https://www.aol.com/entertainment/ "Entertainment") - Finance - [Food](https://www.aol.com/food/ "Food") - [Games](https://www.aol.com/games/ "Games") - Health - [Home & Garden](https://www.aol.com/home-garden/ "Home & Garden") - News - [Shopping](https://www.aol.com/shopping/ "Shopping") - [Style](https://www.aol.com/style/ "Style") - [Travel](https://www.aol.com/travel/ "Travel") - [True Crime](https://www.aol.com/true-crime/ "True Crime") - Back - Finance - [Finance](https://www.aol.com/finance/ "Finance") - [Banking](https://www.aol.com/finance/banking/ "Banking") - [Business News](https://www.aol.com/news/business/ "Business News") - [Estate & Retirement Planning](https://www.aol.com/finance/retirement-planning/ "Estate & Retirement Planning") - [Loans & Mortgages](https://www.aol.com/finance/mortgages/ "Loans & Mortgages") - Back - Health - [Health](https://www.aol.com/health/ "Health") - [Medicare](https://www.aol.com/health/medicare/ "Medicare") - Back - News - [News](https://www.aol.com/news/ "News") - [Business](https://www.aol.com/news/business/ "Business") - [Lighter Side](https://www.aol.com/news/lighter "Lighter Side") - [Politics](https://www.aol.com/news/politics/ "Politics") - [Science & Tech](https://www.aol.com/news/science-tech/ "Science & Tech") - [Sports](https://www.aol.com/news/sports/ "Sports") - [Weather](https://www.aol.com/weather/ "Weather") [Sign in](https://oidc.www.aol.com/login/?lang=en-us&intl=us&src=fp-us&dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.aol.com%2Fentertainment%2Fmel-brooks-became-funniest-man-110000056.html) - [Home](https://www.aol.com/ "Home") - [Montreal, QC Montreal, QC Local News](https://www.aol.com/local/ "Local") - [Subscriptions](https://www.aol.com/products?ncid=mbr_rusacqlnk00000036 "Subscriptions") - [Animals](https://www.aol.com/animals/ "Animals") - [Entertainment](https://www.aol.com/entertainment/ "Entertainment") - Finance - [Food](https://www.aol.com/food/ "Food") - [Games](https://www.aol.com/games/ "Games") - Health - [Home & Garden](https://www.aol.com/home-garden/ "Home & Garden") - News - [Shopping](https://www.aol.com/shopping/ "Shopping") - [Style](https://www.aol.com/style/ "Style") - [Travel](https://www.aol.com/travel/ "Travel") - [True Crime](https://www.aol.com/true-crime/ "True Crime") - Back - Finance - [Finance](https://www.aol.com/finance/ "Finance") - [Banking](https://www.aol.com/finance/banking/ "Banking") - [Business News](https://www.aol.com/news/business/ "Business News") - [Estate & Retirement Planning](https://www.aol.com/finance/retirement-planning/ "Estate & Retirement Planning") - [Loans & Mortgages](https://www.aol.com/finance/mortgages/ "Loans & Mortgages") - Back - Health - [Health](https://www.aol.com/health/ "Health") - [Medicare](https://www.aol.com/health/medicare/ "Medicare") - Back - News - [News](https://www.aol.com/news/ "News") - [Business](https://www.aol.com/news/business/ "Business") - [Lighter Side](https://www.aol.com/news/lighter "Lighter Side") - [Politics](https://www.aol.com/news/politics/ "Politics") - [Science & Tech](https://www.aol.com/news/science-tech/ "Science & Tech") - [Sports](https://www.aol.com/news/sports/ "Sports") - [Weather](https://www.aol.com/weather/ "Weather") # How Mel Brooks Became the Funniest Man Alive [![Town & Country](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/FOtznsRx3T3xiUbyEkleRw--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTM4NDtoPTgw/https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2020-12/f8bb67f0-340e-11eb-bf7b-5a77467aab62)](http://www.townandcountrymag.com/) Judd Apatow Mon, February 23, 2026 at 11:00 AM UTC 0 I don’t have many memories before Mel Brooks. I do remember going to the movie theater to see Blazing Saddles with my parents—I might have been six or seven—and having my mind blown. We also had the VHS tapes of his movies, and I’d watch them over and over again. When I was little I was attracted to people like the Marx Brothers and Abbott and Costello. There was a lot of slapstick, and you’re not that smart as a little kid. Then you see movies like Duck Soup, which was satirizing war, and Blazing Saddles, which was about race—and at the same time, there were things on TV like M\A\S\H* and All in the Family—and you felt like, Oh, there are some really hilarious people facing the serious problems of the world in a hysterical way. Watching History of the World, Part I and seeing who Mel was attacking and what power structures he was mocking told me about how society functioned. ![Los Angeles Premiere Of HBO Documentary Films\&\#39; ](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/RdO57nfnRhP8lAxHrxD_FA--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD04NjE-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/aol_towncountry_108/7eb450a9943a2aad0cb72860b8eae18d) Mel Brooks and Judd Apatow at the premiere of Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man\!, a new documentary directed by Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio that’s airing now on HBO Max. Rodin Eckenroth - Getty Images The first time I met Mel I was asked to interview him on the radio, and that was just a dream. Then he and Carl Reiner kept asking me to help them promote the books they were writing. Mel called me one day and said, “Judd, I have a new book about Young Frankenstein, and I was talking to my publishers, and we were trying to get someone to write the foreword. They said, ‘What about Spielberg?’ and I said, ‘Not good enough.’ They said, ‘What about Kubrick?’ and I said, ‘Not good enough.’ And then they said, ‘What about Judd Apatow?’ and I said, ‘Perfect.’ ” I was laughing so hard that he put on such a show to ask me. Advertisement I think I only got into show business to be able to talk to Mel Brooks. I feel like I’ve made movies and television shows only to have enough credibility so Mel would talk to me. One of the reasons I liked making Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man\! is because often these documentaries are the portal for people to enter to learn about an artist. In a hundred years these pieces might be the first thing people see when they hear there was a man once named Mel Brooks. — As told to Adam Rathe *This story appears in the March 2026 issue of* Town & Country. [SUBSCRIBE NOW](https://shop.townandcountrymag.com/town-and-country-all-access-membership-1.html) You Might Also Like - [12 Weekend Getaway Spas For Every Type of Occasion](https://www.townandcountrymag.com/leisure/travel-guide/g19702265/spa-weekend-getaways/?utm_medium=syn&utm_source=yah&utm_campaign=80) - [13 Beauty Tools to Up Your At-Home Facial Game](https://www.townandcountrymag.com/style/beauty-products/g31943770/best-beauty-tools-devices/?utm_medium=syn&utm_source=yah&utm_campaign=80) Show comments 0 Advertisement ## From Our Partners [![Advertisement](https://s.yimg.com/cv/apiv2/adbuilder/gemini.png)](https://legal.yahoo.com/us/en/yahoo/privacy/adinfo/index.html) Advertisement ![background image pattern](https://s.aolcdn.com/caas-assets-production/assets/v1/images/modules/newsletter_signup/bg.svg) ![Aol](https://s.aolcdn.com/caas-assets-production/assets/v1/images/modules/newsletter_signup/logo.svg)Entertainment ![Aol](https://s.aolcdn.com/caas-assets-production/assets/v1/images/modules/newsletter_signup/runningman.svg) From Hollywood to your inboxThanks for signing up Twice a week, our editors bring you the best entertainment and celebrity newsYou will receive a confirmation email shortly. #### In Other News [Finance](https://www.aol.com/finance/) [Finance](https://www.aol.com/finance/ "Finance") [![Yahoo Finance](https://s.aolcdn.com/aoldotcom-releases/lazyload/blank.gif)](https://finance.yahoo.com/) [Yahoo Finance](https://finance.yahoo.com/) [Trump lays out a new ground rule for Big Tech's AI build-out: Bring your own power](https://www.aol.com/articles/trump-lays-ground-rule-big-161403286.html) [![Trump lays out a new ground rule for Big Tech's AI build-out: Bring your own power](https://s.aolcdn.com/aoldotcom-releases/lazyload/blank.gif)](https://www.aol.com/articles/trump-lays-ground-rule-big-161403286.html) [Finance](https://www.aol.com/finance/ "Finance") [![Stacker](https://s.aolcdn.com/aoldotcom-releases/lazyload/blank.gif)](https://stacker.com/) [Stacker](https://stacker.com/) [Regrettable attrition: Leading indicators and how to prevent it](https://www.aol.com/articles/regrettable-attrition-leading-indicators-prevent-163026285.html) [![Regrettable attrition: Leading indicators and how to prevent it](https://s.aolcdn.com/aoldotcom-releases/lazyload/blank.gif)](https://www.aol.com/articles/regrettable-attrition-leading-indicators-prevent-163026285.html) [Food](https://www.aol.com/food/) [Food](https://www.aol.com/food/ "Food") [![Allrecipes](https://s.aolcdn.com/aoldotcom-releases/lazyload/blank.gif)](https://www.allrecipes.com/) [Allrecipes](https://www.allrecipes.com/) [KFC just brought back a beloved '90s menu item fans have been begging for](https://www.aol.com/articles/kfc-just-brought-back-beloved-150000975.html) [![KFC just brought back a beloved '90s menu item fans have been begging for](https://s.aolcdn.com/aoldotcom-releases/lazyload/blank.gif)](https://www.aol.com/articles/kfc-just-brought-back-beloved-150000975.html) [Food](https://www.aol.com/food/ "Food") [![Simply Recipes](https://s.aolcdn.com/aoldotcom-releases/lazyload/blank.gif)](https://www.simplyrecipes.com/) [Simply Recipes](https://www.simplyrecipes.com/) [14 one-pot chicken dinners for busy weeknights (5 ingredients or less)](https://www.aol.com/articles/14-one-pot-chicken-dinners-140100278.html) [![14 one-pot chicken dinners for busy weeknights (5 ingredients or less)](https://s.aolcdn.com/aoldotcom-releases/lazyload/blank.gif)](https://www.aol.com/articles/14-one-pot-chicken-dinners-140100278.html) [Lighter Side](https://www.aol.com/news/lighter/) [Lighter Side](https://www.aol.com/news/lighter/ "Lighter Side") [![MediaFeed](https://s.aolcdn.com/aoldotcom-releases/lazyload/blank.gif)](https://mediafeed.org/) [MediaFeed](https://mediafeed.org/) [Things younger generations think are new but boomers did first](https://www.aol.com/articles/things-younger-generations-think-boomers-135517079.html) [![Things younger generations think are new but boomers did first](https://s.aolcdn.com/aoldotcom-releases/lazyload/blank.gif)](https://www.aol.com/articles/things-younger-generations-think-boomers-135517079.html) [Lighter Side](https://www.aol.com/news/lighter/ "Lighter Side") [![InStyle](https://s.aolcdn.com/aoldotcom-releases/lazyload/blank.gif)](https://www.instyle.com/) [InStyle](https://www.instyle.com/) [This week's Mercury retrograde makes for romantic magic and vivid dreams — these sign…](https://www.aol.com/articles/weeks-mercury-retrograde-makes-romantic-120000388.html) [![This week's Mercury retrograde makes for romantic magic and vivid dreams — these signs will feel it most](https://s.aolcdn.com/aoldotcom-releases/lazyload/blank.gif)](https://www.aol.com/articles/weeks-mercury-retrograde-makes-romantic-120000388.html) [News](https://www.aol.com/news/) [News](https://www.aol.com/news/ "News") [![USA TODAY](https://s.aolcdn.com/aoldotcom-releases/lazyload/blank.gif)](https://www.usatoday.com/news/) [USA TODAY](https://www.usatoday.com/news/) [Bill Gates admits to affairs, apologizes for Epstein relationship, WSJ reports](https://www.aol.com/articles/bill-gates-admits-affairs-russian-152153486.html) [![Bill Gates admits to affairs, apologizes for Epstein relationship, WSJ reports](https://s.aolcdn.com/aoldotcom-releases/lazyload/blank.gif)](https://www.aol.com/articles/bill-gates-admits-affairs-russian-152153486.html) [News](https://www.aol.com/news/ "News") [![Associated Press](https://s.aolcdn.com/aoldotcom-releases/lazyload/blank.gif)](https://apnews.com/) [Associated Press](https://apnews.com/) [Canada pledges food aid for Cuba as US fuel blockade continues](https://www.aol.com/articles/canada-pledges-food-aid-cuba-163036076.html) [![Canada pledges food aid for Cuba as US fuel blockade continues](https://s.aolcdn.com/aoldotcom-releases/lazyload/blank.gif)](https://www.aol.com/articles/canada-pledges-food-aid-cuba-163036076.html) [Sports](https://www.aol.com/news/sports/) [Sports](https://www.aol.com/news/sports/ "Sports") [![People](https://s.aolcdn.com/aoldotcom-releases/lazyload/blank.gif)](https://www.people.com/) [People](https://www.people.com/) [Steelers GM says Aaron Rodgers could return this year: 'He knows how we feel about hi…](https://www.aol.com/articles/steelers-gm-says-aaron-rodgers-161951450.html) [![Steelers GM says Aaron Rodgers could return this year: 'He knows how we feel about him'](https://s.aolcdn.com/aoldotcom-releases/lazyload/blank.gif)](https://www.aol.com/articles/steelers-gm-says-aaron-rodgers-161951450.html) [Sports](https://www.aol.com/news/sports/ "Sports") [![Associated Press](https://s.aolcdn.com/aoldotcom-releases/lazyload/blank.gif)](https://apnews.com/) [Associated Press](https://apnews.com/) [Penguins captain Sidney Crosby placed on injured reserve after getting hurt at the Ol…](https://www.aol.com/articles/penguins-captain-sidney-crosby-placed-162951693.html) [![Penguins captain Sidney Crosby placed on injured reserve after getting hurt at the Olympics](https://s.aolcdn.com/aoldotcom-releases/lazyload/blank.gif)](https://www.aol.com/articles/penguins-captain-sidney-crosby-placed-162951693.html) [Weather](https://www.aol.com/weather/) [Weather](https://www.aol.com/weather/ "Weather") [![The Weather Channel](https://s.aolcdn.com/aoldotcom-releases/lazyload/blank.gif)](https://www.weather.com/) [The Weather Channel](https://www.weather.com/) [Hurricane Melissa Recap: Catastrophic Jamaica Category 5 Landfall; Damage From Hispan…](https://www.aol.com/articles/hurricane-melissa-recap-catastrophic-jamaica-170000234.html) [![Hurricane Melissa Recap: Catastrophic Jamaica Category 5 Landfall; Damage From Hispaniola To Cuba, Bahamas](https://s.aolcdn.com/aoldotcom-releases/lazyload/blank.gif)](https://www.aol.com/articles/hurricane-melissa-recap-catastrophic-jamaica-170000234.html) [Weather](https://www.aol.com/weather/ "Weather") [![The Weather Channel](https://s.aolcdn.com/aoldotcom-releases/lazyload/blank.gif)](https://www.weather.com/) [The Weather Channel](https://www.weather.com/) [East Coast Blizzard, Bomb Cyclone, Nor'easter Hammering New York, New Jersey, Mid-Atl…](https://www.aol.com/articles/east-coast-blizzard-bomb-cyclone-111500530.html) [![East Coast Blizzard, Bomb Cyclone, Nor'easter Hammering New York, New Jersey, Mid-Atlantic, New England](https://s.aolcdn.com/aoldotcom-releases/lazyload/blank.gif)](https://www.aol.com/articles/east-coast-blizzard-bomb-cyclone-111500530.html) Advertisement - [Animals](https://www.aol.com/animals/) \\| - [Business](https://www.aol.com/news/business/) \\| - [Celebrity](https://www.aol.com/entertainment/celebrity/) \\| - [Entertainment](https://www.aol.com/entertainment/) \\| - [Finance](https://www.aol.com/finance/) \\| - [Food](https://www.aol.com/food/) \\| - [Health](https://www.aol.com/health/) \\| - [News](https://www.aol.com/news/) \\| - [Politics](https://www.aol.com/news/politics/) \\| - [Shopping](https://www.aol.com/shopping/) \\| - [Sports](https://www.aol.com/news/sports/) \\| - [Style](https://www.aol.com/style/) \\| - [True Crime](https://www.aol.com/true-crime/) - [Feedback](https://aol.uservoice.com/forums/923410-aol-com) - [Help](https://help.aol.com/products/aol) - [Join AOL](https://login.aol.com/account/create) - [Accessibility](https://www.yahooinc.com/accessibility/) - [EU Digital Services Act](https://www.yahooinc.com/transparency/reports/eu-digital-services-act/index.html) - [Terms](https://guce.aol.com/terms?locale=en-US) and [Privacy Policy](https://guce.aol.com/privacy-policy?locale=en-US) - [Privacy & Cookie Settings](https://guce.aol.com/privacy-settings?locale=en-US) - [About Us](https://www.yahooinc.com/about/) - [About our Ads](https://legal.yahoo.com/us/en/yahoo/privacy/adinfo/index.html) - [Advertising](https://www.adtech.yahooinc.com/advertiser) - [Licensing](https://info.wrightsmedia.com/aol-licensing) - [Sitemap](https://www.aol.com/htmlsitemap/) - [![Google Play Store](https://s.aolcdn.com/caas-assets-production/assets/v1/images/modules/footer/PlayStore_en.png)](https://app.appsflyer.com/com.aol.mobile.aolapp?pid=NativePlacement&c=US_Acquisition_YMktg_320_AOLFooter_&af_sub1=Acquisition&af_sub2=US_YMktg&af_sub3=&af_sub4=100000510&af_sub5=creative1___&af_r= "Google Play Store") - [![Apple App Store](https://s.aolcdn.com/caas-assets-production/assets/v1/images/modules/footer/AppStore_en.svg)](https://app.appsflyer.com/id646100661?pid=NativePlacement&c=US_Acquisition_YMktg_320_AOLFooter_&af_sub1=Acquisition&af_sub2=US_YMktg&af_sub3=&af_sub4=100000510&af_sub5=creative1___ "Apple App Store") © 2026 AOL Media LLC. All rights reserved.
Readable Markdown	I don’t have many memories before Mel Brooks. I do remember going to the movie theater to see Blazing Saddles with my parents—I might have been six or seven—and having my mind blown. We also had the VHS tapes of his movies, and I’d watch them over and over again. When I was little I was attracted to people like the Marx Brothers and Abbott and Costello. There was a lot of slapstick, and you’re not that smart as a little kid. Then you see movies like Duck Soup, which was satirizing war, and Blazing Saddles, which was about race—and at the same time, there were things on TV like M\A\S\H* and All in the Family—and you felt like, Oh, there are some really hilarious people facing the serious problems of the world in a hysterical way. Watching History of the World, Part I and seeing who Mel was attacking and what power structures he was mocking told me about how society functioned. ![Los Angeles Premiere Of HBO Documentary Films\&\#39; ](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/RdO57nfnRhP8lAxHrxD_FA--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD04NjE-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/aol_towncountry_108/7eb450a9943a2aad0cb72860b8eae18d) Mel Brooks and Judd Apatow at the premiere of Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man\!, a new documentary directed by Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio that’s airing now on HBO Max. Rodin Eckenroth - Getty Images The first time I met Mel I was asked to interview him on the radio, and that was just a dream. Then he and Carl Reiner kept asking me to help them promote the books they were writing. Mel called me one day and said, “Judd, I have a new book about Young Frankenstein, and I was talking to my publishers, and we were trying to get someone to write the foreword. They said, ‘What about Spielberg?’ and I said, ‘Not good enough.’ They said, ‘What about Kubrick?’ and I said, ‘Not good enough.’ And then they said, ‘What about Judd Apatow?’ and I said, ‘Perfect.’ ” I was laughing so hard that he put on such a show to ask me. I think I only got into show business to be able to talk to Mel Brooks. I feel like I’ve made movies and television shows only to have enough credibility so Mel would talk to me. One of the reasons I liked making Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man\! is because often these documentaries are the portal for people to enter to learn about an artist. In a hundred years these pieces might be the first thing people see when they hear there was a man once named Mel Brooks. — As told to Adam Rathe *This story appears in the March 2026 issue of* Town & Country. [SUBSCRIBE NOW](https://shop.townandcountrymag.com/town-and-country-all-access-membership-1.html) You Might Also Like
ML Classification
ML Categories	null
ML Page Types	null
ML Intent Types	null
Content Metadata
Language	en-us
Author	Judd Apatow
Publish Time	2026-02-23 11:00:00 (1 month ago)
Original Publish Time	2026-02-23 11:00:00 (1 month ago)
Republished	No
Word Count (Total)	973
Word Count (Content)	439
Links
External Links	47
Internal Links	50
Technical SEO
Meta Nofollow	No
Meta Noarchive	No
JS Rendered	No
Redirect Target	null
Performance
Download Time (ms)	2,783
TTFB (ms)	1,618
Download Size (bytes)	344,936
Shard	102 (laksa)
Root Hash	10243928666277241102
Unparsed URL	com,aol!www,/articles/mel-brooks-became-funniest-man-110000056.html s443