Judy Tenuta


Judy Lynn Tenuta is an American comedian. She is noted for her brash onstage persona, alternating insult comedy with self-promotion as the "Love Goddess".

Early life

One of nine siblings, Tenuta was born in Oak Park, Illinois, on November 7, 1956, into a Catholic family to a Polish mother, Joann, and an Italian father, Caesar.

Career

Tenuta gained notoriety as a wisecracking, accordion-wielding, self-proclaimed "Petite Flower and Love Goddess" during the mid 1980s. She has been featured in several productions of "Weird Al" Yankovic's, including The Weird Al Show as well as the music videos for "Headline News" and "White & Nerdy". She has also appeared on game shows such as Hollywood Squares, Street Smarts, and the 1998–1999 revival of Match Game. She did a series of TV ads for MTV and Diet Dr Pepper in the late 1980s, as well as her HBO, Showtime, and Lifetime specials that became popular and gained her a loyal following. She is also well known for her often quoted catch phrase "It could happen!"
Her use of voice in her act has lent itself to voice-over work in several animated programs. This includes doing the voice of Edna on Duckman, Munch Kelly on Cow and Chicken in the banned episode "Buffalo Gals", Black Widow on Space Ghost Coast to Coast, and as herself in Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist.
Tenuta's act is primarily structured around an exaggerated, offbeat persona that is referred to primarily as "The Love Goddess". Other monikers include "The Petite Flower", "Aphrodite of the Accordion", "Fashion-Plate Saint", "Queen of Candy-Pants", "Princess of Panty Shields", and "Empress of Elvis Impersonators". Tenuta's persona encourages fans to convert to her own personal religion, "Judyism".

Discography