Standup comic sued slander by her mother-in-law

Sunda Croonquist, a veteran stand-up comedian, is being sued by Ruth Zafrin, her mother-in-law. Her usual comic routine relied heavily on the mockery of her family. Typically using cultural references from her half-black, half-Swedish, Catholic-educated background. With frequent imitations of her mother-in-law, the in-law has grown tired and taken offense to all the jokes made at her expense by Croonquist.

Ruth Zafrin, the mother-in-law, is now suing comedian Sunda Croonquist for making too many mother-in-law hilarious jokes. Ruth Zafrin, is Jewish, and says Croonquist is spreading hurtful lies with jokes like the one about her mother-in-law urging her to name her daughter Hadassah or Goldie something hard to pronounce, like Shaniquah.

Though defamation and slander still hurt even when committed by a comic on stage, a joke is still just a joke. Sunda Croonquist has been making them for years like the one about how her mother-in-law, the day she met, welcomed Croonquist into her home. But Soonquist can't be having fun joking about the in-laws any more, maybe it's time for some new material.

Since the lawsuit was filed, Croonquist has bounced back and forth between anger and humor. She’s angry the action has estranged her husband and their two daughters from his family, noting bitterly, “This could have broken up my marriage.” Being a regular in the comedy scene, Croonquist has somehow found a silver lining and the lawsuit had sparked in her more jokes about herself and that of her mother-in-law.

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