A speakeasy, also called a blind pig or blind tiger, is an establishment that illegally sells alcoholic beverages. Such establishments came into prominence in the United States during the period known as Prohibition (1920–1933, longer in some states). During this time, the sale, manufacture, and transportation (bootlegging) of alcoholic beverages was illegal throughout the United States.

The term "speakeasy" might have originated in Pennsylvania in 1888, when the Brooks High-License Act raised the state's fee for a saloon license from $50 to $500. The number of licensed bars promptly plummeted, but some bars continued to operate illegally. Kate Hester had run a saloon for years in McKeesport, just outside of Pittsburgh. She refused to pay the new license fee and wanted to keep from drawing attention to her illegal business. When her customers got too rowdy, she would hush them by whispering, "Speak easy, boys! Speak easy!"

Unlicensed saloons in Pennsylvania are known as “speak-easies.”

Speakeasies were numerous and popular during the Prohibition years. Some of them were operated by people who were part of organized crime. Even though police and agents of the Bureau of Prohibition would often raid them and arrest their owners and patrons, they were so profitable that they continued to flourish.

Sarah Kate Silverman (born December 1, 1970) is an American comedienne, writer, actress, singer and musician. Her satirical comedy addresses social taboos and controversial topics such as racism, sexism, and religion.

Silverman first gained notice as a writer and occasional performer on Saturday Night Live. She starred in and produced The Sarah Silverman Program, which ran from 2007 to 2010, on Comedy Central. She often performs her act mocking bigotry and stereotypes of ethnic groups and religious denominations by having her comic character endorse them in an ironic fashion.

Sarah Silverman, the youngest of four daughters, was born in Manchester, New Hampshire. Her mother, Beth Ann Halpin, was George McGovern's personal campaign photographer and founded the theater company New Thalian Players. Her father, Donald Silverman, was a social worker by training who ran the discount clothing store Crazy Sophie's Outlet. She was raised without religion, though she is ethnically Jewish.

She appeared in community theater at age 12, most notably with Community Players of Concord, New Hampshire in Annie and also appeared on a local television show in the Boston area called Community Auditions at age 15. At seventeen, she performed stand-up comedy in a restaurant, singing a song she called "Mammaries."

Anthony Jeselnik ( /ˈdʒɛsəlnɪk/ JES-əl-nik; born December 22, 1978) is an American stand-up comedian and television writer who is best known for his extremely slow and quiet deadpan delivery of random and sometimes nonsensical and odd and sarcastic and cheesy and corny but witty and intelligent jokes and his genius but dark and controversial insult humor.

Jeselnik was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He earned a bachelors degree in English Literature from Tulane University, then moved to Los Angeles. Jeselnik resides in New York City.

Jeselnik worked as a writer on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon for the show's first season and often appeared in the show's comedy sketches. After working on Late Night for a year, he left the show in March 2010 to focus on performing stand-up comedy and other projects.

Jeselnik has performed stand-up comedy on the television programs Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel Live, Down and Dirty with Jim Norton and Last Call with Carson Daly. He was named one of Comedy Central's breakout comedians of 2009, along with Nick Kroll, Aziz Ansari, Whitney Cummings, Donald Glover, Matt Braunger, T.J. Miller, Kumail Nanjiani, and Jon Lajoie. In 2010, he released his debut album, Shakespeare. He was jokingly referred to as the most attractive amongst the group by the other comedians.