[1] Known for his admiration of Al Jolson, Cohen was a caricature of old Tin Pan Alley songsmiths, and the running gag in any sketch where he appeared was that he would claim that he could "write a song about anyt'ing," at which point Irving would call to a pianist off camera, "Give me a 'C', a bouncy, 'C'", and then he would ad-lib lyrics, ending with, "Da-da-da-da-dee, da-da-da-da-dah, ah, whatever da hell else ya wanna put in da t'ing!"
Cohen is loosely based on Irving Caesar, the author of numerous song standards including "Swanee" and "Tea for Two" and lived to the age of 101.
Short played Cohen in the closing scene of Muppets Tonight episode 110, sitting in the nursing home with Statler and Waldorf.
On SNL, he was included in a sketch featuring other old Yiddish Vaudevillian characters portrayed by other cast members including Billy Crystal, Rich Hall and Christopher Guest, and guest host Eddie Murphy playing his Gumby character, whom he played as an old Yiddish vaudeville actor.
The tribute is interrupted when Cohen calls the studio from a hospital room made just like his boudoir, and informs Jiminy that he is okay.