Funny people and not funny people

[andyfox]

Ten I really find funny:

1) Charlie Chaplin
2) Zero Mostel
3) Mel Brooks
4) Woody Allen 25 years ago
5) Walter Matthau
6) Robin Williams
7) Martin Short
8) Danny Kaye
9) Jerry Lewis 50 years ago
10)George Carlin


Not funny:
1) W.C. Fields
2) Milton Berle
3) Albert Brooks
4) Ben Stiller
5) Larry David
6) Whoppi Goldberg
7) Woody Allen now
8) Jerry Lewis now
9) Bob Hope ever
10) John Candy

A few years back I heard a televion critic say that Jerry Lewis's telethon has raised $35 million dollars, or $15 million less than they would have raised had everybody who never wanted to see him again given a quarter. . .

[brad]

you dont think curb your enthusiasm if funny?

[andyfox]

I live in the part of the world, with a similar lifestyle, to the people depicted in the show. My moter-in-law's boyfriend's son produces the show. I've tried and tried, and can't get through more than 15 minutes. I know I'm in the minority, but no, I don't think the show is funny. The fact that Ted Danson is a partner in a new restaurant is not of too much interest to me.

[John Cole]

"Bob Hope ever"

You mean you didn't enjoy his "this is a funny war stuff"?
Agree completely.

Add Chevy Chase to that list.


Mel Brooks story: He brings Anne Bancroft home to meet his mother. "Ma, this is Anne; we're getting married. She's a Catholic."

Mother: "That's nice, Mel. I'll be in the kitchen--my head will be in the oven."

John

[HDPM]

That everybody loves Raymond guy is not funny. I have never seen his show, but he has made the saturday round at Pebble Beach unwatchable since CBS allowed him on the air. Bill Murray also helps ruin everything. But he was funny in a movie or two a long time ago. So you find yourself rooting for Murray to take a header in a bunker and only compound fracture his leg, but everybody loves Raymond you hope falls off a cliff. Then he'd be funny in a Jackass kind of way.

[snakehead]

one more for each of your lists: richard pryor and adam sandler. also, carlin isn't nearly as funny now as he was 10 or 20 years ago. I recently saw some of his old stuff on the hbo comedy channel, and it was way above his recent show.

[snakehead]

one more for each of your lists: richard pryor and adam sandler. also, carlin isn't nearly as funny now as he was 10 or 20 years ago. I recently saw some of his old stuff on the hbo comedy channel, and it was way above his recent show.

[MMMMMM]

Just off the top of my head, I've long thought the cast/performance of the original Saturday Night Live was excellent.

It declined of course.

[MMMMMM]

[The_Baron]

Funny People:

Jake Johansen(son?)
Red Skelton
Original Saturday Night Live as an ensemble
Ray Stevens
Shelley Berman
Bob Newhart
Jonathan Winters
Sid Caesar
Bill Cosby back when he was funny. (pre-Jello and self
righteousness)
Janeanne Garofolo
Ethan and Joel Cohen

Not Funny People:

Too many to list and many have made about a bazillion bucks being not-funny


Please ignore my spelling... Mr. Migraine came to visit earlier today and I'm working under the influence of about half my body weight in muscle relaxants...


The Baron

[HDPM]

Q: Name the two most common "final words."

A: "Oh [censored]"

Where I live, I think "Hold my beer and watch this!" is at least a close second.

[andyfox]

Neil Simon says he and Mel Brooks were walking down the street (when they were both writing for Sid Caesar) and around the corner, approaching them, come two nuns. Simon is cringing as they come ever closer, worried what Brooks would say. As they pass by, Brooks says to them, "Your out of the skit."

BTW, I watched the original The Producers on TV today, loved it again. Zero was something special. [When he testified before HUAC they asked him to state his name. "Sam Mostel," he replied. "Aren't you known as Zero?" they asked.

"Yes," he said, "after my financial standing in the community."

[andyfox]

I think Raymond is a horrible actor, but I find the show quite funny. I think the woman who plays his wife is weak, but the brother and the parents, especially Peter Boyle, are quite good.

[andyfox]

I think you're right about Carlin. Seems like the bitterness now detracts from the humor; perhaps since his wife died this has affected him.

I don't find Adam Sandler funny either, but I always thought that was a generational thing, i.e., I'm too old.

And I didn't get Richard Pryor either, although I know he is revered by every other living comedian younger than he is.

[andyfox]

I agree. Belushi and Gilda Radner were the two who were, I think, naturally funny.

[andyfox]

[andyfox]

Probably the line I laughed the hardest I ever laughed at:

"A bucket for messieur. And a cleaning woman."

[andyfox]

Good list.

To me, there are people who are naturally funny (Caesar, Skelton and Winters come to mind from your list), and those who have to work at it (Newhart, for example).

I think that's why I found, for example, Groucho and Harpo very funny, but Chico didn't do anything for me.

[HDPM]

You are never too young to find Adam Sandler not funny.

[brad]

so people worth hundreds of millions of dollars really do have to put up with all that day to day petty bs?

now i really think the show is funny /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

[Sooga]

I've always loved Steven Wright... a lot of my friends hate him tho.... I guess there's really not middle ground, but I think he's brilliant

[Clarkmeister]

Funny

Norm MacDonald
Chris Rock
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Jerry Seinfeld
Eddie Murphy's standup
Jim Carrey
Conan
Kilborn
Johnny Dangerously
Jay Mohr
Richard Pryor
Billy Crystal
Jim Rome
Steve Martin
The Austin Powers franchise

Not funny
Martin Short
Dice
Letterman
Rob Schneider
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Pauly Shore
Stallone
Lee Corso
Rosanne
That ugly short dude with the wierd face who's been on SNL for the last 4-5 seasons
Martin
Robin Williams
Bill Mahr
Julia Roberts romantic "comedies"
Drew Carrey

[andyfox]

He's certainly unique. And the deadpan delivery is great.

Two of my favorites of his:

"Lou Gehrig died of Lou Gehrig's disease. What are the odds?"

"I saw a sign that said, 'Next rest stop 32 miles.' And I thought, gee, that's a big one."

[andyfox]

Well it goes to show, diferent strokes for different folks. On your funny list, I don't get Norm McDonald and Austin Powers ain't for me either.

On your not funny list, I love Martin Short and Robin Williams.

[Mason Malmuth]

I disagree with you on W.C. Fields. Also, someone you missed: Henny Youngman.

MM /forums/images/icons/grin.gif

[snakehead]

there's a fine line between fishing and standing on the shore like an idiot.

[andyfox]

I'm surprised you're the first to mention W.C. Fields, I thought it would be my most controversial not funny pick. To me, he was essentially a two-joke guy, and both jokes were kind of mean-spirited: hating kids and being an alcoholic. Also, he was a gifted juggler, I would have liked to have seen him use that gift and been more physical, more active.

I remember Henny Youngman and his violin from the old Ed Sullivan show. He would tell a lot of jokes rapid fire, sort of like Rodney Dangerfield. I don't think Youngman was a naturally funny person, but his one-liners were certainly classics ("Take my wife. . .please"; "Doctor tells me I'm sick, I say I'd like another opinion, he says, OK, you're ugly too.")

[Mason Malmuth]

How about:

On their 50th anniversary the wife saids to the husband, take me somewhere I've never been. So he shows her the kitchen.

MM

[Bill Murphy]

Pryor pre-freebase scorch, IMO is no worse than top three all-time in terms of best standup. Forget any of movies, 'cept his 1st concert film. Those old 70's albums are all must haves. He went strt downhill after he saw the 'light'. Bill Cosby's 60's albums are unbelievable, as well.

Random thoughts:

Agree w/you about Carlin & Woody Allen. I've only laughed one time at any Robin Williams bit, but he's a fine serious actor[Good Morning Vietnam excepted, and he wasn't funny there either]. Hell, Death To Smoochy was funnier than Mrs. Doubtfire.

Sam Kinison *when he first appeared* was hilarious.

Ray Romano, Drew Carey, Cosmo Kramer guy, all definitely not funny.

Can't imagine you didn't think John Candy was funny in Planes, Trains, & Automobiles.

Billy Crystal=funny. Eddie Murphy=funny until Beverly Hills Cop II.

[HDPM]

Agree on Pryor and Kinnison. Saw Kinnison live in a fairly small venue. Hilarious.

[ripdog]

I went to a comedy club in Seattle with a bunch of friends and the warm up act was absolutely horrible. She called herself Glitter and part of her act was to drag some poor chump out of the audience up on stage and spank him. Nobody was laughing, and it went on and on and on. Just as the waitress came to collect on the first drink of the two drink minimum rule, I threw myself back against the wall and groaned, "My God, how long is this going to last?" The waitress looked at me sternly and said "You think you've got it bad? I've been here all week!" Needless to say, anyone within earshot of this exchange burst out laughing. Glitter peered into the audience wondering what the hell was so funny. It almost made suffering through her act worth it.

[andyfox]

Candy was very good in Planes, Trains and Automobiles, but I didn't find him as funny a person as others did.

I loved R.W. in Good Morning Vietnam.

I saw Drew Carey and his crew test out Whose Line Is It Anyway? at a local club here in L.A. Drew was part of the participants. He was terrible. Worse than terrible. I imagine that's how they decided to make him the host of the show, rather than an ad libber.

[baggins]

funny (not complete list):
janeane garofalo (and shes hot as hell. *meow*)
steven wright
bill murray is still funny. you juts gotta get it... i guess
ben stiller is hilarious. same thing.
seinfeld was purty funny. i wanna see the movie.
carlin rules
bob odenkirk and david cross (anybody else thrilled with the Mr. Show DVD?)

not funny:
adam sandler
anybody who came from SNL after phil hartman died.
martin short blows
charles grodin (is he supposed to be funny? he freaks me out...)
some other people...