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I like this thread. You guys have turned me on to a lot of funny poo poo, so thanks. To contribute, I don't get a lot of the Kinison hate I've read here. There was a lot more to the guy than "AHHHHHHHHH". His more clever bits on drug use, marriage and especially religion are loving classic and spot on hilarious. Dude had a way of channeling the pain, anger and despair of hypocrisy that I still find funny. Granted, his "fags have AIDS" poo poo is hard to take and after a while, once he became "Sam the Jessica Hahn loving rock star" it all got a bit tired but I've seen a lot of good comics go through this. Dice, for instance, also catches a lot of poo poo but I always looked at him as a parody and a caricature of a certain laughable stereotype, where you're laughing AT the guy and not really the material, which was always pathetically weak. I think to an extent, you had to be from Philly, Jersey or New York to "get" what Dice was doing, which to me was always poking fun at the stupidity of your average misogynistic, homophobic stupid Guido. There are a lot of "classic" popular, legendary comics whose material doesn't hold up once cultural attitudes and certain mindsets change. Henny Youngman telling his wife to get in the kitchen, for instance. Gleason threatening to punch his wife to the moon. Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy, Lenny Bruce, Kinison, Carlin, Cheech & Chong, even Chris Rock...a lot of this stuff is genuinely funny, it just doesn't hold up too well over time removed from its social historical context. Pryor's considered a comedy god and I can barely tolerate a lot of his material now. I guess I've just never been easily offended and have always enjoyed "dark and edgy" comedy, even if the edge dulls a bit over time. I think what happens a lot is that comics bring this stuff out into the forefront, make it funny and shine enough light on it that it becomes no longer funny and sort of puts it to bed in a way. Guys like Seinfeld, Steven Wright and Cosby, all of whom I've seen within the last 4 or 5 years, continue to amaze me at how timeless and transcendent they can be. I wonder if it's a coincidence that they all work clean. What does everyone think of Jim Jeffries? He hasn't been brought up much in this thread and I think he's great. Is he one of those "he's so good, he goes without saying" comics or one of those "he's popular and says 'oval office' so it's not cool to like him" guys? Also, I know it's not standup, but I was happy to see 'Whose Line Is It Anyway' come back on the air. Where does Robert Smigel fit into this discussion too? I always love Triumph and some of the Insult Comic Dog material is kinda sorta standup. Anyhow, again, great thread. I've discovered a lot of comics I've never heard before. Off to go listen to some more.
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Aug 14, 2013 19:23
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El Gallinero Gros posted:Context is everything when it comes to sensitive subjects. That's really it, isn't it? I think all words, subjects and terms are in play so long as they're used in the interest of advancing the joke or, like you said, establishing context. I think of Dave Barry's "oval office" bit where some lady told him to change the tone of his voice during his act. Shock for shock's sake grows thin pretty quickly and you just wind up with Lisa Lampinelli saying "human being" and "friend of the family" for 90 minutes. It's OK at a roast but it's tough to build an act around it and it gets old fast.
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Aug 26, 2013 19:51
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The Berzerker posted:I think you meant Todd Barry, not Dave Barry, but that kind of makes it funnier. Yes, I meant Todd Barry, but I'll leave my post as "Dave" because that is funnier.
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Aug 26, 2013 21:40
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BigRed0427 posted:So it's a whole series reenacting interviews from The Arsenio Hall Show? Yeah, no. I didn't find that funny at all or even a really good Dice impression for that matter. And Dice is not hard to impersonate.
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Aug 27, 2013 23:11
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Politicalrancor posted:He didn't. He was obligated to do 25 minutes and thats what he did. Agreed. It was sort of the equivalent of a band trying to run through a few new songs but everyone's yelling out "Even Flow". Chappelle is an odd duck in some ways. My wife and I saw him a few years back and he went into like a half hour bit about "The Game" that he warned us ahead of time "wasn't funny". It was poignant and correct but it seemed to put the audience off a bit and then, when he was done, he said "I told you the poo poo wasn't funny." It's gotta suck to be trying to perfect your craft and have unfunny retards yelling out bits while you're trying to work. To bring it back to Dice for a moment, at a certain point even he had to deal with assholes yelling out nursery rhymes at him and poo poo like that and gently caress if that wouldn't get old quick. No one hollers at Cosby to go into his dentist routine while he's working. Or for Chris Rock to talk about Niggers and Black People. Hecklers suck and I understand why comedians get loving tired of assholes who've had too much to drink interrupting their show. They should be horse whipped and ejected on the spot. There's a place for hecklers and wanna be comedians. It's called a local bar.
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Aug 31, 2013 22:39
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Hope it's OK if I post this here. Good A.V. Club article about comedians and their relationship to their audience when it becomes adversarial. http://www.avclub.com/articles/when-comedians-walk-off-its-the-crowd-thats-to-bla,102722/ edit: plowing through the comments and some of them would fit really well here and add to the discussion. BiggerBoat fucked around with this message at 19:53 on Sep 12, 2013 |
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Sep 12, 2013 19:43
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I searched and haven't seen it mentioned here, but it is there a thread anywhere about the recent "news" or hoax or whatever it is that Andy Kaufman has a 24 year old daughter even though he died 29 years ago? referring to this: http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/people/2013/11/14/andy-kaufman-daugther-says-hes-not-dead/3525403/ Personally, I call bullshit and think he's dead, but if anyone on earth could pull this off and if, for once, the "He's really alive and faked his own death!" conspiracy crowds were right, it would be Kaufman. Not Hendrix, Elvis, Jim Morrison. Not Hitler. Not any of them. It would be Andy.
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Nov 14, 2013 18:10
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Groucho Marxist posted:A story pops up every few years that shows us Andy is alive. It's never true, but I get really giddy about the idea every time these stories happen. I'm aware of the "Andy is alive" websites and such. It makes me wonder if they staged that exchange simply in the spirit of Andy Kaufman which, if they did, I'm not sure is in incredibly poor taste, a really brilliant idea or both. Obviously, Andy's brother would have to be in on the joke if it's a put on.
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Nov 14, 2013 18:43
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Anyone else think that Jim Jeffries is pretty much the best thing going? I've seen all of his stand up specials and the guy just kills it. Haven't seen his TV show yet.
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Nov 14, 2015 20:09
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I've been thinking about trying out to do an open mic night here at a local club. Anyone here ever tried it? Can you offer any pointers? I don't have a lot to lose just giving it a shot but I'd hate to get up there and bomb.
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Feb 28, 2016 22:27
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Mescal posted:If you don't know how to write jokes yet, just tell a funny anecdote from your life in which you're the victim. This is why I think I can do it because this won't be hard. My life is basically one big joke anyway and I'm always the victim. My therapist actually recommended that I give it a shot. Have any of you guys ever tried it? edit: Snapchat A Titty posted:im fat and drunk Not bad.
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Feb 29, 2016 02:53
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I just read Carlin's Last Words and enjoyed i more than I thought I would, even though it wasn't particularly funny. Since we're talking about books, can anyone recommend any really good books written by comedians? Preferably ones that are actually funny. Are Carlin's other books worth checking out? I've read Franken, Cosby and a few others I can't recall. Any books my comedians that will actually make me laugh out loud?
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Apr 21, 2016 01:54
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Megazver posted:Yeah, it was good as usual. Holy poo poo thanks for letting me know there's a new Jeffries special. I loved the last two. edit: Watched and, drat, Jeffries is good. Hands down my favorite modern comedian. The Cosby bit he opened with was hilarious. There was about a 10 minute segment there towards the end that almost got too serious though and was almost too on the mark to be funny. I worry about him a bit because, like a lot of really good comics, you can really see uses the funny to offset his depression and his demons. He seems like another in a long line that I could picture crashing and burning with an OD or suicide. BiggerBoat fucked around with this message at 17:06 on Jul 5, 2016 |
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Jul 4, 2016 15:16
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It might be too a case of "Guy gets canonized because he died too soon" so people talk about them more and the current artists get sick of hearing it or being asked about them. (Lenny Bruce, Kinnison, Freddie Prinze, Mitch Hedburg, Richard Jeni). Even Robin Williams. You can see it happening now a bit with Prince and Bowie. Also, holy poo poo. Jeffries drinks? fake edit: There's something inherently honest about Jeffries that I think translates so well to the point that even when he's being sarcastic or REALLY REALLY dark it still works. He touched on this with the "you can't joke about 'x' bit" and I've seen that debate come up from time to time on these forums (in the Right Wing Media Thread of all places). I think Jeffries is a good case study on how you can joke about any subject matter if you do it right and how context is everything. He touched on that last point too in "Freedumb". If you just read the transcript, it sounds abominable but if you allow context , give it room to breathe and deliver it with great timing, just about anything can be funny. Lastly, JJ really has mastered the art of the callback and his impressions are underrated. We're so used to him "speaking Australian" that when he imitates someone without the accent it's jarringly funny. This special is worth watching to see him decimate Cosby as lead off. BiggerBoat fucked around with this message at 23:34 on Jul 5, 2016 |
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Jul 5, 2016 23:32
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Thanks to this thread I discovered Doug Stanhope, so thanks. Dude is really funny. edit: I think I'm in the minority here in thinking that Kinison was great. Like a lot of comedians at the time, the stupid AIDS jokes and "ha ha fags" stuff has aged terribly, but his bits on relationships, marriage, drugs and especially religion are really great. To say "he had one funny TV special and sucked after that" is being unfairly dismissive to his talent. Societal context ages a lot of comedian's material (Bruce, Murphy, Pryor and Cheech and Chong spring to mind). Sam Kinison really is a legend and a lot of comics working now cite him as one of the best and as a major influence. Even on a technical level, his timing, his pace and his stage presence are exemplary - or at least they were for a while. Once he became "Famous Rock Star Selling Out Madison Square Garden Sam", banging Jessica Hahn, being on Stern all the time and once he got too much into his own persona, the material certainly suffered. But it wasn't always "AAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!! Arrrgghhhh!", punching down and screaming about fags. His stuff about Jesus and religion was actually ahead of its time. I love Kinison. BiggerBoat fucked around with this message at 18:46 on Jul 11, 2016 |
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Jul 11, 2016 13:27
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DangerDummy! posted:My favorite Kinison joke was, regarding Whoopi Goldberg, "It's like the whole world got together and decided not to hurt her feelings." I love the stuff about Jesus and televangalists especially. How Jesus was never married and the bit about how everyone gathered around crying watching him suffer. "Well I wouldn't have to have to if one of you fuckers could grab a loving LADDER!" The last supper bit. I think he was at his best just tearing down walls of hypocrisy and translating the stuff he learned as a preacher to the comedic stage. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXGA8j-aLes A lot of working professionals absolutely love the guy.
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Jul 12, 2016 04:42
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HEY NONG MAN posted:If you ever find yourself doing a bit that is on Dave Attell's one album, you should definitely reconsider. rear end Catchcum posted:Just so yu know Dave has like 3 specials and 2 are amazing. I was gonna say, what's wrong with Dave Attell?
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Aug 6, 2016 04:20
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So has anyone here ever been to or actually done an open mic night? I've been to a couple just to size it up and see if I was up to trying it. drat...I don't think there's anything more awkward than watching someone just flat out bomb hard. Except maybe passing by them in the bar later. The three times I checked out the place near me, were enough to convince me that I couldn't possibly be as horrible as more than half of the acts I saw. Watching someone just tank is brutal.
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Aug 11, 2016 01:09
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drat. can't believe this thread is dying Just found out a new Jim Jeffries is up on Netflix so I know what I'm doing tonight
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Jul 15, 2018 01:57
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Jim Jeffries' new one is awesome, as usual. edit: The subject of Andy Kauffman came up in a "PYF TV Shows That Haven't Aged Well" thread so I'm cross posting it here: Link to the PYF thread where Kauffman came up (page 40): https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3828513&userid=0&perpage=40&pagenumber=244#post486333569 I like this discussion about Kauffman. Have we ever had a Kauffman thread? Where would we put it? Kauffman's schtick has aged really well I think and has only gotten better over time Sacha Baron Cohen is the closest thing I can think of as a comparison in a modern sense. Andy wasn't FUNNY, really, but he was a genius. Perfectly tailored for wrestling actually. He got those wrestling hicks to hate his loving guts and conned half the world into believing that the poo poo he did with Jerry Lawler and that episode of Fridays was real. He was very good on Taxi also but like someone else said, HATED cheap laughs, catch phrases and shallow sitcoms and was probably terrified of being limited like that. It'd be like if anyone who saw Robin Williams only wanted him to do "Shazbot" and "nannoo-nanooo" for the rest of his life. We all saw what Williams went on to do before he killed himself. Andy rightfully resisted becoming Bart's "I didn't do it" one liner persona and obviously had far bigger ideas but back then no one could understand that. I think if Andy were around today he'd fit in perfectly with the YouTube celebrity culture and the Barnum and Bailey nature of reality TV. He was way ahead of his time. BiggerBoat fucked around with this message at 19:37 on Jul 23, 2018 |
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Jul 16, 2018 15:53
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I know nobody really reads this thread but I like it. I just read a cool book called "I Killed", composed of road stories by various comics if anyone cares about that sort of thing .
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Aug 15, 2018 00:37
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Tony Phillips posted:Same. True, but I've learned about some really good comics from this thread also. I rarely want to watch a set from someone I've never heard of and most of the recommendations I've gotten here have been pretty good. Since I brought up books, I read The Comedians: Drunks, Thieves, Scoundrels, and the History of American Comedy a few months back and it was really great but for some reason seemed to cut off early even though it was published in 2015. It talks about the evolution of the art and how it's changed with the times in a really interesting way. I go to my local open mic night sometimes and keep telling myself I'm gonna try it one day. Basically, I go to see how lovely they are to try and build up my courage. Takes a LOT of balls to get up there. Balls I apparently lack.
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Aug 15, 2018 17:56
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Been listening to Artie Lange's audio book, "Crash & Burn", and holy poo poo. How is this guy still alive? If you're ever getting down and want to feel better about your life, check that book out.
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Sep 7, 2018 13:57
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I've been listening to some Bill Hicks compilations on my phone which doesn't have an ad blocker and it's real weird listening to him rail on advertising, marketing and the satan spawn of consumerism then get interrupted for an ad. In a way, it kind of fits the material. And, geez. I didn't know Hicks did some of those horrible gay jokes.
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Nov 7, 2018 19:08
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People are saying stand up is a dead and tired art form but I don't know. Jim Jeffries is top ten all time already I think. Kinane and Stanhope are pretty loving great. Chapelle's specials were good and CK had a good run there. I still like Chris Rock. There's good stuff out there. Did anyone watch "Bumping Mics" on Netflix? It was pretty hit or miss but I like Jeff Ross and Dave Attell a lot plus I love that improvisational format so I found it worth my time overall. Good to have on the background while you're doing poo poo. What do people think of Joey Diaz? And, apropos of nothing, I find that stand up is perfect for keeping your spirits up when you're cleaning, painting or doing some mundane poo poo that you hate. My co-workers think I'm insane because I stream comedy at work and often burst out laughing at seemingly random periods. ... Speaking of really popular comics, wtf ever happened to the horribly unfunny yet somehow stupidly popular and uber famous Dane Cook? Did people finally figure out he sucks or did he retire or something? He's like The Big Bang Theory of stand up and how he filled arenas is baffling to me. Like I even get Dice and Kevin Hart packing arenas but how the gently caress did Cook ever claim that throne?
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Jan 6, 2019 18:04
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XIII posted:The problem is he got SO popular that it became trendy to act like you didn't like him. The problem is that his poo poo wasn't funny. A lot of comedians who were far far better were similarly baffled by his meteoric rise. At least with a big star; someone like Foxworthy, Cosby, Dice or Larry the cable Guy, you could kind of GET why a lot of people would like it. I wouldn't have a problem liking a comedian who was really popular and have liked several who got huge so, no, it wasn't a case of me (or anyone else) being too cool for the room. I swear to God, listening to Cook, to me, was like watching The Big Bang Theory and scratching my head wondering where the jokes were. E: Since there are some fans here, please, someone post their favorite Dane Cook bit.
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Jan 7, 2019 03:01
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I never heard of the guy but, god drat, comedians are more self destructive than rock musicians it seems. Who was the last complete rear end in a top hat that offed themselves and everyone breathed a sigh of relief? Bud Dwyer comes to mind and that was like 35 years ago. Why do only cool, smart and funny people seem to whack themselves?
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Feb 23, 2019 17:37
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El Gallinero Gros posted:Andrew Dice Clay would be a good example, too. He got really loving tired of doing the dirty limericks and the cigarette tricks and all that entailed, I even remember him ending up on a sitcom where he ran a record label in the 90's where he made a big deal out of removing Dice from his name. He can't get away from it, though. There's a TON of stand up comedians who get pigeon holed into catch phrases and worn out bits. Tim Allen, Foxworthy, Kinison, Carlin, Gaffigan, Chris Rock, Dice, Larry the Cable Guy, Rodney Dangerfield, Steve Martin, Ron White..They get known for it and then let down the audience if they don't do the bit. Must suck even if they sometimes get a TV deal out of it. I NEVER got why so many people want to hear old bits when they go to a show. Seeing your favorite band playing your favorite songs is one thing but comedy gets less funny each time you hear it. I went to a Steven Wright show once where the whole set was old material and it was the most boring comedy show I've ever seen. I saw Cosby once too and he did the dentist bit. Audience was howling but I thought it was boring filler.
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Apr 13, 2019 16:24
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Ches Neckbeard posted:Larry the Cable Guy being pigeon holed? What? Maybe "pigeon holed" is the wrong term. Harminoff posted:Yeah but it's all an act that he can't drop even if he wanted to. That's what I meant. Same with Foxworthy. Comedians who basically BECOME their catch phrases/characters/bits. Of course their situation is much worse if it never goes huge, they actually do get stuck in that pigeon hole and they turn into "HEY! Wha' Happened?" or a Yakoff Smirnoff - like a one hit wonder band that HAS to play THAT SONG every night - but I'm sure even the famous ones get tired of riffing the same old poo poo. Although I bet most comedians would kill for a one liner they could turn into a TV show and slap on a t-shirt (again, like a band seeking a hit single) but, man, once you're locked in I could see it getting old quick.
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Apr 13, 2019 19:50
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Tony Phillips posted:Here's a potentially dumb question about something that was admittedly minor. I think just by trying to be funny and making jokes you're bound to repeat something someone else has said. Christ, look at this message board and all the "edit: F/B" posts. I've heard comedians do jokes that I've actually come up with on my own through the course of my life. The line is when you willfully do it or refuse to STOP doing the material once you know it's "someone else's bit". I don't think you can copyright a loving joke and in the stand up circle, going back a long way, comedians would steal jokes from other acts all the time, similar to bands copping riffs and songs and often in terribly blatant and lovely ways. It's much harder to get away with now due to the internet and I think in the case of comedy it's mostly down to the honor system but there's bound to be some unintentional cross over, especially with topical humor acts. Most good artists in any medium steal or lift from their peers and mentors but the good ones mold and shape it into something their own and produce something original. You mention Hedberg, for instance, and he's highly indebted to Steven Wright by quite a bit but he shaped his act in a way that no one called it blatant rip off.
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Apr 24, 2019 23:38
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I don't see Jim Jeffries mentioned much in this thread which is odd to me. Not just because I think he's loving great but he's also really popular, "edgy", contemporary and fucks around with "taboo" things that generate debate using language in ways that can piss off just about anyone. Usually that combination: the popularity (TV show, viral bits, physical assault on stage) and the sort of touchy "off limits" poo poo (misogyny, religion) brings out opinions one way or the other but not too many goons toss him out here. I think he's an example of a really funny person who comes from a place of of honesty but whose material might not age too great over time - like Murphy, Pryor, Carlin and several other greats who dealt in unapologetic ways with subject matter specifically relevant to their time that was often dangerous to talk about. I also think his last special was a little lacking and that he's starting to become victim to the "has to be outrageous and say 'oval office'" sort of stereotyping that always goes on. He seems like another in a long line of comedians for which things might not end too well but burns bright while he lasts.
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May 4, 2019 01:00
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Greg Giraldo was funny though
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May 9, 2019 22:47
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I didn't know Stanhope had a book. Or books. Picked up This is Not Fame and it's pretty good a few chapters in.
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May 21, 2019 23:46
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Tony Phillips posted:They're decent, but not great. Wouldn't bother unless you're a fan already. I liked the first considerably more than the second. I enjoyed it well enough and, yes, I'm a fan. Never read his first book or even knew he wrote one. I wonder how this Dice/Rosanne thing is going to work out? I have a nagging feeling it's going to be bigger than people expect. Not HUGE but big enough to maybe make the news. https://variety.com/2019/tv/news/roseanne-barr-andrew-dice-clay-comedy-tour-1203251081/ I don't dislike Clay (or Barr even) as much as most people and was a huge dice fan when i was young and stupid but this thing just has a regressive, backwards thinking, rebellious for all the wrong reasons stink all over it disguised as free speech and I hope it's not as successful as I think it might be. Many other better and lesser known comics deserve these eyes, ears and ticket sales. With any luck we'll move on and this thing will struggle to sell tickets.
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Jul 3, 2019 22:43
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So, um, Pete Davidson had a bit of a meltdown and is apparently still mentally ill. I didn't know he did stand up but I knew the second part. He went with the "millenial snowflakes and their phones" thing, which is odd for someone his age. He also called the audience "retards" https://news.avclub.com/pete-davidson-unloads-on-privileged-little-assholes-d-1837621638
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Aug 27, 2019 22:32
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Eddie Murphy is saying he's going to do a stand up tour soon. I think he's a genius but I'd be lying if I said some of his stuff hasn't aged terribly and be an rear end in a top hat if I tried to defend it. I just wonder what sort of contemporary topics would lend themselves well to his style. Certainly there are a lot out there ripe for the picking but comedy has changed a lot since 1987 and seeing how he adapts is going to be interesting. His best stuff revolves around growing up as a kid and bits about family members and stuff. He did do some funny things making fun of celebrities but obviously "human being jokes" and all that poo poo isn't gonna play. He also seems to have led a very isolated and private lifestyle for decades now which I would think would make inventing timely bits and clever observational humor quite difficult.
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Sep 8, 2019 16:18
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FitFortDanga posted:I watched his episode of "Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee" and he didn't say one funny thing. It was weird. Same with the SNL 40th reunion or whatever that was. He got this HUGE ovation and then just rambled for a few minutes. Totally bombed.
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Sep 10, 2019 11:03
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Lumbermouth posted:Do I hear five? Just five comedians people, a steal at twice the price! I like Bill Burr fine but: Doug Stanhope Jim Jeffries Kyle Kinane Chris Rock Dave Attell Jeff Ross Todd Barry Ron White Steven Wright Lewis Black
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Sep 17, 2019 01:36
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I thought this was a pretty good write up on "Is PC Culture Killing Comedy". Yeah, yeah, it's Cracked I know but I enjoyed reading it https://www.cracked.com/article_26764_is-asking-is-pc-culture-killing-comedy-killing-comedy.html
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Oct 15, 2019 22:43
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Here's comedian Keyy Bachman wiping out Harvey Weinstein and some of his tacit supporters in the audience https://news.avclub.com/watch-comic-kelly-bachman-tear-harvey-weinstein-apart-1839371114
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Oct 26, 2019 13:46
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