Questions: Bringing the Funny

I think stand-up comedy is just about the hardest and bravest thing humans have ever attempted. Most attempts suck, but a live performance that connects can be an epiphany. Women can be as good as men, but their problem is the profanity barrier. Swearing is essential to standup, and we all assume men swear by nature.A woman comic has to convince us.

That's why Sarah Silverman wins hands down. She projects innocent naivete, then transcends the limits on foul-mouthedness by pretending to trip over them. Or just heads directly for the raunch: Her duet "I'm fucking Matt Damon" had me in tears. I'm so in love with her, I imagined my chances had improved when she broke up with that Kimmel guy.  

Ahem, female comedians have come a long way since the days of Judy Tenuta. Margaret Cho makes me laugh till I cry.

I thought "I'm fucking Matt Damon" was hilarious too, and I loved the Great Schlep. But generally, I find Sarah Silverman a little too vulgar, which I know is going to seem inconsistent when I tell you that Margaret Cho is my fave. Yes, she's vulgar too--shockingly so. But her vulgarity has a point whereas Silverman just seems to do it for the shock value.

Warning: explicit sexual content in the video. Definitely rated R.

I have lots of femele comedians on my site.

Women can be as good at stand-up as men, but it is very rare. I believe this is somewhat related to what I'll call the Hillary Clinton problem - good stand-up usually comes from a mean, bitter, harsh, vulgar place, and I think a lot of women don't feel totally comfortable playing in that game. Moreover, when they do, it ends up turning off many people and coming off as more shrill than funny.

Haven't seen enough to rank them; in fact, many of them I've been advised not to see. But The Mask worked as a showcase of Carrey's talents. The storyline imposed almost no limits, so Carrey could bounce off as many walls as he liked without disrupting things. Didn't he also play The Riddler in one of the Batmans? Batmen? That qualifies as a comedic role.

He's one of those comic actors who can't help but overfill the screen -- like Robin Williams, Steve Martin. When they crank it way back for a serious role, it can be a revelation -- Jackie Gleason in The Hustler, Jerry Lewis in The King of Comedy. I'd love to see Carrey in the serious role he was born to play -- whatever that is.

Dumb and Dumber, {anything from In Living Color}, Ace Ventura, Me Myself & Irene, Cable Guy, Bruce Almighty

I've only seen Bruce Almighty and Fun with Dick and Jane. I thought they were both okay, but nothing spectacular. But I did see Carey at a comedy club in San Francisco in the spring of 1990, just before or just after In Living Color went on the air. It was the funniest performance I've ever seen in my life, bar none. My stomach muscles hurt the next day and I'm pretty sure I deprived of a lot of oxygen.

Man On The Moon. 

Win.

1. Dumb and Dumber - just a hilarious movie. One of the classic all-time, buddy comedies.

2. Ace Ventura: Pet Detective

3. The Cable Guy - dark but underrated.

4. Liar Liar

5. The Mask

6. Me, Myself and Irene

7. Bruce Almighty

Did not see the others.

Waterboard.

Is alcohol an option? If not I'll take the waterboarding too.

I reject the premise of the question. Obviously, I would be the one doing the waterboarding.

Full House, of course. I can't get enough of Dave 'Cut...it..out!' Coulier! no seriously, please waterboard me.

I've only seen it enough to be puzzled by its appeal. $825,000 an episode sounds over-priced, even if I liked the show.

Never seen the show; I love How I Met Your Mother; are you kidding me?!

I think I've seen a grand total of 10 minutes of this show, always by accident. It is possibly the most inane show they've ever put on television. I've always assumed that only republicans watch it.

4a) I've seen it about two and a half times. Exactly two and a half times too many. It literally revels in indulging in everything that is wrong about the sitcom format.

4b) A tie between 30 Rock and The Office. Both incredibly funny and innovative. followed closely by Family Guy.

4c) It doesn't bother me. I'm sure he's single-handedly supporting the Southern California sex worjkers community.

I don't get Stern, but of the others Jay Leno is the host with the least edge, which is a key late-night-host attribute. The edginess of the others increases in the precise order you list them here. From what I've seen of his past work, Stern might be edgiest of all; maybe too edgy. But Leno is just too lame to watch.

Acanuck is right. Jay Leno doesn't belong because he is not funny, gives awful monologues and is an even worse interviewer.

I can proudly say I've never gone to see a Christmas comedy. Never will.

Finally saw A Christmas Story this year which was great, if a bit non-PC :). Christmas Vacation / Elf were the best. Worst was Jingle All the Way (sorry if I offended Sinbad or fake Sinbad).

I try to stay away from the holiday movies although I did see that Ben Affleck one a few years back. Not so good.

A Christmas Story is hands down the best Christmas comedy ever.

Quinn is right, Elf wins ... Christmas Story is a close second. the worst (at least the first one coming to mind, I'm sure I've seen worse) is the one with Sinbad ... I'm too lazy to even look the name up right now, but i believe he's searching for a toy in it (Ah-nuld was in it, too).

What, you left off Seinfeld? Mary Tyler Moore? Hell, the Honeymooners?

OK: The Simpsons (in its heyday), Friends, Cheers, Frasier (annoying though it could be), MASH, Happy Days (pre-shark) ... and now I'm losing interest in the question. I know I watched Murphy Brown when it was on, though I recall little memorable from it except the Dan Quayle dust-up, and I actually went to see the South Park movie.

But there were some really great shows that may or may not have made the 10-year theshold; Larry Sanders (truly ground-breaking), Family Guy (censor-defying), Arrested Development, Moonlighting, Mork and Mindy, Third Rock From the Sun, Futurama, that cop-precinct show with Abe Vigoda, Dharma and Greg (OK, maybe great is not the right word -- but shows with some kind of spark of originality).

And who can leave Fawlty Towers off their list -- 13 perfect gleaming gems, before which all sitcom writers bow? 

Uh, The Office? Also Arrested Development. And I agree again with acanuk about Fawlty Towers, but maybe you're not counting the British ones. Because if you were, Coupling would also be on the list (the BBC version, not the sad, sad, American counterpart). From your list, MASH, Friends, and Murphy Brown. I loved South Park when it first came on, but then I lost interest. I'm sure it's still funny though. Also, Wings, Just Shoot Me, News Radio, and Roseanne.

MASH. Cheers. Simpsons. South Park. Happy Days. Married With Children. Friends. Jeffersons. Frasier. Murphy Brown. king of the Hill.

The '70s were the gold standard: John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd, Chevy Chase, Steve Martin and Gilda Radner. (A good friend won an Emmy writing for these people.) The '80s had Canadians Martin Short and Mike Myers, not to mention Dana Carvey, Al Franken and the late, great Phil Hartman. Midway through the '90s, I sorta lost interest, though in this decade Tina Fey has come close to luring me back. Narrowing it down to one a decade: Belushi, Myers, Hartman and Fey.

Dennis Miller, much as I mourn his later descent into dementia, remains the classic News Update anchor in my mind; Kevin Nealon was also great. Perhaps my all-time favorite skit was the Aykroyd-Curtin point-counterpoint parody in which Aykroyd begins his argument: "Jane, you ignorant slut ... ."

Now that I think about, thank you, Lorne Michaels,

My mom wouldn't let me watch SNL and I could never stay awake that late in the 70s anyway. In the 80s, I had to sneak watch it on sleepovers at friends' houses. My favorite was always Eddie Murphy. I've never been a serial watcher. During political campaigns, it's fun to watch the opening scene and I always loved Weekend Update. Now, thanks to the internet, now I don't have to stay up and watch the crap that comes in between.

I agree about Dennis Miller, but I also loved Tina Fey and Amy Pohler together.

This is tougher than I thought - but I'll go Belushi in the 70s (Murray runner up), Murphy in the 80s (Hartman distant runner-up), Carvey in the 90s (Farley a close second, and Myers not too far off that), and Farrell in the 00s (hes really mostly 90s but i dont have a favorite right now).

I didnt really watch enough of the News in the early years, so I'm not sure if i can judge properly, but I really loved Norm McDonald.

No.

No.

No. Unless you dealt 'em.

That is correct. The answer is no. Real farts are not funny. The Whoopee cushion tho is hilarious...

I.m not saying this post hasn't been fun, Deadman. But Genghis wins, if only for the New Year's Resolution Generator.

I gotta go with A-man, for Cardboard Obama.

Any guest blogger.

I'm going with Genghis. His sarahpalingrrrl is a riot. And his satirical posts are very funny. Mortimus is a close second.

Beverly Hills Cop is the best of the bunch, though Men in Black is also good fun. Forrest Gump was worth watching once, but its appeal hasn't held up. Back to the Future was well crafted and had its funny moments, and Austin Powers delivered on the stupid silliness it promised. Mrs. Doubtfire worked, but as drama more than as comedy. The others I didn't see, so I can't say which is worst. I gather from others it's a tossup between Meet the Fockers and Bruce Almighty. I'd give the edge to the Fockers, simply for the inane title.

 

Forrest Gump was a comedy? I've seen them all, which surprises me because I usually like the dramas better. But, in order:

1. Austin Powers
2. Wedding Crashers
3. Beverly Hills Cop
4. Back to the Future
5. Men in Black
6. Forrest Gump
7. Meet the Fockers
8. Bruce Almighty
9. Mrs. Doubfire

Omitted: Ruthless People, Little Miss Sunshine, and I'm sure a whole bunch more that I can't think of because I haven't had my coffee yet.

What... Pirates of the Caribbean was a documentary?

My favroite in this is probably Beverly Hills Cop. My least favorite by far is Meet the Fockers.

In addition to Beverly Hills Cop, Austin Powers, Wedding Crashers, Back to the Future are great.

Forrest Gump and Men in Black are solid.

Mrs. Doubtfire and Bruce Almighty are passable, but belong nowhere near the top comedies of all time.