Comedic Confession

[For Honor]

Nothing major, but...... I just don't get stand up comedians. Ever. I don't know... it just defeats the purpose, if I know your going to tell me jokes and stuff, and I'm supposed to laugh at trained intervals. I guess it just doesn't work for me. Either on talk shows at night, live, or anywhere else, it just doesn't work for me. I know that I come off as not having a sense of humor, and maybe I'm hypocritical in this aspect, I don't really know.

But when I see someone up on a stage, with a microphone and trying to work the crowd with jokes about one thing or another, I really don't feel anything.


I wonder if that's common, or if it's just a quirk of mine. I mean, some jokes do get me, once in a blue moon. But... most of the time I just feel kinda bad for the comedian.

 

[Meghan]

I've loved them for as long as I can remember.

What about sitcoms or other types of comedy? Maybe you're just better at relating humour to real life situations when you can see it.

Or maybe you've just never seen a good stand up comedian. There are a lot of very bad ones out there.

 

[For Honor]

^ sitcoms are better for me, for some reason. I don't laugh a lot, but I appreciate them more, I don't really know why.
Like, I always liked watching Sienfeld. But a lot of other shows got stale on me. But then again, I don't watch TV a lot, and maybe that affects things. Sometimes, for instance, "Everybody Loves Raymond" is entertaining. Eventually, I just start seeing people acting somewhat immaturely about things and getting emotional or overreacting or whatever, and that doesn't work for me. I don't know. BUt then again, I rarely watch TV unless it's sports or news, even but even then I guess not so much.


Maybe you are right, though, in that I haven't heard many good ones in my day - that might be a possibility.

 

[Meghan]

Now that I think about it, I don't really "laugh" at the comedians, I just smile wider than normal.

It's weird that you said Seinfeld and Everybody Loves Raymond were good, because they're probably two of the best examples of stand-up put into an optical (rather than primarily auditory) form.






WOOOHOOOOO!!!!!! Refugee for Me!! *reflects on wasted life*

 

[For Honor]

(I've actually got a subtitle to my title, so I guess that means I'm really hooked on the b lue crack )

Congratulations


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I know, it is weird. But like, even in Sienfeld's shows, when he was on stage, it was just ... I don't know. Maybe it has somethin gto do with me feeling obligated to laugh or something, I am not sure.

I did mention everybody loves ray, but..... I wanted to use that because that is the best example, for me, of a show that can be interesting and intruiging, but, as far as the actualy joke material goes, it gets stale quickly for me.

I mean.... I am distinctly remembering an episode where Ray and his wife were being childish about not putting a suitecase away after vacation, and left it on the stairs for the other to run into, or whatever. Things like that... it actually irratates me....


I guess what I liked about those two shows was the story, the characters, and the development that took place. Kramer wasn't just some representation, he was a whole entity, etc.

I don't really like sitcoms, to be honest. I don't like much TV, but I won't get into that for everyone's sake.


To try to stay on target for this thread........
Like, when people laugh at comedians, do they do it just to be nice? LIke, when they are on talk shows, you can tell they are still trying to be comedians, and it's repelling to me. It's fake, it's not real. So, comedians still trying to act like a comedian is weird for me

But conversely....... I like late night talk shows, because people (non-comics) seem more natural, and there is more a natural humor to it when something funny happens, and I find those much more entertaining (Conan O'Brian, Dave Letterman, Leno, Craig, etc). I know they have stand up monologes at the beginning and what not, but I guess a little bit is okay, as it is mostly about very current events.

I don't know, maybe I just find something wrong about humor being a job, or internally, I'm being stubborn about some principle or something.

 

[HelloAngel]

Maybe you just haven't seen really good ones?

When I see stand-up comedy in dive bars in comedy's most natural environment, people are usually crying in the aisles from laughing so hard. I guess it really depends on who you see and the jokes they make.

Like, I find extreme sexual humor to not be very funny. I find it safe. When I saw Jay Mohr do stand-up, he started his show with, "My wife is Indian, so everytime we fuck, it rains." Oh haha, right? :eyeroll:

Some comedians are truly gifted. Some are really pretentious and overrrated IMHO (Jon Stewart), some are ridiculous just to get attention even though they're funny (Sarah Silverman, Dave Attel) and some are not nearly appreciated enough in their time (the late, great Mitch Hedburg).

My opinion here is that if you feel you've given stand-up comedy in person not on tv a fair shot, than there's not much else you can do. You can't force yourself to like it. But you're very young still to write off alot of things, so I guess perhaps you should give it a bit more time and experience.

Who knows, maybe sometime when you're drunk with your buddies in NYC's West Village, you'll stumble into the Comedy Cellar and have the time of your life. You never know

 

[neverman]

I pondered what you have said about the stand up comedians for about 30 minutes now....and I have to say that lately it seems the well has run dry.

I LOVE Seinfeld...but one can only watch so many re-runs so many times before the laughter becomes...for lack of a better word "forced"

I DO find Bill Mahers' show on HBO "Real Time with Bill Maher" is absolutely side splitting...but I do side with "the left" politically.

I watched George Carlins HBO special a few nights ago and found it to be more offensive than original....and I lost interest quickly.

I like "Curb Your Enthusiasm" I think that show has a lot of originality...but it has a Seinfeld feel (Larry David was one of the writers/producers of Seinfeld)

But I ramble on to make my point...I think comedy has lacked some originality lately.....and maybe it's me, as well..too caught up in my own mind to accept anything new?

Or maybe after seeing Eddy Murphy's "Delirious" 20 years ago...and seeing Richard Pryors routines and listening to the above mentioned recordings.....maybe I am just spoiled....or "stuck in a moment"


Thanks for letting me ramble in your thread.....

 

[BrownEyedBoy]

Chris Rock is funny as hell.

 

[HelloAngel]

I pondered what you have said about the stand up comedians for about 30 minutes now....and I have to say that lately it seems the well has run dry.

I LOVE Seinfeld...but one can only watch so many re-runs so many times before the laughter becomes...for lack of a better word "forced"

I DO find Bill Mahers' show on HBO "Real Time with Bill Maher" is absolutely side splitting...but I do side with "the left" politically.

I watched George Carlins HBO special a few nights ago and found it to be more offensive than original....and I lost interest quickly.

I like "Curb Your Enthusiasm" I think that show has a lot of originality...but it has a Seinfeld feel (Larry David was one of the writers/producers of Seinfeld)

But I ramble on to make my point...I think comedy has lacked some originality lately.....and maybe it's me, as well..too caught up in my own mind to accept anything new?

There is a big difference between comedians who choose to act in sitcoms and then what the comedians then do in their stand-up acts.

George Carlin has lost his mojo big time. It's a damn shame. I saw him to stand-up once and he's just telling the same jokes over and over. Sad. What a grumpy old man he has become.

Often the really talented stand-up comedians are not the celebrities you can easily namecheck. You have to get out there and learn some new names. Kinda like getting into more underground/indie bands. You really have to look for info. So, it's not that the well has run dry, it's just a matter of where you're getting your comedian info and what you're paying attention to.

 

[melon]

I don't know, maybe I just find something wrong about humor being a job, or internally, I'm being stubborn about some principle or something.

Humor is mostly about cultural identification. If you listen to "stand up" from 50 years ago, most people today would call it "weak" and "unfunny" probably. And, yet, audiences 50 years ago ate it up.

Chances are, you just happen to have widely divergent interests from the masses, and, as such, the humor is lost on you, while everyone else eats it up.

Melon

 

[For Honor]

Thanks for letting me ramble in your thread.....

No problem at all. I seem to do it in everyone elses thread

Who knows, maybe sometime when you're drunk with your buddies in NYC's West Village, you'll stumble into the Comedy Cellar and have the time of your life. You never know

You know, that might be the case. Especially since it's not something I'd consider something I'd usually enjoy...


==============


^

Sounds about right, Melon. While I do find it difficult to identify with a culture, I guess that might explain why I am interested in culture as much as I am, or at least some sort of a connection there.


I appreciate everyone's comments

 

[Liesje]

I'm not really into stand-up either. I suppose it would be fun live, but I can't get into it on TV, although I do like Colin Quinn and Brian Regan on occasion. I also hate shows like the Simpsons, Family Guy, Seinfeld, and Friends. They just don't entertain me or hold my attention

 

[indra]

Some I like. Some I don't. Pretty much like everything else.

 

[Numb1075]

i comedians

especially if I see one in person (a really good one)......my sides hurt w/ laughter