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Monday, June 23, 2008

Kallman: George Carlin, RIP: “The Object Is to Go Home”

Before the de-evolution, he nailed the salient distinctions between baseball and football with such aplomb that none can possibly transcend it.

George Carlin, who died of heart failure Sunday night, after bringing himself to a hospital complaining of chest pains, was once an effective, genuinely edgy wit and mimic who could murder the fooleries of popular culture without sweat or condescension.

...And, then, one night, he isolated why baseball is superior to football (and any other sport, really), the sole regret having been that he did it before Casey Stengel, who would have understood, could have lived to hear it.

In baseball, the object is to go home, and be safe—”I hope I’ll be safe at home!”

...May the angels forgive Carlin his disbelief in their Master—and, forgive every one of his witless, carping HBO specials—enough to speed him a gentle escort to the Elysian Fields, safe at home, if only on grounds that he earned it by coming the closest of any humourist to throwing “Who’s on First” out at the plate, on one hop.

Plus…King Kaufman on Carlin.

Repoz Posted: June 23, 2008 at 09:08 AM | 202 comment(s) | Login to Bookmark
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101. bads85 Posted: June 23, 2008 at 04:13 PM (#2829922)

I think one's assumption of whether that was a pro- or anti-baseball (and vice versa football) probably depends on one's views of life and the sport.

I am much more pro-baseball than pro-football; I can't see how anyone who has seen Carlin do the bit would think he is making a case that baseball is the superior sport. He delivers the baseball lines very effiminitely. I suppose the fact that he delivers the football lines in a very masculine manner could be interpreted as a jab against neanderthal war supporters, especially when he was initially doing this gig, but he certainly wasn't making a claim that baseball was a superior sport. At best, he is poking fun at both sports, baseball a great deal more.

102. bunyon Posted: June 23, 2008 at 04:15 PM (#2829927)

I should have been more clear: I don't think it was pro or anti either sport. It was a compare and contrast - with a lot of actual substance - done in a really funny way.

It becomes pro or anti only when viewed through a prism. I like baseball and the reasons are largely summed up in his bit. I'm not as big of a football fan and the reasons are largely summed up in his bit. He's exaggerating both sports in a way that could be viewed either as praise or insult.

103. Shooty: Applying to be Fearless Leader

Posted: June 23, 2008 at 04:16 PM (#2829929)

At best, he is poking fun at both sports, baseball a great deal more.

This is George Carlin we're talking about. Of course he was making fun of both sports. This is a man who made jokes about rape and North Korea dropping nukes on Japan. C'mon people!

104. pthomas Posted: June 23, 2008 at 04:23 PM (#2829936)

Here's a list for you:

http://www.kingsolomon.com/comedy/50albums.htm

The 50 most influential comedy albums of all time.....

One name on it that should be mentioned on the women's side: Lily Tomlin.......

"We're the phone company. We don't care. We don't have to."

105. bads85 Posted: June 23, 2008 at 04:29 PM (#2829946)

I don't think it was pro or anti either sport. It was a compare and contrast - with a lot of actual substance - done in a really funny way. 

I pretty much agree, although I think Carlin's delivery tended to poke more fun at baseball that football. However, the pont of the bit wasn't to make baseball appear to be a superior sport.

106. Quiet Flows the Don Taussig Avenger (Edmundo)

Posted: June 23, 2008 at 04:34 PM (#2829950)

http://www.kingsolomon.com/comedy/50albums.htm

Work nanny blocked that one. Lily Tomlin, yeah. No love for Roseanne? I know her show jumped the shark fairly early on but she was somethin' when she was starting out.

Yes on Bob and Ray. They probably peaked before my time but they always killed on Johnny Carson.

I really only know Jack Benny from TV and an occasional radio bit. Did he really do standup as we know it? For TV, he's my favorite. I either laugh out loud or simply grin like an idiot between guffaws when I watch one of his old shows.
Bob Newhart is right up there as a TV funny man. I saw him live about 3 years ago, he's slowed down a bit but I was very glad to have seen him finally.

107. formerly dp Posted: June 23, 2008 at 04:35 PM (#2829951)

The new rules for baseball were awesome- my favorite is being allowed to bring the bat on the field and hit the ball again when they try to get you out.

108. bads85 Posted: June 23, 2008 at 04:35 PM (#2829952)

Along with Carlin, Abbott & Costello, and an old Bert Lahr sketch (where he's a drunken ballplayer doing a live cereal commercial), a classic of baseball comedy – I'm not sure there are a whole lot of others.

Bob Newhart had a hysterical bit on the marketing of baseball -- Cosby had a good bit on taking one for the team and the batter's box.

109. Smitty* Posted: June 23, 2008 at 04:35 PM (#2829954)

I can't let a thread about standup comedians go by without mentioning my all time favorite, Emo Philips.

"I used to think the brain was the most fascinating part of the body. Then I thought, look what's telling me that!"

Really nice guy too. He had a show in town near my birthday. My wife emailed him asking if we could meet him before or after the show. He not only emailed back, but also gave her his cell number. They arranged a nice suprise. Emo had our seats moved up to against the stage (the club had a small row of seats where the table was actually the edge of the stage) and brought me on stage to do his paper tearing bit with him. Afterward he hung out with us in the green room.

110. Kurt Posted: June 23, 2008 at 04:36 PM (#2829955)

George Carlin, who died of heart failure Sunday night

He didn't die - he "passed away..."

111. Quiet Flows the Don Taussig Avenger (Edmundo)

Posted: June 23, 2008 at 04:39 PM (#2829959)

He didn't die - he "passed away..."
That's a nice tribute, Kurt.

112. Shooty: Applying to be Fearless Leader

Posted: June 23, 2008 at 04:40 PM (#2829960)

Some names I'm glad haven't been mentioned:

Billy Crystal
Jackie Mason
Gallagher

Old school names I haven't seen that I'm curious about:

Jerry Lewis
Milton Berle
Red Buttons
Henny Youngman
The guy who always wanted you to take his wife (if it's not one that I've mentioned)
Sid Caesar

113. Elvis Posted: June 23, 2008 at 04:40 PM (#2829961)

If you can watch Robin Williams on golf and not laugh you're a better man than me.

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/870700/robin_williams_golf/

Language alert - lots of F bombs.

114. Hang down your head, Tom Foley Posted: June 23, 2008 at 04:41 PM (#2829962)

I really like Burns & Allen reruns if I can find them. George and Gracie belong in the Hall of Funny.

115. Quiet Flows the Don Taussig Avenger (Edmundo)

Posted: June 23, 2008 at 04:46 PM (#2829966)

Henny Youngman
The guy who always wanted you to take his wife (if it's not one that I've mentioned)

They are one and the same. Self-styled "King of the One-Liners" -- I thought he was a hoot but it was heavy on the schtick, which is why I wouldn't consider him one of the greats. Probably the epitome of the Catskills-type of comedian.
Henny's the guy on stage in Good Fellas, early on when Henry Hill is wooing Karen. If indeed a Good Fella "woos".

116. Dag Nabbit and his imaginary friends Posted: June 23, 2008 at 04:49 PM (#2829969)

My mom once saw Woody Allen perform stand up once in the mid-1960s and said it was the hardest she'd ever laughed in her entire life.

Paul Merton

My favorite of the "Whose Line" gang.

Any mention of Bob Hope yet? I know he sucked the last several centuries of his life, but he was one of the most influential comics of the century.

117. Don't want the truth; just wanna see some dingers Posted: June 23, 2008 at 04:53 PM (#2829974)

Damon Wayans was once a very funny standup comedian, as was Jay Leno.

I remember when Jay Leno was just a Doritos pitchman.

118. Gamingboy Posted: June 23, 2008 at 05:07 PM (#2829989)

Home.

119. Shooty: Applying to be Fearless Leader

Posted: June 23, 2008 at 05:09 PM (#2829992)

Damon Wayans was once a very funny standup comedian, as was Jay Leno.

I remember when Jay Leno was just a Doritos pitchman.

I remember Jay Leno when he was on Too Close For Comfort.

120. Repoz

Posted: June 23, 2008 at 05:13 PM (#2829994)

I remember when Jay Leno was just a Doritos pitchman.

I remember Jay Leno when he was on Too Close For Comfort.

I remember when Jay Leno was the stand-around comedian during Hef's "Playboy After Dark" show.

121. Slinger Francisco Barrios (Dr. Memory) Posted: June 23, 2008 at 05:14 PM (#2829995)

I remember when Jay Leno was just a Doritos pitchman.

Hee hee! I once saw a Tonight Show where they showed some established comedians' first appearance on that show. Both Letterman and Leno had me crying, their stuff was so funny.

Henny Youngman is inner-circle because of his polished delivery. It couldn't be improved upon.

Carlin was never a fan of the military industrial complex, but this wasn't a political bit.

No, it wasn't political. It's that his clear and ever-present loathing for that <u>mindset</u> was an influence on the bit. As for the effeminacy, he wasn't being obnoxiously "fruity" or whatever, he was being womanly, nurturing, sweet, that kind of thing.

122. Shooty: Applying to be Fearless Leader

Posted: June 23, 2008 at 05:24 PM (#2830007)

I loved Carlin on Bill Maher's show, BTW. He would exasperate everyone else on the show, whatever their politics.

123. Rich Rifkin I Posted: June 23, 2008 at 05:25 PM (#2830009)

Artistically -- clothes aside -- the 1970s was our greatest decade. It not only produced some of the best comedians,* it was our best decade for rock music, films and TV sitcoms. I don't know enough about painting and sculpture to say if the 1970s was the zenith of those arts. As far as novels go, I would guess it is the 1930s, but I am not sure.

* I would rank the top 10 comedy acts of the 1970s in this order: 1. Richard Pryor; 2. Steve Martin; 3. George Carlin; 4. Rodney Dangerfield; 5. Cheech & Chong; 6. Billy Crystal; 7. Bill Cosby; 8. David Letterman; 9. Redd Foxx; and 10. Freddy Prinze....

Bob Newhart earns honorable mention, though his stand-up comedy was really more 1960s than 1970s.... Johnny Carson belongs on this list somewhere, though his stand-up act was more of a 1960s act.... There were still a number of earlier comics, like Don Rickles, Cliff Arquette ("Charlie Weaver"), Bob Hope and George Gobel, who were kicking ass in the 1970s, but their styles were clearly defined by earlier decades.... That could be said of Cosby, too, except for the fact that he was likely the biggest of all of the 1970s comdey stars, when you count his stage act, TV and movies.

124. Big Train Posted: June 23, 2008 at 05:29 PM (#2830016)

70s rock sucked hard the last half of the decade, especially on this side of the pond.

125. bads85 Posted: June 23, 2008 at 05:31 PM (#2830019)

As for the effeminacy, he wasn't being obnoxiously "fruity" or whatever, he was being womanly, nurturing, sweet, that kind of thing.

Are you being sarcastic? Dancing on one's tip toes, screaming, "I hope I make it safe at home!" isn't being motherly, nurturing, or sweet. He was being "fruity or whatever", especially in recent years.

It's that his clear and ever-present loathing for that mindset was an influence on the bit.

The bit is about how society's views have changed. It is clear he had disdain for the "old ways" also.

126. Rich Rifkin I Posted: June 23, 2008 at 05:33 PM (#2830022)

Others have said it before, but I will chime in too on the quality of Carlin's act as he aged: he was not funny in his later years. He was at his height probably in the mid-1970s and may have been as important to that decade as Lenny Bruce (who really never was funny) was to the 1960s. Carlin deserves to be enshrined for his great, great work from his peak period. But anyone who thinks it is wrong to point out that over the last 20 years of his life Carlin's work slipped and eventually fell into the "not funny" category just doesn't know funny.... It is the rare comedian who remains funny well after his time has passed. Perhaps only Rodney Dangerfield was truly funny all the way into the grave (counting only those comics who lived into old age).

127. Robinson Cano Plate Like Home Posted: June 23, 2008 at 05:34 PM (#2830025)

OK, I think the baseball-football routine has now been over-analyzed to the point that it won't be funny the next time I hear it.

Carlin was certainly a great comic decades ago--and I loved him in Bill & Ted--but King hits it on the head when he notes that recently his material was uncomfortably angry. That edge was always part of his schtick, and it certainly worked sometimes. But it seems like recently he had just gotten bitter, hurtful and not funny. Where was that misanthropy coming from? It made me pity him, and I'm glad he's at rest now.

Two places I saw Carlin recently:

1. Watching The Last Waltz--an album I've listened to for years, but had never seen the movie. In the middle of the show, out of the blue, Carlin comes out and does a parody on the Lord's Prayer that seemed out of place and uncomfortable. The crowd isn't with him until the end, and it's not clear if they're going with it, or just cheering when he says a naughty word. In fact, it's not clear what the point is at all. What is he even doing there? (To be fair, it's maybe no weirder than Neil Diamond being there.)

2. My 2-yr old son loves Thomas the Tank Engine, and we have a DVD where the narrators alternate between Carlin and Alec Baldwin. (Seriously.)

Best.
Material.
Ever.

128. Still Waiting on Pork Chops (John R.) Posted: June 23, 2008 at 05:37 PM (#2830034)

Artistically -- clothes aside -- the 1970s was our greatest decade.

I do not see how any decade that saw the spawn of boundless evil that is disco could POSSIBLY be considered the greatest decade artistically. It's like taking the '27 Yankees lineup and having Ray Oyler batting 3rd and Bill Bergen batting 6th.

Were you to adjust the timeframe up 4 years or so, I'd probably be inclined to agree.

129. Harveys Wallbangers

Posted: June 23, 2008 at 05:47 PM (#2830049)

Actually, Bob Uecker is one heckuva impromptu "standup" comedian. A lot of it is self-deprecating of his career, etc. but Bob can make a rain delay or slow game pass like nobody's business.

And if you have the pleasure seeing him in person the facial expressions, gestures etc. just add to his ability to tell a story.

130. Shooty: Applying to be Fearless Leader

Posted: June 23, 2008 at 05:49 PM (#2830055)

I do not see how any decade that saw the spawn of boundless evil that is disco could POSSIBLY be considered the greatest decade artistically.

What is so evil about disco? Some good songs came out of it and the rest of it--the dancing and weird clothes and all--just seemed like some weird explosion of goofiness.

131. Big Train Posted: June 23, 2008 at 05:50 PM (#2830057)

I should add, Larry the Cable Guy is probably considered of this generation, and he can sell out arenas like Dane Cook.

Which doesn't say much more for comedy thesedays.

132. Golfing Great Mitch Cumstein Posted: June 23, 2008 at 05:52 PM (#2830061)

I do not see how any decade that saw the spawn of boundless evil that is disco could POSSIBLY be considered the greatest decade artistically.

Arena rock made up for the scourge of disco.

Fresh Air reran its interviews with Carlin today.

133. bads85 Posted: June 23, 2008 at 05:53 PM (#2830066)

But anyone who thinks it is wrong to point out that over the last 20 years of his life Carlin's work slipped and eventually fell into the "not funny" category just doesn't know funny

While the sentiment of this is correct, Carlin still did stuff in his later years that shouldn't be dismissed. Granted, it was surrounded by a great deal of chaff, but Carlin still had some nuggets, especially when he was examining language.

134. Don't want the truth; just wanna see some dingers Posted: June 23, 2008 at 05:54 PM (#2830068)

I think Jeff Foxworthy is funny.

Larry the Cable Guy = not funny, I don't care who you are.

135. thread killer Posted: June 23, 2008 at 05:54 PM (#2830069)

2 things about Carlin passing:

#1 I dont know if age had anything to do with his decline but his wife's passing sure did as he seemed to be more bitter about life in general and it certainly was reflected in his stand up. He even ended a set during a routine in Vegas around 2004 by insulting the audience and then going into rehab.

#2 I was wondering if the writer's tone was the general feeling by the media with regards to Carlin because of the way he made fun of them in his bits. At the risk of starting another long thread, I seriously doubt that Russert had as many back-handed compliments in anything that was written about his passing.

136. bunyon Posted: June 23, 2008 at 06:01 PM (#2830076)

137. Big Train Posted: June 23, 2008 at 06:03 PM (#2830078)

How does Mike Barnacle feel about this?

138. The Good Face Posted: June 23, 2008 at 06:12 PM (#2830094)

Others have said it before, but I will chime in too on the quality of Carlin's act as he aged: he was not funny in his later years. He was at his height probably in the mid-1970s and may have been as important to that decade as Lenny Bruce (who really never was funny) was to the 1960s. Carlin deserves to be enshrined for his great, great work from his peak period. But anyone who thinks it is wrong to point out that over the last 20 years of his life Carlin's work slipped and eventually fell into the "not funny" category just doesn't know funny.... It is the rare comedian who remains funny well after his time has passed. Perhaps only Rodney Dangerfield was truly funny all the way into the grave (counting only those comics who lived into old age).

Glad to see I'm not the only one who felt this way. Also, I second Rodney Dangerfield as an amazing comic who remained funny til the very end of his career.

139. Kurt Posted: June 23, 2008 at 06:13 PM (#2830096)

I thought his last HBO special was pretty good - definitely not as good as his best, but still better than a lot of comedians could ever manage on their best day.

140. Slinger Francisco Barrios (Dr. Memory) Posted: June 23, 2008 at 06:28 PM (#2830120)

But anyone who thinks it is wrong to point out that over the last 20 years of his life Carlin's work slipped and eventually fell into the "not funny" category just doesn't know funny

IMO it was the opposite. For me, back in his druggie-hippie days, he was less funny than in his acerbic later years, where he had honed his points better and had more direct targets than he had observations.

141. aleskel

Posted: June 23, 2008 at 06:36 PM (#2830123)

1. Watching The Last Waltz--an album I've listened to for years, but had never seen the movie. In the middle of the show, out of the blue, Carlin comes out and does a parody on the Lord's Prayer that seemed out of place and uncomfortable. The crowd isn't with him until the end, and it's not clear if they're going with it, or just cheering when he says a naughty word. In fact, it's not clear what the point is at all. What is he even doing there? (To be fair, it's maybe no weirder than Neil Diamond being there.)

that wasn't Carlin - it was Lawrence Ferlinghetti

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawrence_Ferlinghetti

142. A triple short of the cycle

Posted: June 23, 2008 at 06:39 PM (#2830125)

Artistically -- clothes aside -- the 1970s was our greatest decade. It not only produced some of the best comedians,* it was our best decade for rock music, films and TV sitcoms.

Arguably true for film. Two out of three perhaps, including TV. Not for rock music, unless you are including the punk revolution against classic rock music. The "best decade" for rock music suffers from the arbitrary-endpoint problem. Without looking up the dates of any particular releases, I would suggest the "best decade" for rock music was from say 1964-1973. Agree with SJ in 132.

143. The Polish Sausage Racer Posted: June 23, 2008 at 06:46 PM (#2830127)

Probably dangerous to say in this crowd given last year's playoff commercials, but Frank Caliendo is absolutely hysterical in person.

144. Cabbage Posted: June 23, 2008 at 06:52 PM (#2830132)

my all time favorite, Emo Philips.

"My date didn't go to well. When I stopped the car, I didn't bother to open the door for her. Instead, I just swam to the surface."

145. TerpNats Posted: June 23, 2008 at 07:07 PM (#2830143)

If I ran a baseball team, tonight I would play Carlin's "baseball vs. football" routine on the P.A. or video screen as a tribute; it's brilliant. (And Carlin was genuinely a baseball fan.) If he had done nothing other than that, he would have had my undying gratitude. But, of course, he did so much more.

Thanks, George. Somewhere, St. Peter's not going to mind that you didn't believe, because you made him laugh.

P.S. Robert Klein had one brilliant comedy album in the '70s, "Child Of The Fifties," and a follow-up nearly as good, "Mind Over Matter."

70s rock sucked hard the last half of the decade, especially on this side of the pond.

It's what led to new wave/punk/power pop/pub rock as a reaction against its lugubrious excesses. So say what you will about it -- without the bad corporate rock of the late 1970s, we might not have had Elvis Costello, Nick Lowe, Dave Edmunds, etc.

146. Quiet Flows the Don Taussig Avenger (Edmundo)

Posted: June 23, 2008 at 07:11 PM (#2830147)

Robert Klein had one brilliant comedy album in the '70s, "Child Of The Fifties," and a follow-up nearly as good, "Mind Over Matter."

Both of which would have been included in the Ultimate Record Offer.

147. Robinson Cano Plate Like Home Posted: June 23, 2008 at 07:18 PM (#2830152)

that wasn't Carlin - it was Lawrence Ferlinghetti

Thanks. You know, after posting that, I thought to myself "Watch.... That'll turn out not to be Carlin."

148. Van Lingle Mungo Jerry Posted: June 23, 2008 at 07:33 PM (#2830157)

Both of which would have been included in the Ultimate Record Offer.

"Lithuanian language records: 'Sesu ... yas. Sesu ... yas.'"

149. Fred Garvin is a sick f**k, guilty as charged Posted: June 23, 2008 at 07:45 PM (#2830162)

Good riddance. Carlin deserved to die -- he was just a mouthpiece of the Administration.

150. McCoy Posted: June 23, 2008 at 07:54 PM (#2830172)

No love for Adam Sandler?

151. Quiet Flows the Don Taussig Avenger (Edmundo)

Posted: June 23, 2008 at 08:05 PM (#2830177)

No love for Adam Sandler?

None here. :) Okay, I'll damn with faint praise, he blows away Paulie Shore and Rob Schneider.

To be fair, I've only seen Sandler in skit and movie "comedy". Did he actually do standup?

152. Srul Itza Posted: June 23, 2008 at 08:44 PM (#2830204)

In law school, I wrote my law comment review comment on FCC vs. Pacifica Foundation.

For those who do not know, that is the 7 dirty words case that went to the Supremes.

Terrible decision.

153. Still Waiting on Pork Chops (John R.) Posted: June 23, 2008 at 09:10 PM (#2830230)

Whoa, whoa. Hold on there, pardner.

Disco made it easier to get laid than all other genre's combined. It was like tonal Ecstasy. For that alone, it's great music.

Given this information, there are questions that remain:

1) Does disco still have this effect?
2) If yes, does it have this effect on women young enough to have not been in discos to fall for its effects when it was originally en vogue?
3) If yes, it is a stone cold lock?

Given appropriate answers, I might be willing to retract my previous statement. Of course, if I rely upon this information and become mentally scarred by bad polyester and looping ABBA/Bee Gees memes without the appropriate rewards, I will hunt you down.

154. Repoz

Posted: June 23, 2008 at 09:30 PM (#2830242)

Remember, Barry White started out disco

Actually, Barry White was one the singers in The Banana Splits.

Their double EP still soulfully rocks bubbleyum creds!

"I Enjoy Being a Boy", indeed!

155. bbc is prejudice bout men Posted: June 23, 2008 at 09:36 PM (#2830246)

barry white could sing the battle hymn of the republic and it would still make my knees wobble and a few other things

as for the rest of disco,
well guess you had to be there

and john travolta is yecccch. and he was back then too.

156. Still Waiting on Pork Chops (John R.) Posted: June 23, 2008 at 09:39 PM (#2830252)

Don't believe me? Explain to me the enduring status of John Travolta as a sex symbol then.

I have no idea. I always ranked it up there in the unanswerable questions with "Where do all the missing socks from the dryer go?" and "How do you explain Celine Dion's success?", which fall slightly behind the all-encompassing human dilemmas "How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?" and "Why do general managers continue to believe that Buddy Bell is a good manager?".

And why does the concept of hardcore disco disturb me so?

157. Charter Member of the Jesus Melendez Fanclub Posted: June 23, 2008 at 09:41 PM (#2830255)

Barry White was a two-bit Isaac Hayes knockoff.

158. AndrewJ Posted: June 23, 2008 at 09:47 PM (#2830259)

Here's my comp list:

Dizzy Dean: Will Rogers
Sandy Koufax: Woody Allen
Jackie Robinson: Dick Gregory
Richie Ashburn: George Gobel
Rube Waddell: Andy Kaufman
Joe DiMaggio: Johnny Carson
Stan Musial: Jack Benny
Dwight Gooden: Eddie Murphy
Dick Allen: Richard Pryor
Bob Feller: Milton Berle
Jim Bouton: Lenny Bruce
Bill James: Tom Lehrer

159. Lassus: Posted: June 23, 2008 at 09:51 PM (#2830263)

I'm confused as to what you're comparing.

160. AndrewJ Posted: June 23, 2008 at 09:59 PM (#2830266)

I'm confused as to what you're comparing.

I'm just comparing ballplayers to the comedians whose careers I think resmeble theirs the most.

161. Srul Itza Posted: June 23, 2008 at 10:12 PM (#2830275)

Redd Foxx was d*mn funny.

He had one of my all time favorite lines:

I went down to the Halls of Justice.

And that's who I saw there.

Just us.

162. Srul Itza Posted: June 23, 2008 at 10:20 PM (#2830285)

Sid Caesar and Mel Brooks did some great early stuff, like the 2000 year old man.

163. bbc is prejudice bout men Posted: June 23, 2008 at 10:26 PM (#2830289)

169

lil hint here - isaac hayes doesn't sing. it is the voice not the music.

-------------

as for comedians

females - no one tops gracie allen. she knew how to be funny without being either ugly or a bytch

male - sinbad. jack benny. eddie murphy 20 years ago. and of course, benny hill - but he didn't do standup

164. Dag Nabbit and his imaginary friends Posted: June 23, 2008 at 10:31 PM (#2830298)

Sid Caesar and Mel Brooks did some great early stuff, like the 2000 year old man.

That was Carl Reiner & Mel Brooks.

165. Exploring Leftist Conservatism since 2008 (ark..) Posted: June 23, 2008 at 10:34 PM (#2830304)

I pretty much agree, although I think Carlin's delivery tended to poke more fun at baseball that football. However, the pont of the bit wasn't to make baseball appear to be a superior sport.

Memory told me he was mocking football, but after just listening to the bit, it seems that he's just doing a great job contrasting the two sports, and not putting down either one.

Harold Lloyd and Buster Keaton are inner circle, though they didn't do standup/vaudeville, as far as I know. And Sam Kinison was actually evolving into a brilliant comedic storyteller when he died. Comp would be... Kerry Wood, maybe?

edit:

Joe DiMaggio: Johnny Carson

I'll quibble with this one. Carson's top comp has to be a guy who played forever, was really solid, but didn't have one of the great peaks. Don Sutton comes to mind. 'Course, the perfect comp would be someone who took a lot of time off in his last decade, the way Carson did.

166. Hang down your head, Tom Foley Posted: June 23, 2008 at 10:41 PM (#2830316)

I'll quibble with this one. Carson's top comp has to be a guy who played forever, was really solid, but didn't have one of the great peaks. Don Sutton comes to mind. 'Course, the perfect comp would be someone who took a lot of time off in his last decade, the way Carson did.

Harold Baines.

167. Darren

Posted: June 23, 2008 at 11:00 PM (#2830336)

Brian Regan has been one of the funniest and most widely accessible comedians for the past decade or two. And I'll always have a soft spot for Shelly Berman, even if I'm not sure how to spell his name.

Lots of other great names mentioned here.

168. Repoz

Posted: June 23, 2008 at 11:31 PM (#2830365)

Lots of other great names mentioned here.

But no Jackie Vernon...

169. Daryn Posted: June 23, 2008 at 11:46 PM (#2830379)

Artie Lange is a very funny current comedian -- and he sells out wherever he goes. Kathy Griffin was mentioned above, and I think she is the funniest active female comedian.

Rick Mercer may be the funniest man alive right now, but he's Canadian, and most of you don't know him.

170. Exploring Leftist Conservatism since 2008 (ark..) Posted: June 23, 2008 at 11:52 PM (#2830385)

Harold Baines.

Bingo!

171. pthomas Posted: June 24, 2008 at 01:19 AM (#2830520)

The 2000 Year Old Man was an act by Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner......

Shelley Berman is a very funny man, who had several best selling comedy records.

I collect comedy records, and I was at a Dodger game about 10 years ago. I was telling a friend about finding some Berman records in one of the local thrift stores, and that it completed my collection of his stuff. About that time the young lady in front of us turned around really quickly, and I thought I had said or done something to upset her.

Turned out it was Shelley Berman's niece. She was thrilled to find a fan of her uncle's. She took my name and address and said that Mr. Berman would be happy to hear I was a fan, also. I had forgotten all about it til about 2 weeks later, when Mr. Berman himself sent me a CD of his latest work and a nice note. Another nice baseball game story, too.

172. Darren

Posted: June 24, 2008 at 01:23 AM (#2830524)

Did Shelley's letter start out "You don't know me..."

Have you seen him on Curb Your Enthusiasm? Good role for him.

173. Darren

Posted: June 24, 2008 at 01:26 AM (#2830527)

And how was his latest work? The one recent CD I have by him was pretty lame, and he rushed through one of his best bits.

174. McCoy Posted: June 24, 2008 at 01:32 AM (#2830532)

Jeff Foxworthy and Tim Allen, the LOOGY's of comedy.

175. McCoy Posted: June 24, 2008 at 01:35 AM (#2830534)

I used to play a comdey CD after holiday shifts for the employees while we all cleaned up. Hedberg flatlined while Dane Cook got the biggest laughs.

176. salajander Posted: June 24, 2008 at 01:42 AM (#2830538)

You'll be missed, you old bastard.

I saw one of his last shows ever the weekend before last in Vegas, at the Orleans. Really shocked to know he's gone now....

177. Flynn Posted: June 24, 2008 at 01:44 AM (#2830540)

Your employees suck.

But that's unfair on Foxworthy. He's a decent comedian. He made a lot of money telling redneck jokes but his act rarely features them anymore.

Ron White is a current comedian whose name I haven't seen here. Bored and watching Comedy Central when the Hicks of Comedy or whatever it was came on. Engvall and Larry the Cable Guy predictably sucked. Foxworthy was alright. But Ron White was actually funny, in a sort of Texan smart-ass kind of way.

178. Traderdave

Posted: June 24, 2008 at 01:55 AM (#2830546)

Flynn

You back in the States yet?

179. Flynn Posted: June 24, 2008 at 02:35 AM (#2830560)

Not yet - I just can't sleep so watched some baseball.

I'll be back in August. you can bank on a couple A's games.

180. Slivers of Maranville (SdeB) Posted: June 24, 2008 at 02:40 AM (#2830564)

As for this HOF debate. It seems an awfully big inner-circle being proposed unless one's view is that anyone who ever made any money at stand-up is in. We're talking a Neifi-inclusive HOF if the inner circle is all the guys already mentioned.

Well, for the last fifty years, if not more (depending on your definitions), there have been more stand-up comedians in America than Major League baseball players, and the number of names already mentioned is smaller than the number of inner-circle HOFers.

181. A One-Shoed Craig K Posted: June 24, 2008 at 02:42 AM (#2830565)

Ron White is a current comedian whose name I haven't seen here. Bored and watching Comedy Central when the Hicks of Comedy or whatever it was came on. Engvall and Larry the Cable Guy predictably sucked. Foxworthy was alright. But Ron White was actually funny, in a sort of Texan smart-ass kind of way.

My grandfather once said "That boy's got a lot of quittin' in him", and that's true. Hell, the things I didn't quit, I got kicked out of. I got kicked off the high school debate team for saying "Yeah?! Well, #### you!!" I thought I had won. The other kid was speechless. I thought that was what we were tryin' to do.

182. cardsfanboy

Posted: June 24, 2008 at 02:42 AM (#2830567)

from my count, only one mention of Red Skelton? (and any response of Andy Kaufman is too many)

And not one Dennis Leary or Miller appreciator out there? I liked the comment earlier about how people used to buy comedy albums in the past (my Eddie Murphy and Bill Cosby albums were played a lot when I was a kid) I find it hard to say a guy is "inner circle" with a short career, a guy has to exist long enough to get imitators and then adjust his routine enough to continue standing out. (someone mentioned Jeff Foxworthy earlier, since then guys like Larry the Cable guy have borrowed from his skit, yet Foxworthy has adjusted enough to still be a different act- he's not longer about the 'redneck' joke)

and add me to the list of people that don't think the 70's was the zenith of entertainment.

183. cardsfanboy

Posted: June 24, 2008 at 02:44 AM (#2830568)

add me to the list that likes White the best out of the redneck revival show. (or whatever it was)

184. A One-Shoed Craig K Posted: June 24, 2008 at 02:46 AM (#2830569)

Oh, and:

I took my two dogs, Birdie and Bogey, for a walk the other day, and this lady stopped me and said, "Ah, well that's clever. You've named them after your golf game." And I said, "No. If they were named after my golf game, they would be named "Double Bogey" and "Where the #### is that ball going?" Which is kind of a long name for a dog.

185. Exploring Leftist Conservatism since 2008 (ark..) Posted: June 24, 2008 at 04:52 AM (#2830614)

Best headline today:

F*CK. GEORGE CARLIN DEAD AT 71.

edit: in the obit, F*CK was correctly spelled.

186. Rich Rifkin I Posted: June 24, 2008 at 06:31 AM (#2830622)

"Artie Lange is a very funny current comedian"

For his contribution on Howard Stern, Artie deserves high praise. I've never seen him in person, but can believe it is really good. That said, the man looks like he is dying from excessive drink and food. I would not be shocked if he's dead inside of five years.

"No love for Adam Sandler?"

Before Sandler was on SNL, when he was maybe 18 or 19 years old, I saw him do his stand-up act in Hollywood. He was very, very good. He wasn't particularly original -- most of his jokes were typical Jewish shtick -- but he had his delivery and stage presence down at a very young age. I expected he would be famous. (I thought the same thing of Brian Ungar who I saw around the same time, but he never took off.)

However, I'm not a fan of Sandler's movies. I think there is a generation gap with them. If you are under about 35 I guess, you can enjoy his silliness. I just don't find him a compelling movie actor; and I think that is true of most people my age (44) and over.

187. Shooty: Applying to be Fearless Leader

Posted: June 24, 2008 at 10:40 AM (#2830634)

I saw Artie Lange's stand up and it was beyond awful. I have to believe the only reason he has a following is because of Howard Stern.

However, I'm not a fan of Sandler's movies. I think there is a generation gap with them. If you are under about 35 I guess, you can enjoy his silliness. I just don't find him a compelling movie actor; and I think that is true of most people my age (44) and over.

No. His movies are just awful.

188. thread killer Posted: June 24, 2008 at 07:15 PM (#2831117)

I used to like Dennis Leary til I found out he ripped off most of his act from Bill Hicks. Chris Rock was very funny when we say him in Reno recently as was Patton Oswalt when we saw him in SF. I must say I was disappointed in Norm Mcdonald although part of the problem was that we saw the show at 7pm so the crowd seemed more interested in digesting their dinner than watching him

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