If Music Could Talk

Wolter wrote:

Dr. Medulla wrote:I'm watching the new David Cross special on Netflix—from the same tour that we skipped when it came thru Ottawa—and it ain't good. Cross may still be a decent comedic actor, but his stand-up just ain't good anymore. Way too much smug liberal "Americans iz dum" stuff. And while that could still be funny, it's done in a dickish way. Plus, considering that he looks like the same kind of rednecks he mocks, it's even more off-putting.

Over the past few years, especially due to twitter, I have found that most liberal comedians have become irritatingly patronizing and smug. Honestly, while I appreciate that there are standups out there doing political material, most of them (even and especially the "liberal" ones) are actually pretty politically reactionary and fairly glib in their understanding of major issues. And WAAAAAAAY too willing to suck up to powerful individuals as long as they doesn't have an "(R)" after their name on a TV chyron.

People like Cross or Oswalt come off as Dennis Miller on the other side. Really easy takes that appeal to their constituency—oh no! he's accusing the NRA of hypocrisy!—or, worse, punching down at the average schmuck redneck. Political humour, I suspect, is seductively easy. Work the outrage and say "Bush" or "Fox News" or "Trump" and reap the reward, but it's all pretty pointless because it's so personalized. Ha ha, yes, Trump is dumb. Social humour, the stuff that we do so unconsciously, is harder and, if done well, makes the audience uncomfortable. Indicting your audience in some manner is a better use of the comedian's skills than reinforcing their opinions on safe topics. It's Jay Leno calling politicians bozos but never going after the cultural norms that reinforce their existence.

Absently listening to a Dylan Moran set on youtube while I cook dinner, and he described Blairism as "the belief system that held that if you smiled hard enough into the face of God, you'd eventually shit money" which struck me as both brilliant and nonsense at once.

The new Dana Carvey special on Netflix is sad. No laughs, long rants about socialism and millenials. He's good company for the first 20 minutes or so, then there's a bunch of ethnic humour. Man. Shame.

alex jones

Silent Majority wrote:The new Dana Carvey special on Netflix is sad. No laughs, long rants about socialism and millenials. He's good company for the first 20 minutes or so, then there's a bunch of ethnic humour. Man. Shame.

He had his moment in the sun in the late 80s, early 90s on SNL, but there's a reason why he's faded into obscurity: he's not all that funny. A fine caricaturist, yes, but he himself isn't very funny.

Dr. Medulla wrote:

Silent Majority wrote:The new Dana Carvey special on Netflix is sad. No laughs, long rants about socialism and millenials. He's good company for the first 20 minutes or so, then there's a bunch of ethnic humour. Man. Shame.

He had his moment in the sun in the late 80s, early 90s on SNL, but there's a reason why he's faded into obscurity: he's not all that funny. A fine caricaturist, yes, but he himself isn't very funny.

That's too bad, I heard his interview on Stern and he had some pretty good one liners.

The new Chapelle shows on Netflix are 90% classic, hilarious Dave, 10% stinkers around LGBT. I can take his presentation, and outing himself as an anti-vaxxer, but I can see if these are line in the sand for others.

On why stand-ups quit: https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2017/ ... nah-gadbsy

Dr. Medulla wrote: ↑

16 Aug 2017, 6:34am

On why stand-ups quit: https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2017/ ... nah-gadbsy

I have a friend that keeps telling me I should do stand up. Aside from his weird but common inability to tell the difference between being witty and being able to actually write jokes, this article is a another good description of why I'm not that interested.

Kory wrote: ↑

16 Aug 2017, 12:37pm

Dr. Medulla wrote: ↑

16 Aug 2017, 6:34am

On why stand-ups quit: https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2017/ ... nah-gadbsy

I have a friend that keeps telling me I should do stand up. Aside from his weird but common inability to tell the difference between being witty and being able to actually write jokes, this article is a another good description of why I'm not that interested.

I had a classmate during my very brief time in Iowa who, before turning to academia, worked as a stand-up. A very funny and perceptive guy, but he said it was a hard life. His diss, which he turned into a book, was a decent study of the politics of late night talkshow comedy.

I went to see Kevin Bridges last night very very funny.
His piece on Trump was brilliant.
'People like him because he speaks his mind'.
So does the old bloke at the bar but when he does you pat him on the shoulder as you walk away 'enjoy your night mate'.

My wife keeps going to see Big Jay Oakerson live. If I didn't know better I'd think something's going on.

So Louis CK's decided to go the Dennis Miller route and play to the angry conservative male audience. A not-so-subtle way of making himself the victim in his downfall.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/lo ... af7a91c1b8

Dr. Medulla wrote: ↑

31 Dec 2018, 1:49pm

So Louis CK's decided to go the Dennis Miller route and play to the angry conservative male audience. A not-so-subtle way of making himself the victim in his downfall.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/lo ... af7a91c1b8

i am so embarrassed that i used to enjoy this shithead's work.

Flex wrote: ↑

31 Dec 2018, 1:56pm

Dr. Medulla wrote: ↑

31 Dec 2018, 1:49pm

So Louis CK's decided to go the Dennis Miller route and play to the angry conservative male audience. A not-so-subtle way of making himself the victim in his downfall.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/lo ... af7a91c1b8

i am so embarrassed that i used to enjoy this shithead's work.

Likewise.