Comedians

Originally Posted by: schmangeHow's everybody feel about SCTV?
Personally, I think they had a few funny sketches, but on the whole, I found the series almost unbearable to watch.
I always put their comedy at about the same level as 'House of Frightenstein' or 'Smith and Smith'
I don't know why, but with the exception of 'Kids in the Hall', I've never found Canadian comedians to be that humorous.

I agree with what you said about SCTV. I could never bring myself to watch an entire episode.

There are a lot of really great and unique Canadian stand-ups, but there are a lot of your typical awful "men are different from women" ones, too. I'd drop some names, but I can never remember them.
If you can get it out there, I'd suggest watching Just for Laughs. It's not just Canadians on there, but they generally pick the best comedians in the world.


I was just thinking....you could ask the same question about comedy as I asked in that "Why do you like what you like" thread. It's weird how things like senses of humour vary from person to person.

Originally Posted by: earthman buck
I was just thinking....you could ask the same question about comedy as I asked in that "Why do you like what you like" thread. It's weird how things like senses of humour vary from person to person.

Exarctly EMan macB.
Some people go, "ha he swore and it was sooo funny". Some people go "Ha, he said he was black and I'm white and that's so funny". SOme people go "I'm gonna piss myself because he made a fart joke about his fat sister" :rolleyes:, some people go "That's so damn random, i love it", and some go "I'm so stoned that everything's funny".

Comedy, I'd say is even more subjective than music.

A buddy of mine has a habbit of rewinding a "funny" part in a movie over and over again while he rolls around the floor laughing histerically. Everytime that happenes I get so pissed cause it pretty much ruins the movie and I have to yell at him to get him to just let it play. Mabey if the parts were actually funny then I don't think I would care.

Example: The part in Waiting when the trainee puts his hands to his face and acts like a beaver, I think I counted 15 rewinds.

I haven't seen Gallagher mentioned.

Like all mentioned so far. Especially like "Mr. Bean" can't remember the guys name, also like that old show from MTV "The Young Ones".

He's pretty Cheesy, but I saw a guy called Tim Vine recently - he is (or at least was until recently) in the guiness book of records for most jokes per hour. Some of them are a bit weak, but he tells so many jokes you just laugh for an hour and the really good jokes keep you rolling past a couple of dodgy ones.

He only has on 'set' though, so once you've seen him once, that's it. He has a DVD out, which is worth checking out....

I also liekd the 'Mary Whitehouse Experience' - especially David Baddiel and Rob Newman - but they don't do that stuff any more. The wembley arena show is genius though....

Mike Birbiglia is my current favorite. I was a big Dane Cook fan awhile back... before he got popular... now it's just too cliche to be one of his fans... I also liked Chris Porter and Josh Blue from The Last Comic Standing... Michael Ian Black is pretty funny too.

I've always wanted to get into doing stand-up comedy... i think i'll stick with music though. I know I won't get booed off stage.

Oooh, thought of another great one...Ricky Gervais!

Originally Posted by: aschlemanI also liked Chris Porter and Josh Blue from The Last Comic Standing...

Yeah, Josh was good. He really had a natural sense of timing and could get a strong rapport going with the crowd. I thought Ty did well, too. It was cool that he didn't rely on racial stereotype jokes for laughs.

Gallager was like a less intense/vulgar, more physical version of George Carlin. His jokes were pretty cheesy...apartments when they're all stuck together. But his smashing of stuff and the other props he used made him funny. And Mr. Bean deffinatly deserves an honorable mention, but his movies aren't very good. The uk deffinatly does good with humor, with Monty Python and I've seen some shows on public tele. I remember one where some store had a l.e.d. scrolling marquee and it said Shoplifters Will Be Shot! and some guy kept changing it around.

Originally Posted by: AkiraThat gets so annoying when people do it with Comedy dvd's, or when people just fast forward to what they think is the "funniest part" when you haven't seen the whole thing before.

+1 to pet peeves list

Oh man... I can add several to that list...

There's the guy who you say something funny to, who insists that you 'say it again' when other people come around.

The girlfriend who looks you right in the face and laughs out loud...even when you're watching tv or sitting at the movies.

The guy who always goes 'oh... this part's really funny!' just before the punchline.

The guy who tells a joke that lasts for 3 minutes. By the time he reaches the end of it, you've lost track of what the story was about and have to fake laughing.

The guy who still thinks you're joking when you're actually being serious.

The guy who tells a joke you just heard on tv last night and pretends it's original.

The guy who tells the same joke to you two days after he's already told it cause he's forgotten he already told it to you.

The friend who sits next to you at the movies and keeps jabbing you in the ribs to let you know how funny the movie is.

....I could go on and on... comedy can get you reall pissed off sometimes.

The one thing I love most about European/British humor vs. American humor is the intellectual, dry and inuendoed way of their delivery.

American humor tends to be much more in your face and too politically correct at times!

Originally Posted by: elklanderccGallager was like a less intense/vulgar, more physical version of George Carlin. His jokes were pretty cheesy...apartments when they're all stuck together. But his smashing of stuff and the other props he used made him funny. And Mr. Bean deffinatly deserves an honorable mention, but his movies aren't very good. The uk deffinatly does good with humor, with Monty Python and I've seen some shows on public tele. I remember one where some store had a l.e.d. scrolling marquee and it said Shoplifters Will Be Shot! and some guy kept changing it around.

Hey, I saw that exact same episode! No idea what the show is, though......

Another great UK show is the League of Gentlemen.

Originally Posted by: jimmy_kwtx
Like all mentioned so far. Especially like "Mr. Bean" can't remember the guys name, also like that old show from MTV "The Young Ones".

Yes! Dude, they're my two favourite comedies!

+1 in thought (Gotta Spread Around)

I tend to like the slapstick and phisycal humor. I loved the Narcoleptic Character the comedian "Mr. Bean" played in that movie Rat Race.

"It's a race. It's a race" Climbs down the stairs and passes out in the lobby.

I also like the old BBC versions of "Whose Line" (they had Stiles and Mockery on that show also) more risky than the --Drew Carey always having to say soemthing about it being a Disney run show so keep it clean. Plus I am getting sick of the song stuff with Brady ALL OF THE TIME!

Originally Posted by: jimmy_kwtxThe one thing I love most about European/British humor vs. American humor is the intellectual, dry and inuendoed way of their delivery.

American humor tends to be much more in your face and too politically correct at times!

British humor can be in your face, like on Monty Pyton when the guy is jumping back and fourth hitting a guy in the face with a small fish, then the other guy swings a stripper and knocks him off the dock. :D

I agree there Schmange, I get a lot of the "Do it/ say it again!!" I'm like, no, I can't just do it on demand like that.

I'll add another to the list, when your at the movies and the person/people are either laughing rediculosly loud, or doing one of them laughing and leaning forward so its right in your ear moves. Both are quite enough to ruin a movie.

Originally Posted by: CW14Never heard of Kids in the Hall but I'm with you on the first two.

The Kids in the Hall were a Canadian comedy troupe who had a TV show here in Canada in the early 90's. You should check them out if you ever get the chance, they're sort of like Monty Python in terms of silliness, only toned down.

It's my favourite show.

Originally Posted by: elklanderccBritish humor can be in your face, like on Monty Pyton when the guy is jumping back and fourth hitting a guy in the face with a small fish, then the other guy swings a stripper and knocks him off the dock. :D

That more like in his face humour.

The great thing about Monty Python was the bizarreness--that how the hell did they think of that factor.

Originally Posted by: Mark PavThat more like in his face humour.

The great thing about Monty Python was the bizarreness--that how the hell did they think of that factor.

Hit the nail on the head.