Not-Book Humor

Figured it would be nice to have a place to discuss things outside of the literary world that make us laugh. Favorite stand-up comics, movies/shows that made you chuckle, music that brings a smile to your face, etc, etc, and so forth.

Personally, for stand-up comedy I'm a long-time George Carlin fan and have a deep devotion to Bill Hicks (whose stand up comedy might as well be literature). I'm also impressed at the way Dave Attell has managed to turn self-deprecation into art.

For movies, I edge toward dark comedy. The original "The Ladykillers" is a favorite, as is "Harold and Maude," "Kind Hearts and Coronets," "Divorce, Italian Style," "Dr. Strangelove" and so on. Love the British sitcoms, "Monty Python" and "Blackadder" in particular, and think "Arrested Development" is a classic piece of comedic storytelling.

For music, Randy Newman at his most biting, Tom Leher anytime, as well as Tenacious D. Was a big "Weird" Al fan as a kid, but I got over it.

I, too, am a long-time George Carlin fan. Let's all say the seven words! You'll have to explain the Bill Hicks thing to me. I have some (pirated) video of him, but I can't relate to him like I did to Richard Pryor. I'm a big Peter Sellars (the actor)/ Sir Alec fan ("Man in the White Suit" - whatta voice on that Joan Greenwood!), most Britcoms (Blackadder and Fawlty Towers AND The Goodies). Also some BBC radio comedy (The Goon Show, ISIRTA, etc.) Have a ton of Randy Newman and Tom Lehrer. If you like Tom Lehrer, you might want to try Roy Zimmerman. Here's a link: Roy on YouTube
I was an Allen Sherman fan as a kid, which is probably dating me: "My Zelda, my Zelda, my Zelda she took de money and ran wit' de tailor!" and "A Letter from Camp."

Flanders and Swann, their records not the print version
("I'm a gnu, g'how about you?")

Bill Hicks
Jerry Seinfeld-The last great Jewish Comedian
Denis Leary
Jean Shephard
Lenny Bruce
Jon Stewart
pre-crazy Dennis Miller
and the greatest comedian of all time George Carlin

I don't usually watch much stand up, but I do like funny music. I still listen to "Weird Al" Yankovic now and then, but most of my funny music comes from The FuMP.

Robin Williams stand up acts are hysterical, along with the majority of what he's done. George Carlin is priceless.
I also grew up listening to Tom Lehrer and Allen Sherman -- but these were taped from the original LPs. Yay Seltzer Boy!

My Zelda, she took de money and ran with the tailor!
I picked up the original albums at a jumble sale - love Allen Sherman and Tom Lehrer!
There was a piece on Sherman on NPR recently that claimed his popularity dwindled when he "sold out," as was indicated by the change in cover photos. In the last one, "My Son the Celebrity," he was apparently showing off his Rolls, chauffeur, wife's mink, etc. On the back were notes making fun of it. That piece still p's me o.

Every night, Monday through Thursday, I am up watching The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and the Colbert Report hoping for a giggle or two. My conservative husband hates it (makes it funnier).

I have a handful of CDs from The Smothers Brothers, Bob Newhart, and Mike Nichols & Elaine May which crack me up, over and over. As for newer fare, I enjoy stand-up by David Cross and Dave Attell, as well as most anything put out on DVD by the Upright Citizen's Brigade.

I love watching Third Rock from the Sun. It's a comedy show about 4 aliens disguised as humans with among others John Lithgow. It's hilarious, really cracks me up! I have noticed however that you either love or hate it, there's not really a middle road.

I, too, am a huge Carlin fan. (My favorite is his rant on Stuff)

I grew up watching Rodney Dangerfield and Comic Relief specials on HBO. (liberal-minded parents, can't you tell?) and miss that entire 80's era of comedy. Richard Pryor, Whoopi Goldberg, Robin Williams, I love them all. I still find myself quoting Louie Anderson from time to time, and only recently while perusing Youtube, figured out that I was quoting him! ("You want some more stuffing? I've got some in the kitchen. Some more in the fridge. I've got some in the garage...")

I wonder if people realize that the stuff they watch/listen to as a child is imprinting their brain? I can and do love comedy now, but I don't know that any of it will ever make such a huge impression as the stuff I watched as a kid.

Smothers Brothers and older Bill Cosby routines. I was watching back episodes of the TV show, Coach the other night and laughed until I cried!

I think the most literate, intelligent and incredibly funny "guy" out ther is Eddie Izzard. If you haven't heard him, it's not too late. He has such a fast wit that you sometimes have to listen twice to get all his jokes. Unfortunately, he now wants to do "drama." There oughta be a law. We got a world full of serious actors, who needs another. What the world desperately needs is MORE LAUGHS!

When I hear about Eddie Izzard, I can't help but chime in.

“Oh, we need the Falkland Islands... for strategic sheep purposes!"

I used to like Dane Cook, before he sold out.
Eddie Izzard is absolutely fabulous...he's an executive transvestite! And, he did a decent job on the Oceans movies. Not funny, but not terrible acting either, like everything Dane Cook did since he's been trying to be an Actor.
I went to a lot of live comedy shows in college and just after. Most of the people I love are not (yet!) big names.
From the recent Last Comic Standing, I really LOVED Matt Kirshen. If you have a chance, please see him. He's British and looks like a little like a lemur. Adorable.
Also good is Aaron Karo, who got his start with an email list called "Ruminations." You can check out the archives here. His is more of a college/twentysomething humor.

For Christmas, my brothers got me the entire Monty Python's Flying Circus series on DVD, a talking Spanish inquisitor doll ("NO-O-Obody expects the Spanish Inquisition" "Fetch - the comfy chair!"), and a Black Knight doll with detachable arms and legs. I love the Python, Black Adder, and Jeeves and Wooster series. Heck, anything with Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie is gold, in my book - they are fabulous.

We grew up with the comedy albums of Bill Cosby and Allen Sherman - one of my brothers played them over and over so that he could memorize the routines/songs. I absorbed them, as well, and still can recite most of Cosby's "Wonderfulness" - especially The Chicken Heart that Ate New York City. TOOMP-toomp! TOOMP-toomp!

I enjoyed the improv show "Whose Line is It Anyway?" when it was a British import. I love Colin Mochrie and Ryan Stiles. I think Drew Carey's hosting on the American version took something away from it.

Cosby's The Chicken Heart That Ate New York is priceless. I heard him do it live once, years ago.

One of the funniest audio items ever done is Anna Russell's An Analysis of The Ring of the Nibelungs. Just one example: Describing Siegfried when he shows up in the story, she says, "He's very strong and he's very brave and he's very handsome and he's very stupid." Her synopis comes with perfectly apt musical illustrations. Famously, she gives you the 17 hour Ring cyle in 30 minutes.

Reminds me of the "Macbeth in 15 Minutes or Less" that I saw at the Maryland Renaissance Festival some years ago - late 1980's, early 1990's. Or was it 10 Minutes? Whatever, it was a hoot. The troupe was called Shakespeare's Skum. I used to go multiple times per year, and I could see their shows over and over and never get tired of them.

The best part about this RenFest was that they had "taverns" set up, and if you're into bawdy music, all you had to do was just park yourself there and the entertainment came to you. Singing along was encouraged. It was great fun.

The Marx Brothers. Duck Soup and A Night at the Opera. So classic.

Alastair Sim in "School for Scoundrels" (1960)
with Terry Thomas and Ian Carmichael

Wow. That question is too hard. I love comedians. Robin williams is a genius and the funniest man alive...and there are hundreds more I adore but have no clue to what their names are. Oh well. As long as they are funny, they rock.

Television: Two and a Half Men