Dennis Miller - I'm trying to still like you dammit.

The BBQ Pit
1

I’m a big fan of Dennis Miller’s. Well, I’m a fan. Actually, I just think he’s ok.

Ok dammit he’s really starting to suck ass. Denny, we hardly knew ye.

When I heard he was getting his own show on CNBC I was excited. I’ve been a fan for a long time. My iPod has 80 tracks from his rants CDs on it. He used to be funny, if smug.

Now he’s dropped the funny and is letting the smug shine through. First of all, he’s a conservative now, which in and of itself is not a crime. :wink: But he’s not the “Let’s talk about the issues” conservative. He’s an “I’m right, and you’re an idiot” conservative. What the hell happened?

Second of all. He’s not funny. His monologues have been taken over by Johnny Carson-esque “Ooooh… bombo!” comments. I’m watching his opening as I’m typing this, and I honestly suspect they’re gassing the audience, because people are laughing it up, and it just aint funny. First, he playfully pronounced a middle-eastern name, wondering at length whether George Lucas came up with it. Something like “Is that name Arab or Ewok?” All righty then.

He went on to mention that the charges against R. Kelly were dropped due to improper police procedure in the arrest. Dennis opined (paraphrased) “Does anyone else think that there isn’t an improper way to gather evidence that someone is sleeping with a 13-year-old?” The audience applauded obediently.

He seems to be doing everything he can to alienate his former fans. The icing on the cake was his treatment of Eric Alterman last night (I think it was last night). Read the play by play here, or (bless this lovely internet) watch it yourself here.

Whether you agree with Alterman or not, he was being completely level-headed and reasonable, and Miller acted like an asshole. Miller didn’t bother to argue at all, and eventually just said “I just want to finish this fucking segment” which drew some excited hooting from the crowd.

Anyway, I tried to stick with him. I tried to enjoy his show, but it’s just not going to happen. I’m middle-of-the-road politically and he’s pissing me off. I can’t imagine what liberals and intelligent conservatives are thinking. Who exactly are his fans now? Apparently they’re people who think Arab names are all funny sounding and hope a fight breaks out on the stage. Just what we needed on TV. A more self-righteous version of Jerry Springer.

2

I never thought Dennis was funny; I see things have not changed. And he was a total ass in that Alterman video. O’Reilly would’ve done a better Alterman interview - at least he gives a shit.

3

Oh, C’mon!

Miller is a comedian! He’s supposed to be an asshole.

I watched the clip twice (thanks for the link!), and it’s hard to judge without seeing the beginning of the interview, but it looks to me as if he tries to steer the conversation away from Alterman’s Bush-bashing and towards something a little more light-hearted… and eventually gives up, leading to the “I just wanna finish this fucking segment” comment.

Of course he didn’t argue with Alterman; he was trying to change the topic to something else! The guy was being a downer; not good for a talk-show format.

4

lol - this isn’t the “Golden Horseshoe Revue” - it’s a show intended for political debate and discourse. Do you think Miller’s people booked a liberal author and expected him to join Dennis for a rendition of “Who’s On First?”

5

Well I didn’t see the show nor any of the promos for it (I only have basic cable here), so I have no idea what the premise of the show is… but still, Miller is a comedian! What did you expect?

If the Straight Dope decides to market another TV show and hires Jessica Simpson and Anna Nicole-Smith to co-host, are you going to expect serious cerebral content?

As I said, it would be easier to judge if I had seen the entire show…

6

I’ve been trying hard to give Miller some space in his new role. I thought he was excellent on Monday Night Football, too. Hell, Miller even inspired Dan Fouts to some rolling hills of excellence, and that might be saying something.

But I have to agree, his new show is bullshit. It attempts to be funny but it lacks the substance Miller’s humor is based upon. And frankly I think it’s hard to be a conservative and have a sense of humor because even with the entire backing of all three branches of American goverment these mooks have managed to fuck it all up beyond their wildest nightmares. So Miller probably came out of the closet at a bad time.

To his credit, though, Miller really hasn’t changed his stance radically, ever. He just picked a weird time to make a buck off of it. I see Bordello of Blood II in his immediate future.

7

Dude, it’s impossible to be a conservative and NOT have a sense of humor these days! :slight_smile:

8

I, too, enjoyed him on Monday Night Football, and was pissed when he got dumped. He certainly livened up the commentary box, and i loved it when he would say something strange and there would be a pregnant silence while the football commentators wondered how to respond.

Unfortunately, MNF is the only venue in which i’ve ever been amused by Miller in the slightest. Every other time i’ve seen him, he’s acted like a total moron, and been completely unfunny.

9

I’ve seen Miller on his new show, and he no longer seems funny to me anymore. But I watched the Alterman interview, and it seems to me that Alterman is being the bigger jerk, and Miller is just responding to him. Alterman seems to be ranting for the most part, and not at all willing to listen to what Miller has to say. He was very aggressive towards Miller from beginning of the clip, and it didn’t seem to change.

Also, is it me or were there a few dorks in the audience, laughing at inappropriate times?

10

The show ran only 2 weeks before being “retooled”… After a one week break it came back with an audience. A member of Don Imus’ crews claims they’re paid. They are offering free tickets of course, but they need butts in seats.

I liked it better before. Applause fills too much time.

What I really appreciate is he isn’t so damn earnest. Its just TV folks, and cable TV at that. O’Reilly ain’t looking out for you. Chris Matthews is not a journalist (McCain is not gonna be Kerry’s VP you dope!). Even Countdown is preachy at times, and Olberman was a sportscaster!

He talks to guests a little differently than the rest… Maybe he’ll find a niche. What do I know, I liked Kudlow & Kramer and it got moved to 5PM.

11

Uh… Miller asked Alterman to set the agenda. For his own damn show! Then he inexplicably made fun of his posture…

12

I haven’t seen him in several years, but I remember his attitude was always “I’m right, you’re an idiot.” Even when I agreed with him and thought he was funny (which was often), he was still annoying.

13

I liked him. I liked him as a conservative.

But that TV show … he didn’t just jump the shark; he jumped the ocean.

14

I don’t think its so much that Miller buggered the shark, but that the whole franchise has finally oversaturated. For a while there, a very long while, any two-bit pundit could guarantee himself an audience simply by advertising himself as the guy who will bring you the much overlooked “conservative” point of view. (The quote marks are in deference to reasonable and sane conservatives who would puke thier guts out to be lumped in with Michael Savage).

How many of these guys can the market support? Limburgers, Mike Medved, Hugh Hewitt, Savage, Laura Ingrown, and at least half a dozen others. The only variation in thier messages are whether GeeDubya walks on water and cures lepers or merely bestrides the world like a collossus.

Besides not “getting it” ideologically, I don’t get it commercially. The only way it makes sense is if there’s no “brand loyalty” involved: the same people who listen to one listen to the others. But at some point, only so many lampreys can feed on the same fish.

Secondly, I think DM shot himself in the foot by announcing that the wouldn’t say anything bad about GeeDubya, 'cause he likes the guy, and all. Even the most rabid Rightard on these boards likes to preen himself as being balanced and objective, as arriving at an insane conclusion by a rational, reasonable route.

As well, I don’t much care for his choices in “liberal” spokespersons included for a passing sembelance of “balance”, persons whose essential qualification seems to be a saintly tolerance for snide interupptions. “Hi, welcome to my show, tell me what you…SHUTUP and listen to ME!”

On the gripping hand, DM coined the line “GeeDubya surrounds himself with intelligent men the same way a doughnut hole surrounds itself with doughnut”. For this, much can be forgiven.

15

I’ve never had a problem with Miller. He was hardly a liberal even back when he was starting, part of his sucess was his willingness to skewer anyone regardless of political viewpoint.

That interview, however, was bizarre. He allowed himself to get steamrolled and barely attempted to refute the other guy. It was so unlike him. I got the impression that he felt that Alterman had somehow gotten on the show under false pretenses, why else would he lead in with the Dean quote about GWB knowing about the 9-11 attacks beforehand. It seemed that Miller had prepared material for that line of questioning and when it fell apart he had nothing to back it up with, so he let the guy run.

It was weak.

16

I watched the show for about 2 weeks, trying to give him a chance. Tuned in a few more odd times after that. Saw Scott Ritter kick his ass about Iraq. But I’ve grown bored with him and the show. A nightly show is not his forte because a little DM goes a long way.

17

Which is the problem. He stopped being that guy and became Rush Limbaugh with a vocabulary.

Once upon a time Doonesbury was worthwhile: it was liberal, but honest enough to mock liberals a good chunk of the time. Now it’s just partisan editorialising. DM went the same route, just a lot faster.

18

One of the HBO channels (HBO Comedy Zone?) is showing reruns of Dennis Miller Live on weeknights at 11.

You know, back when he was funny.

It’s interesting to watch him then. Yeah, he was never exactly a liberal, but he didn’t hold back. He went after everyone. His jokes about Clinton/Monica were pretty damn funny.

I really enjoyed his first three “Rants”, but c’mon, Miller, toadying up to the current admin makes you the exact type you used to skewer mercilessly. And that, well, sucks.

Of course, that’s just my opinion, I could be wrong.

19

“…Saw Scott Ritter kick his ass about Iraq…”

No shit! Saw it too. Ritter ripped him a new one and was first to use it, all Miller could do was cuss and spit teeth. Kicked the living snot out of him.

No wonder he’s not on TV more often.

20

Dennis Miller was hilarious and not particularly political back when he was doing “The Off-White Album” and his “Black and White” concert. He was doing bits about “human cholesterol in the passengerial aisle” and such. I would watch him and cry from laughing too hard. Additionally, he’s from the greatest city in the world, so I wanted to like him, and it wasn’t hard.

But over time, he has become less funny and more political. And his politics aren’t funny. He also hasn’t struck me as funny (or particularly witty and bright) without prepared material.

Both California and the Republicans are welcome to him now. He’s dead to me. (Denny, I loved you man. It used to be about the funny.)