I think he’s a riot – I saw “Dressed to Kill” on HBO. I don’t realy get the transvestism. I wouldn’t say I’m pput off by it, it just seems that if you’re a comedian who goes on stage dressed in a non-standard way, I’d expect there to be a humorous explanation. (I’d feel the same if he showed up in clown make-up and didn’t tell us why.)
–Cliffy
I think all Eddie Izzards are funny.
I think all Niobium Knights are immature (and need to work on their capitalisation). :wally
I have only met a few hundred Americans, so find it hard to generalise.*
*based on my trip to Milwaukee for the World Roleplaying Convention, all Americans are polite, intelligent, helpful, interesting and love roleplaying!
I don’t think that there is anything for you to ‘get’. His line has always been that he’s a comedian who happens to be a transvestite.
actually the last few times i’ve seen him on TV he seems to have stopped the women’s clothes thing.
sigh
As APB said, he’s a comedian who happens to be a transvestite. He’s talked about this at length - he just happens to wear women’s clothing. Women are allowed to wear trousers, he likes to wear a dress sometimes. He doesn’t have to wear a dress, and quite often doesn’t (why should he?) but sometimes he might feel like wearing one. It’s not a gimmick (although it certainly doesn’t hurt his PR), it’s just part of who he is. When he first started out on the stand-up circuit, he was a very straight comedian - it wasn’t until he’d been doing the rounds for a few years that he came out as a transvestite. And despite the language in the previous sentence, transvestisism does not equal homosexuality - Eddie’s had a serious girlfriend for several years.
And I think he looks pretty stylish.
Someone called?
Ed was on a UK chat show (Frank Skinner) last Sat and didn’t announce any plans to tour USA, so doesn’t look like it’s happening. Wasn’t much of an interview, to be honest, and tended to just re-hash old ground like why he’s avoided many television offers and his desire to be taken seriously as an actor.
For the few who seem bewildered by it, Ed dressing in what we might think of as ‘female’ clothing is not supposed to be funny or a gag, like the Python team dressing up as screeching ‘Pepperpot’ women. Ed sometimes dresses that way because he can and enjoys doing so. Get over it.
For the few Dopers who may be interested in EI but not already know, I knew him way back when and on my website there’s a whole archive section devoted to his pre-fame years, with pictures and stories including his first ever comedy show (which I had the pleasure of writing with him). See http://www.ian-rowland.com and the ‘Secret Section’ . You’re supposed to refer my website to two other people to gain access, and it would be friendly if you did, but in fact you can type any old lard into the ‘refer’ fields and it still works. And remember kids… enjoy but don’t copy!
I understand that there’s nothing for me to get. That’s what I don’t get. If you’re a comedian and you’re behaving in a non-standard way, it should be a joke. Otherwise it’s a distraction to somebody who’d rather be focusing on the bits. I don’t happen to like wearing dresses, but I do rather enjoy ratty t-shirts. I still don’t wear them to work.
–Cliffy
Totally not understanding your point. I’ve only seen “Dress to Kill” so I can’t speak for other performances, but in DTK he does several bits about being a transvestite. The first ten minutes are about being a transvestite. And some of the French bit too. “Une travestie executive.”
Il est une transvestite d’adventure!
personally, i was relieved to see that his whole gimmick isn’t based on being a transevesite. the first ten minutes of DTK are hysterical, but i don’t think his clothing preference needs any more attention that that. bottom line is this guy is hysterical, and i’m glad to see he can be so damn funny without using the cross-dressing thing as a crutch. think about it, where would carrot top be without his big trunk of crap? doing those stupid collect call commericals, and we all know how bad those are.
“cake or death?”
If you’ve never seen an elephant ski, then you’ve never been on acid…
A brit aquaintance forced me to listen to some of his stuff lately, I love this guy
Does anyone know where i can find a copy of Dressed to Kill?
Saw and loved “Dressed to Kill” about a year ago. I was struck by how skillfully he exploited the cultural gap between the US and the UK. Particularly the comparison of fates in “The Great Escape” (The Americans play baseball, escape in jeans & t-shirt, ride motorbikes and get put in solitary for punishment; the British fill their trousers with dirt, escape in inside-out uniforms, stand around train stations and get shot for punishment) and the stuff about the space race (Kennedy: “We will put a man on the moon”. British: “We will put a man on top of a ladder”).
He seemed to judge the audience (San Francisco?) perfectly in this regard, even when the US was the butt of his humour (heh, giving away my own nationality with that spelling :D). This was a pretty brave move, I thought: a badly-chosen phrase could easily have resulted in boos rather than laughs.
Caveman: surely that’s a travestie d’adventure. 
Oh, yes, indeed. Trod right on the line.
“We’ve got you on our instruments. A tuba, at the moment.”
“Swindon, I think that should a have gotten a bigger laugh”
“Yes, I though it was a very funny bit.”
“Swindon, I don’t think they’re going for it…”
“We pronounce it Herb, because there’s a f*cking H in it.”
Think I’ll go watch that again, now.
Ciao,
Justin
Silly American here. I adore EI.
'Nother silly Yank. Eddie slays me.
“Tea and cake or death!!!”
I love Eddie. Watching D2K as we type. Just FYI, in this vid at least he is wearing eye shadow and lip stick. Not that I have a problem with that, but I can see how it could cause a distraction.
It’s like a letter-box movie on TV - It’s best you forget about the borders on top and bottom and get wrapped up in the movie. I disregard what he looks like and listen to what he is saying.
5 gold rings!!!
Oh, and Ich bin ein fricking’ doughnut!
Why do you keep caling me Dr. Heimlich? You’re my wife, for fuck’s sake! Why do you have to be so bloody Prussian?
Very well… what is it, Gunter?
I have invented… a manouever!