# Ever see funny stand-up comedy in a movie? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 18, 2011, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-see-funny-stand-up-comedy-in-a-movie/603367 "2011-11-18T17:46:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![enomaj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/59ef9b/32.png) [@enomaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enomaj)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2011, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-see-funny-stand-up-comedy-in-a-movie/603367/1 "2011-11-18T17:46:35Z")
So I just watched a pretty forgettable movie, The Heart Specialist. The main character is a doctor who happens to do comedy as part of his research on laughter and medicine. The club owner character is an actual comedian in real life. None of the stand-up was funny. There was a chuckle here and there but nothing you would go see. The only time I remember seeing a funny stand-up scene was Dave Chappelle in The Nutty Professor. Every other time comes off as lame jokes followed by canned laughter. So have you seen anything close to actual comedy? ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2011, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-see-funny-stand-up-comedy-in-a-movie/603367/2 "2011-11-18T18:32:03Z")
Tom Hanks in **Punchline**. Dustin Hoffman in **Lenny**. Reading a script and delivering a standup performance are very different animals–by “movie” I assume you’re excluding Eddie Murphy’s concert films, and Richard Pryor’s as well. ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2011, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-see-funny-stand-up-comedy-in-a-movie/603367/3 "2011-11-18T18:37:20Z")
Are you talking about part of the script is a spot where the films characters perform as stand-up comedians? Or can scenes that masquerade as a situation but are actually standup routines count. If so, I nominate every Abbott and Costello film, every Martin and Lewis film, and every Bob Hope film (with or without Bing). ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2011, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-see-funny-stand-up-comedy-in-a-movie/603367/4 "2011-11-18T18:39:03Z")
> [@Krokodil](#): > > I assume you’re excluding Eddie Murphy’s concert films, and Richard Pryor’s as well. Yeah, if you don’t exclude those, those are my prime examples as well. Murphy’s “Raw” wasn’t his best work overall, but it has his best story ever (what Richard told him to tell Cosby). Richard’s concert films are comedy master classes. ---
**Author:** ![whole\_bean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/96bed5/32.png) [@whole\_bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whole_bean)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2011, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-see-funny-stand-up-comedy-in-a-movie/603367/5 "2011-11-18T18:48:36Z")
The Judd Apatow movie \*Funny People \*had good routines by charactes played by Adam Sandler, Seth Rogan, and Aziz Ansari, among others. Ansari’s character “Randy,” although meant to be a straightforward comic in the movie, is a send up of comics that (some) audiences love but comics hate (think Kenny Bania, or, for a real life example, Dane Cooke or Carlos Mencia). Randy later figured into Anzari’s actual routine ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2011, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-see-funny-stand-up-comedy-in-a-movie/603367/6 "2011-11-18T19:05:11Z")
It isn’t true standup but I love the old Jewish guy (Eddie Murphy) in Coming to America who tells jokes in the barber shop. His “Waiter, there’s something wrong with my soup” joke is a classic. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2011, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-see-funny-stand-up-comedy-in-a-movie/603367/7 "2011-11-18T19:28:14Z")
> [@whole\_bean](#): > > The Judd Apatow movie \*Funny People \*had good routines by charactes played by Adam Sandler, Seth Rogan, and Aziz Ansari, among others. Ansari’s character “Randy,” although meant to be a straightforward comic in the movie, is a send up of comics that (some) audiences love but comics hate (think Kenny Bania, or, for a real life example, Dane Cooke or Carlos Mencia). Randy later figured into Anzari’s actual routine I think you mean RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANDY! ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2011, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-see-funny-stand-up-comedy-in-a-movie/603367/8 "2011-11-18T19:36:06Z")
[“Third base!”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sShMA85pv8M) [“Slowly I turn.”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yJBhzMWJCc) ---
**Author:** ![whole\_bean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/96bed5/32.png) [@whole\_bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whole_bean)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2011, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-see-funny-stand-up-comedy-in-a-movie/603367/9 "2011-11-18T19:38:00Z")
> [@Bob Ducca](#): > > I think you mean RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANDY! Ra-RA-Ra-RA-Randy ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2011, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-see-funny-stand-up-comedy-in-a-movie/603367/10 "2011-11-18T19:38:20Z")
The original \*Fame \*had some decent stuff. Richard Belzer played, well, Richard Belzer, as the Club MC that Ralph Garci did his routine in. And Ralph, played by Barry Miller, performed the same routine in the move twice. The first time he killed, and it was pretty well delivered as a straight up act; the second time he bombed, which was fantasically acted. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2011, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-see-funny-stand-up-comedy-in-a-movie/603367/11 "2011-11-18T19:40:54Z")
I always liked the lounge comedian from _Defending Your Life_ giving a performace to recently deceased folks: Comedian: How’d ya die? Arthur: I was in a coma. Comedian: I’m sorry. How long were you in the coma? Arthur: I really don’t know. Comedian: Let’s play a game, Art. Elvis: living or dead? Arthur: Living. Comedian: Long coma, Art. Long coma. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2011, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-see-funny-stand-up-comedy-in-a-movie/603367/12 "2011-11-18T21:37:18Z")
Is it stretching the definition of “stand-up comedy” too far to mention Robin Williams’s schtick in _Good Morning Vietnam_? ---
**Author:** ![randwill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@randwill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randwill)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2011, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-see-funny-stand-up-comedy-in-a-movie/603367/13 "2011-11-18T23:02:59Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > I always liked the lounge comedian from _Defending Your Life_ giving a performace to recently deceased folks: > > Comedian: How’d ya die? > Arthur: I was in a coma. > Comedian: I’m sorry. How long were you in the coma? > Arthur: I really don’t know. > Comedian: Let’s play a game, Art. Elvis: living or dead? > Arthur: Living. > Comedian: Long coma, Art. Long coma. Also: Comedian: (to Albert Brooks) “How did you die?” Brooks: “On stage. Like you.” ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2011, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-see-funny-stand-up-comedy-in-a-movie/603367/14 "2011-11-19T00:26:56Z")
Henny Youngman (playing himself) in _Goodfellas_. I’d heard them all before, but it still cracked me up. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2011, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-see-funny-stand-up-comedy-in-a-movie/603367/15 "2011-11-19T02:05:44Z")
Not a movie, but . . . The Star Trek: TNG episode where Joe Piscopo tries to teach stand-up to Data. ---
**Author:** ![enomaj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/59ef9b/32.png) [@enomaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enomaj)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2011, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-see-funny-stand-up-comedy-in-a-movie/603367/16 "2011-11-19T05:15:43Z")
Sorry for the long delay in reply but yeah I’m talking about characters who do stand-up so no Murphy or Pryor. The stand up comedian seems to be a staple of the DTV African-American comedy or drama. If the character is played by an actor. the stand-up is usually terrible. If played by a comedian it’s less so. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2011, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-see-funny-stand-up-comedy-in-a-movie/603367/17 "2011-11-19T06:19:28Z")
> [@whole\_bean](#): > > The Judd Apatow movie \*Funny People \*had good routines by charactes played by Adam Sandler, Seth Rogan, and Aziz Ansari, among others. Ansari’s character “Randy,” although meant to be a straightforward comic in the movie, is a send up of comics that (some) audiences love but comics hate (think Kenny Bania, or, for a real life example, Dane Cooke or Carlos Mencia). Randy later figured into Anzari’s actual routine I listened to an interview with Aubrey Plaza (April from Parks and Rec) where she explained that Apatow pretty much forced all the actors to go out and do real stand up in front of a live audience before the movie was filmed. Some of them, like Aubrey, had never even done stand-up before. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2011, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-see-funny-stand-up-comedy-in-a-movie/603367/18 "2011-11-19T12:05:12Z")
:o > [@panache45](#): > > Not a movie, but . . . > > The Star Trek: TNG episode where Joe Piscopo tries to teach stand-up to Data. I want to be clear here…you’re saying, per the OP, that this was funny? Because I thought it was torturously unfunny. Point of fact, I thought it was the lowest point in Star Trek history. ---
**Author:** ![JSexton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@JSexton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JSexton)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2011, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-see-funny-stand-up-comedy-in-a-movie/603367/19 "2011-11-19T16:42:16Z")
> [@Morbo](#): > > :o > > I want to be clear here…you’re saying, per the OP, that this was funny? > > Because I thought it was torturously unfunny. Point of fact, I thought it was the lowest point in Star Trek history. And also one of the low points in stand up history. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2011, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-see-funny-stand-up-comedy-in-a-movie/603367/20 "2011-11-19T18:26:04Z")
It’s not a movie, but what about [Louie](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louie_(TV_series)), a TV show about a stand-up comic starring a stand-up comic who’s playing himself? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-see-funny-stand-up-comedy-in-a-movie/603367.md?page=2)