# Gallagher: Comedic Genius or Just a Menace to Fruit? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 17, 2012, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gallagher-comedic-genius-or-just-a-menace-to-fruit/638068 "2012-10-17T21:06:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2012, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gallagher-comedic-genius-or-just-a-menace-to-fruit/638068/21 "2012-10-17T22:18:02Z")
> [@Hi\_Medlo](#): > > I saw Gallagher live twice. The first time he was very funny, lots of, well, Carlin-like observations. He seemed to be enjoying himself on stage and there were a couple of times during the show when he just talked to the audience in a very friendly way. > Before that show he came out and worked the crowd and was fun and funny then. > I saw him maybe five years later and he was different. No pre-show schmoozing, seemed angry and just going through the motions. > Something changed, and it wasn’t too much longer til you didn’t hear much about him anymore. Thanks for the insightful anecdote. Do you think he smashed one too many watermelons and just snapped? ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2012, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gallagher-comedic-genius-or-just-a-menace-to-fruit/638068/22 "2012-10-17T22:23:50Z")
I actually thought he had some good, insightfull and clever stand-up material (like some others have noted above) before the whole 'Sledge-O-Matic" thing took over. Once that got rolling, it was pretty much down-hill, one-trick schtick. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2012, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gallagher-comedic-genius-or-just-a-menace-to-fruit/638068/23 "2012-10-17T22:30:56Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > The idea of Gallagher doing about a dozen one-hour TV specials. That’s a guy who is known for one bit, and a simple bit at that. I’ve actually seen one of them (I don’t remember the details anymore, but it was OK), but still, _10 hours of Gallagher_. He’s _remembered_ for that one bit, yeah. That was the thing that differentiated him from all the other standups of the 80s. But Gallagher was huge in the 80s, he toured all over and had dozens of comedy specials on early cable TV, back when 40 channels seemed like a lot and there wasn’t enough content to fill those channels. And so Showtime would play Gallagher shows over and over and over and over again. And when you were a kid and there wasn’t any internet and when you wanted to play computer games you had to pay one quarter at a time, you watched Gallagher over and over again. And if Gallagher happened to be playing a show in your town, you’d say, “Hey, I’ve heard of that guy, maybe we should go!”, unlike the hundreds of other standups touring the country that you hadn’t heard of. But he seems to have developed some kind of progressive mental illness over the years. He sold his act to his brother, who toured as “Gallagher”, much to the mystification of people who showed up expecting to see Gallagher. I’ve heard him interviewed a couple of times in the last few years, and each time he ranted bitterly about how he got screwed by the system and kids today and so on. Not a trace of the whimsical guy he used to be. ---
**Author:** ![Nonsuch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonsuch/32/2922_2.png) [@Nonsuch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nonsuch)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2012, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gallagher-comedic-genius-or-just-a-menace-to-fruit/638068/24 "2012-10-17T22:32:01Z")
> [@drewtwo99](#): > > Thanks for the insightful anecdote. Do you think he smashed one too many watermelons and just snapped? I think it was a case of karmic chickens coming home to roost. Even in his heyday, Gallagher had a terrible reputation among his fellow comics. He’s basically frozen out of the fraternity of stand-up comedians and resents people whom he feels don’t properly credit his brilliance and originality (i.e., everyone). ---
**Author:** ![Rollo\_Tomasi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/58956e/32.png) [@Rollo\_Tomasi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rollo_Tomasi)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2012, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gallagher-comedic-genius-or-just-a-menace-to-fruit/638068/25 "2012-10-17T22:38:27Z")
He did an interview with the [AV Club](http://www.avclub.com/articles/gallagher,36622/) a few years ago, and it’s fairly grim. He appears to have gone off the deep end. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2012, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gallagher-comedic-genius-or-just-a-menace-to-fruit/638068/26 "2012-10-17T22:57:37Z")
I used to love his stuff when I was a kid. Not just the smashing stuff and props, but I also liked his act. These days I can’t remember a bit of it except a couple of his language bits, like (paraphrased): “The alphabet used to be different from what it is now. It wasn’t A back then, it was alpha, for the ‘ah’ sound. Next was beta, for the ‘buh’ sound. After that? Nooo, not C, _gamma_, for ‘guh’. Then delta. So alpha, beta, gamma, delta. Ah, buh, guh, duh. Ah buh guh duh. Have a good day!” …Like I said, I was a kid. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2012, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gallagher-comedic-genius-or-just-a-menace-to-fruit/638068/27 "2012-10-17T23:00:49Z")
I voted for Gallagher in the 2003 CA recall election as a protest vote (I was against recall, against Schwarzenegger, and didn’t care for Bustamante). I think about 5,000 people did total. I seem to recall that Larry Flynt and Gary Coleman got more votes than he did. ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2012, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gallagher-comedic-genius-or-just-a-menace-to-fruit/638068/28 "2012-10-17T23:03:07Z")
> [@Rollo\_Tomasi](#): > > He did an interview with the [AV Club](http://www.avclub.com/articles/gallagher,36622/) a few years ago, and it’s fairly grim. He appears to have gone off the deep end. Holy fecking hell. That’s some grade-A old man ranting if I’ve ever seen it. Could he be any more stereotypical grumpy-old-man? ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gallagher-comedic-genius-or-just-a-menace-to-fruit/638068/29 "2012-10-18T00:01:19Z")
I saw quite a few of his specials. Especially in the earlier ones, I liked the humor. Then came the Sledg-o-matic. That bit was funny the first time, but it required surprise whcih just wasn’t there later. ISTM that Gallagher doing that bit was like Geddy Lee singing ‘Working Man’. It was obvious he wasn’t into it any more, but it was _expected_ of him. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gallagher-comedic-genius-or-just-a-menace-to-fruit/638068/30 "2012-10-18T00:08:40Z")
[Obligatory GEICO commercial](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJs_dnj6g_M). ---
**Author:** ![Ruby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gallagher-comedic-genius-or-just-a-menace-to-fruit/638068/31 "2012-10-18T00:51:39Z")
I saw him live in the '80’s and his “eyes” of observation were similar to Carlin. Not nearly as polished or as good, but funny nonetheless. The “It’s not a slicer, not a dicer, what in the hell could it possibly be?” schtick was over done and pointless but popular in its time. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gallagher-comedic-genius-or-just-a-menace-to-fruit/638068/32 "2012-10-18T01:04:00Z")
> [@Hi\_Medlo](#): > > I saw Gallagher live twice. The first time he was very funny, lots of, well, Carlin-like observations. He seemed to be enjoying himself on stage and there were a couple of times during the show when he just talked to the audience in a very friendly way. > Before that show he came out and worked the crowd and was fun and funny then. > I saw him maybe five years later and he was different. No pre-show schmoozing, seemed angry and just going through the motions. > Something changed, and it wasn’t too much longer til you didn’t hear much about him anymore. It’s possible that you saw two different people: [Gallagher](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gallagher_%28comedian%29), and [Gallagher II](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gallagher_%28comedian%29#Conflict_with_brother.27s_act). ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gallagher-comedic-genius-or-just-a-menace-to-fruit/638068/33 "2012-10-18T02:29:25Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > It’s possible that you saw two different people: [Gallagher](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gallagher_%28comedian%29), and [Gallagher II](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gallagher_%28comedian%29#Conflict_with_brother.27s_act). You beat me to it. My exact wondering. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gallagher-comedic-genius-or-just-a-menace-to-fruit/638068/34 "2012-10-18T02:39:43Z")
They played his shows on VH1 in the 90s, I think. Some point in time when I was a kid and had time to kill. I loved them - I thought he was really clever and hilarious. His stuff on language, like what **Bosstone** posted, was really good I think. The smashing fruit was definitely a very small part of the show. Like “while the credits roll” type bit. I think his specials are worth checking out if you like standup. ---
**Author:** ![Speak\_to\_me\_Maddie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/58956e/32.png) [@Speak\_to\_me\_Maddie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speak_to_me_Maddie)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gallagher-comedic-genius-or-just-a-menace-to-fruit/638068/35 "2012-10-18T02:59:12Z")
> [@Bosstone](#): > > I used to love his stuff when I was a kid. Not just the smashing stuff and props, but I also liked his act. > > These days I can’t remember a bit of it except a couple of his language bits, like (paraphrased): > > “The alphabet used to be different from what it is now. It wasn’t A back then, it was alpha, for the ‘ah’ sound. Next was beta, for the ‘buh’ sound. After that? Nooo, not C, _gamma_, for ‘guh’. Then delta. So alpha, beta, gamma, delta. Ah, buh, guh, duh. Ah buh guh duh. Have a good day!” > > …Like I said, I was a kid. Yeah, I stopped by to mention his bits on language and word meanings. I remember liking them as a kid and thinking they were very clever. He had one routine where he riffed on homonyms, homophones, oronyms, and heteronyms with this rapid fire delivery. It appealed to me as a little word-nerd kid. I’m afraid if I looked it up now it wouldn’t be nearly as clever as I remember. So to answer your question Gallagher’s acts consisted of way more than fruit smashing, some of it was decent enough stand-up, though the fruit smashing became his trademark. This happens to many comedians that get a lot of exposure. Many people know Sam Kenison as that yelling guy, Bobcat Goldthwait as the weird voice guy, and Jeff Foxworthy as the might be a redneck guy, when those comics’ acts and careers encompassed far more than those bits or gimmicks. And later those comics did their best to balance using those gimmicks for fame while also trying to crawl out from under their fan’s stifling expectations. (I make no comparisons of quality with the above examples) Sometimes certain artists (comedians included) just get the short end of the cultural vibe and suddenly become punching bags for internet critics. Often there is no reason for the fervency of the hatred, it just becomes fashionable. With Gallagher I think it can be traced back to his increasingly hateful behavior in the past decade. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gallagher-comedic-genius-or-just-a-menace-to-fruit/638068/36 "2012-10-18T03:24:15Z")
The gag I remember most from Gallagher was something like “But some things really do make sense. There’s a five-ton truck coming straight at you on the highway, and what does it say on the front? Dodge. Great advice, there. But then, you look at the side, and it doesn’t make sense any more. Because what does it say on the side? Ram.” OK, so my delivery isn’t as good as his. But it is kind of funny, and it in no way involves big hammers and fruit. ---
**Author:** ![Musky\_Moon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90db22/32.png) [@Musky\_Moon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musky_Moon)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gallagher-comedic-genius-or-just-a-menace-to-fruit/638068/37 "2012-10-18T03:28:11Z")
I don’t have a cite at the moment, but I seem to remember being turned off by him because he came across as kind of racist. But, not an equal opportunity racist. His specific brand of vitriol was directed towards the Japanese. I know Japan bashing was en vogue at the time and that was probably common in stand-up acts of the era. He just came across as jingoistic and racist. When I get home Ill try to see if I can find a snippet of his act that supports my vague recollections. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gallagher-comedic-genius-or-just-a-menace-to-fruit/638068/38 "2012-10-18T14:07:38Z")
> [@drewtwo99](#): > > Holy fecking hell. That’s some grade-A old man ranting if I’ve ever seen it. Could he be any more stereotypical grumpy-old-man? Heh. This part is especially nice: > [@](#): > > [Gallagher]: Comedians need meaning. We need to know what words mean, and our society now is intent on blurring the meaning of just about everything. And the legal system also! “What is an adult? What’s premeditation? What is a felony?” It’s very difficult. “What’s improper behavior?” I ask these cops. If the kids already have their pants mostly down and they’re facing a wall, how do you know they’re not about to pee on the wall? Because this is what you do with homeless guys. You would catch them with their pants half down and you would get them for indecent exposure and public urination. And the cop told me, you can’t arrest them until you see the “brown round.” > > [The Onion A/V Club]: What? What’s that? > > G: That’s your dick. I guess everybody has a brown dick. > > AVC: To take things back a little bit to comedy— ---
**Author:** ![Nonsuch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonsuch/32/2922_2.png) [@Nonsuch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nonsuch)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gallagher-comedic-genius-or-just-a-menace-to-fruit/638068/39 "2012-10-18T14:10:34Z")
> [@Musky\_Moon](#): > > I don’t have a cite at the moment, but I seem to remember being turned off by him because he came across as kind of racist. But, not an equal opportunity racist. His specific brand of vitriol was directed towards the Japanese. I know Japan bashing was en vogue at the time and that was probably common in stand-up acts of the era. He just came across as jingoistic and racist. > > When I get home Ill try to see if I can find a snippet of his act that supports my vague recollections. He did a lot of Japan-bashing, but his real metier was women-bashing. He was certainly one of the most sexist comics ever. He even made a joke of it on one of his specials; he had some woman playing a PC, feminist language-cop kind of character who would chide him for making jokes about Dolly Parton’s boobs or whatever. ---
**Author:** ![Nature\_s\_Call](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nature_s_call/32/19006_2.png) [@Nature\_s\_Call](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nature_s_Call)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gallagher-comedic-genius-or-just-a-menace-to-fruit/638068/40 "2012-10-18T15:07:34Z")
To this day I will often pronounce “daughter” as if it rhymed with “laughter” because of Gallagher’s funny observations on the inconsistencies of English (the bit that starts with mention of a sign that read “Good Food” and why those two words don’t rhyme). I wouldn’t put him in Carlin’s league, but I kinda get the comparisons. I remember in one of the specials there was a member of the crowd holding up a sign “Gallagher for President” - a sentiment certainly not derived from smashing watermelons. As for Sledge-o-matic, I agree with **Typo Negative** that Gallagher probably felt he was expected to close with that routine and resented it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gallagher-comedic-genius-or-just-a-menace-to-fruit/638068.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gallagher-comedic-genius-or-just-a-menace-to-fruit/638068.md?page=3)