# 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:** 3
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gallagher-comedic-genius-or-just-a-menace-to-fruit/638068/41 "2012-10-18T15:19:18Z")
> [@Nature\_s\_Call](#): > > 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). 😃 That’s the exact bit that I think of every time Gallagher comes up. Specifically, where he start with the word ‘ache’ and reasons that the hair on his upper lip must be a ‘Mistake’. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gallagher-comedic-genius-or-just-a-menace-to-fruit/638068/42 "2012-10-18T15:20:51Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > 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. I misread that as “big hummers”, which it might involve. Would probably be more entertaining. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gallagher-comedic-genius-or-just-a-menace-to-fruit/638068/43 "2012-10-18T16:13:48Z")
> [@Lemur866](#): > > . . . Not a trace of the whimsical guy he used to be. Whimsical was the right word. I keep thinking ‘cross between George Carlin and Richard Simmons’ but that would be too earnest. He was not even a little bit earnest. He was bouncing and energetic and his version of ‘have you ever noticed . . .’ had sort of a childlike glee to it. > [@Sicks\_Ate](#): > > 😃 That’s the exact bit that I think of every time Gallagher comes up. Specifically, where he start with the word ‘ache’ and reasons that the hair on his upper lip must be a ‘Mistake’. He used a white board to illustrate these, didn’t he? I remember one talk show where he used a board to show, among other things, how to hedge if you were writing a word and couldn’t remember if the I was before the E or not. (It only works in cursive. You make them both look a little loopy, lean them toward each other, and put the dot in the air between them.) ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gallagher-comedic-genius-or-just-a-menace-to-fruit/638068/44 "2012-10-18T16:22:20Z")
> [@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. Wow. Not happy with life, that one. ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gallagher-comedic-genius-or-just-a-menace-to-fruit/638068/45 "2012-10-18T16:26:41Z")
> [@Yllaria](#): > > He used a white board to illustrate these, didn’t he? I remember one talk show where he used a board to show, among other things, how to hedge if you were writing a word and couldn’t remember if the I was before the E or not. (It only works in cursive. You make them both look a little loopy, lean them toward each other, and put the dot in the air between them.) I’m picturing either a flipchart or poster board…it’s been a loonng time. I do seem to remember that he was on the right side of the stage, though. Hm. ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gallagher-comedic-genius-or-just-a-menace-to-fruit/638068/46 "2012-10-18T16:30:27Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > Notice that Gallagher said he’d been on stage for an hour and a half before the hammer came out. Some parts of his act [weren’t a whole lot different in substance](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDFQXxWIyvQ&feature=related)than what George Carlin was doing at the same time. Am I invisible here? I posted the same clip in post #10. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gallagher-comedic-genius-or-just-a-menace-to-fruit/638068/47 "2012-10-18T16:45:36Z")
He’s said a few things that I found interesting/amusing. One: What would a chair look like if your knees bent the other way? Two (regarding prostitution): Why is it illegal to sell what is perfectly legal to give away for free? ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gallagher-comedic-genius-or-just-a-menace-to-fruit/638068/48 "2012-10-18T16:56:23Z")
> [@bobot](#): > > He’s said a few things that I found interesting/amusing. > One: What would a chair look like if your knees bent the other way? > Two (regarding prostitution): Why is it illegal to sell what is perfectly legal to give away for free? Selling is legal, fucking is legal; why isn’t selling fucking legal? - Carlin ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gallagher-comedic-genius-or-just-a-menace-to-fruit/638068/49 "2012-10-18T18:08:37Z")
Thanks for all the info and opinions guys. Sad that the man has withered away into vague angry bitterness, and his comedic essence has been distilled down to just fruit-bashing… but maybe he deserves it. Sad to hear he was sexist and racist, even in his younger days. Probably has gotten worse now. ---
**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, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gallagher-comedic-genius-or-just-a-menace-to-fruit/638068/50 "2012-10-18T19:41:01Z")
> [@Sicks\_Ate](#): > > I’m picturing either a flipchart or poster board…it’s been a loonng time. I do seem to remember that he was on the right side of the stage, though. Hm. IIRC that bit had no props at all. After observing that “good” doesn’t rhyme with “food” (an attempting to make them rhyme “gud fud” “gewd fewd”) he launched into a rapid-fire spelling-littered demonstration of words that shouldn’t rhyme but do or should but don’t. It started with “tomb” and “comb” if I recall, went through “daughter” and “laughter” and ended up with “room” and “tomb” (I think…). The much-younger-than-I-am-now self thought it was the height of verbal legerdemain. ETA: Oh, and I remember it on the audience’s left of stage (his right). ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gallagher-comedic-genius-or-just-a-menace-to-fruit/638068/51 "2012-10-18T19:43:03Z")
Comedic Genius once. Business Genius after that. ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gallagher-comedic-genius-or-just-a-menace-to-fruit/638068/52 "2012-10-18T20:11:08Z")
You won’t find a bigger fan of Gallagher than I. I’ve seen all of his specials numerous times…sometimes I even put one on (on Youtube) and just listen to it as I go throughout the day. So, having said that, here’s my two cents: 1. Back in the day, he really was pretty funny. He made interesting and clever points, told humorous stories, and often saw the funny side of life. The watermelon smashing and the like, as many others pointed out in here, composed only the last few minutes of his shows,…the rest, usually an hour or so before that, was his stand up comedy, which was funny and good (Well, YMMV). 2. These days, I have to agree with a lot of others, though. He’s changed. He’s definitely not the same person. I’d put the change to having happened around his TV Special “We Need a Hero” which was in 1992. Parts of “We Need a Hero” are funny and like the old Gallagher…but you can see the bitter, racist old man he eventually becomes many times throughout it. Every special before that, however, from An Uncensored Evening to The Bookkeeper, is pure comedy gold, in my opinion. 3. I don’t like Gallagher today. As others pointed out, he’s pretty much an asshole. He’s what you think of when you think of Mel Gibson or Charlie Sheen. Lots of good movies they’ve all put out, right? But what do you first think about now when you think of them? Usually just the outbursts and crazy shit they’ve done recently. Gallagher is no different. He’s made a lot of hateful and racist rants over the last few years (say, five or six)…that’s the kind of person he is now and it’s pretty ugly. Other than that, the only other thing he’s known for today, since it was so unique, is the fruit smashing. 4. But go before that, and watch some of the earlier and older stuff (like I said, up to about “The Bookkeeper”) and you might be surprised. Gallagher is one of the few comics that makes me laugh out loud, even today (when I watch his old stuff). 5. [The popular English language skit](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDFQXxWIyvQ) ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gallagher-comedic-genius-or-just-a-menace-to-fruit/638068/53 "2012-10-18T20:21:33Z")
He was sort of a Jimmy Buffett version of George Carlin with fruit torture porn. Still worth watching? Yes, for awhile. ---
**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, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gallagher-comedic-genius-or-just-a-menace-to-fruit/638068/54 "2012-10-18T20:50:49Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Comedic Genius once. Business Genius after that. Business genius? As of the Maron interview, it seemed he was playing county fairs using material cribbed from joke books. If he’s independently wealthy, he must have a unique love of performing. ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gallagher-comedic-genius-or-just-a-menace-to-fruit/638068/55 "2012-10-18T21:06:48Z")
> [@Idle\_Thoughts](#): > > 1. [The popular English language skit](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDFQXxWIyvQ) It must be pretty popular since this is the third time it’s been posted in this thread. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gallagher-comedic-genius-or-just-a-menace-to-fruit/638068/56 "2012-10-18T21:15:23Z")
> [@Idle\_Thoughts](#): > > You won’t find a bigger fan of Gallagher than I. I’ve seen all of his specials numerous times…sometimes I even put one on (on Youtube) and just listen to it as I go throughout the day. > > So, having said that, here’s my two cents: > > 1. Back in the day, he really was pretty funny. He made interesting and clever points, told humorous stories, and often saw the funny side of life. > The watermelon smashing and the like, as many others pointed out in here, composed only the last few minutes of his shows,…the rest, usually an hour or so before that, was his stand up comedy, which was funny and good (Well, YMMV). > 2. These days, I have to agree with a lot of others, though. He’s changed. He’s definitely not the same person. I’d put the change to having happened around his TV Special “We Need a Hero” which was in 1992. Parts of “We Need a Hero” are funny and like the old Gallagher…but you can see the bitter, racist old man he eventually becomes many times throughout it. > > Every special before that, however, from An Uncensored Evening to The Bookkeeper, is pure comedy gold, in my opinion. > 3. I don’t like Gallagher today. As others pointed out, he’s pretty much an asshole. He’s what you think of when you think of Mel Gibson or Charlie Sheen. Lots of good movies they’ve all put out, right? But what do you first think about now when you think of them? Usually just the outbursts and crazy shit they’ve done recently. Gallagher is no different. He’s made a lot of hateful and racist rants over the last few years (say, five or six)..that’s the kind of person he is now and it’s pretty ugly. Other than that, the only other thing he’s known for today, since it was so unique, is the fruit smashing. > 4. But go before that, and watch some of the earlier and older stuff (like I said, up to about “The Bookkeeper”) and you might be surprised. Gallagher is one of the few comics that makes me laugh out loud, even today (when I watch his old stuff). > 5. [The popular English language skit](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDFQXxWIyvQ) I’m in the same alley with you on this. I was never the “biggest fan ever” with Gallagher fan but I remember renting a video of his many years ago and appreciating the clever wordplay and some of the goofy jokes. The smashing watermelon bit was pretty funny as a capper to his shows as well. And as has been mentioned a lot here already, he’s degenerated into a hateful, unfunny man. Though without that, I may not be listening to Marc Maron’s podcasts, so I guess some good has come out of it. ---
**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:** [October 18, 2012, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gallagher-comedic-genius-or-just-a-menace-to-fruit/638068/57 "2012-10-18T21:20:34Z")
He’s the GWAR of comedy. ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gallagher-comedic-genius-or-just-a-menace-to-fruit/638068/58 "2012-10-18T21:21:18Z")
So is the guy in the GEICO commercials the original (Leo) Gallagher or his twin brother (Ron)? ---
**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 19, 2012, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gallagher-comedic-genius-or-just-a-menace-to-fruit/638068/59 "2012-10-19T00:38:49Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > 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. Yep, he was kind of funny, better than most comedians. Not an absolute classic funny-guy, but really quite funny. > [@Idle\_Thoughts](#): > > I’d put the change to having happened around his TV Special “We Need a Hero” which was in 1992. Parts of “We Need a Hero” are funny and like the old Gallagher…but you can see the bitter, racist old man he eventually becomes many times throughout it. Yes, me too. He was a late 70’s and 80’s comedian and once Bill Clinton became President, the 90’s were underway and he became irrelevant. I also remember when he made a Weird-Al style music video and it came off very lame. “I can make a video too” it was called and it was very lame. > [@Kimballkid](#): > > So is the guy in the GEICO commercials the original (Leo) Gallagher or his twin brother (Ron)? I assume the real one. I don’t think the fake/twin one does a lot of appearances on film as him, but simply tours(toured??) as him. ---
**Author:** ![sqweels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f19dbf/32.png) [@sqweels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sqweels)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2012, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gallagher-comedic-genius-or-just-a-menace-to-fruit/638068/60 "2012-10-19T00:53:30Z")
> [@Bob Ducca](#): > > He’s the GWAR of comedy. Wouldn’t it be more fair to say that GWAR is the Gallagher of heavy metal? I saw him about 5 years ago at a small gritty rock club in St. Paul (cost: $10) and the funniest part was the fact that after the show the whole area around the stage reeked of stale italian dressing. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gallagher-comedic-genius-or-just-a-menace-to-fruit/638068.md?page=2)