# Has any comedian sunk further than Eddie Murphy?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-any-comedian-sunk-further-than-eddie-murphy/455277
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [July 4, 2008, 8:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-any-comedian-sunk-further-than-eddie-murphy/455277 "2008-07-04T08:25:33Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@constantine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/constantine)
#### Post date: [July 4, 2008, 8:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-any-comedian-sunk-further-than-eddie-murphy/455277/1 "2008-07-04T08:25:33Z")
In the 80’s Eddie Murphy was AWESOME. Many folks on this board are likely to young to remember, but he was insanely funny on Saturday Night Live. Trading Places and 48 hours are both masterpieces. There are so many amazingly funny lines and he was hilarious. Beverly Hills Cop wasn’t quite on the same level but still pretty funny. His standup was unfortunately marred by some nasty homophobia (especially Raw) but in Delirious it was insanely funny.
And then somewhere it turned into nutty professor and norbit and just stuff that I couldn’t imagine watching. He was pretty good in Dreamgirls but that was surprising and refreshing–to me at least–exactly because all his roles for a long time had been so bad. Ok, I guess he was pretty good in Shrek.
Are there any other comedians who drifted so far from their original, edgy roots?
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### Author:  [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)
#### Post date: [July 4, 2008, 8:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-any-comedian-sunk-further-than-eddie-murphy/455277/2 "2008-07-04T08:34:02Z")
Um, have you ever heard of Steve Martin or Robin Williams?
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### Author:  [@bubastis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bubastis)
#### Post date: [July 4, 2008, 9:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-any-comedian-sunk-further-than-eddie-murphy/455277/3 "2008-07-04T09:56:15Z")
Ditto Steve Martin. Chevy Chase?
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### Author:  [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)
#### Post date: [July 4, 2008, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-any-comedian-sunk-further-than-eddie-murphy/455277/4 "2008-07-04T10:12:03Z")
Rosie O’Donnell:
The first time I saw her act it was funny. She got a show and did everything she made fun of and claimed she never would do.
Richard Prior:
That guy was very popular and drugs did him in. He burned his face off and never really did anything again.
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### Author:  [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)
#### Post date: [July 4, 2008, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-any-comedian-sunk-further-than-eddie-murphy/455277/5 "2008-07-04T12:30:56Z")
It depends what you mean by falling. Do we mean “This guy used to be great, in my opinion, but now I think he sucks, even if he’s raking in tons of money?” I mean, Eddie Murphy may not be your cup of tea any more, but he’s stilling making $20 million a picture. I wish I could “fall” that far.
Or does it mean, “Good or bad, this guy was HUGE, immensely popular, and now you won’t find anybody who’ll admit ever liking him?”
If it’s the latter, well, Andrew Dice Clay used to fill hockey arenas, and now? He couldn’t fill a phone booth.
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### Author:  [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)
#### Post date: [July 4, 2008, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-any-comedian-sunk-further-than-eddie-murphy/455277/6 "2008-07-04T12:52:04Z")
George Carlin is dead. He can’t sink any lower.
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### Author:  [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)
#### Post date: [July 4, 2008, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-any-comedian-sunk-further-than-eddie-murphy/455277/7 "2008-07-04T12:53:54Z")
Fatty Arbuckle’s career took quite a downturn, too.
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### Author:  [@Typo\_Knig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Knig)
#### Post date: [July 4, 2008, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-any-comedian-sunk-further-than-eddie-murphy/455277/8 "2008-07-04T13:13:27Z")
[QUOTE=Harmonious Discord]
Richard Prior:
That guy was very popular and drugs did him in. He burned his face off and never really did anything again.
[/QUOTE]
I give you [Richard Pryor Live on the Sunset Strip](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084597/) as a counterexample. Pryor’s acting roles never lived up to the heights of his pure comedy. Yeah, drugs and MS took him out of the game at the end, but he did profoundly great material before that.
Seconded on Chevy Chase. ☹
**Qadgop** , I was going to mention Fatty Arbuckle, but I thought he was too obscure. I love this board!
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### Author:  [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)
#### Post date: [July 4, 2008, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-any-comedian-sunk-further-than-eddie-murphy/455277/9 "2008-07-04T13:54:57Z")
Most of them, really. Since the element of surprise is so important in comedy, most comedians realize a period of success, followed by a longer period of “has-been” status. They may remain popular for a long time, but most people don’t consider the vast majority of older, established comedians capable of producing truly great material. If you know Dangerfield’s schtick, it isn’t as funny as the first time you saw him. Ditto Bob Hope, the Three Stooges, Eddie Murphy, Steve Martin, George Carlin, Chevy Chase, etc., etc., etc. Comedy evolves, and it is very difficult for anyone to stay fresh for long periods of time.
There are a few exceptions, of course.
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### Author:  [@randwill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randwill)
#### Post date: [July 4, 2008, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-any-comedian-sunk-further-than-eddie-murphy/455277/10 "2008-07-04T14:40:01Z")
Drew Carey went from popular stand-up comic to TV series star to game show host. Whether that is a “fall” or not, I don’t know.
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### Author:  [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)
#### Post date: [July 4, 2008, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-any-comedian-sunk-further-than-eddie-murphy/455277/11 "2008-07-04T14:40:48Z")
Drew is hosting one of the most popular, longest-running game shows of all time. I don’t consider that to be a fall.
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### Author:  [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)
#### Post date: [July 4, 2008, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-any-comedian-sunk-further-than-eddie-murphy/455277/12 "2008-07-04T15:20:30Z")
Hell, is there anybody who got their big break on SNL who doesn’t fit this pattern? It seems like every breakout star from the show is hilarious for a few seasons on SNL, then jumps into moves that become increasingly dreck. In addition to the already mentioned Eddie Murphy, Chevy Chase, and Steve Martin, I’d add Dan Akroyd, Joe Piscopo, Dana Carvey, Adam Sandler, Mike Myers, and Will Ferrell.
The only former cast member that I can think of who has avoided this fate is Bill Murray, who was well on his way to washed up when got a second wind by taking more dramatic or offbeat comic roles in Wes Anderson movies.
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### Author:  [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)
#### Post date: [July 4, 2008, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-any-comedian-sunk-further-than-eddie-murphy/455277/13 "2008-07-04T15:23:24Z")
> [@](#):
>
> Has any comedian sunk further than Eddie Murphy?
Yahoo Serious started at the bottom, then dug a new basement.
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### Author:  [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)
#### Post date: [July 4, 2008, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-any-comedian-sunk-further-than-eddie-murphy/455277/14 "2008-07-04T15:28:33Z")
I don’t include Steve Martin–I think he found his comedy niche AFTER his career in stand up. He’s a good writer, too–he writes for the New Yorker and I usually enjoy his pieces. YMMV.
Eddie Murphy is an embarrassment–surely we have other standards than “well, he makes a ton of money”? He went from snappy, pithy in your face social commentary comedy to fart jokes.
I’d say Dan Ackroyd, Rosie, the one who had her own sitcom–cannot recall her name–she starred in a movie with Meryl Streep. Anyway, her. Chevy Chase (never liked him much). The sad thing is, with the exception of Eddie Izzard and Chris Rock, I haven’t seen any huge comedians (stand up)–perhaps the Golden Days of Stand Up are passed?
I’ll throw him in here because I used to work with him at the local pizza place: Paul Gilmartin(not that he was ever a big name). He had a show, “Dinner and a Movie” on cable for a bit. No idea where he is now. He did stand up in Vegas for awhile. He wasn’t fun to work with at the pizza place… 😛
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### Author:  [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)
#### Post date: [July 4, 2008, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-any-comedian-sunk-further-than-eddie-murphy/455277/15 "2008-07-04T15:34:20Z")
[QUOTE=eleanorigby]
…the one who had her own sitcom–cannot recall her name–she starred in a movie with Meryl Streep. Anyway, her.
[/QUOTE]
Roseanne Barr.
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### Author:  [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)
#### Post date: [July 4, 2008, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-any-comedian-sunk-further-than-eddie-murphy/455277/16 "2008-07-04T15:38:41Z")
Wait a minute…14 responses and no one has mentioned Dennis Miller?
From the best comedian to a George Bush teacup chihuahua with a stop on Monday Night football for good measure.
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### Author:  [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)
#### Post date: [July 4, 2008, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-any-comedian-sunk-further-than-eddie-murphy/455277/17 "2008-07-04T15:43:40Z")
Buster Keaton went from comedic genius to…meh. Reasons: sound, studio system, and booze.
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### Author:  [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)
#### Post date: [July 4, 2008, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-any-comedian-sunk-further-than-eddie-murphy/455277/18 "2008-07-04T15:49:03Z")
Have you seen the summer movie line-up? Murphy’s hardly the only SNL star with something to be embarrassed about.
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### Author:  [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)
#### Post date: [July 4, 2008, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-any-comedian-sunk-further-than-eddie-murphy/455277/19 "2008-07-04T16:19:24Z")
[QUOTE=lissener]
Um, have you ever heard of Steve Martin or Robin Williams?
[/QUOTE]
I love Steve Martin’s non-comedy stuff. And I actually got a kick out of the one with him and Queen Latifah (who I just adore). Any time Steve Martin dances, I’m laughing.
Robin Williams does a good job in his serious stuff as well. But the one with the RV was hideous. Almost unwatchable. I stayed with it to the end hoping it would redeem itself, but _day_-um that was a crappy movie, through and through.
Eddie Murphy seems to be in a “fast money for alimony/child support” mode. I think he’s hilarious, but he seems to be in it for the dough at this point.
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### Author:  [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)
#### Post date: [July 4, 2008, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-any-comedian-sunk-further-than-eddie-murphy/455277/20 "2008-07-04T16:22:38Z")
[QUOTE=eleanorigby]
I don’t include Steve Martin–I think he found his comedy niche AFTER his career in stand up. He’s a good writer, too–he writes for the New Yorker and I usually enjoy his pieces. YMMV.
[/QUOTE]
I’ll third this: Steve Martin’s a great writer with a sense of humor that veers between deadpan and absurdist. His earlier standup, straight-up absurdism, is great, and his middle stuff in which he lost his voice is awful, but what he’s doing now is pretty damn good.
Daniel
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