# Holy crap, that guy's unfunny - but everyone else loves him! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 18, 2008, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-crap-that-guys-unfunny-but-everyone-else-loves-him/477659 "2008-12-18T00:20:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2008, 9:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-crap-that-guys-unfunny-but-everyone-else-loves-him/477659/181 "2008-12-21T09:33:04Z")
> [@Stink Fish Pot](#): > > **Gilbert Godfrey** - Anything that he says that might be funny gets lost in that annoying voice. Very similar to Bobcat in this regard. As you don’t like him, this probably doesn’t matter too much to you, but his name is spelled **[Gilbert Gottfried](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gilbert_Gottfried)**. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2008, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-crap-that-guys-unfunny-but-everyone-else-loves-him/477659/182 "2008-12-21T11:17:03Z")
> [@kittenblue](#): > > I find David Sedaris is a writer who must be listened to, since many of his jokes are made funny by his inflections and pauses. While I read and enjoy his books, I have to hear his voice in my head while I do. And he’s one of those people who’s back-story you really need to know to appreciate some of the humor. The word “funny” in the OP needs to be more precisely defined. Satire, for example, doesn’t have to make you laugh out loud to be good, although the cultural references in the Simpsons are so good that they do. Situation comedies like Seinfeld were DOA. Parodies are usually very bad or very good, depending on who does it. Most stand-up is just shtick. I’d never pay money to go to a night club and sit there just to hear someone talk about his dog or her boyfriend. I think stand-up comedy is a dead art form. I agree that it depends a lot on whether the delivery is a recording, a stand-up, or a book. Sedaris is funny only as a recording. Same as Harry Shearer. Being funny in written form is the hardest of them all. And it’s not the kind of funny that makes you laugh out loud usually. One-liners are cheap. Probably least funny thing, however, that I’ve heard on tape is the Capital Steps. They just take the most tired jokes of the moment (i.e., John McCain is old) and set it to a popular show tune. They have absolutely no insight. They pale in comparison to Tom Lehrer. Good humor must have **insight**. ---
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2008, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-crap-that-guys-unfunny-but-everyone-else-loves-him/477659/183 "2008-12-21T12:27:31Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > As you don’t like him, this probably doesn’t matter too much to you, but his name is spelled **[Gilbert Gottfried](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gilbert_Gottfried)**. You are right, of course. On both counts. But as I titled my entry “pardon any misspellings”, I thought I’d get a pass. After all, it was a little after 4 in the morning, so I didn’t feel like searching for the correct spellings on some of those names. My attempt at Gilbert’s last name, however, wasn’t very close. So, I thank you for correcting it. I also would like to apologize to any comedian named Gilbert Godfrey, for I don’t know if he stinks or not. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2008, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-crap-that-guys-unfunny-but-everyone-else-loves-him/477659/184 "2008-12-21T13:12:54Z")
> [@Stink Fish Pot](#): > > But as I titled my entry “pardon any misspellings”, I thought I’d get a pass. Oh. So you did. Sorry about that, I should’ve acknowledged that. My problem was, as you were the second in this thread to misspell his name the same way, I had a bit of an itchy trigger finger over it. I’m one of those annoying nerdy people who like to see a person’s name to be both spelled and pronounced correctly. ---
**Author:** ![A\_Dodgy\_Dude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a87d85/32.png) [@A\_Dodgy\_Dude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A_Dodgy_Dude)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2008, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-crap-that-guys-unfunny-but-everyone-else-loves-him/477659/185 "2008-12-21T15:35:14Z")
Whoopi Goldberg. The next time she makes me laugh will be the first time she makes me laugh. The only way I know she intends something to be a joke, she delivers the line with a “street accent.” ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2008, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-crap-that-guys-unfunny-but-everyone-else-loves-him/477659/186 "2008-12-21T15:46:24Z")
> [@Stink Fish Pot](#): > > **Richard Lewis** - BLOWS. The weird thing about Lewis is that he has been so bad for so long. His “act” hasn’t changed much at all, his constant neurotic whining, pacing, and hair wringing are all annoying. I don’t know a single person that likes his comedy. And the face touching. Count it sometime - he can’t go more than a few seconds. The thing is, most of your Funny Jewish Guys (like John Stewart) fucking WORSHIP the guy like he’s some comedy god. Totally don’t get it. -Joe ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2008, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-crap-that-guys-unfunny-but-everyone-else-loves-him/477659/187 "2008-12-21T17:09:57Z")
> [@NAF1138](#): > > Check out the recent standup special that Ricky Gervais did. > > [Try this bit](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJU86d_0Bgg) which is part of a larger routine where he talks about how when he was a kid they used to tell stories to his class to teach moral lessons. Huh. Yeah, mostly nothing for me either. The only funny bit was when he said if you were going to design the perfect egg crushing device, it would be a hoof. Otherwise, boring. ---
**Author:** ![NAF1138](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naf1138/32/3245_2.png) [@NAF1138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NAF1138)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2008, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-crap-that-guys-unfunny-but-everyone-else-loves-him/477659/188 "2008-12-21T17:57:49Z")
> [@ZenBeam](#): > > Huh. Yeah, mostly nothing for me either. The only funny bit was when he said if you were going to design the perfect egg crushing device, it would be a hoof. Otherwise, boring. Fair enough. Difference in taste is what makes the world go round I suppose. I mostly posted it because I wanted to show that the style of Extras wasn’t all that he was about. If you still don’t like him though it’s no skin off my nose. Oh and, Opal, you are more than welcome. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Diane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/2acd7d/32.png) [@Diane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diane)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2008, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-crap-that-guys-unfunny-but-everyone-else-loves-him/477659/189 "2008-12-21T18:15:19Z")
Billy Crystal Jim Carrey Rosanne Bob and Tom Lewis Black Jay Leno ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2008, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-crap-that-guys-unfunny-but-everyone-else-loves-him/477659/190 "2008-12-21T18:25:04Z")
Jeez…I was about to do an analysis of why I don’t like **Dane Cook** , then I read the [Controversy](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dane_cook#Criticism_and_controversy) section on wiki and now I really _can’t_ stand him. All the great comedians have respect for each other and for their work. Cook’s an arrogant blowhole who only thinks about himself. Screw him. But, eh, I spent some time thinking about why I don’t like his act while I was in the shower, so I may as well post it. The first time I listened to him, I did find him fairly funny; he has a great delivery and his sense of timing is adequate. On repeated listening, however, he’s stood out as more and more juvenile, which is impressive considering he’s 10 years older than me. Two bits in particular that I recall are where he’s talking about cutting in front of someone at the checkout line in a store; juvenile and rude in itself, but his reaction when the guy calls him on it is to give this _horribly_ jackass laugh. I don’t care if it’s a true story or not, that just makes him look like a dick. The other bit is when he’s talking about trying to buy a chicken sandwich and engaging in a battle of wills with the cashier. It’s actually a pretty good bit, employing excellent timing and delivery as I mentioned above. He does a great job of building toward the end, with him and the cashier delivering faux-insults at each other (“Be right there, _pal_.” “I’m not your pal!”) all the way up to the punchline of the bit, where, for his big applause, he calls the guy “gaylord.” …Uh? This got massive applause on the CD, but it’s immature and not particularly witty or bright. Maybe it’s a callback to an earlier act, I don’t know, but that utterly failed to get a laugh from me, despite the brilliance of the rest of the bit (which for all I know might have been stolen). That’s a lot of writing about a ‘comedian’ I’ve written off. :smack: Anyway, since I like his delivery but I hate the content, I was really happy to rediscover [Greg Behrendt](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ot115OdOKRA). Similar delivery (hell, Cook might have stolen it), but he’s a lot funnier, more original, and more mature than Cook. Hilarious guy. ---
**Author:** ![George\_Kaplin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3e96dc/32.png) [@George\_Kaplin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/George_Kaplin)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2008, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-crap-that-guys-unfunny-but-everyone-else-loves-him/477659/191 "2008-12-21T19:02:23Z")
The ‘Little Britain’ dickheads. The guy who did ‘[Bo’ Selecta](http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=44Pm-lmlorY)’. Making foreigners think this shit is British comedy? What a cunt! Kevin Smith - Guy used to be funny but he’s kinda lost it. Dennis Miller. Jay Leno. Jo Brand. George Carlin. Will Ferrell. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2008, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-crap-that-guys-unfunny-but-everyone-else-loves-him/477659/192 "2008-12-21T19:14:13Z")
I was in the video store (and when do we start calling them DVD stores?) last night and spotted someone whose name has not been listed, that I know of: Wanda Sykes. This woman is funny? Where O where are the Flip Wilsons, the Bob Hopes, the Don Rickles of this world? Rickles was (and is) funny, but only in context–he isn’t funny today because the world has taken insult comedy (ie snark) for its own. We’re all little Don Rickles, but in his heyday, he was a force to be reckoned with. I also think stand up is dead–it’s been dead for about 5 years, if not longer. There are very few comedians who can do stand up (or should), IMO. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2008, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-crap-that-guys-unfunny-but-everyone-else-loves-him/477659/193 "2008-12-21T23:46:06Z")
> [@spooje](#): > > I have never so much as chuckled at an \*I Love Lucy \*episode. I just wonder how someone can find it funny. I tell people this and it’s like I said _I hate America_! Same here. Not only is she not funny, she actually makes me angry with her stupid mugging. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2008, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-crap-that-guys-unfunny-but-everyone-else-loves-him/477659/194 "2008-12-22T00:04:47Z")
> [@eleanorigby](#): > > I was in the video store (and when do we start calling them DVD stores?) last night and spotted someone whose name has not been listed, that I know of: Wanda Sykes. > > This woman is funny? When Wanda first started out in comedy she was funny. Her first “Premium Blend” was funny, and she was on some Comedy Central show that had little skits in it (One Night Stand?) and that was really funny too…but ever since then, shes just the queen of all things black. In every movie she’s ever in there is some type of white guy (or voice) who says something roughly urban (“way to go homegirl”) and she would have some type of “What? you’re not black” response. Especially in animated movies…if there is a black character, I just expect her voice ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2008, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-crap-that-guys-unfunny-but-everyone-else-loves-him/477659/195 "2008-12-22T00:32:30Z")
> [@eleanorigby](#): > > I also think stand up is dead–it’s been dead for about 5 years, if not longer. There are very few comedians who can do stand up (or should), IMO. Bite your tongue, madam! True, many folk are rehashing old topics that have been done to death, like racial differences or gender differences, but that means that the ones who can break through are just that much better. Christopher Titus is incredible. Lewis Black is consistently funny. Bill Engvall is funnier than folks give him credit for. Comedy Central Presents in general has a very high signal to noise ratio. There’s a lot of funny folks out there, they just need to be able to talk about stuff other than the usual “Men do THIS but women do _this_.” Even then, if they can find something unique about the situation, typically by drawing on their own lives, there’s still amusement to be gained. Granted, I’m an easily amused person, but stand-up isn’t dead by a long shot for me. ---
**Author:** ![Junior\_Spaceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Junior\_Spaceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Junior_Spaceman)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2008, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-crap-that-guys-unfunny-but-everyone-else-loves-him/477659/196 "2008-12-22T01:00:01Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > And this is where **Cagey Drifter** reveals where he/she is straight/gay. 😉 Sarah Silverman is someone whom you laugh WITH, if you want to fuck her, or laugh AT if you don’t. Me, I’m laughing, but it’s in my nature to be attracted to Jewish girls. I’m not going to ‘defend’ Sarah Silverman, but I do find her, in parts, hysterically painful (and painfully hysterical). She’s a branch of Jewish humour that has never really been exploited before (“Sometimes I’m such a Jap … and by ‘Jap’, I mean ‘Japanese’”). Contrary to what dropzone said, I think it helps that I don’t find her at all attractive, so I don’t cringe at the ‘cute girl/potty mouth’ thing. Her songs generally suck, and a lot of her sketches are rubbish, but ‘Jesus is Magic’ is more fun than I expected (it’s on Youtube if you’re interested). As for comedians that I hate, aside from ones that are just average … political comedians who appeal to their political crowd. All of them. My general rule is that if a comedian gets more claps than laughs, they’re shit. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2008, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-crap-that-guys-unfunny-but-everyone-else-loves-him/477659/197 "2008-12-22T01:52:46Z")
> [@eleanorigby](#): > > I was in the video store (and when do we start calling them DVD stores?) Video is more descriptive. They aren’t called “VHS stores” after all. Video applies to both VHS and DVD, and most stores do still carry both. ---
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2008, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-crap-that-guys-unfunny-but-everyone-else-loves-him/477659/198 "2008-12-22T02:13:28Z")
Thanks, mswas, for reminding me of just how awful Frank Caliendo is. He does a passable John Madden, but all his other impersonations are both awful and unfunny. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2008, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-crap-that-guys-unfunny-but-everyone-else-loves-him/477659/199 "2008-12-22T02:19:52Z")
Wow, most of my favorite comedians are listed here: Seinfeld, Richard Lewis, Sarah Silverman, Larry David, Chris Rock, David Sedaris, Lewis Black, Ricky Gervais, Tina Fey, Ben Stiller, Sasha Baron Cohen, Monty Python, Janeane Garofalo, Margaret Cho. Love 'em all. Ones I find very unfunny include: Rich Vos and Colin Quinn. ---
**Author:** ![Diane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/2acd7d/32.png) [@Diane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diane)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2008, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-crap-that-guys-unfunny-but-everyone-else-loves-him/477659/200 "2008-12-22T04:27:22Z")
> [@Stink Fish Pot](#): > > **Bob Saget** - Another I didn’t see mentioned, but his stand-up is as bad as watching a 24-hour marathon of **Full House**. This one takes the prize. Of all those mentioned, no one can make me violently ill and wanting to punch out the television screen more than this moron. GAH! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-crap-that-guys-unfunny-but-everyone-else-loves-him/477659.md?page=9) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-crap-that-guys-unfunny-but-everyone-else-loves-him/477659.md?page=11)