# How unusual is it for a funny comedian to be completely unfunny in person? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 29, 2015, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-unusual-is-it-for-a-funny-comedian-to-be-completely-unfunny-in-person/738953 "2015-11-29T19:29:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2015, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-unusual-is-it-for-a-funny-comedian-to-be-completely-unfunny-in-person/738953/21 "2015-11-30T15:42:04Z")
> [@China\_Guy](#): > > Robin Williams was pretty funny when I met him - playing pinball together and he sucked. He made jokes about his pinball skilz. Then he spontaneously recorded a radio station spot for a local college radio station and joked about “you have friends of the four legged persuasion, baaaaaa baaaaaa” in reference to an agricultural university. It was literally about 10 minutes of playing drunk pinball and asking him to speak into a mic. Seemed the way he was wired, but then again I was drunk… Robin Williams was a very special case. His mind was always on the go. Most of the Genie’s dialogue from Aladdin was just Williams’s improve. He was such a master of it. Yet when he got serious in interviews, you could hear the tears of the clown. ETA: I’ve talked to both John Travolta and Kelsey Grammar in person. Not only are they not funny, they are both dumber than a bag of rocks. ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2015, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-unusual-is-it-for-a-funny-comedian-to-be-completely-unfunny-in-person/738953/22 "2015-11-30T16:01:44Z")
My wife and I saw Tim Allen a few months ago. The non political stuff was okay, a bit dated. The political stuff was not funny to many. How many funny Obama jokes are there? Not many in a area that is very liberal. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2015, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-unusual-is-it-for-a-funny-comedian-to-be-completely-unfunny-in-person/738953/23 "2015-11-30T16:27:08Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > Steve Martin, Tom Hanks, Harrison Ford, Clint Eastwood, Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Meg Ryan and Gwyneth Paltrow are just a few of the other famous performers that are reportedly introverts and very different in real-life than they are on screen. Steve Martin eventually decided to short-circuit the whole process, handing out a signed card that explains how you’ve met him and he was funny – as well as warm and polite and intelligent. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2015, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-unusual-is-it-for-a-funny-comedian-to-be-completely-unfunny-in-person/738953/24 "2015-11-30T16:49:26Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > Robin Williams was a very special case. His mind was always on the go. Most of the Genie’s dialogue from Aladdin was just Williams’s improve. He was such a master of it. > > Yet when he got serious in interviews, you could hear the tears of the clown. Jonathan Winters was exactly the same way. JW was one of Robin’s main inspirations and they bonded like brothers when they met. Robin made Jonathan’s character on Mork and Mindy when he heard that Jonathan was out of work. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2015, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-unusual-is-it-for-a-funny-comedian-to-be-completely-unfunny-in-person/738953/25 "2015-11-30T18:05:22Z")
Maybe he steals his material ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2015, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-unusual-is-it-for-a-funny-comedian-to-be-completely-unfunny-in-person/738953/26 "2015-11-30T18:17:17Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > try being an auto mechanic. Yeah, or an IT-type. Lucky for me, people don’t tend to ask engineers to design stuff for them at a cocktail party. 😃 ---
**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:** [November 30, 2015, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-unusual-is-it-for-a-funny-comedian-to-be-completely-unfunny-in-person/738953/27 "2015-11-30T18:22:55Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Douglas Adams once said that the difference between a witty person and a funny person is that a witty person always has a moderately amusing quip at the ready for any situation, whereas a funny person sweats for days to write something truly hilarious. This explains the typical case. Comedians have routines that they’ve practiced and refined before audiences. Even the seeming adlibs in a routine may actually be scripted. Off-stage, in random circumstances, with no warm up, with an audience that may not have been drinking or expecting humor a comic may be in unfamiliar territory. On top of that, a lot of people don’t like to be asked to work in a social situation, already mentioned were doctors and mechanics, I’m frequently asked to fix peoples problems on their PCs as if I know the intimate details of each of the 10 gazillion pieces of software they could be having a problem with. ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2015, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-unusual-is-it-for-a-funny-comedian-to-be-completely-unfunny-in-person/738953/28 "2015-11-30T19:51:35Z")
I know that many comedians explain the origin of their comedy as a way to deal with childhood awkwardness, bullying or isolation. Comedy was a way to defuse conflicts and be seen in a more positive light by their peers. In that sense, then, comedy has always been an act for them and once they’re successful, it’s no longer a necessary defense in their personal life. At that point, they can be “real.” But even if someone is naturally funny in real life, you don’t expect them to be funny all of the time - or even most of the time. The expectation that a comedian would be funny all the time doesn’t really make sense. ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2015, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-unusual-is-it-for-a-funny-comedian-to-be-completely-unfunny-in-person/738953/29 "2015-11-30T21:18:00Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > one of Maria Bamford’s recent bits was about this. roughly: > > Bratty Kid: “My dad said you’re a comedian.” > Maria: “Yes.” > Bratty Kid: “Tell me a joke!” > Maria (gritted teeth): “_It’s not like that…_” A good friend of mine is a touring stand-up comedian. He long ago stopped telling people what he did because the response was always one of three things. 1. Tell me a joke. 2. I have got a joke for you. 3. You should come to my work, you could get a lot of material there. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2015, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-unusual-is-it-for-a-funny-comedian-to-be-completely-unfunny-in-person/738953/30 "2015-11-30T22:05:46Z")
> [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](#): > > Will Farrell is not funny _anytime._ QFT I saw a clip on a commercial for some movie where he was running down the street naked, but he wasn’t being chased by a mob with hot tar and feathers. It ruined the Suspension of Disbelief. (It screwed up the alignment too). ---
**Author:** ![Fuzzy\_wuzzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a8b319/32.png) [@Fuzzy\_wuzzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fuzzy_wuzzy)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2015, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-unusual-is-it-for-a-funny-comedian-to-be-completely-unfunny-in-person/738953/31 "2015-11-30T22:31:47Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > Some performers have a stage personality that does not match their real-life personality at all. One of the most famous examples was Johnny Carson. He was one of the most successful talk show hosts in history and looked perfectly at ease talking and making jokes with anyone in front of a national audience every night. However, he was completely different when the cameras weren’t rolling. He was a self-admitted introvert, painfully shy and awkward at spontaneous conversation. He didn’t even do well at small parties where he knew everyone. He would usually end up in a corner by himself playing with a deck of cards or whatever else he could find to avoid unrehearsed chit-chat. > > [Johnny Carson's Loved Ones Reveal the Shy Loner Only They Knew | Closer Weekly](http://www.closerweekly.com/posts/the-late-johnny-carson-s-loved-ones-reveal-the-shy-loner-only-they-knew-56426) > > Steve Martin, Tom Hanks, Harrison Ford, Clint Eastwood, Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Meg Ryan and Gwyneth Paltrow are just a few of the other famous performers that are reportedly introverts and very different in real-life than they are on screen. I remember watching a light hearted interview show here in the UK in which Harrison Ford appeared. I can confirm that small talk did seem to be a struggle for him. I would say this was also the case with Gene Wilder. I can’t remember which show he appeared on but Wilder’s interview was one of the most boring interviews I have ever witnessed. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2015, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-unusual-is-it-for-a-funny-comedian-to-be-completely-unfunny-in-person/738953/32 "2015-12-01T02:59:31Z")
> [@Count\_Blucher](#): > > It ruined the Suspension of Disbelief. > (It screwed up the alignment too). See, _this_ is funny. I’ll bet if you stood near the good **Count B**. at a party, you’d hear a lot of witty repartee whispered to whoever was near. Now, I’m betting he isn’t a pro comedian, but I’d say he’s funnier. I’d much rather hear off-the-cuff witticisms than a routine. ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2015, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-unusual-is-it-for-a-funny-comedian-to-be-completely-unfunny-in-person/738953/33 "2015-12-01T03:52:05Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > Some performers have a stage personality that does not match their real-life personality at all. One of the most famous examples was Johnny Carson. He was one of the most successful talk show hosts in history and looked perfectly at ease talking and making jokes with anyone in front of a national audience every night. However, he was completely different when the cameras weren’t rolling. He was a self-admitted introvert, painfully shy and awkward at spontaneous conversation. He didn’t even do well at small parties where he knew everyone. He would usually end up in a corner by himself playing with a deck of cards or whatever else he could find to avoid unrehearsed chit-chat. > > [Johnny Carson's Loved Ones Reveal the Shy Loner Only They Knew | Closer Weekly](http://www.closerweekly.com/posts/the-late-johnny-carson-s-loved-ones-reveal-the-shy-loner-only-they-knew-56426) > > Steve Martin, Tom Hanks, Harrison Ford, Clint Eastwood, Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Meg Ryan and Gwyneth Paltrow are just a few of the other famous performers that are reportedly introverts and very different in real-life than they are on screen. Yeah I would say it’s more like an issue of persona or mood than anything. I’m not sure what it means to say someone is not funny…no-one would describe themselves that way, because we can all make people laugh who have a similar sense of humour to us, and when we’re in the mood. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2015, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-unusual-is-it-for-a-funny-comedian-to-be-completely-unfunny-in-person/738953/34 "2015-12-01T06:02:08Z")
Groucho Marx was said to have been dour at times, when not performing, and it’s not too hard to find passages in his autobiography that bear that out. Still, I don’t think you could ever have called him unfunny. Nevertheless, I’m sure I’ve read somewhere that it was either Zeppo or Gummo who was the funniest Marx brother in ordinary social settings. And that wasn’t just something people vaguely remembered from the early days when one or the other of the two youngest Marxes was a member of the act. Both of them also moved out to California, and they seem to have remained close all their lives. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2015, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-unusual-is-it-for-a-funny-comedian-to-be-completely-unfunny-in-person/738953/35 "2015-12-01T15:36:38Z")
I’ve heard Lucille Ball was as bad impromptu as she was good with rehearsed material. And she was _great_ with rehearsed material. ---
**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:** [December 1, 2015, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-unusual-is-it-for-a-funny-comedian-to-be-completely-unfunny-in-person/738953/36 "2015-12-01T15:46:08Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > I’ve heard Lucille Ball was as bad impromptu as she was good with rehearsed material. And she was _great_ with rehearsed material. She was a comic actress, not a stand up comic. The same can apply to a lot of actors mentioned here. Some of them would do just as well in a stand-up environment, or just ad-libbing, others simply need a script to work from. Groucho Marx was mentioned above, many don’t consider him to be the funniest of the brothers, just the one with the best role. I recall some comment that Harpo was much funnier and Groucho pushed him into the silent role to keep him from being competition for the top banana spot. ---
**Author:** ![Octarine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/22d042/32.png) [@Octarine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octarine)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2015, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-unusual-is-it-for-a-funny-comedian-to-be-completely-unfunny-in-person/738953/37 "2015-12-01T23:40:18Z")
Aziz Ansari has a great bit about being at a party and being asked to tell a “New Year’s joke”. The whole point of standup is to painstakingly craft the illusion of off-the-cuff wit, so it’s understandable when people think instant jokes are easy for comedians. ---
**Author:** ![stillownedbysetters](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/41988e/32.png) [@stillownedbysetters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stillownedbysetters)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2015, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-unusual-is-it-for-a-funny-comedian-to-be-completely-unfunny-in-person/738953/38 "2015-12-02T00:03:18Z")
I spent a few minutes alone with Julia Roberts once. At first we just sat in silence, me thinking she wouldn’t want to be bothered chit-chatting with me and her, as I learned later, rather shy. As soon as I got uncomfortable with the silence and began a conversation, she seemed genuinely pleased that I’d taken on that burden and replied. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2015, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-unusual-is-it-for-a-funny-comedian-to-be-completely-unfunny-in-person/738953/39 "2015-12-02T07:23:52Z")
During their first trip to the US, at a press conference a reporter shouted to the Beatles “Sing us a song.” I think it was Lennon who replied “You have to pay us first.” Comedic actors work from a script written for them. Standups work out their material before they tell the jokes. And they don’t necessarily do all of their writing either. ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2015, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-unusual-is-it-for-a-funny-comedian-to-be-completely-unfunny-in-person/738953/40 "2015-12-02T19:43:29Z")
This thread reminds me of a bit from a _30 Rock_ episode where Liz was reminiscing how bad Jenna Mulrooney was at improv. In the cutaway scene, Liz and Jenna were shown on stage, ready to act out Billy Bob Thornton and Oprah on a subway. Liz said in a gravelly voice, “I shore like them french fried pataters,” and Jenna replied, “No you don’t, Oprah.” I’m sure any improv artist would have wanted to strangle Jenna on the spot. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-unusual-is-it-for-a-funny-comedian-to-be-completely-unfunny-in-person/738953.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-unusual-is-it-for-a-funny-comedian-to-be-completely-unfunny-in-person/738953.md?page=3)