# Joel or Mike? (MST3K) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 9, 2009, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joel-or-mike-mst3k/513226 "2009-10-09T19:25:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Justin\_Credible](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a8b319/32.png) [@Justin\_Credible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Credible)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joel-or-mike-mst3k/513226/1 "2009-10-09T19:25:37Z")
MST3K host showdown - who do you like better, Joel or Mike? ---
**Author:** ![h.sapiens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e0b2c6/32.png) [@h.sapiens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/h.sapiens)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joel-or-mike-mst3k/513226/2 "2009-10-09T19:27:39Z")
It’s not so much that I prefer Mike as a character to Joel, but I thought the series was better written when Mike was the host. The best episodes, IMO, are after Mike was sent to the SOL and before Frank left. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joel-or-mike-mst3k/513226/3 "2009-10-09T19:30:57Z")
I like Mike. I thought he had better chemistry with the bots, and I liked some of the absurdist plotlines they came up with when he was a writer. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Plastic\_Ninja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f07891/32.png) [@Little\_Plastic\_Ninja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Plastic_Ninja)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joel-or-mike-mst3k/513226/4 "2009-10-09T19:49:22Z")
> [@h.sapiens](#): > > It’s not so much that I prefer Mike as a character to Joel, but I thought the series was better written when Mike was the host. > > The best episodes, IMO, are after Mike was sent to the SOL and before Frank left. Word. I think Mike is something of a funnier presenter, too, though some of the early pre-Mike episodes have some wonderfully obscure jokes. I’m happy to see the Rifftrax have returned to that. As time went on some of the gags became a little -too- predictable. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joel-or-mike-mst3k/513226/5 "2009-10-09T20:14:05Z")
I just saw the Rifftrax of Plan 9 last night at the theater! Awesome. Mike is my guy because the show was better polished and had some history going for it by the time he was sent up. Joels stuff was funny, but the show as a whole seemed better with Mike as the host. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joel-or-mike-mst3k/513226/6 "2009-10-09T20:36:50Z")
I like Mike. I first “discovered” the show during his tenure. I can’t say I dislike Joel, but his style seemed to be more low-key compared to Mike’s. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joel-or-mike-mst3k/513226/7 "2009-10-09T20:44:58Z")
But when Joel was host, we still had Mike (as writer and occasional performer). When Mike was host … no Joel at all. Besides, I’ve always been an old-school kind of guy – Col Blake over Col Potter; Chrissy over Terry/Cindy; first Darren over second Darren; etc. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joel-or-mike-mst3k/513226/8 "2009-10-09T20:46:17Z")
> [@h.sapiens](#): > > The best episodes, IMO, are after Mike was sent to the SOL and before Frank left. I agree. The Mike vs. Frank-Forrester configuration is my favorite. I voted for Mike. But I have to say Joel’s style grew on me over time. ---
**Author:** ![Small\_Hen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ad7895/32.png) [@Small\_Hen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Small_Hen)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joel-or-mike-mst3k/513226/9 "2009-10-09T20:58:45Z")
Mike, definitly. I haven’t seen every episode or anything, but I stopped seeking out Joel episodes when I realized that they were only good for a handful of laughs. Mitchel being the exception. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joel-or-mike-mst3k/513226/10 "2009-10-09T21:01:44Z")
> [@Hypno-Toad](#): > > I just saw the Rifftrax of Plan 9 last night at the theater! Awesome. Saw it last night for the second time, so obviously, awesome. Sorry Ft. Worth. I will ditto what blondebear said: Mike was my first host, the one in charge when I fell in love with the show. And besides, he’s just funnier than Joel. ---
**Author:** ![gallows\_fodder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8c91f0/32.png) [@gallows\_fodder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gallows_fodder)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joel-or-mike-mst3k/513226/11 "2009-10-09T21:05:03Z")
I loved Joel. He was so gentle and goofy and had perpetually sleepy eyes, I just wanted to wrap him in a blanket and feed him soup. I liked Mike a lot, too, but Joel…_sigh_ ---
**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 9, 2009, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joel-or-mike-mst3k/513226/12 "2009-10-09T21:14:45Z")
Joel, no Mike, no Joel. I liked them both. ---
**Author:** ![badbadrubberpiggy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/57b2e6/32.png) [@badbadrubberpiggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/badbadrubberpiggy)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joel-or-mike-mst3k/513226/13 "2009-10-09T21:28:58Z")
I like them both for different reasons, so I can never decide who I like more. Joel is more subtle, and Mike’s jokes tended to be more gregarious. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joel-or-mike-mst3k/513226/14 "2009-10-09T21:34:02Z")
Mike, but mostly because I didn’t come in until after the switch. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joel-or-mike-mst3k/513226/15 "2009-10-09T21:58:26Z")
I voted “both” but I really thought that Joel had the more unique approach to the show. If I could only have one, I’d go with Joel. But they were both great. ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joel-or-mike-mst3k/513226/16 "2009-10-09T23:08:03Z")
> [@Hypno-Toad](#): > > I just saw the Rifftrax of Plan 9 last night at the theater! Awesome. Yes! And on Valentines Day in SF we saw a live screening of a show with Joel and Cinemanic Titanic (Trace, Frank, Mary Jo, etc) and it was even more amazing. Asking to chose is like asking “Tequila or Vodka?” I will take both every time, thank you very much. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joel-or-mike-mst3k/513226/17 "2009-10-09T23:26:05Z")
I had to go with the “can’t decide” option. Within the first few years if Mike as host I’d have said Joel was my favorite for sure. Not that I hated Mike or anything, I just liked Joel’s style better. But Mike grew on me after a while. Also swaying my opinion is the fact that I’ve actually met Mike Nelson (and Kevin Murphy, they were presenting at a local film festival a couple of years back) and he was really cool and funny in person. He’s considerably taller than you might guess, too. This meeting resulted in what was probably the awesomest conversation of my life. \*\*ME: \*\*Wow, I can’t believe I’m meeting Mike Nelson. That’s like meeting James Bond. \*\*MIKE: \*\*Well you know Lamia, James Bond is a fictional character. **ME:** I think Mike Nelson counts as a fictional character too. **KEVIN:** He’s kind of both. \*\*ME: \*\*Ah, like Spinal Tap. \*\*MIKE: \*\*Exactly. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joel-or-mike-mst3k/513226/18 "2009-10-09T23:26:11Z")
Little known fact: George Lazenby actually did one episode, in between the Joel era and the Mike era. Critics praised it, but it wasn’t a hit with the fans. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2009, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joel-or-mike-mst3k/513226/19 "2009-10-10T00:17:10Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#): > > Little known fact: George Lazenby actually did one episode, in between the Joel era and the Mike era. Critics praised it, but it wasn’t a hit with the fans. Although it really wouldn’t have mattered if it had been a huge success, as Lazenby spontaneously combusted soon afterward. ---
**Author:** ![typoink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@typoink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/typoink)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2009, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joel-or-mike-mst3k/513226/20 "2009-10-10T00:25:03Z")
I’ve gone back and forth on this question too many times to give an honest answer. For the commentaries, I liked Mike, but I think that’s largely because I liked a lot of the movies more and I simply thought the writing and style had matured more by that point. For host segments, it’s more of a toss up. I liked Joel’s inventions, and I loved the way his sleepy-eyed persona clashed with all the other manic characters. But Mike is just darn charming, and I thought they did some really awesome parody bits during his run. Most of my favorite episodes come from the Mike and Doctor Forrester era, although I also love several of the last season eps, partly because I think the audio mixes and editing were really good. I’m hardly an authority, though. I’m sure I’ve only seen maybe 15-20% of the episodes, not even including the pre-cable era. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joel-or-mike-mst3k/513226.md?page=2)