# Most annoying comedians of the mass communication era?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-annoying-comedians-of-the-mass-communication-era/228299
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [February 9, 2004, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-annoying-comedians-of-the-mass-communication-era/228299 "2004-02-09T17:53:27Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2004, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-annoying-comedians-of-the-mass-communication-era/228299/1 "2004-02-09T17:53:27Z")
Some nominees:
1. Gilbert Gottfried- I know the voice is supposed to be annoying. Too bad that appears to be the sum of his act.
2. Jerry Lewis- his performances are so bad and unfunny that it is actually painful to watch them.
3. Andrew “Dice” Clay- I guess it is possible to make profanity and misogyny funny, but he didn’t. Never came off as more than a foul-mouthed lout.
4. Andy Kaufman- I understand he was mainly entertaining himself, not the audience. Wonder if annoyed himself as much in the process as he did me? Dreadfully, wretchedly unfunny and embarassing to watch.
5. Gallagher- what a cretin.
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### Author:  [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2004, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-annoying-comedians-of-the-mass-communication-era/228299/2 "2004-02-09T18:57:55Z")
Can’t remember the name (for which I thank God), but there was someone with a special on HBO some years back.
His act consisted of imitating (IIRC) his mother, and saying, over and over and over,
[ul][li]“He was like a crazy person!”[/li][li]“You’ll put your eye out!”[/li][li]“We’re big-pants people!”[/ul] for twenty-five minutes. [/li]
Or fifteen at least, which is when I turned it off.
That’s it. That was his act.
Regards,
Shodan
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### Author:  [@Frank\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank_2)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2004, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-annoying-comedians-of-the-mass-communication-era/228299/3 "2004-02-09T19:13:57Z")
Carrot Top!
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### Author:  [@B.Serum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/B.Serum)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2004, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-annoying-comedians-of-the-mass-communication-era/228299/4 "2004-02-09T19:25:54Z")
Shodan: You’re thinking of Kevin Meany. And I concur. There are comedians I find a lot less funny, but none more annoying.
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### Author:  [@Sweetums](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sweetums)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2004, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-annoying-comedians-of-the-mass-communication-era/228299/5 "2004-02-09T22:40:50Z")
Pauley Shore!
Saw his “standup routine” on HBO a few years ago when his movies were still popular.
```
The act consisted of Pauley standing in front of an audience (all obvously stoned out of their skulls) and talking is his "Wee, zHul" voice. That's it, no jokes just an anoying voice. Every now and then he would mention the name of a drug, eliciting hoots from the audience members who were taking the drug in question. I found myself watching the whole thing just because it was so train-wreck-bad.
Thankfully he seems to have droped off the face of the earth.
```
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### Author:  [@kasuo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kasuo)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2004, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-annoying-comedians-of-the-mass-communication-era/228299/6 "2004-02-09T22:42:51Z")
Margaret Cho.
Also, the one who is on the bank commericals (on the radio). The one that comes to mind is the one where she goes on and on about the word “fine.”
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### Author:  [@HumanStromboli](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HumanStromboli)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2004, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-annoying-comedians-of-the-mass-communication-era/228299/7 "2004-02-09T23:43:37Z")
> [@Sweetums](#):
>
> Pauley Shore!
>
> Thankfully he seems to have droped off the face of the earth.
Unfortunately, no. He’s still hanging around in a similar manner to how Vanilla Ice (or whatever his real name) is hanging around.
He played a small club in the old hometown a few months ago; he was on the local CBS affiliate’s noon news to promote it . . . and dropped an F-bomb on live television. Poor anchor woman had to shrug it off with some _nervous laughter_ and trudge on.
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### Author:  [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2004, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-annoying-comedians-of-the-mass-communication-era/228299/8 "2004-02-10T00:09:08Z")
Y’all need to go back and listen to old-time radio for really bad comedians.
Imagine entire routines, not just for three minutes at the end of Leno or Letterman, but for 5-10 minutes EVERY NIGHT, that depended on
Weird ethnic accents
Grown adults talking like children
Women practicing illogical logic
Sounding like you’re drunk
Racial/ethnic stereotyping
Funny sound effects
A ventriloquist act – on radio (to be fair, Charlie Mccarthy did get off some good lines)
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### Author:  [@Governor\_Quinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Governor_Quinn)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2004, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-annoying-comedians-of-the-mass-communication-era/228299/9 "2004-02-10T00:26:52Z")
> [@kunilou](#):
>
> Y’all need to go back and listen to old-time radio for really bad comedians.
>
> Imagine entire routines, not just for three minutes at the end of Leno or Letterman, but for 5-10 minutes EVERY NIGHT, that depended on
>
> Weird ethnic accents
> Grown adults talking like children
> Women practicing illogical logic
> Sounding like you’re drunk
> Racial/ethnic stereotyping
> Funny sound effects
> A ventriloquist act – on radio (to be fair, Charlie Mccarthy did get off some good lines)
Backing **kunilou** up, I’ve mentioned (in a thread similar to this) that two of the most annoying comedians that I’ve ever heard the acts of are Jack Pearl and Joe Penner, radio “comics” of the early 1930’s.
Pearl’s entire act consisted of him speaking in a mock German accent, going “Vass you dere, Sharlie?”
Penner’s act centered around one line: “Wanna buy a duck”?
(BTW, **kunilou** , care to mention by name some of those other targets? I’ve almost certainly heard them, but I need the names to know for sure.)
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### Author:  [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2004, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-annoying-comedians-of-the-mass-communication-era/228299/10 "2004-02-10T00:38:32Z")
Janeane Garofalo
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### Author:  [@Julius\_Henry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Julius_Henry)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2004, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-annoying-comedians-of-the-mass-communication-era/228299/11 "2004-02-10T01:01:19Z")
Judy Tenuta, and I can’t believe I’m the first to post _that_ one.
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### Author:  [@heater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/heater)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2004, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-annoying-comedians-of-the-mass-communication-era/228299/12 "2004-02-10T01:07:40Z")
You beat me by a few minutes **Julius Henry**.
That was the fist person I thought of when I saw the OP.
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### Author:  [@pung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pung)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2004, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-annoying-comedians-of-the-mass-communication-era/228299/13 "2004-02-10T01:10:52Z")
Carrot Top!
Holy crap a friend ‘scored’ free tickets to a Carrot top show in Toronto.
I’ve never known such pain!
During the show I kept thinking back to Invasion of the Body Snatchers, I was sure that at any moment someone would notice that I wasn’t laughing, point and SSCCCCCREEEEAM.
Oh, to warm up the crowd Carrot Top played video of groin injuries and animals humping things (people for example).
Carrot Top was especially fond of saying “that’s some funny shit” I’m not sure if he managed to convince anyone though.
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### Author:  [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2004, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-annoying-comedians-of-the-mass-communication-era/228299/14 "2004-02-10T01:19:59Z")
**Buddy Hackett**. This is a guy who made a career out of being butt-ugly. Never was, is, or will be funny or considered even mildly amusing by anyone other than someone with the comedic acumen of asphalt.
**Ray Romano** : monotoned, annoying, overhyped, unfunny.
**Collin Quinn** : somebody just shoot me
**Margaret Cho** : funny for about 20 seconds back in…oh…1990 or so.
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### Author:  [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2004, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-annoying-comedians-of-the-mass-communication-era/228299/15 "2004-02-10T01:47:11Z")
Lewis Black. His entire routine consists of being pissed off at stupid shit.
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### Author:  [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2004, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-annoying-comedians-of-the-mass-communication-era/228299/16 "2004-02-10T02:08:53Z")
> [@Chefguy](#):
>
> **Collin Quinn** : somebody just shoot me
Right idea. Wrong direction for the gun.
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### Author:  [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2004, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-annoying-comedians-of-the-mass-communication-era/228299/17 "2004-02-10T02:11:54Z")
> [@](#):
>
> Lewis Black. His entire routine consists of being pissed off at stupid shit.
To be fair, that Starbucks thing was entirely justified.
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### Author:  [@Baldwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baldwin)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2004, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-annoying-comedians-of-the-mass-communication-era/228299/18 "2004-02-10T02:20:52Z")
Does Tom Green’s stuff count? I guess in a way, technically, he’s a comedian.
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### Author:  [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2004, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-annoying-comedians-of-the-mass-communication-era/228299/19 "2004-02-10T02:22:20Z")
> [@Hey you!](#):
>
> Shodan: You’re thinking of Kevin Meany. And I concur. There are comedians I find a lot less funny, but none more annoying.
Thanks a ton - now it will be another ten years before I can forget again. 🙂
Howie Mandell did a special as well, which wavered on the edge between being stoned-out funny and stoned-out embarassing. Then, about ten minutes in, it plumped down hard on embarassing. People in the audience (this was taped) were getting up and leaving. IIRC it was the “Watusi Tour”. Another one I turned off as soon as I realized that, unless I was also stoned, it wasn’t going to be funny to see someone else perform while stoned.
Regards,
Shodan
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### Author:  [@Master\_Wang-Ka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Master_Wang-Ka)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2004, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-annoying-comedians-of-the-mass-communication-era/228299/20 "2004-02-10T02:27:23Z")
1. Carrot Top. Is this guy funny? I couldn’t tell. He looks kind of frightening, but I don’t know if that qualifies as humorous or not. At any rate, if one is depending entirely on one’s looks to get laughs, one should probably join a circus or something, not go into standup comedy.
And even clowns should, you know, tell jokes or DO something funny once in a while.
1. Tom Green. I don’t understand why Tom Green is funny. I knew a guy like this in high school. No one thought he was funny, and he occasionally got his ass kicked for behaving in this manner. Why is it now considered funny?
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