# "Munch" munched: Richard Belzer dead at 78 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** celebrity-death\ **Created:** [February 19, 2023, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/munch-munched-richard-belzer-dead-at-78/980045 "2023-02-19T18:00:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2023, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/munch-munched-richard-belzer-dead-at-78/980045/21 "2023-02-20T11:42:33Z")
I remember liking him as a stand up. When I recently watched a clip I found his act did not age well. It made me wonder how I ever liked it. His work on _Homicide_ does hold up well. ---
**Author:** ![Author\_Balk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Author\_Balk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Author_Balk)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2023, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/munch-munched-richard-belzer-dead-at-78/980045/22 "2023-02-20T11:58:00Z")
I heard the news while I was navigating through SVU episodes to watch the next episode on my list. I was going to watch one that was after he left. But, I went out out of order to watch one he was in. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2023, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/munch-munched-richard-belzer-dead-at-78/980045/23 "2023-02-20T12:18:22Z")
Has anyone mentioned him as the killer’s voice in Student Bodies yet? Classic. ---
**Author:** ![up2eleven](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/up2eleven/32/13432_2.png) [@up2eleven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/up2eleven)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2023, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/munch-munched-richard-belzer-dead-at-78/980045/24 "2023-02-20T12:54:10Z")
He was a hell of a good standup comedian. Just fearless. I never really watched the TV shows he was in, but I used to watch his comedy and really respect him as a comic. RIP. ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2023, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/munch-munched-richard-belzer-dead-at-78/980045/25 "2023-02-20T14:33:19Z")
He could have been a Vigoda. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2023, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/munch-munched-richard-belzer-dead-at-78/980045/26 "2023-02-20T15:51:14Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > Funny thing is, a lot of people are going to see the news and think “He was a comedian?” I saw the news and thought, “he was in Law & Order”? I have seen zero episodes of L & W and remember Belzer only as a stand-up from Carson and/or Letterman. mmm ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2023, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/munch-munched-richard-belzer-dead-at-78/980045/27 "2023-02-20T22:10:56Z")
So you never caught him on Homicide or his X-Files appearance? ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2023, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/munch-munched-richard-belzer-dead-at-78/980045/28 "2023-02-20T22:16:35Z")
Loved him on H:LOTS, but I remember liking some of his stand-up way back then. Haven’t revisited it but sounds like most doesn’t, uh, stand up any more. Never watched any L&O. Seemed kinda cheesy. ---
**Author:** ![dorvann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df705f/32.png) [@dorvann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorvann)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2023, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/munch-munched-richard-belzer-dead-at-78/980045/29 "2023-02-20T22:29:28Z")
I am surprised John Munch character apparently never appeared on _Law & Order: Criminal Intent_. The interaction between him and Detective Robert Goren could have been interesting. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2023, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/munch-munched-richard-belzer-dead-at-78/980045/30 "2023-02-20T22:51:47Z")
> [@E-DUB](#): > > So you never caught him on Homicide or his X-Files appearance? Nope. I also have never seen an episode of either of these. mmm ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2023, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/munch-munched-richard-belzer-dead-at-78/980045/31 "2023-02-20T23:46:07Z")
> [@carrps](#): > > Never watched any L&O. Seemed kinda cheesy. WHAT? 😲 This opinion based on _“never watched any”_? ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2023, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/munch-munched-richard-belzer-dead-at-78/980045/32 "2023-02-21T01:48:38Z")
Watched bits and pieces. And I’ve seen a ton of snippets. The style of the show didn’t appeal to me, so I never watched it as a regular thing. ---
**Author:** ![mordecaiB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mordecaib/32/7725_2.png) [@mordecaiB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mordecaiB)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2023, 10:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/munch-munched-richard-belzer-dead-at-78/980045/33 "2023-02-22T10:29:12Z")
> [@snfaulkner](#): > > Has anyone mentioned him as the killer’s voice in Student Bodies yet? Classic. I can’t believe I remember that movie. I must have seen every 80s slasher movie. It wasn’t Belzer even tho that’s listed in some spots. It was actually the producer with the last name of Belson. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2023, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/munch-munched-richard-belzer-dead-at-78/980045/34 "2023-02-22T10:51:45Z")
I have fond memories of reading a book he wrote which consisted of an omnibus collection of conspiracy theories of the '90s, which included such gems as “JFK ordered his own assassination because he had a terminal disease and as a Catholic he couldn’t bring himself to commit suicide”. It was impossible to take seriously, but it was a fun read all the same. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/munch-munched-richard-belzer-dead-at-78/980045.md?page=1)