# Samantha Bee is not funny **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 9, 2009, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/samantha-bee-is-not-funny/480520 "2009-01-09T14:00:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2009, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/samantha-bee-is-not-funny/480520/21 "2009-01-09T20:05:41Z")
> [@bouv](#): > > Oh, it is ON now! I love Demetri Martin. His stand up is laugh out loud funny to me, but his stuff on TDS was weak and silly. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2009, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/samantha-bee-is-not-funny/480520/22 "2009-01-09T21:21:37Z")
> [@bouv](#): > > Oh, it is ON now! I love Demetri Martin. I’m with **eleanorigby** , the guys a snide prick. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2009, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/samantha-bee-is-not-funny/480520/23 "2009-01-09T21:29:38Z")
This is too funny, but only because I caught a very old _Spin City_ this morning with a much younger Stephen Colbert in it. He had a significant role in the episode I saw, but not a regular one, and I just looked at him and looked at him and the whole time I’m thinking, “Is that…?” ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2009, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/samantha-bee-is-not-funny/480520/24 "2009-01-09T21:34:45Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > This is too funny, but only because I caught a very old _Spin City_ this morning with a much younger Stephen Colbert in it. He had a significant role in the episode I saw, but not a regular one, and I just looked at him and looked at him and the whole time I’m thinking, “Is that…?” Here you go: [The Competition](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0707081/) (1996) Interesting Guest list that show: Jennifer Garner … Becky Edward I. Koch … Speaker Rosen ---
**Author:** ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2009, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/samantha-bee-is-not-funny/480520/25 "2009-01-09T21:43:33Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > The one I really miss is Stephen Colbert (pronounced Coal-bear). He’s no longer on the Daily Show, and his short bits were very funny. I understand that he is now doing a right wing talk show thing like Bill O’Reilly, but I watched it once and found it too long and didn’t care for the fact that he turned out to be a right wing nut, my likes going the other way and all.. Is this a whoosh, please? (forgive me, it’s late, it’s Friday, I’ve had a helluva week). re: OP. I agree. I mainly watch Jon’s first bit, and if the guest is interesting, that. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2009, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/samantha-bee-is-not-funny/480520/26 "2009-01-09T21:46:38Z")
> [@wring](#): > > Is this a whoosh, please? (forgive me, it’s late, it’s Friday, I’ve had a helluva week). I think it is. I attempted to fully process the post, but my brain came dangerously close to overheating. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2009, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/samantha-bee-is-not-funny/480520/27 "2009-01-09T21:47:29Z")
> [@wring](#): > > Is this a whoosh, please? (forgive me, it’s late, it’s Friday, I’ve had a helluva week). > > re: OP. I agree. I mainly watch Jon’s first bit, and if the guest is interesting, that. It was a joke playing off the quoted joke of “I really miss that Steve Carrell guy. Whatever became of him, did he just fade into oblivion?” Steve Carrell is of course starring in “The Office” and has had several hit movies. ---
**Author:** ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2009, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/samantha-bee-is-not-funny/480520/28 "2009-01-09T22:08:17Z")
I got your’s, **What Exit** , but there are people out there that don’t get Col-bert. ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2009, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/samantha-bee-is-not-funny/480520/29 "2009-01-09T22:38:57Z")
I’m a little hesitant to say it, but Jon Stewart isn’t very good these days. I caught his first show of 2009 and it was awful - I thought - as were so many of his shows late last year. The lousier the material, the louder he shouts,and the more he mugs. And he’s been doing a lot of shouting, mugging, looking cute. IMO, he needs a staff of new writers. BTW, I used to love his show, and still think he’d be perfect for Meet the Press. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2009, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/samantha-bee-is-not-funny/480520/30 "2009-01-09T22:53:09Z")
His first show back was definitely weak. I like the show still, but that wasn’t a high note to come back on. Comparatively, Colbert just destroyed with bringing Colmes on. ---
**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:** [January 9, 2009, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/samantha-bee-is-not-funny/480520/31 "2009-01-09T23:28:39Z")
Neither Samantha Bee nor Jason Jones have ever been funny to me. John Hodgman’s books make me laugh out loud and want to bear his round-headed children, but his TDS appearances are always disappointingly flat – I guess his work is just funnier when you read it in capslocked almanac style. I loved Rob Riggle and miss him already. I thought his physical/goofy sense of humor was a refreshing change from everyone else’s arch irony. (Plus, he’s hot.) Of the remaining correspondents, Larry Wilmore is my favorite, and Wyatt Cenac seems like he’ll be great once he gets a little more polished. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2009, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/samantha-bee-is-not-funny/480520/32 "2009-01-10T01:45:50Z")
For me, Hodgeman is best on TDS–his books are unreadable for me (and unfunny. Too ponderous, too heavy handed). I like Wyatt and agree he has yet to find his niche. I doubt I’ll ever tire of Stewart and his take on the day’s headlines. Sometimes he does mug etc and it gets irksome, but last night, he skewered the media so well. I also thought he was deservedly rough with Dana White House chick/spokeswoman–she’s s piece of work. I didn’t see the first show of the 2009. I do miss Carrell–he’s brilliant in all he does. I tend to watch The Word for Colbert and turn it off–I don’t like that he stays “in character” for his interviews. So many of his guests just don’t get it. And gotcha comedy gets old after a bit. He would do better if he informed his guests ahead of time that he will stay in character. His interview with Lawrence Lessig could have been much better. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2009, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/samantha-bee-is-not-funny/480520/33 "2009-01-10T01:46:45Z")
> [@eleanorigby](#): > > He would do better if he informed his guests ahead of time that he will stay in character. He does. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2009, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/samantha-bee-is-not-funny/480520/34 "2009-01-10T01:50:15Z")
I don’t know if Samantha Bee is funny. I do know that she doesn’t make up her parts, the show’s writers do. And I know that the writers can’t write for her worth a damn. Women apparently baffle them. Whether she could do better with better material is an interesting question. But no women could make her bits as funny as the other correspondents’ bits. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2009, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/samantha-bee-is-not-funny/480520/35 "2009-01-10T01:54:37Z")
> [@wring](#): > > Is this a whoosh, please? (forgive me, it’s late, it’s Friday, I’ve had a helluva week). > > re: OP. I agree. I mainly watch Jon’s first bit, and if the guest is interesting, that. Yes. I whooshed. Glad I fished at least one in. My day is made. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2009, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/samantha-bee-is-not-funny/480520/36 "2009-01-10T02:45:34Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > He does. Further, while he caught his guests off guard when he first started, by now he’s so well known that you have to be really clueless to be thrown by him (and some guests still are). What I see more often these days are guests who just totally roll with Stephen’s craziness (and thus make an awesome segment) or have a Message that they try to bull through despite Stephen trying to drag them off track. > [@eleanorigby](#): > > Sometimes he does mug etc and it gets irksome, but last night, he skewered the media so well. I also thought he was deservedly rough with Dana White House chick/spokeswoman–she’s s piece of work. My favorite part of that interview: Perino: “We’re proud of what we accomplished.” Stewart: “…Why?” ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2009, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/samantha-bee-is-not-funny/480520/37 "2009-01-10T11:54:10Z")
No fan of Jones (except for this trip to Wasilla right before the election) or Bee (she has decent moments more often, but not much more often - however, again back to the Sarah-cuda, when Palin was picked as VP, having Sam get on and discuss how, regardless of Palin’s politics, she was voting for her as a fellow “Vagina American” was hilarious - and yes, I know Bee is Canadian - it was still funny!) Enjoy Oliver, Mandvi, Cenac (for a noob), Hodgman (enough), Wilmore (I really enjoy) - not for any of the cringe-in-the-street stuff, though - I wish they’d do away with those… But, yeah, I 'm with the OP… ---
**Author:** ![YamatoTwinkie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/cc9497/32.png) [@YamatoTwinkie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YamatoTwinkie)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/samantha-bee-is-not-funny/480520/38 "2009-01-13T01:32:22Z")
Dislike: Cenac (he doesn’t seem very polished), Jones, Bee Like: Everyone else. I’ll miss Riggle. ---
**Author:** ![mr.jp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/48db29/32.png) [@mr.jp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mr.jp)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/samantha-bee-is-not-funny/480520/39 "2009-01-13T02:18:33Z")
In order of funniness: John Oliver Larry Wilmore Wyatt Cenac Aasif Mandvi / Rob Riggle John Hodgeman Jason Jones Lewis Black Kristen Schaal Samantha Bee And the all time funniest is: Stephen Colbert ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/samantha-bee-is-not-funny/480520/40 "2009-01-13T03:20:52Z")
The Daily Show unfortunately suffers from the same problem SNL does: if the correspondent is actually talented, they’ll soon leave the show for better-paying gigs. Of course, if they really suck, they’ll get tossed off pretty quick too. That means the ones who hang around either really really really love the show or are too mediocre to get better offers or be fired. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/samantha-bee-is-not-funny/480520.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/samantha-bee-is-not-funny/480520.md?page=3)