# "Two and a half men" is the least funny show in television **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 16, 2005, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-and-a-half-men-is-the-least-funny-show-in-television/317184 "2005-08-16T01:51:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/51bf81/32.png) [@TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2005, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-and-a-half-men-is-the-least-funny-show-in-television/317184/1 "2005-08-16T01:51:30Z")
I’m watching TV for the first time in several months, and I’m just baffled - how is this show on the air? The humor is either embarrassingly safe (most of the humor involving the nerd brother) or predicated on purely sexual inappropriateness (Charlie Sheen’s half) - there’s no middle ground. Nerd brother geeks out about his computer; Charlie Sheen has sex in front of nerd brother’s kid with nerd brother’s teacher. Whoopsie! If anything, it’s sad - how are we supposed to laugh at Sheen playing an indiscriminate lothario when we can’t help but think of the fact that Sheen’s uncontrollable sexual behavior (in real life) has continually ruined things for him? Horrific. ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2005, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-and-a-half-men-is-the-least-funny-show-in-television/317184/2 "2005-08-16T02:02:23Z")
I know humor is subjective, but you’re wrong. ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2005, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-and-a-half-men-is-the-least-funny-show-in-television/317184/3 "2005-08-16T02:09:54Z")
I give it two and a half stars!! ---
**Author:** ![Nic2004](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/4491bb/32.png) [@Nic2004](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nic2004)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2005, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-and-a-half-men-is-the-least-funny-show-in-television/317184/4 "2005-08-16T02:10:46Z")
I hav found a lot of the show funny, myself. ---
**Author:** ![drm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2005, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-and-a-half-men-is-the-least-funny-show-in-television/317184/5 "2005-08-16T02:16:32Z")
I dunno, I like it. THe episode entitled “Squab, Squab, Squab, Squab, Squab” was one of the funniest half hours on TV last year. In my opinion of course. I don’t think 2.5 men is genius or anything, but I do laugh… ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2005, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-and-a-half-men-is-the-least-funny-show-in-television/317184/6 "2005-08-16T02:27:11Z")
It’s the second-best comedy on TV (next to **Arrested Development** ), the only other one that can make me laugh out loud. The writing is just plain first rate. ---
**Author:** ![Amazingrace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8edcca/32.png) [@Amazingrace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amazingrace)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2005, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-and-a-half-men-is-the-least-funny-show-in-television/317184/7 "2005-08-16T02:30:40Z")
> [@drm](#): > > I dunno, I like it. > > THe episode entitled “Squab, Squab, Squab, Squab, Squab” was one of the funniest half hours on TV last year. In my opinion of course. I don’t think 2.5 men is genius or anything, but I do laugh… Whenever there was a lull in the conversation, my mom and I would just say, “Squab!” for a couple of weeks after we saw this episode. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2005, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-and-a-half-men-is-the-least-funny-show-in-television/317184/8 "2005-08-16T03:52:50Z")
I’d say Everybody Loves Raymond or Will and Grace are a LOT less funny. ---
**Author:** ![supervenusfreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@supervenusfreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/supervenusfreak)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2005, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-and-a-half-men-is-the-least-funny-show-in-television/317184/9 "2005-08-16T03:55:14Z")
> [@Big Bad Voodoo Lou](#): > > I’d say Everybody Loves Raymond or Will and Grace are a LOT less funny. ditto for “Yes Dear”. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2005, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-and-a-half-men-is-the-least-funny-show-in-television/317184/10 "2005-08-16T04:09:00Z")
I’ve never seen an episode to be honest, but any show that casts Holland Taylor gets 1.25 stars from me right out of the gate. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2005, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-and-a-half-men-is-the-least-funny-show-in-television/317184/11 "2005-08-16T04:11:24Z")
As a minimum, I mean. (I love Holland Taylor- she almost made me watch an episode of _Saved by the Bell the College Years_, but she’s not that good. I have seen episodes of _Yes, Dear_ and would give it citations until creation started cracking for banal, predictable and thoroughly unfunny situations and dialogue. Tim Conway and Vicky Lawrence have recurring roles as a squabbling married couple and even they get yawns. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2005, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-and-a-half-men-is-the-least-funny-show-in-television/317184/12 "2005-08-16T04:13:14Z")
I saw part of an episode once and gave it some pity laughter, before finding out how well it does in the ratings game.Maybe I’ll check it out again, but I have my doubts. And somehow, _Arrested Development_ flounders. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2005, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-and-a-half-men-is-the-least-funny-show-in-television/317184/13 "2005-08-16T04:19:20Z")
I watch it, I think it’s had some funny moments. Whereas I have tried to watch “Yes, Dear” but can never make it past five minutes. I do hate “Two and a Half Men” for getting that Oshikuru song stuck in my head though. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2005, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-and-a-half-men-is-the-least-funny-show-in-television/317184/14 "2005-08-16T14:46:25Z")
I’ve never actually watched the show, but I always make sure to catch the end of it before watching _CSI: Miami_. It’s always worth it to pause the DVR for [Chuck Lorre’s Vanity Cards](http://www.chucklorre.com/). ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2005, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-and-a-half-men-is-the-least-funny-show-in-television/317184/15 "2005-08-16T15:38:30Z")
i like the Family Guy version better (note; i have never seen “2.5 Men” and have no desire to…) ---
**Author:** ![Bomzaway](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e480ec/32.png) [@Bomzaway](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bomzaway)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2005, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-and-a-half-men-is-the-least-funny-show-in-television/317184/16 "2005-08-16T16:38:44Z")
My favorite part of 2.5 men (a show I only watch occasionally) is that kid. He’s the best part. ---
**Author:** ![rexnervous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e9c0ed/32.png) [@rexnervous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rexnervous)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2005, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-and-a-half-men-is-the-least-funny-show-in-television/317184/17 "2005-08-16T18:07:43Z")
Wow. I’m stunned at the kudos this show is receiving in this thread. I have never seen an episode of this show. Reason? The commercials for it make it seem as funny as Full House. Meaning, I’ve never ever seen a clip that is even remotely funny. So with several dopers actually saying it’s funny…maybe I’ll have to try an episode. But. Wow. Does it ever look stupid in its ads. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2005, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-and-a-half-men-is-the-least-funny-show-in-television/317184/18 "2005-08-16T18:49:11Z")
> [@rexnervous](#): > > Wow. > > I’m stunned at the kudos this show is receiving in this thread. > > I have never seen an episode of this show. Reason? The commercials for it make it seem as funny as Full House. > > Meaning, I’ve never ever seen a clip that is even remotely funny. > > So with several dopers actually saying it’s funny…maybe I’ll have to try an episode. > > But. > > Wow. > > Does it ever look stupid in its ads. Same here. I’ve never watched it because the ads make it look retarded. If you can’t get a funny bit for a promo, what must the show be like? Then again, I don’t watch that much TV, and Monday nights are totally worthless. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2005, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-and-a-half-men-is-the-least-funny-show-in-television/317184/19 "2005-08-16T20:21:46Z")
I think it is pretty good. I am surprised a lot of the dialogue makes it past the censors, but so much of it is double entendre that I guess it can slip by. And the half man - the kid - is not a cute-ass-smart-aleck…he is a kid, not all that bright in school, and a little clueless. In other words, he is more realistic than about 99% of all other sitcom kids ever were. Both Holland Taylor and Conchata Ferrell (Berta the cleaning lady) have been nominated for an Emmy this year. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2005, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-and-a-half-men-is-the-least-funny-show-in-television/317184/20 "2005-08-16T22:26:35Z")
Charlie’s ex-girlfriend Jill has had a sex change operation, is now “Bill,” now looks just like Chris O’Donnell, and is imposing himself on Charlie and hitting on his Mom. Alan comes in and wants to know who this unfamilar guy is. ALAN: Who’s that? CHARLIE: Uhhh, ummm, it’s an old friend. ALAN: Poker buddy? CHARLIE: I used to. Come on, that was hilarious.