# Whose Line is it Anyway--the fat guy, the tall guy, the bald guy or the black guy? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 14, 2009, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whose-line-is-it-anyway-the-fat-guy-the-tall-guy-the-bald-guy-or-the-black-guy/521220 "2009-12-14T15:47:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![BMada](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/96bed5/32.png) [@BMada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMada)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2009, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whose-line-is-it-anyway-the-fat-guy-the-tall-guy-the-bald-guy-or-the-black-guy/521220/41 "2009-12-18T03:01:13Z")
> [@Serenata67](#): > > Colin’s Canadian. > > Vote Colin. Ryan is Canadian-American. Born Seattle, Washington, grew up in British Columbia and was in Toronto’s Second City comedy ensemble. I didn’t vote for anyone. It’s too close a tie with Colin and Ryan. Wayne is good at singing bits but those get old fast. Drew Carey is funny because he’s not as seasoned as the improv actors he has on the show. He makes crappy mistakes that other ppl can use as a set up or inside joke. All in all i miss this show. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2009, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whose-line-is-it-anyway-the-fat-guy-the-tall-guy-the-bald-guy-or-the-black-guy/521220/42 "2009-12-18T03:19:01Z")
Ryan is excellent, but I have to give it to Colin, simply because Colin catches more shit than Ryan. The best line in the entire series was uttered by Colin: [“I’ll be your lighting rod of hate!”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDPmbpgndO4) ---
**Author:** ![CircleofWillis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/54ee81/32.png) [@CircleofWillis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CircleofWillis)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2009, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whose-line-is-it-anyway-the-fat-guy-the-tall-guy-the-bald-guy-or-the-black-guy/521220/43 "2009-12-18T03:36:15Z")
Tony Fucking Slattery… though of this list… Colin ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2009, 9:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whose-line-is-it-anyway-the-fat-guy-the-tall-guy-the-bald-guy-or-the-black-guy/521220/44 "2009-12-19T09:57:18Z")
I went with Wayne Brady because he’s not just funny, he also sings well. (And is the best at improvising lyrics. That’s why he goes first in hoedowns.) If I was actually going to have to decide which one was the funniest, I’d be here a long time. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2009, 10:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whose-line-is-it-anyway-the-fat-guy-the-tall-guy-the-bald-guy-or-the-black-guy/521220/45 "2009-12-19T10:18:20Z")
Steve Frost. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2009, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whose-line-is-it-anyway-the-fat-guy-the-tall-guy-the-bald-guy-or-the-black-guy/521220/46 "2009-12-19T17:13:18Z")
What, no love for Laura Hall, on the piano? I think the funniest skit they do is when Colin is a field reporter on the green screen. ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2009, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whose-line-is-it-anyway-the-fat-guy-the-tall-guy-the-bald-guy-or-the-black-guy/521220/47 "2009-12-22T17:02:52Z")
So, **Annie-Xmas** , who would you pick? As if I needed it ask. ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2009, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whose-line-is-it-anyway-the-fat-guy-the-tall-guy-the-bald-guy-or-the-black-guy/521220/48 "2009-12-22T22:53:54Z")
Wayne Brady is a triple threat, and the one I would definitely pick to star in a Broadway-style musical comedy. But Ryan and Colin are funnier on their feet, which I think is far more important to comedy improv than whether or not they can carry a tune. I give the edge to Ryan because of his shoes. Drew’s not in the same league. He’s like the kid who gets to play with the others because he’s the one who owns the ball. I never liked the end when the “winner” got to do a scene with him as much as on the British version, where they read the credits in different styles. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2009, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whose-line-is-it-anyway-the-fat-guy-the-tall-guy-the-bald-guy-or-the-black-guy/521220/49 "2009-12-23T14:23:29Z")
> [@JThunder](#): > > So, **Annie-Xmas** , who would you pick? As if I needed it ask. Please. I got such a thing for Wayne Brady that when I finally met him they had to hose me down. Triple threat and gorgeous. ETA: I guess it’s a neck-and-neck tie between Ryan and Colin, who are the two funniest people on the show. But Wayne can sing, dance, and improvise lyrics ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2009, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whose-line-is-it-anyway-the-fat-guy-the-tall-guy-the-bald-guy-or-the-black-guy/521220/50 "2009-12-23T15:02:04Z")
It always annoyed me that whenever Wayne Brady was on he would inevitably be asked to do the “black guy” stuff. I mean, how many times has he done something in the style of James Brown? It always seemed a shade “token” to me. Think how much funnier it would have been to ask him to be Pat Boone. Wayne also has the best song improv chops by far, but he doesn’t do the really wacky improv ideas as well as Ryan and Colin. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2009, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whose-line-is-it-anyway-the-fat-guy-the-tall-guy-the-bald-guy-or-the-black-guy/521220/51 "2009-12-23T16:03:48Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > It always annoyed me that whenever Wayne Brady was on he would inevitably be asked to do the “black guy” stuff. On the other hand, getting the bleach-white Ryan, Colin, and whoever else to sing backup for him was good for a laugh. The [African](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRO-ovd17IQ) [chant](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cf1HoF8Q06k) game, for instance, was usually a riot. ---
**Author:** ![BMada](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/96bed5/32.png) [@BMada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMada)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2009, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whose-line-is-it-anyway-the-fat-guy-the-tall-guy-the-bald-guy-or-the-black-guy/521220/52 "2009-12-23T19:52:38Z")
I totally agree with the “stereotypical black guy” roles always go to Wayne. But another thing that happened a lot was the same guys doing the same games. I would have love to have seen Wayne take a stab at the green screen reporter thing. Or Colin do some sound effects that Ryan always did. They played each guy/girl to their strengths but i think us viewers would have more fun seeing them in the weaknesses. ---
**Author:** ![Meeko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Meeko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meeko)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2009, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whose-line-is-it-anyway-the-fat-guy-the-tall-guy-the-bald-guy-or-the-black-guy/521220/53 "2009-12-24T06:44:31Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > Does Wayne Brady have to choke a white bitch? No. But apparently, he can give you a [Zonk](http://www.cbs.com/daytime/lets_make_a_deal/). May he do for Hall what Carey is failing to do for Barker. * * * But at the end of the day, I have to vote for Ryan. He reminds me the most of myself. ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2009, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whose-line-is-it-anyway-the-fat-guy-the-tall-guy-the-bald-guy-or-the-black-guy/521220/54 "2009-12-24T06:49:27Z")
> [@BMada](#): > > They played each guy/girl to their strengths but i think us viewers would have more fun seeing them in the weaknesses. We got a taste of that occasionally with “Hoe-Down.” Ryan was obviously uncomfortable singing. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2009, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whose-line-is-it-anyway-the-fat-guy-the-tall-guy-the-bald-guy-or-the-black-guy/521220/55 "2009-12-24T07:00:38Z")
> [@TWDuke](#): > > We got a taste of that occasionally with “Hoe-Down.” Ryan was obviously uncomfortable singing. Colin haaaates Hoe-Down. So does Ryan, but Colin’s loathing is far more evident more often. The stuff he pulls to avoid having to work too hard at it is hilarious. But the best Hoe-Down cop-out I can remember is Tony Slattery in the British version. He stuck a sock in his mouth (or was it a handkerchief?) and pulled it out slowly while mmrmfing along to the music, ending on the last line by pulling out the sock and singing, “And then I cut it off!” ---
**Author:** ![Meeko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Meeko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meeko)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2009, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whose-line-is-it-anyway-the-fat-guy-the-tall-guy-the-bald-guy-or-the-black-guy/521220/56 "2009-12-24T07:28:24Z")
Youtube pulls through for me again. I found the entire Richard Simmons episode there. **EPIC.** I had seen it before, but EVERYTHING struck me in just the right way as I saw it again. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whose-line-is-it-anyway-the-fat-guy-the-tall-guy-the-bald-guy-or-the-black-guy/521220.md?page=2)