My experience of what makes me laugh started with radio, the Goons, Hancock’s half hour,Ted Ray, Arthur Askey, Jimmy Edwards and Ken Dodd. These each had their own shows. Probably most of you have not heard of them. I have since heard that back then there were strict rules about what you could and could not say. (I was not aware at the time but then I was a child).
Some made me laugh more than others. But none made me think this is rubbish or indeed needed a sharper edge to it.
Also at this time there were two other commedians that come to mind “Mr Pastry” and Norman Wisdom. I didn’t go much on these as they obtained there laughs at the expence of some hapless individual. I felt for the character they played. The “Oh Betty” charachter performed by Mr Crawford was in a similar vain.
Then came Dave Allen which I loved, he was very funny and “at the edge” without being cruel. I recently watched a programme on him with excerpts and must admit it’s still funny but was also gentle when it poked fun at the church etc. I thought so anyway.
Modern comedy to me just isn’t laugh out loud funny. The “Little Britain” and that pair that do “suits you Sir” “Loads o’ money etc. To me they take a 3second gag and make it last what seems like 10 minutes which kills the gag for me. Richard Gervaise. I watched the first series of The Office and thought is this real or not. I could believe there were managers like that, and there was just a hint of cringe making to make it watchable. Then there were the two at their desks bickering which again is true to life. But it wasn’t laugh out loud funny. The second series increased the cringe making and although I watched it till the end I thought the gag had been flogged. My sons liked the Extras but for me it was just a vehicle for Gervaise to be cruel to all around him. Then with his latest effort, I saw the trailer where the dwarf falls out the car and I just thought no thank you thats just being cruel again.
I enjoyed John Bishop series on Saturday nights. As for Jimmy Carr etc and even Michael Mcintyre, they just have to use the f word. (and I admit John Bishop swears “S**T” but that don’t seem to count anymore)
And then after we are being made to put write what the finance section has
spoilt without any sence of reperations we get that clown JC talking about shooting people for trying by law abiding means to retain there living standards.
This on top of nightly pictures of riots, shooting, war and famine and drout people dying, and all he can say is “oh it was a lot quicker to get around”.
If all the above makes me a man who’s had is sence of humour removed then blame that on the selfish way this world is run.
To paraphrase another funny pair “deep down you really hate some people don’t you?”
It’s goodnight from me and put the lights out and close the door as you leave.
Moderators please delete if this is to much. somethings just get to me.
By: duxfordhawk - 9th December 2011 at 15:12
For me a lot of the more modern comedies and comedians are just trying to be vulgar for the sake of it, possibly to hit headlines etc.
I am probably more into the older comedies and comedians than the new ones, ith thed likes of Dave allen,Ronnie Barker and Billy Connolly being among my comedy heroes, I also collect a lot of the older sitcoms from the 70s and 80s which I grew up with
Modern stand up comedians that I do think are Ok,
Lee Evans,Lee Hurst, Stephen K Amos,Micky Flanagan,Sarah Millican, Lee Mack and Tim Vine(at times),John Bishop, Al Murray is a pretty good character more a modern day Alf Garnett in a way.
Modern sitcoms I like are
Not going out,Miranda and Outnumbered. All of which really follow older style of sitcoms really.
Ricky Gervias just really annoys me he is unfunny and big headed in my view,Peter kaye is too repetive although was very funny at first.
Little Britain was just too much of the same thing and for me less funny than it ever got rated.
I am not against swearing etc, what I do have an issue is when its just for the sake of it, Also things like people being sick or other body function just is not amusing at all let alone after the 20th time.
I guess really though We all need a laugh every now and then after all life is hard and laughter just make things better for a bit, So I figure if it makes you laugh and does not hurt anyone else then what the hell, keep smiling.
By: PeeDee - 9th December 2011 at 12:31
Now I do. Particularly her double act in the show with Sarah Hadland. Just goes to prove how differently we all see things.
“Edumicated”? Chief Petty Officer Pertwee – The Navy Lark.
Game on. Watched every episode and laughed myself silly. Mind you Samantha Janus was a good reason to watch even if you turned the sound off.
Funniest thing I have seen for ages is definitely Green Wing.
Add me to the list of those who can’t find anything Ricky Gervais does as funny – that goes for Billy Connolly too.
Moggy
Yes, we are all indeed different.
Navy Lark…of course! I knew it was one of the two.
+1 on Sam Jan and also Miranda.
As for Ricky G, I thought the Office was good because it was excrutiatingly accurate stereotyping of people I know in the office! Extras was very clever I thought.
The Big Yin, sorry…I could watch his stage or travel shows all day long.
Not going out? I am a dead ringer lookalike for Lee Mack. It’s very funny, apart from the US style canned laughter.
By: Moggy C - 9th December 2011 at 08:16
Also I don’t find Miranda funny
Now I do. Particularly her double act in the show with Sarah Hadland. Just goes to prove how differently we all see things.
“Edumicated”? Chief Petty Officer Pertwee – The Navy Lark.
Game on. Watched every episode and laughed myself silly. Mind you Samantha Janus was a good reason to watch even if you turned the sound off.
Funniest thing I have seen for ages is definitely Green Wing.
Add me to the list of those who can’t find anything Ricky Gervais does as funny – that goes for Billy Connolly too.
Moggy
By: Student Pilot - 9th December 2011 at 06:02
I might have missed it but I didn’t see anybody mention QI, Usually very funny and has an aviation bent with Stephen.
By: Arthur Pewtey - 8th December 2011 at 23:06
I find the Fenton clip funny as well but I have no idea why.
A few names I missed; Dara O’Briain, John Bishop and Lee Evans (in small doses)
Blackadder series 2,3 and 4 are still funny after repeated viewings. Outnumbered and Not Going Out are favourites of recent sitcoms.
Game On from the 1990s was pretty funny as well.
By: PeeDee - 8th December 2011 at 22:39
For no explainable reason, the current you-tube hit “Fenton the Labrodor in Richmond park” tickles my ribs no end.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GRSbr0EYYU
By: PeeDee - 7th December 2011 at 23:25
(Snippety snip)
I have to say that most new sitcoms that I’ve seen recently have been poor. There is always the hope of finding a really funny new series but so often it ends in disappointment. In my view any sitcom will have to be special to as good as my favourite, Father Ted.
Ditto on that, and the Eddie Izzard bit. I also think Julian Clary could have gone a lot further but perhaps his intellect was too much for the modern viewer.
When I was in England, I looked forward to the Comedy slots on Radio 4 (Was it Monday 6:30pm?).
By: PeeDee - 7th December 2011 at 23:21
PeeDee, that’s an absolute classic, I almost fell off my chair laughing – did anybody else spot it ?
My brain needs a USB update and I can’t recall the owner of that “Classic”. I think it was Goons or maybe even Navy Lark.
I have all the Navy Lark as MP3’s, and most of Hancocks H Hour. I keep about 8 of each on my player, and rotate them round as necessary (But Radio ham, Blackboard Jungle and Blood donor seem to stay on forever LoL)
By: Arthur Pewtey - 6th December 2011 at 18:59
PeeDee, that’s an absolute classic, I almost fell off my chair laughing – did anybody else spot it ?
Spot what?
What makes you laugh is often so variable though. I am a great fan of Eddie Izzard and some of early material is very funny yet I watched his most recent DVD and barely raised a smile. Whether I wasn’t in the mood or his material has gone stale I don’t know.
Like others, I don’t see what is funny about about Michael McIntyre but I like Lee Mack, Jack Dee, Ross Noble and Rich Hall among others.
Tim Vine is in class of his own though and is free from bad language normally.
I’ll go along with Deano though about The Young Ones, a breath of fresh air when I first watched in the early 1980s. Bottom was pretty good too. Slapstick for the 1990s.
Laurel and Hardy, Dad’s Army, Fawlty Towers still have the ability to raise a laugh but having said that, many other comedies do not.
I have to say that most new sitcoms that I’ve seen recently have been poor. There is always the hope of finding a really funny new series but so often it ends in disappointment. In my view any sitcom will have to be special to as good as my favourite, Father Ted.
By: Stuart H - 6th December 2011 at 18:40
Of course I did – don’t misunderestimate me.
By: 91Regal - 6th December 2011 at 16:59
Apparently, society is more edumicated now,
PeeDee, that’s an absolute classic, I almost fell off my chair laughing – did anybody else spot it ?
By: PeeDee - 5th December 2011 at 21:12
It must be Milligan.
At the end of this clip from The Life of Brian, the sheer frustration, exasperation and defeat expressed in just his hands before he walks off is pure genius.
He was a genius anyway….
Aah but….when the Python lot were filming in Turkey, they just happened into a Bar where Spike was having a snack on his holiday. They offered him a few mins in the movie over a beer and that was that.
Swearing. There is good and bad. Some swearing matches..possible enhances the joke or story. Billy C is good example. Some swearing is pointless and is only added for purility….Roy Chubby Brown is good example.
edit, just watched John Bishop, I think he’s funny. Probably because I lived in the ‘pool for a decade and understand the sense of humour a bit.
Swearing and rudeness isn’t new. Max Wall was banned by the BBC for dozens of years for a joke with swearing and “gross innuendo” in it. He came back on TV with a part in Crossroads IIRC.
Macintyre Mcintyre (Don’t care). He’s as funny as walking around Preston with a nail in your shoe.
All his material is stolen…he just removes the swearing and pretends to be posh. Good luck to him, the formula works and he’s rich from it.
By: Arabella-Cox - 5th December 2011 at 14:01
I mainly get irritated rather than offended by comedians swearing. I find them funny, but can see that much of their bad language is needless; their acts would be just as amusing with the expletives deleted.
I recently saw Milton Jones live; he’s most definitely a “safe” comedian, but extremely funny. Although he’s not in any way edgy, a lot of his comedy is really very intelligent.
I find Michael McIntyre amusing as long as you don’t think too hard about his observations and conclude that actually, no, people don’t do that (and even if they did it wouldn’t be funny without a silly voice and floppy hair).
And as for Ricky Gervais, I thoroughly enjoy his work but find him a bit of a prat on a personal level.
By: ZRX61 - 5th December 2011 at 03:25
This, especially the line at 0.34..
By: Stuart H - 5th December 2011 at 01:27
It must be Milligan.
At the end of this clip from The Life of Brian, the sheer frustration, exasperation and defeat expressed in just his hands before he walks off is pure genius.
By: Dr Strangelove - 4th December 2011 at 23:50
Remember that one-
By: Al - 4th December 2011 at 23:48
As a kid I remember one particular episode of the Goodies which had me rolling around on the floor laughing so much I could hardly breath in, and my ribs hurt for days.
During the same episode (the one with ‘The Bunfight at the OK Tearooms’ perhaps) I seem to remember an elderly guy laughed so much he died of a heart attack.
Most current comedy leaves me cold, and it’s not that I don’t ‘get it’ – it’s usually just purile…
By: AMB - 4th December 2011 at 18:08
Absolutely agree – can’t understand why some people seem to hold him in such esteem. Also I don’t find Miranda funny – she tries to be funny by copying others, then we get canned laughter to try and make people laugh :confused: My favourites were alway Morecambe & Wise, The Two Ronnies, Benny Hill, Norman Wisdom and Tommy Cooper. Any of those were guaranteed to create instant laughter! Today they are all gone, but Michael McIntyre is the best in my mind.
By: ZRX61 - 4th December 2011 at 16:43
This makes me laugh
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KL3mHPmNKRE
Absolutely can not stand Ricky Gervais, the guy is a no trick pony when it comes to comedy. If he appears on TV I change channels. The only time he’s entertaining is when he talks about religion.
By: stangman - 4th December 2011 at 16:25
Humour is very subjective no matter what time period. It will be liked by some,outrage and offend others and just pass some people by.I like comedy and comics from all years.Some has made me laugh out loud [Billy Connolly] ,some has made me smirk but none has ever offended me,even if i thought it was near ‘the mark’.IMHO there is nothing that can’t be made fun of but everything has a time ,a place and an audience.As the old saying goes
it’s horse’s for course’s.
My 2 cent’s worth
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December 3, 2011 at 12:25 am