No matter what I see her in I just find her ordinary. She’s never made me laugh. And she gets a million jobs and appearances on every award show, so it’s not like she hasn’t had chances. I just always feel there are a 100 other actresses who could do it better. And when you see her in a movie like BRIDESMAIDS with the very funny Kristen Wiig and Melissa McCarthy it becomes even more apparent she’s not in their league.
I know there are people who love her and find her funny. I suppose it’s just a matter of personal taste. My son Matt is not a fan of Amy Poehler. I love Amy Poehler.
But every time I turn around it’s announced that Maya Rudolph has a new project. And I scratch my head. In this town there are so many truly funny ladies who don’t have the resume, connections, whatever and can’t even get in the front door to be considered for all these opportunities that Maya Rudolph snaps up.
And again, I have nothing personal against her. I just wish she were… funnier.
On the other hand, don't get me started on Mindy Kaling.
I imagine we all have someone like that. You see them appear in a comedy sketch and go “why?” So I’d be curious. Just based on their act (not politics, not what they look like, not any kind of racial or gender bias), who is somebody that makes a good living in comedy that you just don’t get?
Should be an interesting day in the comments section. But again, nothing mean, no personal attacks, and no attacking each other (since I’m sure names will come up that some hate while others love). Everyone is entitled to their opinion. Even me.
Thanks.
137 comments :
This may be because I'm English, but I don't get why Will Ferrell is held in such high regard. That's not to say he isn't funny (sometimes) and obviously he's got talent, but I find that whole "stand there loudly spouting s vaguely amusing stream of conscious bits in an awkward but oblivious manner" very tiresome.
Jimmy Carr and James Corden. Arrogant, unlikeable, unfunny and utterly talentless.
Danny McBride and Craig Robinson. I just don't find them funny and they're the same in every role.
Ricky Gervais. A one trick pony whose affectations are irritating. The Office was funny, but he uses the same bag of expressions and vocal tics in every role. Plus he comes off as unlikeable in real life.
Andy Samberg. 'Dick In A Box'.....really?
Honestly, it's also Maya Rudolph for me. Her and Jason Mantzoukas sometimes make The Good Place an exceedingly difficult watch. I think I also essentially agree with your son about Amy Poehler, but she's very inoffensive — she's bland at worst.
To actually contribute something and throw a new name into the pot: Paul Rudd. I just don't understand the appeal. Much like Ms Rudolph, he never really seems to be playing a role, just to be himself and present.
Honestly, it's also Maya Rudolph for me. Her and Jason Mantzoukas sometimes make The Good Place an exceedingly difficult watch. I think I also essentially agree with your son about Amy Poehler, but she's very inoffensive — she's bland at worst.
To actually contribute something and throw a new name into the pot: Paul Rudd. I just don't understand the appeal. Much like Ms Rudolph, he never really seems to be playing a role, just to be himself and present.
Scarlett Johansson keeps trying out comedic roles, SNL appearances, etc. And while she is a terrific dramatic actress, she is simply NOT funny!
Honestly, it's also Maya Rudolph for me. Her and Jason Mantzoukas sometimes make The Good Place an exceedingly difficult watch. I think I also essentially agree with your son about Amy Poehler, but she's very inoffensive — she's bland at worst.
To actually contribute something and throw a new name into the pot: Paul Rudd. I just don't understand the appeal. Much like Ms Rudolph, he never really seems to be playing a role, just to be himself and present.
I never ever "got" Don Rickles. I once worked for an ad agency representing a dinner theater Mr. Rickles appeared in. I saw three performances which consisted of him simply calling people a “hockey pick". Then applying the same memorized insults to whatever rich-poor-fat-tall-embarrassed-getting up to go -to the- bathroom person he happened to spot. Just not funny once you got past the "Shock" of seeing a grown man insulting perfect strangers.
Will Ferrell
It's Jason Mantzoukas for me. He does the same "crazy guy" shtick in every role he has. Not sure why he keeps getting plum gigs.
Dave Barry, please stop. Please, no more books. We have whole humor sections in libraries and bookstores that are full of your unsold and unread shit. We don't need any more of your shit! Trees are actually committing suicide rather than become one of your books. Please ask the Miami Herald for a buyout, take those millions and go quietly into the night and when you are driving away feel free to run over Carlos Mencia.
I have to give props to Maya though, she has maintained a career while raising 4 kids, not easy man.
I just don’t get Ken Levine. ;)
But seriously, I never understood the facination with Tea Leoni in the day. She was hot but couldn’t act.
Yes, I am old.
The thing about Maya Rudolph is: loving her is easy 'cause she's beautiful.
(Trying to post this before anybody else does.)
Ricky Gervais.
From his early days doing stand up on UK TV, through him dying on his feet during the Live 8 concert where he pretended people were calling for 'the dance' and he 'reluctantly' did it to, well, everything else, he hasn't raised so much as a smile form me, never mind a laugh.
I will never understand why any of us know who Amy Poehler is.
I've never found anything remotely funny or interesting or appealing about Ellen Degeneres, James Corden, Wanda Sykes, Will Ferrell or Daniel Tosh.
For me it's George Carlin. And I totally agree with his beliefs regarding religion and politics. It's some quality he has that I can't exactly put my finger on. Some combination of arrogance and smarminess. I hate John Malkovich for the same reason. Of course, I am unlikely to be confronted with a new Carlin stand up special.
Stephen Colbert. I can take him in small doses, but his shtick wears thin very quickly. I don't understand the appeal. The word I would use to describe him is "sanctimonious."
I agree with you about Maya Rudolph. I don't have anything against her personally, but every time she shows up in The Good Place, a show I love, I know I'm about to be annoyed. It's one thing if the character is supposed to be annoying, but in this case I am fairly certain we are supposed to find the character amusing; we don't. Fortunately, she's not in the show a lot. On a different note, the appeal of Adam Sandler has always completely escaped me.
I am not consciously for or against Maya Rudolph, and I wish her well, but I guess it's telling that whenever I see her in something my first thought is still "It's Minnie Riperton's daughter" instead of "It's Maya Rudolph."
I completely agree with you, Ken. I too, have never understood her appeal. I didn't like many of the characters she played on Saturday Night Live and have not been impressed with her work in other projects. She's currently in some supposedly humorous commercial (I can't remember the product) and when I saw it I thought, she's not funny in this.
But, I think the bigger issue is the disproportionate, undue influence of SNL. To paraphrase the old saying, "It's gotten too big for its britches." So many of it's alumni are the major players, not just in comedy, but in Hollywood in general. Some deserve it, but many others don't. Maya Rudolf is not the only alumnus of SNL to make me feel that way. Whenever I see the trailer for a new movie or TV show that has several or even a majority of former SNL cast members I think, give me a break! Theses aren't the only funny people in show business! Plus, there's no guarantee that a movie will be any good just because it has SNL alumni. We've all seen that too many times. I also believe this has a lot to do with the fear and/or laziness of Hollywood producers and casting agents. Why take the risk of usuing or developing new talent when you can just grab something ready made off the shelf?
Unfortunately, many young comedians and comic actor's feel that If they can get on Saturday Night Live they'll have It made. Maybe. Or they could wind up on the pile of overrated, over-hyped celebrities.
One guy I've never liked is Martin Short. I didn't think he was funny in SCTV or SNL. And I hated his "Ed Grimly" character. Coincidently, he and Maya Rudolf starred in their own variety show a couple of years ago. Fortunately, it didn't last long.
As for Amy Poehler, it depends what she's in. Loved her on SNL. Hated, HATED her on "Parks and Recreation."
M.B.
I haven't seen any of Maya Rudolph's recent stuff, so can't comment on it, but she really was a great SNL cast member back in the early 2000s. Funny characters. Maybe she just doesn't translate to regular television the way her peers Amy Pohler and Tiny Fey did--although I think they are bit overrated too.
I guess live-sketch acting and sit-com acting are different skill sets. I happen to be a fan of both formats, so I can appreciate someone who was good on SNL not being too interesting afterward. And even though it's improved a lot, it's still hard to be a funny female in the industry. Jane Curtain pulled it off successfully, and of course numerous ex-cast members have had wildly successful film careers. Maybe TV is just tough.
Friends. The entire show.
She doesn't make me laugh all the time but I find her charming.
To be honest, I read this uncomfortably because it doesn't really say anything o f substance but just "I don't like her" so not sure if this is worth a post or at least you could have just made it a general "Actors you don't get the appeal" to stir discussion rather than focusing on her because it just felt a little off too me,
I know you didn't not mean bad or anything (I've read you for a decade) but I feel this a little out of line
No comedians- both of them, rich, powerful, and totally in charge of their own careers- did as much to ruin their hitherto sterling reputations as did Bob Hope and Jay Leno in their final decades on television and/or film. Bob Hope, in-person- touring late in life with his wife- who opened for Bob, and who, offstage, guided her nearly-blind, hearing-impaired, seeming-confused husband around by the hand- was infinitely more entertaining than the Hope that was finishing out his NBC contract.
I've always cut Maya a lot of slack, but that's 'cause I think she's cute. She's sort of my Natalie Wood.
Interesting that you mention both Kristen Wiig and Melissa McCarthy as being "very funny"; I just absolutely don't see it for either one of them; Kristen always seems (to me, at least) to be doing the same "awkward person in an uncomfortable situation" character, and Melissa comes across as so over-the-top that neither one has ever done anything for me.
But the one that's always baffled me is Jim Carrey. I get that he's very talented, and can do really zany stuff, but I might (and I stress, **might**) enjoy him a bit more if he wasn't always dialed up to 15 or 16 on the wacky.
Also, I've never understood getting upset at someone else's taste in comedy. If you don't like something I like, how does that affect me in the slightest bit?
It's not because you're English. I agree. Will Farrell is mostly a miss for me, also. I once Googled "Will Farrell is not funny" and several websites came up. Glad to know I'm not the only one.
M.B.
McCarthy was the only reason to watch Bridesmaids. I just fast forwarded to her scenes. I often don't get why some people are all over the place. I think they just get trendy for a while. The problem being that this wears off after a while, and because there was no THERE there, they disappear. They weren't awful or anything, they just weren't worthy of they hype. Well, sometimes they are actually awful, but that's another topic. Also, I'm sure my definition of funny is influenced by my age.
Didn't James Corden do the interview with Paul McCartney? I thought it was fabulous, but I'm not anxious to check out any of his other work.
Mine is Jerry Seinfeld. I want to like him, and his series, but I rarely laugh when he's on screen. I adore Maya Rudolph, for what it's worth.
I have never laughed watching a Brian Regan standup special. I know he is held in high regard by other comics and his stuff is well-written, but his delivery leaves me cold. Meanwhile, Ron White could read a physics textbook out loud and still have me roaring.
I also rarely laugh at Kate McKinnon. I know she is mega-talented, but her delivery is too mannered for me.
For my wife, it is Andy Samberg. She won't watch Brooklyn Nine Nine because he grates on her nerves.
As for complaints concerning the humor of the present-day Colbert, few comedic actors are as funny when they are playing close approximations of themselves. The Colbert Show Steve is funnier than the Late Show Steve 2.0; Rufus T Firefly is funnier than the host of You Bet Your Life
Danny McBride, Craig Robinson, Andy Samberg (and all the Lonely Island), Mindy Kaling, Maya Rudoplh, Eric Andre, Michael Che, Colin Jost, Kenan Thompson (there's a reason he's been on SNL for 20 years), Amy Schumer, Chelsea Handler, Whitney Cummings, Ricky Gervais, James Corden, Billy Eichner, Nick Kroll...
I don't get the appeal of Leslie Mann. She rubs me the wrong way. I think the only reason she's considered a comedic actress is that she's married to Judd Apatow. Can someone marry into funny?
Matt: AGREED on Tea Leoni!
Ken: have you seen "The Righteous Gemstones" on HBO? What's your opinion thus far?
Marlon Brando
Sue T: Coincidentally there's a commercial on TV featuring a song from Minnie Riperton's first album, can't remember the product.
Oh my god! You see it too! THANK YOU!
As far as I can see Maya Rudolphs only talent is being friends with Tina Fey.
Her part on The Good Place was awful.
Bless the Harts is Portlandia Extra Lite.
Can anyone explain the continued popularity of Larry Semon after he made The Wizard of Oz?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMVwixafL5M
Though some might attribute their absence to religious prejudice,
is it any surprise there has been no Jewish silent film comedian since?
(Unless you count Harpo-whose brothers did all the heavy lifting,
or Marceau- whose poor verbal acting limited him to one word in a Mel Brooks film).
There's this guy that's on almost all the time. Big guy with a face like Rodney Dangerfield's backside. Bad hair, whiney voice, his schtick is saying outrageous things. But he's not funny at all.
Other than him, I think most funny people are sometimes funny and sometimes not and maybe they're an acquired taste. But this one guy is everywhere these days. I'm sure you know who I mean.
To me, Tracy Morgan has never done or said anything that could even be considered remotely amusing. And I laugh more easily than Steve Allen ever did.
I actually liked James Corden, especially on the Tonys. And when he does Carpool Karaoke, he KNOWS his guests' music. Likability one can argue, but he is prepared.
Stephen Colbert - I generally agree with his political POV, but I feel hit over the head; Seth Meyers is more my speed.
Amen. Twenty-five year-old adolescents never interested me, and I'm roughly the same age as the main cast.
Christina Pickles was the most attractive woman on the show--seriously.
Kate McKinnon...while I do admit she is talented and can be funny at times, I think she is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay overrated. She chews scenery, bugs out her eyes, and it's supposedly brilliant and hilarious. And the fact that she is already revered as some sort of all-time great comedian for the ages is ridiculous, but I blame that on the media and social media.
Oh, and Pete fucking Davidson. I'm sorry he's had a rough life and continues to struggle, but those things don't equal greatness, and the trades/the media/etc report on him like he's Johnny Carson or something.
I generally find most the highly touted comedians on tv to be unfunny. Agree that the SNL allumi are way overrated. Another unfunny one is Whitney Cummings. Yet she keeps getting shows. Ray Romano. Nice guy but standup is blah and Brad Garrett was more talented on ELR. Speaking of Brad Garrett who is a super nice guy, his standup is questionable. But he’s brilliant at both comedy and dramatic roles on tv. Very underrated. I always thought Robin Williams was too spastic. Steve Martin was so so standup-wise but he’s made some pleasant movies and one dramatic movie he made where he was a single dad raising a daughter blew me away. I don’t know who in the business are pushing many of these people as “funny” but most aren’t
Regarding Will Ferrell, it just seems like he's trying too hard. You almost expect him to yell "Come on, you guys! Laugh! This is funny!"
I could name any number of people that don't appeal to me comedically and yet still get work, but here is something that happened to the Good Lady Wife and I when we were watching things in our collection. We are quite fair about this: she picks something, I pick something.
We watched an episode of I Spy which is almost always good for a laugh and a few bits of intrigue, but this particular episode didn't grab us, and we noticed the writer was one Edward J. Lakso.
Then she picked something and we had a good time watching it.
My turn again. This time, I picked a Wild, Wild West episode, which is almost always good for a laugh and a few bits of intrigue, but this particu...I'll skip all that, IT WAS EDWARD J. LAKSO AGAIN! I did a lot of fake apologizing that day. He may have been a fine writer and we saw two lesser efforts, but around our house, if the writing bugs on a show as, we blame him or one of his children.
Friday Question: Linda Bloodworth-Thomason has a pretty distinct writing style. Sometimes, at some point in her scripts, a character will start ranting about something.
Are there any writers (save ones you've worked with) that you can tell who has written it without having seen the credits?
I have tried, but it took no less than popular culture expert Kliph Nesteroff to feature a clip of Jack Carter that I liked. I'm not one to deny talent and he was a talented man, but comedy or drama, I just never cared for him.
I just don't understand Tracey Morgan's appeal. He has 2 characters, angry black man, gay blackman. It is all he did on SNL. Those 2 fit in with the ensemble group on 30 Rock.
Colin Quinn is another I don't understand. Stammered and stuttered through weekend update. He seems to be respected in the comedy community, but don't understand why.
But, that is just me.
peace to all, but not the robots.
Jack Black. Not funny, not ever.
I never got Ray Romano. He's just sort of blandly there ... not utterly repellent, but also not amusing or entertaining or compelling in any way.
Then there's Ronny Chieng of the Daily Show. He is a black hole of comedy, from which nothing even remotely funny can escape. I have never, ever laughed once at anything this man has said or done. If the fate of the world depended on me not laughing for five minutes, give Ronny Chieng a five-minute set and the entire planet would be completely safe.
Bill Maher. I've had it with his "I gave them a million dollars, why don't the Democrats do as I say?" crap. Maybe because he provides a platform for Ann Coulter, Andrew Sullivan, Scaramucci and every other hateful right-winger with a book to peddle.
So much antipathy for James Corden, who is a good actor (CRUISE OF THE GODS, INTO THE WOODS). But yeah, I don't see how he got a coveted late-night show in America. He'll be remembered for delivering his monologues in the dark.
My list of dislikes is long, and stretches back to Red Skelton. I never laughed at Joan Rivers. And loud is not the same as funny, Leslie Jones.
Kyle. Freaking. Mooney.
David Letterman's beard. I think it has it's own agent
I never "got" Lenny Bruce. I'd hear recordings of his performances and I'd say "that's not funny. And the explanation would be "that was from late in his career when he was a drug addict and in decline". Then I'd heard that Carnegie Hall performance, which was supposed to be great and it wasn't funny. Finally I saw "Thank You Masked Man"- and yes, most of it is funny but I thought the ending was stupid.
Then there are comics who you don't see until late in their careers. I never thought Jerry Lewis was funny- until I watched some old Colgate Comedy Hours and the movie Artists and Models- my reaction was "Aha! Now I understand". Phil Silvers was another one- I'd see him in those appearances he made in the late 60's and 70's and wonder what was the big deal with him- then one day a friend told me about this old show Channel 12 was running late at night about Sgt. Bilko, and what a revelation it was to see Silvers in his prime
Hey Ken,
Are there people out there that you could shine a light on that we should check out? Instead of giving more focus to people who are overrated, let's hear about who you love!
In this vein, mine is Rob Riggle. I think he's the worst part of nearly everything he's in. From his resume it clearly works for some, but to me he's always an overly enthusiastic bro or an excited doofus, and I find both to be over the top and painfully unfunny every single time. To those who say Jason Mantzoukas Karma I think he has one Narrow Lane where he's phenomenal, but Mike Schur keeps casting him outside of that lane
I thought Don Rickles was hilarious when I was 12... and maybe still at 22. Eventually I outgrew his humor, but he never did. Same with Don Imus.
I found both Jackie Gleason and Lucille Ball horribly unfunny 99 % of the time, but the rest of humanity usually disagrees with me on that.
I agree on Maya Rudolph. She probably is a nice person who has no 'diva demands', has the right connections, works for a little bit less than the other available people and her results are at least good enough. She is the absolute best though at moving her head back and forth in any direction on her neck, 'walk like an Egyptian' style.
For me the one that has never said anything that strikes me as funny...and I've really tried hard to find something...is Sarah Silverman.
One name I haven't seen mentioned is Kevin Nealon. I'm not surprised because who would even think of him if he wasn't on TV? And who would laugh if he was?
Jim Jeffries, Seth Rogen, Jack Black. I don't get the appeal of their acts. As for Jim Jeffries act why pay the money to see his stand up when you can get the same thing from any internet troll for free?
A Bob Hope special or a round of Russian Roulette? Now that would be a harder choice for me than it should be. I don't understand why some of my faves (like Conan for example) just love his spiel.
Sean
People I don't get:
Jack Black
Meg Ryan (when she had a movie career)
Rachel McAdams
Prince (I think we was very talented, but not to the extent his hard-core fans do)
David Bowie (same)
Steve Jobs (he was a salesman!)
Henry Miller
Alan Ginsberg
I can't stand Andy Samberg and his 4th-grade level potty humor. Why didn't I think of writing a puerile song about putting my genitals in a box, selling it to SNL, and becoming a multi-millionaire in the process? Probably because I'm a grown man who stopped finding my own wee-wee hilarious when I was about 13 years old. And to think I could be rich and famous right now if I just pandered to the basest levels of the masses. I've never seen a single episode of "Brooklyn Nine Nine" and I never will because I despise his smug, punchable face so much. Adam Sandler has the same effect on me, though I've actually liked some of his more dramatic roles and most of his current movies are on Netflix, which makes them easier for me to avoid. This entire generation of "manic man-child" humor can be blamed on Jerry Lewis, who is often revered as some kind of comedy god, but whose shrill, nasally, one-note characters I've always found more annoying than actually funny. Also, he was a sexist who didn't think women were funny, which is another reason I don't like him.
I also don't get the appeal of Kevin James. He's like Chris Farley with no personality. There are so many others I can name (Kevin Hart, Seth MacFarlane, Gallagher, Carrot, Larry the Cable Guy, etc.), but I think I'll just stop here.
The blight that SNL has wrought on comedy will last generations. Too many to mention, but here's a few...Dana Carvey, Martin Short, Fred Armisen (please stay off Seth Meyers..),Tracy Morgan,Chevy Chase, Will Farrell, Kevin Nealon, Chris Farley. Really quite a few more...not funny, at all...and as my uncle said when he saw Maya Randolph in maybe the third show or commercial in a week " I liked it when you had to be attractive to be on TV". And he hadn't even seen Pete Davidson yet.
I always thought Robin Williams was funny for about 3 minutes and then I wanted him to take a breath and sit down.
I half agree with the earlier comment about George Carlin. He was very funny but in my view he started taking himself and his work way too seriously.
I'm not comfortable piling on, because I'd like to think the people being mentioned are at least trying, though in the opinions of the above, just not connecting.
But a couple of thoughts. Matthew Perry appears to be playing himself in everything he does. I didn't like his Oscar Madison in the reboot of the Odd Couple.
Steve Martin. I don't know if this happens in all his comedies, but the first Father of the Bride movie, when they go to meet the other parents and he loses his wallet. That was completely out of character and only served to remind everyone that he was once the "wild and crazy" guy.
And @Seeking Comedy has a good point. Maybe point out those that are good. You know who is impressing me currently with good low key comedy? Brad Whitford. I love his new series Perfect Harmony, and he's quite good as the tentpole to all the crazies.
Since someone mentioned George Carlin, I always loved the late John Pinette. He made me laugh harder than Robin Williams.
Ken or someone please, can you explain why Family Guy writers hate Robin William?
He is a good guy and a good comedian, but Family Guy nastily ridicules him.
Not just one cutaway or episode but too many episodes.
Any Hollywood insiders know the reason?
And at the time of his death, Family Guy Robin Williams suicide episode was aired.
Weird coincidence?
or
Did it push him over the edge, as the comments say?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAA50BwG3FY
This raises an important question, do spoofs and ridicule of a person need limits/censorship ?
This will disturb you personally to hear but... Nancy Travis.
Perhaps it was watching "Three Men and A Baby" at too young of an age and forever making the connection of her as the "terrible, neglectful mother" or what, but every time I see her in a show I go, "NOPE!"
And this is not a knock at her talent really, but I just don't get it. Never have. I may have been the only 12 year old who was watching "Becker" but once she was brought in to replace Terry Farrell, CBS officially lost all of their audience under the age of 50 then...
And I know she's nothing but wonderful and have heard from many (not just you) that she's a delight to work with, but NOPE, not for me.
Maybe someone has already mentioned him and I've overlooked it but if not, I'm shocked no one has yet mentioned Adam Sandler. The guy is worth something like 400 million dollars so obviously he's got a lot of fans, I'm just not one of them.
I've always found Maya Rudolph to be funny and very talented. But I get it. I don't find Sebastian Maniscalco funny but he's huuuuge now.
Jimmy Fallon and Kevin Hart for me.
Fallon was never funny on SNL and always drawing attention to himself by ruining skits, he was never funny in movies and he's not funny at all as a talk show host. Yet he keeps getting opportunities.
Kevin Hart because his idea of being funny is yelling every joke. I've never heard him tell a joke with a good punchline. Everything is based on how loud he yells. That's not comedy. And yet he is incredibly successful for some unknown reason.
Okay, you asked. So I'm going to express some heresy here.
Kirstie Alley.
Not for Veronica's Closet. Not for Cheers. But I was okay with her in ST where she didn't have to emote. For Cheers, she was okay for me for EPs where she wasn't the lead. Maybe it was partly I just vastly preferred the Diane character in comparison.
I can't think of a single episode she was in where I thought "wow". But that's just me. I'm also hit and miss with Amy and Tina, so what do I know?
P.
Every late night talk show host, especially Colbert, Will Ferrel, Adam Sandler, Tracy Morgan, Sinbad, Howie Mandel, Robin Williams, Tim Conway, The Ritz Brothers, and I'm sure there are dozens more.
Is Jennifer Aniston funny? No. Courtney was the funnier one. Jen just slept with Warren and got the job. And schmucks around the World just saw her looks and put her on the altar.
I'm glad someone (and I'm sorry it wasn't me) finally had the nerve to say it. I've seen Maya Rudolph in countless TV and movie appearances, and I just don't get her supposed comic appeal.
Lisa, I'm not a Hollywood insider but my guess would be jealousy. Robin Williams was a genius while Seth Macfarlane is a hack.
The best takedown of Macfarlane and Family Guy was an episode of South Park which totally shredded Family Guy's lazy humour. Cartman is tired of always being told he's just like Family Guy and finally says "I am nothing like Family Guy. When I make a joke, it's always deep and situational, not just one random interchangeable reference after another."
Ryan P said...
"I don't get the appeal of Leslie Mann. She rubs me the wrong way. I think the only reason she's considered a comedic actress is that she's married to Judd Apatow. Can someone marry into funny?"
No No No, it's :
"She rubs me the wrong way. I think the only reason she's considered a comedic actress is that Judd Apatow she rubs the right way."
Here are the living (at the time of the award) show biz writers or performers who've received the Kennedy Center's prestigious Mark Twain Prize for American humor: Richard Pryor, Jonathan Winters, Carl Reiner, Whoopi Goldberg, Bob Newhart, Lily Tomlin, Lorne Michaels, Steve Martin, Neil Simon, Billy Crystal, George Carlin, Bill Cosby, Tina Fey, Will Ferrell, Ellen DeGeneres, Carol Burnett, Jay Leno, Eddie Murphy , Bill Murray, David Letterman, Julia Louis-Dreyfus.
I ask myself, what the hell has Will Ferrell done so far to warrant such a lifetime achievement in comedy award?
Gotta say, things have gotten kvetchy and Hollywood & Levine lately.
Everything OK, Ken?
Mindy Kaling is my personal "I don't get it." I respect that she gets things done for herself and I am also into romantic comedies, but I am just not into anything at all that she does.
Off topic but I've recently been getting round to watching some seminal 80s comedies I'd never seen before.
I thought Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Weekend at Bernie's and Caddyshack were all terrific. I even liked Weekend at Bernie's II.
Outrageous Fortune I thought was awful.
And...I thought the first Police Academy was really funny. I know the sequels have a poor reputation, which is unfortunate because the original tends to get swept up in the dismissal. But it stands as a very likeable fun comedy.
Next up on my list are Animal House, Bachelor Party, Down and Out in Beverly Hills, Stripes and Volunteers!
Today I learned that Maya Rudolph’s mom was Minnie Riperton and that she was born in Gainesville Florida when I was going to school there at UF. But I still don’t think she’s in the least bit funny.
I think that everyone's got an entertainer or two that just doesn't work for them. It may be after some critical analysis, it may just be visceral. Honestly, there aren't many comedians or comedies these days that really make me laugh, but it may just be exposure to too much entertainment.
There's one comedic actor (I won't name) who just plain repels me. It's his face, and the way he contorts it. I can't change channels fast enough.
Ken Jeong. He might be funny compared to other doctors, but he is not a funny comedian. Adam Sandler, too. Seems like lazy, sophomoric, repetitive stuff. He might be a very nice guy, but I cannot sit through his movies.
I do find Maya Rudolph and Mindy Kaling funny; sometimes they make me wheeze. I prefer Melissa McCarthy in dramatic roles. I appreciate her ability to do physical comedy, but I haven't enjoyed any of the comedic roles she's done in about 5 years.
I do not get: Will Ferrell, Adam Sandler, Jim Carrey
Here is the story about the character of Susan on Seinfeld got killed off. She did not go to Larry David. It was pretty much that Jason Alexander couldn't work with her. He seemed to have walked back what he said about her on Howard Stern. The audio is at the end of the article. He did say that no on hated her personally. It was the character. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/jason-alexander-seinfeld-killed-susan-800031
Seth Rogan, Tracey Morgan, Jonah Hill, Sarah Silverman,Amy Schumer, Wanda Sykes. Janice B.
It's intriguing to see that among all the SNL alums listed in this thread as of 5:47 p.m., Bill Hader's name has yet to come up. Good for him.
Jimmy Fallon just seems like Lorne Michaels' apolitical lapdog. James Corden has some talent, but I'd bring Craig Ferguson back to that 12:35 a.m. timeslot in a heartbeat.
And for Matt, who doesn't get Tea Leoni -- watch the first season of "The Naked Truth" (the year it aired on ABC); she was terrific. Alas, NBC picked it up for year two, put it in its standardized '90s sitcom sausage machine (think "Suddenly Susan" and its ilk) and the series lost all its charm. Leoni's comedic talent was snuffed out, relegating her to play an ersatz Hillary Clinton in a CBS drama. Too bad.
Jimmy Fallon is so unctuous and desperate to please it turns me off. I'll suffer through some of the sketches if the guests are noteworthy but otherwise I avoid him like the plague.
Ricky Gervais's oeuvre eludes me and as great as The Office may be, I don't do cringe comedy.
Adam Sandler should go without saying.
Amy Schumer is not THE most embarrassing member of her family, but it's close.
I'm generally done with a certain brand of middle-aged white comic. Jim Gaffigan et al.
And I've tried The Good Place and, I'm sorry, I wanted to boot the characters into another time zone. I know the show charts growth and whatnot, my girlfriend and my parents all rave about it, but I just can't give the first hint of a fuck about them.
Came here to post my complete dislike of Will Ferrell, and saw so many people beat me to it. I've clearly found my tribe. He. Is. Not. Funny. I agree with someone upthread who said he is like the too drunk guy at the party who wants attention.
Someone mentioned Tim Conway...I might have to fight you on that one ;-)
I also don't get Maya Rudolph. Or Martin Short (anymore) so the two of them doing a variety show just seemed destined to fail.
I understand his place in Television history but...Milton Berle was never funny. Not for a moment. A very annoying man and a performer who could not share a stage without trying to get ALL the attention. Never got why he was considered one of the greats.
For me, it's always been John Belushi, I just never got it. Not funny, no real acting talent. I still don't get it.
That's it. I'm Out. I'm done.
The last sentence nails it. Comedy is heavily subjective and built-in biases because of age, sex, race, etc do play a part. Sometimes things are deemed as "universally funny" but even those things or people won't make everyone laugh. Mindy speaks to brown girls who have never seen anyone look like her do what she does on that level. Ever. She also speaks to older millennials/younger gen Xers. Bigger and more important Mindy story today is how after fighting her way to get where she got on The Office the Academy tried to strip her producer credit away...Maya Rudolph is typically thought of as "universally loved" which is why you see her so much, yet judging from these comments she isn't for everyone. I love her, especially in the Good Place for which she just earned Emmy noms but everyone isn't for everyone. That's what makes this all feel like a giant bashing session based on whims even though there was the disclaimer about it not being personal. It also feels weirder/worse because there seem to be mostly guys in the comments bashing a lot of women for not "being there thing." We're finally in a time and marketplace where everyone doesn't have to be for "everyone" which used to just mean a certain dude who controlled everything. Let's celebrate where we are. Most niche or underrated comedian would be a good topic. We shed light on people who aren't huge and help them get a couple new fans.
Robert De Niro is a legend but not for his comedy roles.
"Meet the Parents" series was entirely on Ben Stiller to carry it. Hoffman and even Barbra Streisand were funny too.
'Analyze This and That' again he was a dud.
'Dirty Grandpa' was disgusting mainly due to him and Aubrey Plaza.
How come no one mentioned Aubrey Plaza in the comments? Adam Sandler is a comedy god compared to her and De Niro.
Ken, do you think Mindy or Maya might have seen your post today?
Surely someone must have shown them as you are well known in Hollywood.
Have you ever got feedback or angry blowback from some celebrity for any of your posts till date?
P.S. : Some comments, especially one of them, seems to be from Mindy herself.
I have trouble "getting" John Oliver. He failed as a stand-up over here in Britain, because he shoved his political views down your throat whether you agreed or not, and wasn't particularly funny with it, and it seems like he's playing the same schtick but from a seated position in his opinion show on US TV (which we get on Sky).
I always thought Steve Martin's standups were just over the top, or that I was missing the joke somehow. His later, calmer work is more effective, I think. I'm not very familiar with Maya Rudolph, but I know her from a pretty straight role in Idiocracy.
It's rare that I have a sharp;y negative reaction to someone, but when Jason Mantzoukas popped up in Brooklyn Nine-Nine, I had no idea who he or was or what his character was doing. It just killed the show for me and I haven't watched it since.
Steve Allen wrote once that comedy is an art, not a science. He was making the point that there are always people who will not find successful comedians funny. Lucille Ball doesn't make me laugh, but I can understand why people find her funny. I don't. Aside from "Who's on First," nothing Abbott and Costello did ever made me laugh. And, I laugh at "Who's on First" mostly because of the timing and rhythm, not because it's intrinsically funny. I think I like listening to "Who's on First" for the same reason I watch tap dancing.
Agreed on Will Ferrell and Mindy Kaling. I don't quite get them.
To add another - Chris Pratt. There has to be something there, but he's stunk up far too many dinosaur and superhero movies, which is tough to do. And he's the worst of "Parks & Recreation", which is an achievement. Admittedly I'm told it gets better after the first season, but I noped out before then - the only two decent human beings on the show are the girlfriend and the intern [is that Rashida Jones and Aubrey Plaza? - not otherwise familiar with them]. Nick Offerman is good, although his character is a horrible person.
You should check out “Gavin and Stacey” and “The Wrong Man(s)“, two shows he wrote and started in. Both brilliant.
"You pays your money and you takes your choice."
Nearly every comment I've read here has less to do with talent than with visceral reaction.
Or to put it another way, some people you like, and others you don't.
It's not just comics; anybody who catches on with some segment of the audience is likely to turn off another segment - each member of the audience reacts in his/her own way.
All my life, there have been performers, including many "critical darlings" of their own times, whom I just didn't get.
As a non-comic example, I've never "gotten" Faye Dunaway - in anything.
She's always come across to me as singularly dislikable - even when she isn't supposed to be.
More recently, I cannot comprehend why Johnny Depp still has - or ever had, comes to that -
an on-camera career.
If you think about it, it works both ways: I've always wondered why Jane Krakowski isn't way more famous than she's ever become (it can't just be that she almost always plays unsympathetic characters … can it?).
Yours in bewilderment.
I thought Maya Rudolph had some very funny moments on SNL. Her impressions of Donatella Versace and Whitney Houston were a riot - over-the-top yet modulated at the same time. None of the material she's done post-SNL seems to have given her the opportunity to cut loose like that.
I can tolerate David Spade in small doses but he easily grates on my nerves. I felt many "Just Shoot Me" episodes focused too heavily on his character.
I've never understood the appeal of Vanessa Bayer. Couldn't find anything she did on SNL funny at all.
It's funny. Like you, nothing personal, but I don't care for Maya Rudolph and don't think she's funny. But I do like Mindy Kaling and think she is funny.
Some actors DO cause a negative visceral reaction and I avoid projects they are in. But many of them have long and successful careers, so my not liking them doesn't seem to have much negative affect on them. I can't help but think that's good!
Never understood the appeal of Danny McBride. I'm tolerating HBO's The Righteous Gemstones because of the rest of the cast, and some interesting writing, but every week it's a battle to not just delete it and quit watching when he comes on. And don't get me started on VP or his others.
Also Kal Penn. I don't find him funny in the least. I tried NBC's new sitcom Sunnyside, and he was enough to make me stop watching.
OMG - Rob Riggle... YES!!! I never "got" him on the football coverage, and I certainly don't get his appeal in acting roles. He is an automatic channel change/turn off TV for me.
Zeppo Marx. Never made me laugh once. One wonders how he got into all those Marx Brothers movies.
Ricky Gervais
Aubrey Plaza! The whole pouty, snarky schtick she did in Parks & Rec was fine but the fact that she continues to do this "character" on talk shows and in articles is annoying as hell. Definitely overrated.
Wow. The fervor about who is or is not funny is surprising. Ken, you might was well have invited a Mitch McConnell conversation.
Just to be clear, I don’t think Mitch is funny at all.
I'd like to see a post about which comedy movies people loved or hated, the comments would be very interesting to me. :)
There's one movie which my brain knows is incredibly stupid but that doesn't stop the rest of me laughing for almost the entirety of it. It hasn't stopped idiotic things from that movie becoming in jokes in my little circle of friends. And every time I say to someone that I know it is a stupid movie but I love it anyway, those people tell me they loved it too.
I wonder if we all have at least one movie like that.
"Comedy is heavily subjective and built-in biases because of age, sex, race, etc do play a part."
You are completely wrong, "Myles." It depends on the person. You're trying to invalidate specific opinions in the same way that you accuse others. Using the Kathy Griffin-style "it's because I'm a woman" or any other "it's because he or she is a ______" is a falllacy. Many people do not like people within their very same demographic group. Sorry about Ms. Kaling's credit, but not her paycheck. Not when there are thousands that she drives past and walks past every day who will never have what she has, and have also struggled--often much more.
Men are not all Jerry Lewis.
Rebel Wilson - dear lord she is in everything but her shtick seems to be squeezing into tight clothes and falling over.
I just don't get that Trump guy. Whatever genius moved him from The Apprentice to the fictitious reality show as President should get fired. Trump as Commander in Chief? Don't think anyone buys it! My willing suspension of disbelief is wearing thin, and is now just simply pure disbelief
I'm not a big fan of Kristen Wiig or Melissa McCarthy.
Jay Leno the '80s standup was good. Jay Leno the Tonight Show host was awful.
I'm not a Colbert fan either. Don't hate him, but like someone else said, Seth Meyers is doing it better.
Jim Carrey needs the right director and right projects, like "Eternal Sunshine."
A couple I disagree with: Don Rickles was a legend and still funny until the end.
And don't judge Tea Leoni by "The Naked Truth." Go by her previous show, the lamentably just one season show "Flying Blind." It was a terrific show, she was excellent in it and was one of the hottest TV women EVER.
I love the fact that Alec Baldwin and SNL get under the Orange One's skin, but as comedy I never find any of the bits funny.....
I know I’m late for this party but I don’t get Tiffany Haddish.
A couple of passing add-ons to the above:
- If I'd never seen her in any comedy role, I'd name Tea Leoni as Best Dramatic Actress for Madame Secretary every year she's been on.
Her Secretary/President McCord may be idealized as all get-out, but given the present occupant of the White House, that might be something to consider for the near future.
- Side Note: this coming Wednesday will mark the one-thousandth day of the Trump Administration.
#1000 Days Of History That America Will Never Get Back#
- Just curious: is there anybody out there who doesn't love Kristen Bell?
In 118 (so far) entries, I haven't seen her name once.
Not a bit surprised; I like her too.
(Now watch - whole buncha haters gonna come out - sorry …)
- Something I never understood:
Why so many devotees of John Belushi hate his brother Jim - apparently for not only surviving him but actually having sustained success?
(Some while back, I brought this up at another blog, and some idiot tried to make the Mozart-Salieri "comparison", which was totally inapplicable.)
Not to speak ill of the dead, but I never thought Dom DeLuise had any talent or appeal.
For my Mom, she would rather look at Dick Van Dyke in serious roles than comedy.
We disagreed on this point.
Seeking Comedy had a great comment :
please do "shine a light" on worth comics/comedians.
And:
Let's see a post about which comedy movies people loved or hated
I barely know Maya Rudolph - but she (someone who looked like your photo) killed (killed me) mocking California's former Authoritarian-in-Chief on SNL recently.
(AD/AG/Sen. Harris)
On a less "serious" note - last century I actively disliked Chris Elliott.
Will Farrell is hit and miss for me. I didn't much care for the clips I saw of his pro baseball "career" in which he "played" (appeared) for both teams in five different spring-training games (played all nine positions plus DH).
I'd like to say Adrienne Barbeau was/is the only reason to watch Maude, and I often fast forward to her scenes, but Funny Thing - Bea Arthur "slows me down" with that. She really carried that show and is worth watching just to deliver lines.
"Serious" again: Dan Rather had a long, admirable, professional career. More than once, he annoyed me on election day - but redeemed himself like a champ - taking the RatherGate bait and refusing to admit that he'd been had.
Tracy Morgan has often annoyed me - but then he was pretty good for the 30 minutes I saw him in "The Last O.G."
Kevin Hart - also annoying - but was very appealing in his serious role with Bryan Cranston in that "buddy movie" they did.
probably a dead thread, but... I think Maya Rudolph is great, but I've always been bewildered by the success of Kristen Wiig. Bridesmaids sucked when Melissa McCarthy wasn't on screen.
Jimmy Fallon is undeniably talented (the Springsteen and Dylan things alone are amazing) but I can't stand the sight of him.
Will Ferrell has always left me cold
Steve Carrell was dull on TDS but brilliant on The Office, and pretty damn good in movies (I haven't watched that last one)
Ed Helms was dull on TDS and watching him on the Office, as he became the main character, was like chewing on tinfoil.
I was a cultist for Stephen Colbert's "Report", but I find him almost unwatchable on the Late Show. I cannot put my finger on why.
For some reason, this criticism hurt Ken. Isn’t it funny how at times we either want to protect or eviscerate famous people we’ve never met? I find Maya Rudolph to not only be a talented and FUNNY actress with great comedic timing, but she also comes across as kind and intelligent. Her SNL sketch characters, to me, were spot on without being cruel.
I myself don’t get the appeal of Natalie Wood.
That’s a lie. I do. Just wanted to hurt you back.
Didn't say they are the end all be all deciding factors. Did not say they are even the biggest factors. They are factors though. You know a lot of 80 year old people laughing at Tik Tok videos all day? You know a lot of 10 year olds laughing at the latest Seinfeld special that's about marriage and being a parent? Your experiences play a part in what you find funny and your age, sex, race, etc steer your experiences. Our POV is very important to think about when we think about why someone doesn't connect with us while connecting with so many others.
Other people struggling in different ways doesn't mean it's okay for her to be taken advantage of or wronged. Equating people "struggling" with someone being wronged or discriminated against isn't a thing one should do either. For what it's worth Mindy does a lot to fix the wrongs or biases she had to work against in the industry and life in general but again that wasn't what was being discussed.
There are actors who annoy me or do not strike me as funny even though they are supposed to be, but Maya is not one of them.
Maya Rudolph was entertaining on SNL. However, when cast for movies, she always became pregnant in the middle of filming, thus her role was modified or reduced. Not a reason to visit the theater.
Ray Romano.
The success of his sitcom has always been a mystery to me. Great supporting cast, but when the lead never went beyond sounding like a comedian reading cue cards I just don't get it.
Saw an old Middle episode yesterday where he did a guest spot with Patricia Heaton. He wasn't any better.
Makes Brett Butler seem like Meryl Streep in comparison.
The Anonymous person who hates David Letterman's beard and said that they think it has its own agent---Did you also hear his former bandleader Paul Shaffer crack that joke again on TV just the other day?
I could not for the life of me "get" ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT, even in its heyday. It just wouldn't click for me. And I tried! My late husband raved about it. And other people whose taste in comedy I admire also raved about it. So I realized it's just something about ME that's not getting it. :( I really WANTED to like it! Supposedly "smart" people all liked it! I could only conclude that I am not smart enough. ;P
I recently turned 60. Judging by these comments, I think I am your youngest reader.
VERY late to the party, but it is quite fascinating to see opinions on performers themselves and their acts, schticks, personas, talent can be just as much 'eye of the beholder' as their physical attractiveness.
Someone mentioned Vanessa Bayer, for instance, and I couldn't possibly disagree more. I think she's awesome. Meanwhile, I can't stand Kate McKinnon. Her schtick is bulging her eyes out, doing a weird accent and pitching it to the cheap seats. Sorry, next.
Even before reading the comments, I admit I was thinking in terms of SNLers, and it was fascinating to see so many of the comments about various ones. It really shows the influence of SNL on the comedy landscape.
As for your original post, Ken, I agree with your son. I don't like Poehler. It always feels as if she's talking down to the viewer. Same with Fey, but she pulls it off with a bit more cynical charm, IMO. Rudolph is OK with me, but I get where you are coming from. Her Kamala Harris cameo on the show recently was VERY reminiscent of her Beyonce.
My all-time 'don't get it' is Penn and Teller. I wish they would trade places and Penn would shut up. Ugh.
Melissa McCarthy & Kate Mckinnon are both overrated and unamusing. Love Danny McBride (which seems to put me in the minority here). He's fresh, funny, smart & different. There's just no accounting for taste, I guess.
"My;es"--
Fair enough with everything but this:
"You know a lot of 80 year old people laughing at Tik Tok videos all day? You know a lot of 10 year olds laughing at the latest Seinfeld special that's about marriage and being a parent? Your experiences play a part in what you find funny and your age, sex, race, etc steer your experiences.
With a statement like that, you're segregating age, color and gender by taste without knowing the individual -- sounding either like a marketing department skewing its research or group of cool kids and not allowing others hang with them. How do you know what old people or young people are into? Anyone can do the same thing--can childless couples watch (or write) a show about having kids? Can kids be entertained by a show without any children in it at all? And even if they do or don't like something, what's to say they all couldn't get why others do and appreciate that and still see that it's a good show? How do we know what they like? Citing examples serves to do the same thing you're trying to criticize.
Yes, yes, yea. You write what you know, especially when you're just starting out. The amateurs that one of our fellow commenters teaches deals with these people often. But if no one ever could create work based on anything other than themselves. Of course, you have a voice, a viewpoint, you base things on life experiences, there's no disputing that. But again, it's madness to believe creative ability is segregated and no one can learn, ask, explore and be capable of reaching further. It's been done by better people than us, men and women.
Stephen Colbert - if Trump goes he is DOA for material and I am sick to death of his Trump impersonation. Amy Schumer, Jim Carrey. Whitney Cummings.
Every time an old sitcom comes up with Jerry Van Dyke in it, I change the channel. Dick had all the comedy talent in that family.
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