Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Deathlok's Top 10 List





I was watching these clips today (I couldn't find the scene with the bar) and I started think. . . . Who are the funniest people ever. So I started trying to put a list together in my head.

I categorized the list like this. There are some comedic groups that are funny and although some of their parts are funny, some of the parts are not as good as the whole. In those cases, I just put the group.

There are people that I have laughed at over the years that when I watch them now, I chuckle and the comedic fire is gone. However, there are things that I see that I guffaw at EVER TIME. These are the people listed here. To begin:

Honorable Mention - Paul Lynde - Actually a lot of people who were on the original Hollywood Squares were funny. I recently got a list of Paul Lynde answers from Hollywood Squares and I was surprised at how funny and inappropriate his humor was. It was ahead of its time. And let's be serious, who among us, didn't think the best part of BEWITCHED was Uncle Author. . . .What Aunt Haggatha? Please!

10. Jerry Seinfeld - As for newer comedians, I have to hesitate and think, "Is this guy gonna be funny in 10 years. I have old comedy shows from the 80s that were side splitting whether I was drunk or not. Bob Nelson, Emo Phillips, Jake Johansson . .the list goes on and on. Where are they now? I do think that Billy Connolly is still really funny and he is Scottish, I haven't seen him do much (other than "Il Duce" in Boondock Saints. Seinfeld's show was consistantly funny and some were the tops in television comedy. His recent comedy is still really funny even though it's not a outstanding as it used to be.

9. Stephen Colbert - I love comedy that isn't just standup. The Colbert Report is a very funny show and it's not the jokes, it's the delivery. There are few people that could replace him with the same script and make the show work.

8. Dave Chappelle - Okay, so he went a little wacky. His comedy is great. It's so offensive to everyone that it becomes universally funny. His show was one of the few shows on television that are worth owning. It's a shame that the 3rd season never got off the ground.

7. Eddie Izzard - A guilty pleasure. Being new to the scene (relatively speaking), he may fade into obscurity. But as we speak, I owe all five DVD of his standup and, although some are better than others, I think that he is brilliant. He mixes base humor with extreme intelligence. Similar to Dennis Miller but with a British flare.

6. Don Rickles - I relate to Don Rickles. You see a lot of people today that try to reproduce the obnoxious, acerbic wit of Rickles that just comes across as rude. It's like he had a million insults categorized in his head and he just waited for the right situation to present itself.

5. Warner Brothers Cartoons Characters - It's my list and I can bend the rules to suit my liking. Not all of them obviously. Namely, Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and Foghorn Leghorn. I've seen these cartoons 100+ each and when I see them, or just play them in my head, I laugh out loud. Personally, I've always been a BIG Daffy fan, of the bunch. To quote Bugs, if you don't like these cartoons "Yoooouu. . .are a men'tal case."

4. The Three Stooges - One of the things that I find unique about The Stooges is that, despite repeated attempts, no one can ever repeat, remake, deuplicate, re-envision, or modernize the Stooges. Despite how funny they are, the comedy doesn't translate. There is a certain magic about it that is timeless and isolated in its humor.

3. Buster Keaton - The clips above are humorous. There are other clips that are fall on the floor funny. Take into account that there was no CGI and most of his stunts involved a chance of death. . . .Amazing. In the clp above, where the house falls on him. He actually had the front of a real house fall on him and using his Engineering knowledge figured out where the window was going to be. One Take! One mistake and he would have been dead. I have similar awe for Lon Chaney in the horror genre.

2. Monty Python - You can't pull these guys apart. I have spent a large portion of my life watching Python and things that have the members of Python in it. When I watched the Flying Circus in the late 70s (Oh. . shut up! . . like some of you aren't that old) I always thought that Cleese and Palin were the best. Years later I got to see Chapman live at the Comedy Factory Outlet in Philadelphia. He told exactly NO jokes. It was the funniest thing that I have ever gone to. He told stories about when he and Keith Moon used to hang out. He talked a little Python. I learned that the Silly Walk Sketch was actually written by Terry Jones and Graham Chapman and that they decided that Cleese would be the funniest to perform it. Based on that, I can't separate the genius that is Monty Python.

1. Groucho Marx - The Marx Brothers are genius. I own most of their movies and although I always enjoy them, I never get tired of Groucho. Groucho had a wit like no other. He is the funniest guy ever.

Everybody still here?? Well, what do you think? Am I missing anyone? Do you disagree with any of these?

16 Comments:

At 11:04 PM, Blogger Sezme said...

Eddie Izzard is scary smart! Love him!

Stooges and Warner Bros.! YAY!

Monty Python! Know what I mean? Wink, wink, nudge, nudge.

How about Abbott and Costello? I used to crack up as a little kid watching those movies.

 
At 1:08 AM, Blogger Buckaroo Banzai said...

Bugs and friends should be ranked closer to the top, but overall, a fine list!

 
At 12:54 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Comedy is such a personal thing. While everyone on your list has done more than a few things I've laughed at, only one of them I find consistently humorous, and I think we both know who HE is, the others tend to bore me after only a few minutes. Not a comment on them or you, of course.

Since your gambit was "funniest people" and not "comedians" my list gets a little weird in places. In no particular, but kinda chronological, order

Bob Klein
Lenny Bruce
George Carlin
Robyn Williams
Billy Crystal
Steven Wright
Spalding Gray
Laurie Anderson
Mr. Izzard
Bill Maher

HM: Christopher Guest

 
At 2:58 PM, Blogger Deathlok said...

Agreed - comedy is a personal taste. I do really like Bob Klein,Billy Crystal,Spalding Gray.

Lenny Bruce - I have only limited exposure to him.
George Carlin - When he is on he is a laugh riot. Recently, he just seems angry and unfunny.
Robyn Williams - Similar to Carlin, when he is on there are few funnier. However, when he in ON his medication, he tends to be a little boring.
Steven Wright - I used to be a BIG Steven Wright fan. I saw him back in the 80s and realized that when you sitting in the dark and he's going on and on. Like Emo where has he gone??
Laurie Anderson - I'm sitting bolt upright in my straightback chair. . .buttoning that top button. . . need more exposure to comment.
Bill Maher - Hate Him! He is the anti-Dennis Miller.

 
At 8:53 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Jim Carey is funny but can go overboard, like Robin Williams.
Carol Burnett and crew were very funny--old shows still make me laugh! And I saw Tim Conway a few weeks ago and was laughing out loud! There's a lot to choose from, but I definitely agree about Bill Maher--can't stand him!
There was a funny movie with alot of comedians called "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad World"--not sure how many mads in title!

 
At 10:45 PM, Blogger Dionne said...

I'm a big Seinfeld fan. As far as I'm concerned almost everything in life relates to a Seinfeld episode.

 
At 9:23 AM, Blogger Deathlok said...

Abbott and Costello are funny but they aren't the same calibur of the Marx Bros.

I remember thinking that the Carol Burnett Show was funny, until I saw their reunion show a few years ago. Then I remembered that they were REALLY funny. Conway and Korman were genius.

Mad Mad Mad. . .? Very Funny. In the Vein, I recently bought THE GREAT RACE. Rip Roarin'

 
At 9:37 PM, Blogger Mike said...

I'd have to ad the Coen Brothers because their films as so frickin' funny. The WB toons are great and Monty Python, what can you say, SPAM. Steven Wright has always hit me. Rob Becker's "Defending the Caveman" is the funniest thing I've ever seen on stage. The Flight of the Conchords is the funniest thing on TV right now.

 
At 9:44 PM, Blogger Mike said...

Christopher Guest's movies were also brilliant althought I wasn't crazy about "For Your Consideration." "Spinal Tap" is as good as it gets.

 
At 9:44 AM, Blogger Deathlok said...

So I should take FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION off my Netflix list?
Spinal Tap is Genius. I actually saw them in concert way back when they put out there sad second album. Very funny though.

I didn't consider people like the Coen Brothers. . I would have had to give Woody Allen's early stuff a thought.

I always wanted to see "Vaveman".

 
At 9:46 AM, Blogger Deathlok said...

. . . "Caveman"

 
At 1:32 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I think "For Your Consideration" is still definitely worth watching. It doesn't hold up to Tap, Guffman (the best of the bunch IMO), Show or Wind, but really, that's pretty high expectations.

It pales in comparison to other Guest films, but not in comparison to most of the crap coming out of Hollywood.

Just IMO

 
At 10:27 AM, Blogger Deathlok said...

(kicking dust) I'll keep it on the list.

BTW,
I did pick up Scotland PA. I'll let you know when I watch it.

 
At 12:06 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

The Great Race--haven't seen that in awhile! Funny, especially the cake scene! I always wonder if they had to do that more than once! Jack was over the top and Natalie was so cute!
I saw Fargo yesterday--funny in a very dark way!
Never cared for Woody Allen.
Rodney Dangerfield was usually funny.
Benny Hill?
Some of the people from SNL have been funny, but I quit watching long ago!

 
At 7:19 PM, Blogger Deathlok said...

I actually gave serious consideration to putting the Original SNL cast in the list. They were never surpassed and ever one of them was funny in their own right. . . .evern Lorainne Newman.

I have a copy of SLEEPER which is the Best Woody Allen movie, just above TAKE THE MONEY AND RUN.

I also found a cheap copy of WATERMELON MAN a little while ago. I'm considering looking for a copy of COLD TURKEY next.

 
At 4:23 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I think Don Rickels was the funniest SNL host ever, back in '81. He stole every skit and had the entire cast, including Murphy and Piscapo struggling not to laugh.

I'm not sure about his stand-up, but Bill Maher's New Rules are one of the few things that make me laugh out loud.


I always was a big David Brenner fan.

 

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