Forums

Forum Menu
›

"Funny" actors/comics/etc. you just don't "get."

breamfisherbreamfisher Senior MemberPosts: 4,582 Senior Member
in The Lodge #1
Rather than derail fishingcomic's thread with a statement about Jim Carrey, I figured I'd start my own thread....

Jim Carrey is one of the supposed funny guys I just don't get. To me, he's basically a one-act wonder: rubber-faced guy who goes for over-the-top slapstick. I really don't find his movies to be that funny, and quite honestly the last things I saw him do that I thought were good were the Vera DiMilo and Fire-marshal Bill skits on "In Living Color."

Will Ferrell: again, a one-trick pony. Funniest bit he did was as Alex Trebeck on "Celebrity Jeopardy." Otherwise, his clueless act gets boring for me, fast.

Ben Stiller: yeah... Haven't been impressed with him since "The Ben Stiller Show." Comedy seems too forced, kinda only has one act.

Steve Carell: Yeah, one of those, too.

Adam Sandler: nope.

Am I missing something on these guys? Don't get me wrong, I like good comedy. Mel Brooks can basically do no wrong by me. Dom DeLuise was great other than "Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" which suffered because it was a musical (hates them I does), Harvey Corman and Tim Conway, together or apart were excellent. And let's not forget the 3 Stooges and Abbott and Costello. But a lot of the more modern comedians have a humor that escapes me. Am I missing something?

Replies

  • JulietJuliet Posts: 0
    #2
    Check out Will Ferrill in "Everything Must Go". A slightly funny movie about more like when Bill Murry did a remake of "Razor's Edge".
  • fishingcomicfishingcomic Senior Member Posts: 23,570 Senior Member
    #3
    I actually agree to a large extent. Especially Will Farrell.
    'I've spoken of the Shining City all my political life. …In my mind it was a tall, proud city built on rocks stronger than oceans, windswept, God-blessed, and teeming with people of all kinds living in harmony and peace; a city with free ports that hummed with commerce and creativity. And if there had to be city walls, the walls had doors and the doors were open to anyone with the will and the heart to get here. That's how I saw it, and see it still.'" Ronald Reagan
  • JulietJuliet Posts: 0
    #4
    Jim Carey ... In Living Color ... funny

    Will Farrell ... A Ricky Bobby ... again funny

    Ben Stiller ... Tropic Thunder ... funny

    albeit I will say they were funny in a large part due to their co-stars but as a whole I agree with Bream
  • BushartBushart Senior Member Posts: 2,602 Senior Member
    #5
    Agree Will Ferrell

    & have been burned by renting 2 movies which will be my last...Paul Rudd

    Liked Sandler in his Bob Dylan look alike role---Rain Oer Me

    Away from actors---liked earleir Farrelly Bros Movies like
    Kingpin and Outside Providence----not so much after
  • tim_stim_s Senior Member Posts: 1,951 Senior Member
    #6
    breamfisher wrote: »
    Rather than derail fishingcomic's thread with a statement about Jim Carrey, I figured I'd start my own thread....

    Jim Carrey is one of the supposed funny guys I just don't get. To me, he's basically a one-act wonder: rubber-faced guy who goes for over-the-top slapstick. I really don't find his movies to be that funny, and quite honestly the last things I saw him do that I thought were good were the Vera DiMilo and Fire-marshal Bill skits on "In Living Color."

    Will Ferrell: again, a one-trick pony. Funniest bit he did was as Alex Trebeck on "Celebrity Jeopardy." Otherwise, his clueless act gets boring for me, fast.

    Ben Stiller: yeah... Haven't been impressed with him since "The Ben Stiller Show." Comedy seems too forced, kinda only has one act.

    Steve Carell: Yeah, one of those, too.

    Adam Sandler: nope.

    Am I missing something on these guys? Don't get me wrong, I like good comedy. Mel Brooks can basically do no wrong by me. Dom DeLuise was great other than "Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" which suffered because it was a musical (hates them I does), Harvey Corman and Tim Conway, together or apart were excellent. And let's not forget the 3 Stooges and Abbott and Costello. But a lot of the more modern comedians have a humor that escapes me. Am I missing something?


    will ferrell just isn't funny....period

    jim carrey made some OK "dumb" funny.....dumb & dumber comes to mind.....but his best work was dark (cable guy) or serious (truman show)

    sandler made a couple of minor classics in tommy boy & billy madison.....but he never really changed his shtick and it grew old

    stiller has made some really good movies....he himself never struck me as super funny, though



    will ferrell isn't funny
    Fly Fishing in Maine - www.flyfishinginmaine.com
  • FlykuniFlykuni Senior Member Posts: 799 Senior Member
    #7
    Ferrell not funny, nor Sandler but will give them some props: cheerleader stuff on SNL was funny, Sandler's marijuanaka song is funny. Carrey in Liar, Liar and Truman Show, highlights. Stiller, only when he put that stuff in his hair and it stood up.
  • JulietJuliet Posts: 0
    #8
    I agree that many times an actor's stuff gets old. But pre-2009 Adam Sandler and pre-2007 Will Ferrill were comic gold.

    I mean, how could you not get Chazz Reinhold?

    On the other hand, except for the movie where he played Andy Kaufman, I've never been able to sit through a Jim Carrey movie.

    I never dug Chris Farley.
  • ouzelproouzelpro Senior Member Posts: 5,361 Senior Member
    #9
    Victoria Jackson.

    Rob Schnieder.

    Kanaloa.
  • FlykuniFlykuni Senior Member Posts: 799 Senior Member
    #10
    I miss Kanaloa and his head movie posts.
  • JulietJuliet Posts: 0
    #11
    Two years ago I was in Monterey, CA, walking past the harbor I see a sailboat, about a 30-footer, with the name "Kanaloa" on the transom. Took a picture, but then I managed to kill that phone before I got home to post it here.

    Comedy is, IMO, the most subjective of art forms. Different strokes for different folks. I'm not a huge fan of any of the comedians mentioned in the OP, but I have found all of them funny in at least some roles. Obviously, a large number of other people do, as well. WHile popularity is not generally a proxy for quality, in the field of comedy it just may be, because of the near-total subjectivity of the form.
  • FlykuniFlykuni Senior Member Posts: 799 Senior Member
    #12
    On other hand, watched some vintage 3 Stooges with orig Curly, and wasn't funny at all.
  • BuffcoBuffco Senior Member Posts: 10,239 Senior Member
    #13
    Yeah, I hate all the "old" stuff that is supposed to be funny. Three Stooges? It's embarrassingly bad. Like Pio said, they must've done something right, because a lot of people found them funny, but they annoy the crap out of me.

    I would say to those who didn't like Jim Carey to watch "Fun with **** and Jane". His later stuff (like "**** and Jane") is less "Ace Ventura All-righty then" then all of his first movies.

    I've caught flack for saying I'll continue to watch Jim Carey movies because of his anti-gun nutter rants, but ... oh well.
  • fishingcomicfishingcomic Senior Member Posts: 23,570 Senior Member
    #14
    I thought the Grinch was an great performance as well as The Riddler.

    I do get him sometimes and others not so much. People claim to hate it, but Liar Liar with all of its hackiness is still pretty funny to me.
    'I've spoken of the Shining City all my political life. …In my mind it was a tall, proud city built on rocks stronger than oceans, windswept, God-blessed, and teeming with people of all kinds living in harmony and peace; a city with free ports that hummed with commerce and creativity. And if there had to be city walls, the walls had doors and the doors were open to anyone with the will and the heart to get here. That's how I saw it, and see it still.'" Ronald Reagan
  • ricinusricinus Senior Member Posts: 6,214 Senior Member
    #15
    Whenever i want "funny", i think of Buddy Hackett on Carson " How to tell a joke "

    Mike
    My new goal in life is to become an Alter Kaker...
  • Shawn C.Shawn C. Senior Member Posts: 6,735 Senior Member
    #16
    Buffco wrote: »
    Yeah, I hate all the "old" stuff that is supposed to be funny. Three Stooges? It's embarrassingly bad.

    I agree about the Three Stooges. I have never thought they were funny at all. I can't even understand how people think they are funny.
    I never used to like Will Ferrell, but Ricky Bobby was hilarious so I went back and watched a couple more of his movies. He makes me laugh.
  • fishingcomicfishingcomic Senior Member Posts: 23,570 Senior Member
    #17
    Commies the lot of yas.
    'I've spoken of the Shining City all my political life. …In my mind it was a tall, proud city built on rocks stronger than oceans, windswept, God-blessed, and teeming with people of all kinds living in harmony and peace; a city with free ports that hummed with commerce and creativity. And if there had to be city walls, the walls had doors and the doors were open to anyone with the will and the heart to get here. That's how I saw it, and see it still.'" Ronald Reagan
  • BushartBushart Senior Member Posts: 2,602 Senior Member
    #18
    "Do you know the most important thing in comedy Maximillion......Timing"

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hh81LMz1sPo

Leave a Comment

BoldItalicStrikethroughOrdered listUnordered list
Format
Heading 1Heading 2
QuoteCodeSpoiler
Emoji
:):D:(;):/:o:s:p:'(:|B):#:*<3o:)>:)
Url
Image
Align leftAlign centerAlign rightToggle HTML viewToggle full pageToggle lights
Drop image/file
Home • The LodgeComment As ...
Magazine Cover

GET THE MAGAZINE Subscribe & Save

Temporary Price Reduction.

SUBSCRIBE NOW

Give a Gift   |   Subscriber Services

PREVIEW THIS MONTH'S ISSUE

MORE YOU MAY BE INTERESTED IN

GET THE NEWSLETTER Join the List and Never Miss a Thing.

Get the top Fly Fisherman stories delivered right to your inbox.

Sign Me Up