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Old January 18th, 2014 #30
Alex Linder
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Donnie in Ohio View Post
Also sprach Dalton.

During the recent Polar Vortex (a new buzzword) that turned The Ohio Valley into one huge sagging proverbial witch's teat, I watched a lot of standup specials on Netflix. Dozens of them are listed.

Louis C.K. does a bit on how great it is to be white that drew some awkward laughs. Pretty hot stuff, thought I. If he did that bit 10 years ago they would have ran him off the stage.
The feminists love him. He panders to them. Not saying he isn't funny, but he's definitely leftist. I've never posted any of that here but I will next time I come across it. We'll just make this the #1 comedy thread.

Carrey can do anything. Physical comedy is not easy. John Ritter could do it. Look at the videos - that shit he's doing as Vanilla Ice - he makes it look easy, that's not easy at all. The first time you watch Pet Detective - magical. it doesn't get much funnier than a couple of scenes in that movie. Hell, he was your hero Jim Morrison in the Doors, and I thought pulled that off pretty plausibly. I can't think of any other comedian who can do even half of what he does, let alone as well.

He can do physical comedy better than anyone who ever lived, as far as I know. He has a much broader range than Ritter or Chevy Chase. He can stab people in speeches - as he did to Shia LeBoof (sp) at Golden Globes (i read, did not see this). He can act straight, as Morrison.

Yes, I know people don't like it, but that's a matter of taste. But he is a genius, there is absolutely no doubt about that. Most of these guys are one-trick ponies. They have a standup act. They write some bits. Maybe they make a movie or a limp sitcom - playing themselves. Ok, that's fine. He's so far beyond this type it's not even funny. If anything standup is his weakest area. People are used to thinking of comedy as dry wit, but that's easy comedy. The physical, over the top stuff that he does, or that Benny Hill did is much harder than the understated ironical stuff. He can also do perfect voice work - perfect impressions, singing or talking. His talent is simply off the charts. Genius is the only word to describe him. Come up with one person who can do 50% of what he can do with his body, let alone voice, not to mention combined, I can't think of anyone, and I've seen most of what's out there.

I LIKE understated stuff. I like all comedy, even prop garbage like The Top specializes in. I just like over the top, hyperbolic stuff more, and I feel it's underrated. What's so great about being lukewarm funny because you're afraid to admit you're trying to be funny - that's the problem. You're an entertainer. Be funny. We see the same problem in writing. Man, when I write stuff, you're goddam right I'm trying to be funny. I'm trying to be smart. I'm performing. No bones about it. Otherwise, I'm wasting people time, that's my puritan play ethic, I suppose. I know you feel it too, because your posts are always intelligent and often funny. So you put effort into them. So much writing - so many writers - Jesus...they write like there's a reward for being boring, or saying the same stupid shit everyone else does in the same stupid words. That's not why one writes, if one is serious. Man, you're on the stage. GIVE ME SOMETHING.

You know?

Carrey gives me a LOT. He makes me HAPPY. I just bubble and giggle watching him. I hope he has TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS and a glorious private life. Man, the world is rough. Performers and writers are supposed to feed us spiritually, and alleviate just a tiny fraction of the roughness and wear. When I watch him as the Juice Weasel, it's just glorious. He's got uber-energy, it's just over the top, that's how stuff is supposed be done. It's inspiring and uplifting. How can anyone not watch that and not feel just bubblingly happy?

"Trying too hard" -- ok, but you're not supposed to watch him in that cool marine in oakley's in muscle car mode, you're supposed to give in to the mania, let the Carrey tsunami take you for a ride.

Carrey hasn't lost that certain "zest for life," and he fills you up, just watching him with his exuberant, overflowing joyousness. I NEED that. Humanity NEEDS that. We GET THAT from him. That's how it's supposed to be.

Ok enough gushing from me. I just love the guy. He makes me happy. That's a big deal. To me. And many feel the same way,

But really, I like almost all comedy. Even bad, dumb stuff. christ, even monty python. Christ, I don't even hate The Doors anymore. I really like that movie, at least parts of it.

I can't help but personalize stuff. God, I remember taking a shit and I was reading this P.J. O'Rourke article about the Sandinistas, and he was mocking Bianca Jagger so wickedly cool, I'm like goddam, this is SO FUCKING GOOD, this is what I want to do for people I want to cause them to feel the way I do right now, my god how awesome.

That's what writing is, what satire is. Man, it's hard to feel things. And the older you get the harder it is. Writers should perform and inspire and put some fucking art and learning into their stuff and make an effort. Most of what's out there is dumb plodding. The few capable of deep learning expressed with uh production values should be celebrated. It's the greatest thing on earth. People don't just need food, they want TRANSCENDENCE - that's what Carrey-Morrison said in the Doors movie in what'd i'd call the climactic scene. They don't want just a two-car garage and picket fence, they want a little taste of something HIGHER. You GET THAT from TRUE artists like Carrey or O'Rourke, before he gold old and whored out to the warmongering neocons.

We talk about so much shitty stuff, it's good to celebrate stuff too, like great artists or newfound species.

Last edited by Alex Linder; January 18th, 2014 at 03:39 AM.