ianrandalstrock ([info]ianrandalstrock) wrote,
2009-07-23 22:47:00
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Stupid comedians, or comedians playing stupid?

Are we now reveling more in stupid comedians, or comedians playing stupid people? I saw Tracy Morgan on Letterman last night, and had to turn it off after two minutes, because his public persona is a very stupid person and I just don't find it funny. And while I turned it off, I started thinking that the current crop of new big comedians (at least those who are graduates of Saturday Night Live) are known for being (or playing) really stupid characters: Adam Sandler, Rob Schneider, Will Ferrell, Morgan... I got through those four, and stopped thinking about them. But I compared them to the early SNL grads: John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Chevy Chase, or even those of the middle years, like Eddie Murphy and Billy Crystal. All of them, from time to time, played stupid characters, but none of them were known solely for being stupid characters. Can you remember the last time Sandler, Schneider, Ferrell, or Morgan played someone with an IQ above 80?

I'm trying to figure out why we (as a society) seem to be admiring such put-on stupidity. Is it to a greater degree these days, or is it just me?
Tags: comics, humor, society, television

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  • 11 comments

[info]timwb

July 24 2009, 02:59:21 UTC 2 years ago

Is it admiration, or something like Steve Martin where the audience is in on the act?

[info]ianrandalstrock

July 25 2009, 03:09:26 UTC 2 years ago

That's what I'm trying to figure out. But the stupidity they're playing is much, much dumber than Steve Martin ever did. And when he was being interviewed, Martin came across as a guy with some brains. Tracy Morgan on Letterman was doing his damnedest to make sure he (not some character he was playing) came across as stupid as possible.

[info]weirman

July 24 2009, 10:54:14 UTC 2 years ago

I'm convinced that as education declines and people are continually more ignorant and less educated, they fasten more and more on others who are less intelligent than themselves because some part of them subconsciously feels that they're less than they can be.

Or maybe it's just the cruel part of human nature that likes seeing people who are less than themselves. I don't know what the reason is but it does depress me how much stupidity is appealing to the masses.

[info]ianrandalstrock

July 25 2009, 03:11:04 UTC 2 years ago

That would imply that these stupid-seeming comedians are simply tapping into the greater consciousness, and playing dumb to attract an audience. I'm almost wishing that's the case, as it would elevate those comedians in my mind. I fear that it's not completely an act, but only partially so.

[info]weirman

July 25 2009, 07:08:38 UTC 2 years ago

Though I don't think it's true of all of them, I do think some of the dumb comedians actually are acting dumb, mainly because I've seen them act in more intelligent roles.

For example, Brendan Frasier is one of the actors who first started doing the idiotic comedian movies. Encino Man and Tarzan just to name a few. Yet he's done some surprisingly dramatic roles and indicated that he's capable of a broader range.

Will Ferrell is another that's actually capable of more. I thought he did a remarkably good job in Stranger Than Fiction, and when watching him in interviews he can come across as intelligent and well-spoken. Even Adam Sandler is capable of more than he usually portrays.

All three of those actors, however, have gotten their biggest paychecks by playing dumb. It's just that idiotic humor has a much larger audience draw than truly dramatic roles.

[info]ianrandalstrock

July 25 2009, 23:56:36 UTC 2 years ago

Yeah, Stranger than Fiction is the one I keep thinking of. It was a very good movie, and the only thing that marred it for me was Ferrell. I wanted to see the movie on its own merits, but I just couldn't shake my previous impressions of Ferrell.

But back to my original point, it wasn't an actor playing a dumb character; it was Tracy Morgan talking to David Letterman about the possibility of winning an Emmy Award, and then gluing it to his refrigerator so it wouldn't be stolen. Maybe some people found it funny, I just found it as comedically lame as could be.

[info]kitteridge

July 24 2009, 17:48:15 UTC 2 years ago

Because everyone can look at that guy and say "well, I might not be bright but at least I'm not *that* stupid." The other way around doesn't work so well.

Check out "In the Loop" if you want smart satire (and loads of swearing); there's a review in the NY Times today. Good British scorn always delights.

[info]ianrandalstrock

July 25 2009, 03:19:03 UTC 2 years ago

I may have to see it; I like smart comedy (although a "mock-vérité style" tends to annoy me).

[info]kitteridge

July 25 2009, 04:00:27 UTC 2 years ago

Honestly, I hardly noticed it!

[info]kitteridge

July 25 2009, 04:00:46 UTC 2 years ago

Oop, used the wrong icon :D

[info]graykin

July 27 2009, 23:02:13 UTC 2 years ago

Well, _I_ certainly don't revel in that. Unless it's done intelligently :) I will say that I've noticed that Will Ferrell does really well playing the stupid person in tolerable quantities when he's not the star of the film like in Austin Powers or Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (which were both quite a while ago).

Something I find interesting about your SNL list is that they're all guys. Because the obvious exception to the stupid SNL alum stereotype would be Tina Fey.
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