A question I can not answer

spiritwalker

Why is it, with all the money and education in this world. With all the talent that is brought to the forefront and variety among us. Is there no greater comedy movies then those done by "The Three Stooges" "Laurel and Hardy" "Abbot and Costello" and "Charlie Chaplin?" I can sit and watch these old movies for hours and enjoy it all and frankly the film quality sucks! Yet if I see a modern actor try to do something like them, I am thinking "this is lame!" I remember the actor "John Ritter" used to be compared to them. Yeah right! He was nothing and frankly I thought he always came off looking stupid and off tune to what ever these old actors had. Never have I seen anyone do what they did and only they can make me laugh at their work, watching it. What do you think? Did the age old talent die with them?

seeitallclearlynow

They're great, of course! I also really enjoy John Cleese, Martin Lawrence, Jerry Lewis, and Dan Aykroyd; but I can't think of any modern comedy duos or trios at the moment! Except for Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. And Bill Cosby was awfully good at times too. Don't you think so?

Purple

I agree with you to some extent. You have to remember though that the world was a very different place when those greats were creating their comedy and life was also different. Maybe what is funny is how innocent life was back then. Everything they did was fresh and new and hence funny but now "nothing new is under the sun". There is not as much that is innocent or funny these days. SOme of the funniest lines I have heard come from characters who speak truth such as George out of Sienfeild. Some of his lines still make me laugh because I identify with them easily. Such as his imortal singing message about "believe it or not George isn't at home". Or the line "I am without speech, I have nothing to say". Stuff like that is still funny. I also like the new comedians although I dont understand a lot of what they are talking about being Australian we have very different humour styles! But I love Abbott and COstello, Lucille Ball, Laurel and HArdy and heaps of others of the old ones!

gumby

Maybe you live in the past too much like I do and won't move. Comedy has changed styles and duo's and threesomes are not the routine as it was years ago. Think about how many comics we have. If you would have grew up with Cheech and Chong intead of Abbott and Costello......you wouldn't think the latter was as funny.

I still think there is no music like the oldies........so I guess Im an old bastard like you.

Gumby

particlesnwaves5

I think comedy has grown up.

I know this won't make me popular but I always felt some sadness at the way Rickie always snuffed out Lucy's dreams. It didn't help to know that he couldn't bring himself to love her in "real life" either. She was a very talented lady.

I never liked slapstick. I just don't think all that hitting and slapping and falling was funny. It looked painful. Or that one member of comedy duos was the "brains" and the other had to be the "dummy".

I think there is funny stuff still out there. But it is more about contemporary life and some of it is quite thoughtprovoking. Its more real. I think Seinfeld show was on to something. Everybody was flawed but they all had some talents too. And their stuff was stuff I could relate to.

I don't watch that King of Queens show very often but I like the idea that the girl's father is living with them. Alot of people are caretakers to elderly parents. I am glad they show the humorous side and the affection too. I think the Drew Carey show is very funny. And the who's line is it anyway cracks me and my daughters up.

Movies: I don't see how you could watch the older version of The Inlaws ( Falk and Arkin) and not crack up. Fifty First Dates is supposed to be funny--friends tell me. The Royal Tennenbaums was very funny. I liked Dumb and Dumber.

But, I think the Mr. Bean series on PBS was great slapstick. The episode where Mr. Bean is trying to change into a swimsuit without flashing a man near by (who turned out to be blind, btw) is priceless.

I miss Gilda Radner. She was a genius!

Elsewhere

The Three Stooges RULE!

particlesnwaves5

There is a pretty good comedy duo nowadays--Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson. I think they are still trying to find their way but they can be very funny together. They were great in several movies like the Royal Tenenbaums and Meet the Parents.

A music video that was pretty funny: with Paul Simon and Chevy Chase. I wish I could remember the song.

heathen

I think comedies these days are more sophisticated . If we look at Woody Allen , jim carrey , mike myers , leslie neilson , jackie chan ,steve martin ,I think we find that comedy is always breaking new ground , I like comedians that can use a one liner as well as the physical stuff to make people laugh . I do like the marx brothers and the child like humor of abbot and costello and such but today you can get away with just about anything and slap an R rating on it and nobody really complains .

Gopher

A music video that was pretty funny: with Paul Simon and Chevy Chase. I wish I could remember the song.

That song was "You Can Call Me Al". And Chevy Chase's antics (remember him pretending to blow the horn?) were hilarious in that video.

gaiagirl

I think that the reason Laurel and Hardy, the Stooges, etc are deemed funny, while newer imitators are not is that when THEY did it, it was new, original, unexpected and groundbreaking. The newer guys who did the same thing, for example Soupy Sales, come across as kind of lame, somehow.

However, what was funny in the 1920's, 30's, 40's and 50's doesn't always translate well into modern comedy. Part of the reason is that as our society and culture changes, what that culture finds humorous also changes. I've seen 'Ma and Pa Kettle' films made in the '40s and 50's, and don't find them very funny, although they were successful enough in their day to have a long string of sequels, I forget how many they actually made. Other films from the same era hold up much better, for example 'The Egg and I', 'Bringing Up Baby', etc.

There are lots of good modern comedians (Ok, I'm going to include people from the last 30 years or so), such as Monty Python, many of the members of Saturday Night Live, Jerry Seinfeld, Steve Martin, etc, who have contributed so significantly that they have actually changed the language. See how many of the following references you recognize:

Are you "spongeworthy" or do you know someone who is?

Are you or someone you know a "wild and crazy guy"?

Did you ever experience "shrinkage"?

Have you ever gone to an "argument clinic"?

What is the airspeed of a swallow carrying a cocoanut?

Have you ever worked for "Van deLay Industries"?

Do you need "The Bro"?

Are you employed as a lumberjack, and is it really OK?

Have you ever owned a "Bass-o-matic 76"?

What does a castle full of virgins do on stormy evenings?

What was referred to by the speaker who said "They're real, and they're spectacular"?

Are you "master of your domain"? Really?

"I'm not dead yet!"

There have been many good comics come up in recent years. I recently saw "School of Rock" and found it hilarious. "Lost in Translation" showcases Bill Murrays talent. There have also been many good shows on television, some of which lasted, others not. I found "It's Like, You Know...", "That 80's Show", "Andy Richter Controls the Universe", and "Coupling" to be very funny, yet all were yanked before developing much of an audience.

A question I can not answer

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