The Tragedy of Comedy
Comedy or tragedy, which do you prefer? I’d rather laugh myself, but actors are in this spot light they'd rather make people cry. As having been only a temporary god of the spotlight, there is more gratification for me when I see people crying in the audience. Making people laugh is much easier. I can make a silly face and some of you will laugh. I can fall down and some of you will laugh. But do you have any idea of what I have to do to make you cry? Let’s not go there.
There are many sacrifices one must make to make you laugh. First I must do something endangerous to myself, or I have to make myself out to be a fool, or I need to make someone else the fool. If that doesn’t work I will need to be very cleaver or talk about one of my obsessions.
The biggest sacrifice a comic will make is their death. Comics never die in a happy way, but often in an ironic way.
Lenny Bruce died on a bathroom floor from a heroin overdose.
Andy Kauffman, a heart attack at a young age.
Sam Kennison killed by a drunk driver in a high speed car crash.
John Belushi killed by a speed ball.
Chris Farley exploded one day.
Freddie Prince shot himself in the head.
We can only hope Billy Crystal, Whoopie Goldberg and Robin Williams find creative ways of checking out as well.
Though their lives are tragic, those gods of the comedy spotlight seem to get a special blessing. Here’s the deal,… comics only need to be funny for one year of their career. After that year they can say anything and people will laugh because these comedy gods are supposed to be funny.
Somehow Whoopie Goldberg got into this club without being funny for a year. We’re still waiting!!!
WILL SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME THE LAST TIME BILL COSBY SAID ANYTHING THAT WAS FUNNY???
Charles M Schultz, the writer of the comic strip Peanuts who died a couple years ago; not one of his strips has been funny for the last 25 years. They still run them in some paper today. Check it out for yourself. Please join me in a group , "Huh?"
Had Bob Hope done anything funny since the movies he made in the 50’s?
Carrot Top?!? WTF???
Don’t get me started on Jerry Lewis. At least he looks funny and even more so as he ages.
posted by The Guy Who Writes This at 7:20 AM
8 Comments:
Spot. On.
But...please tell me you think Phyllis Diller (sp?) is funny. That woman IS comedy, IMO.
BTW, you ALL KINDS of wrong for posting that picture before breakfast.
Andy Kaufman died of lung cancer.
BELIEVE ME!
Diller had it back in the day, but then I was only ten years old, and I found just about anything funny then. I don't know how she would hold up today. I even liked her show "The Pruits of South Hampton", remember that one Syd.
As for the photo before breakfast, it's almost 11 am in MS. How come a farm girl hasn't had breakfast before 11am???
I believe you Tony. Wasn't it reported as a heart attack? Tragedy none the less.
If you must know, I actually skipped breakfast. What I should have said was "before I tapped the party pig." :)
Whoooah nelly, what a photo!
Personally, I never understood the appeal of Andrew Dice Clay. Or Andy Kaufman.
But Eddie Izzard? Funny. Robin Williams? Funny. Whoopie? Total hit and miss, prefer her as an actress.
~Lachlan
Dice played a real good character in a Vegas cop show a few years back that was to have taken place in the 60. But yes I don't see the comedy there either. Robin was good in Garp, and Whoopie in Star Trek NG, but their comedy... Eh? Who is Eddie Izzard?
Thanks for checking in Lachlan, I enjoy your blog. Any friend of Syd's is OK in my book.
Why thanks, Guy! Syd is my favorite comic read, too.
You simply must check out Eddie. He is an actor and standup, whose best work (IMHO) is "Dressed to Kill". He has his own site, which I believe is eddieizzard.com.
He talks a lot about history, particularly British (which he is). Funny stuff.
~Lachlan
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