Monday, November 16, 2009

Maybe It's Cultural

Humor is a strange thing - some people get it while others don't.
I think it has something to do with the familiarity of the topics being joked about, or maybe it's a familiarity with the culture being ridiculed.
I rarely find female comedians funny - I just can't relate.
Rosie O'Donnell, Roseanne Barr or Kathy Griffin are just not funny.
(At least not to me.)
I don't get them.
But then again, maybe I'm not supposed to.
And I'm so disgusted just looking at Mo'Nique that I can't even listen to her routines.
She may be the funniest comedian since Eddie Murphy (in his prime), but I can't get over my disgust of this beast throwing her junk around as though she were really Beyonce.

D.L. is 'aight - but he wasn't credible delivering topical news with a humorous point of view.
Maybe if it were HBO and the producers allowed him to curse.

Since Obama got elected - producers had the bright idea of having a Black version for everything (D.L. & D.A.G.).
But John Stewart isn't funny because he is white.
John Stewart is funny because he points out the lunacy of the real news from a clever perspective.
His appeal transcends race because it's true.
I never "got" Monty Python.
It was supposed to be the funniest show in television history - but not to me.
Maybe I lack the proper perspective of those living in the former Empire.
Or maybe it's just that the British wit is a bit to dry for my tastes.
A better gauge of crossover appeal would be that of George Carlin.
Carlin could point out the obvious in a way that would make anyone think; "Why didn't I think of that?"'
Carlin was funny because he tells that truth.
I'm no George Lopez fan - but I appreciate the attempt at mixing things up in late night.
I liked Craig Kilborn because he reminded me of L.A..
I like Kimmel because he reminds me of L.A..
O'Brien, Leno and Ferguson are just doing what everyone else does.
(Sure, they're watchable - but for the guests.)
Lopez's show has the A'List talent interviewed from a Latino/Hispanic perspective.
I like that it's a different flavor than what is seen ever night on every other channel.
Stolen jokes aside - maybe Carlos Mencea would have been a better candidate to host a (network) late night talk show.
Why was Carlos given a show?
To try to fill the void left by...
Dave Chapelle.
Dave could talk about anything to any (younger) audience.
Imagine Dave interviewing Sarah Palin.
Too bad it's thirty or so years past the apex of Pryor's popularity.
Would he have been a good host of a late night talk show?
Would he have been credible?

1 comment:

FreeMan said...

You might be right as humor could be cultural and those who really crossover were noticing the truth of everything so it was instantly relatable.

I still miss Arsenio. I don't think he was ever a comedian just a cat who could interview well. Throw in some new slang and keep playing jazz and rap and it equals cool and trendy!