Dara O'Briain- what's yo take?

Deus Ex Machina

I have scarcely encountered a comedian who polarises opinion quite as much as Dara O'Briain. I personally find him quite likeable and funny, but I can understand how his somewhat smug style and yappy voice could irritate. Some people also dislike the whole fat/bald/officious combination he seems to have cultivated. One unfortunate side-effect of his fame which I have found is that many people who enjoy Mr O'Briain's mildly sardonic style have adopted an under nuanced version of it for themselves which comes across as cynical and arrogant in persons less well endowed in the arts of comedic delivery as the originator.

Where do the discerning folks of Boards.ie stand on this matter?

SoupyNorman

Deus Ex Machina wrote: »

I have scarcely encountered a comedian who polarises opinion quite as much as Dara O'Briain.

Ever hear of Bernard Manning?

Degag

There's definately worse comedians than him.

Lee Evans come to mind.

Davidius

I think he's funny.

starbelgrade

It's hard to "cultivate" baldness. In fact, cultivate is probably the opposite of the word I would use.

manic mailman

I think he's very good. And yes I definitely understand how some don't like him but his humour matches my own perfectly. Being well spoken and being able to interact with the audience in a sincere way seem to make him stand compared to other comedians for me.

On the otherhand I don't like comedians who resort to going nuts on stage to try get a laugh - Lee Evans, as mentioned above is the prime example of this (but hey this is only my opinion).

KeithM89_old

What an awful poll - the holocaust wasnt as bad as Pat Kenny

rockmongrel

Very good comedian. Saw him in Vicar Street a few months ago, was in stitches.

Degag

KeithM89 wrote: »

What an awful poll - the holocaust wasnt as bad as Pat Kenny

Yeah, i was trying to differenciate which option was the "good" one and which was the "bad" one.... i came to the same conclusion as you.

Smarmy

I like him, he's one of the better comedians out there at the minute. But, he says "ehhhhh" way too much.

Didn't take part in the poll because both Pat Kenny and The Holocaust are/were terrible. But Pat is worse because I'm not Jewish.

Basq

Fantastic comedian.... going to see him live next month actually!

Not so much a fan of 'Mock The Week' but that's more due to the fact it was "comedian regulars" like Andy Parsons and Hugh Dennis.

Oh.. and I've closed that poll as the options were ridiculous!

Degag

basquille wrote: »

Fantastic comedian.... going to see him live next month actually!

Not so much a fan of 'Mock The Week' but that's more due to the fact it was "comedian regulars" like Andy Parsons and Hugh Dennis.

Oh.. and I've closed that poll as the options were ridiculous!

Blasphemy! Hugh Dennis is great!

Basq

Degag banned for talking crazy! :P

Degag

Lol, each to their own but i love the voice overs he does...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzivucbNePY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fu47Jm_EtBM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmYluz3wKVg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UBdEuxSA34

Skid

Don't like Mock The Week much, but Dara O'Briain is a great comedian.

Brilliant stand up (Enjoy his show Basquille!) - good material and he does lots of banter with the audience, so every show is different. Naturally quick witted.

He was a great presenter of 'The Panel' - able to chair the show, interview the guests and let the other comedians chip in. No coincidence that the show went downhill when he left.

He's also a fine interviewer - he did a show on BBC2 called 'Turn Back Time' a few years ago where he interviewed one guest on each show. Went through archive clips and talked about their career and life. Very enjoyable - closer to Parkinson than Jonathan Ross.

So yeah, he's the man. I don't think he polarises opinion. Sure, some people aren't fans of his but the worst you could accuse him of is being slightly smug at times.

ziedth

I really like him too,

I went to see him in cork before the summer and I had a pain from laughing. His audience interaction is quality.

previous user

He suits the role of presenting mock the week but as a stand up comedian, no.

syklops

previous user wrote: »

He suits the role of presenting mock the week but as a stand up comedian, no.

I am the Polar opposite. I dont really like Mock the Week. I dont like the format, and I dont like many of the comedians. He is great at presenting things like Have I got news for you, and The Panel, but I dont really like him on Mock the Week(this may be due to my dislike of Mock the Week.

As a comedian, I think he is terrific. He interacts with the audience alot, and does an awful lot of improv, often very quickly, which has to be admired, even if you dont think what he says is funny.

ziedth

That's just it,

When I saw him bellow in cork a young lad was there with his dad for his 17th birthday and Dara talked them then later on the show noticed he was drinking a beer. He the took the piss out of them for it over the next 10min or so.

I couldn't see many doing that, Like I saw Bill Bailey last year too and outside of a commentary on the death of Michael Jackson (happened the night before) I'd say his show doesn't change much word for word worth noting it was a quality show though.

FreudianSlippers

He's a very good standup comedian IMO.

Benny Lava

I think he's a very good comedian. I saw him in Vicar Street and thought he was hilarious.

His audience interaction is fantastic. His style of comedy is very different to say Jimmy Carr and Frankie Boyle but personally I prefer the way he speaks intellectually and never has to resort to shock value.

The bit he did about mixed marriages when he was live at The Apollo was brilliant!

Aidric

I like his work on the Panel and the earlier series of Mock The Week. He was also adequate as a stand in on HIGNFY.
His stand-up however bores me rigid, too much of the 'mad Irish feckers' type rubbish dotted through his routine. Not quite in the same league of annoying as Ed Byrne but just doesn't do anything for me as a stand up.

Namabillion

I think he's good.

Onthe3rdDay

He was good but recently has become preachy!

previous user

syklops wrote: »

I am the Polar opposite. I dont really like Mock the Week. I dont like the format, and I dont like many of the comedians. He is great at presenting things like Have I got news for you, and The Panel, but I dont really like him on Mock the Week(this may be due to my dislike of Mock the Week.

As a comedian, I think he is terrific. He interacts with the audience alot, and does an awful lot of improv, often very quickly, which has to be admired, even if you dont think what he says is funny.

Na, too much diddly eye, wink -wink mischievous Irish humour, the kind of Irish mannerisms you'd see from a
comedian from the 1950's, too sentimential, not dark enough, he does know that the catholic church isn't in charge any more doesn't he?
Compared to the likes of Dave Capelle, Jack Dee and Lee Evans and David McSavage his jokes just aren't well observed, no he has to go.

MitchKoobski

I think he's a great comedian, theres not many comedians who have audience interaction like he does.

previous user

Yeh I guess he has that in his favour and some good one liners. I guess he's more of a rapid fire comedian when it comes to telling a story.

The Black Oil

I don't mind him - he's right on science, homeopaths, etc. He was quite competent on HIGNFY, from what I saw at the time. It's not easy to do that kind of improv or audience interaction at live shows. I do think he stretches that aspect a bit, the searching for people with quirky backgrounds/stories and then trying to tie it all together. The searching can be more interesting than the content/what's revealed, tends not to be that funny.

Richard Dower

Tosser.

amacachi

Richard Dower wrote: »

Tosser.

Too old and no styled hair aye?

Kiwi_knock

I think his Stand Up is hilarious and he has great audience interaction. However on Mock the Week I find some of his jokes hit and miss, the same as he was on the Panel. I think he tries too hard to be funny in front of TV scenes and is a lot more natural in front of an audience.

KnifeWRENCH

He's a brilliant stand up. The Panel stopped being funny as soon as he left, and he makes even bad episodes of Mock the Week (which is very hit and miss) bearable.

Love his attacks on homeopaths/alternative medicine.

Along with Dylan Moran, he's definitely one of the best comedians to come from this country.

delaad

Best Irish comedian since Myles na Gopaleen.

charlemont

fair play to him for enjoying what he does, but personally i think he is a "yes man".

OPENROAD

Have to say like his stand up show and his articles in the Guardian, also has integrated very well in the UK, and of course he is a Gooner, met him once at The Emirates, was pretty sound have to say.

longshanks

previous user wrote: »

Compared to the likes of Dave Capelle, Jack Dee and Lee Evans and David McSavage his jokes just aren't well observed, no he has to go.

that right there is the stupidest sentence ever assembled, congratulate yourself with a trip for one that ends in an overdose.

BlueNemo

I think his jokes appeal to more people then some other comedians, he's a win in my book . He's one of the few comedians I;d really like to go see, I've seen one or two of his live shows, and he was pretty entertaining on Mock the Week too.

Lads, at least he's better then Hector.

murphym7

ziedth wrote: »

That's just it,

When I saw him bellow in cork a young lad was there with his dad for his 17th birthday and Dara talked them then later on the show noticed he was drinking a beer. He the took the piss out of them for it over the next 10min or so.

I couldn't see many doing that, Like I saw Bill Bailey last year too and outside of a commentary on the death of Michael Jackson (happened the night before) I'd say his show doesn't change much word for word worth noting it was a quality show though.

I was at the same show - it was very funny. My buddy was a steward and apparently the head steward got very twitchy about the whole thing, class.

I think he is a very clever guy, that is why I he is so funny I think.

briany

Well I think he is very good. I think you know an Irish comedian is good when he/she goes to Britain and they subsequently refuse to give him/her back......

It's why I like Irish comedians like him ,Dylan Moran, Kevin McAleer, Michael Redmond, Maeve Higgins (I got it!), David O Doherty etc. because they have each crafted for themselves a unique persona that says "I am the performer, you are the audience. I could not live in your everyday world and you could not live in mine." ,there's layers there and an intelligence behind it. It's not like some guy who got up on stage at the laughter lounge or the international bar and tried to force his way through a profanity laced anecdote and just seems like an everyman who thought he would give it a go. I know everyone has to start somewhere and it's a terrifying prospect to even do so but I know of more established Irish comedians who don't seem to have progressed much beyond it. So kudos to O Briain and co. for cultivating an act and persona that is funny and uniquely theirs

amacachi

briany wrote: »

It's why I like Irish comedians like him ,Dylan Moran, Kevin McAleer, Michael Redmond, Maeve Higgins (I got it!), David O Doherty etc. because they have each crafted for themselves a unique persona that says "I am the performer, you are the audience. I could not live in your everyday world and you could not live in mine." ,there's layers there and an intelligence behind it. It's not like some guy who got up on stage at the laughter lounge or the international bar and tried to force his way through a profanity laced anecdote and just seems like an everyman who thought he would give it a go. I know everyone has to start somewhere and it's a terrifying prospect to even do so but I know of more established Irish comedians who don't seem to have progressed much beyond it. So kudos to O Briain and co. for cultivating an act and persona that is funny and uniquely theirs

Really? I met Maeve Higgins in Trinity when she was trying to find a building and she seemed to be living in my everyday world when she asked me for help.

Diving Board

1. He's a bit too eager to please so comes across as a bit of a fake and untrustworthy
2. Shifty looking (eyes like a Graham Knuttel character...google it if you dont know)
3. Lacks natural warmth
4. Relies on the audience for material then he basically repeats what they have just told him, but in a much exaggerated manner.
5. He's a bit of a nudge nudge...wink wink merchant with his delivery

Just a few of my observations, I prefer comedians who tell things about themselves that reveal their flaws and it is these frailties that contain comedy gold. Dara just seems a bit... well dull. No frailty, no flaws just a few mildly amusing anecdotes. In fact the only flaws and frailty that is revealed comes from the audience. He seems a nice enough guy who has a pleasant enough life but funny he aint!
There... I have just kicked one of Irelands sacred cows in the nuts (if thats even possible) so come on...lets have it!!!

briany

amacachi wrote: »

Really? I met Maeve Higgins in Trinity when she was trying to find a building and she seemed to be living in my everyday world when she asked me for help.

Well I'm talking about that persona that they have on stage and what that says to the audience or at least what it says to me being that I can only talk about it as I see it. For me, there has to be a degree of separation between the comedian and the audience, that they're not just like me only on stage but observers of life rather than just participants in it, larger than life, thinking outside of the box and above all talented to make at least one of those previous three really work.

unreggd

He's not that good

Certainly not as big as the hype

irishh_bob

hes the very essence of what is often refered to as a corporete comedian , hes too ambitious , would be willing to present the nine o clock news if he thought it would further his career , the great comedians were always rebels and subversives

dont like the guy at all

Diving Board

irishh_bob wrote: »

hes the very essence of what is often refered to as a corporete comedian , hes too ambitious , would be willing to present the nine o clock news if he thought it would further his career , the great comedians were always rebels and subversives
dont like the guy at all

Using my mystic powers to see into the future
I can clearly picture him getting a big UK gig like presenting the Royal Variety Performance in front of the royal family (he has a bloody good agent) and doing the bit at the end where the host says "Three cheers for Her Majesty the Queen...hip hip!! " with great gusto

Scoobydoobydoo

What was that poll about???

I think Dara is a brilliant comedian. He writes great stand up material, but doesn't have to rely on it solely, he is so intelligent and quick witted to be able to indulge in funny banter with audience members.
I've also read his book, which I really enjoyed.
I think he comes across as a nice guy, very down to earth.

irishh_bob

Diving Board wrote: »

Using my mystic powers to see into the future
I can clearly picture him getting a big UK gig like presenting the Royal Variety Performance in front of the royal family (he has a bloody good agent) and doing the bit at the end where the host says "Three cheers for Her Majesty the Queen...hip hip!! " with great gusto

agree , a complete sellout , hes like a balder fatter patrick kielty only slightly less annoying

StompToWork

At least he's improved at not putting "Aaahhhhs" after every punchline. That was the one thing that bugged me about him. He has gotten a lot better with that, tho.

Robert McGrath

Not only funny but funny in an intelligent way.

Comedians always go up in my estimation if they appear on QI - it's like they've got the Stephen Fry stamp of approval, which says that not only do you have a brain, but you're also a decent person (and yes, I'm including Johnny Vegas in both categories)

Dub Ste

Degag wrote: »

There's definately worse comedians than him.

Lee Evans come to mind.

There definitely are worse comedians,

Des Bishop
Aiden Bishop
Des Bishop
Aiden Bishop
Des Bishop
Aiden Bishop
Des....well you get the picture:D

felderkirk

I never used to like the bloke on account of his propensity to use the term 'Ahhhhhmmmmm!' after every ****ing punchline. But he's toned that down a bit now so I merely tolerate him. I think he's an intelligent bloke though and I respect him. He went to my school in Bray too. (He must have had the GOOD teachers).