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Do you find Tommy Tiernan funny?

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  • 30-09-2015 4:43pm
    #1
    se02orqua5xz9v
    Closed Accounts Posts: 119 ✭✭


    A YouTube channel I follow recently uploaded a clip of Tommy Tiernan performing at the Just for Laughs festival in Montreal a few years ago. I'd seen the footage before, but not for a while.

    It made obvious to me what I've believed for many years now - that Tommy Tiernan simply isn't funny, and that his success is derived from a series of 'tricks' i.e. pacing around the stage, vigorous hand gestures, excessive use of volume (e.g. shouting at the end of a sentence) and, of course, swearing.

    I see no craft, no wit, no quality to any of his material. There isn't a single line that, were you to write it down on a piece of paper, you could pinpoint where the "funny bit" is.

    I remember, in secondary school, when Tiernan's popularity exploded. All the lads would quote his first DVD, but I never once understood why they liked him so much.

    I'm not convinced it was a mixture of Emperor's New Clothes syndrome mixed with mass delusion.

    No one wanted to be the one person who didn't laugh at Tommy Tiernan, so they all 'laughed'. After a while, the forced laughter seemed natural, because people had convinced themselves Tiernan was funny.

    There are so many great stand up comedians out there, who write proper jokes, with a feedline and a punchline, but Tiernan doesn't seem to ever do this.

    Or am I wrong? Is Tiernan really that funny?

    Do you find Tommy Tiernan funny? 202 votes

    Yes
    0% 2 votes
    No
    99% 200 votes


«1345678

Comments

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    #2
    Ruu
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,622 ✭✭✭Ruu


    He is very shouty.


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    #3
    steppen
    Registered Users Posts: 323 ✭✭steppen


    LOUD NOISES


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    #4
    ChippingSodbury
    Registered Users Posts: 1,345 ✭✭✭ChippingSodbury


    No, don't think he's funny at all. Swearing for shock factor is wearing thin...


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    #5
    ChippingSodbury
    Registered Users Posts: 1,345 ✭✭✭ChippingSodbury


    Ruu wrote: »
    He is very shouty shitty.
    Fixed...


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    #6
    Dr. Mantis Toboggan
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,278 ✭✭✭Dr. Mantis Toboggan


    To answer your question, humour is subjective. Some people find Richie Kavanagh funny.

    Don't beat yourself over it kiddo, you seem very perplexed over it.


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    #7
    jamesbere
    Registered Users Posts: 5,022 ✭✭✭jamesbere


    He's loud and annoying, used to be when he first came on the scene.


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    #8
    Insect Overlord
    Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 30,862 Mod ✭✭✭✭Insect Overlord


    His first DVD is a work of art. Bit mixed since then, but some moments of gold.


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    #9
    Schwiiing
    Registered Users Posts: 2,667 ✭✭✭Schwiiing


    You could say all that about Mrs Browns Boys yet it still wins BAFTAs. People like what they like. If you don't like it don't watch it or go to his shows. Simples.


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    #10
    DEFTLEFTHAND
    Registered Users Posts: 16,500 ✭✭✭✭DEFTLEFTHAND


    Like you mentioned a lot of energy and noise but I fail to see where the wit is.


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    #11
    Tell me how
    Registered Users Posts: 21,522 ✭✭✭✭Tell me how


    I used to think that he wasn't funny for some of the reasons listed above.
    But I was given a present of tickets to one of his shows a couple of years ago and went along.

    I laughed from start to finish. I was very surprised, I had gone there with the expectation of him being just vigorous and vulgar but I really enjoyed the show.


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    #12
    biko
    Registered Users Posts: 81,223 ✭✭✭✭biko


    Humour isn't science. Some of his stuff is funny, some less so.
    Same goes for all other comedians.


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    #13
    MadDog76
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,162 ✭✭✭MadDog76


    It's all very subjective ........ I sometimes find the things Tommy says hilarious and sometimes I just find him interesting to listen to/watch ......... overall, I like him.
    I wouldn't describe him as a "joke teller" though, he's more of a storyteller.

    Is Lee Evans, Brendan O'Carroll, Harry Hill, Jason Byrne etc. funny??
    I don't know but I do know that I personally do not find any of them funny ......... I also know that lots of people do ........ for some reason? :confused:


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    #14
    se02orqua5xz9v
    Closed Accounts Posts: 119 ✭✭se02orqua5xz9v


    MadDog76 wrote: »
    Is Lee Evans, Brendan O'Carroll, Harry Hill, Jason Byrne etc. funny??

    Lee Evans, no.
    Brendan O'Carroll, no.
    Jason Byrne, no.

    Harry Hill, yes.


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    #15
    osarusan
    Registered Users Posts: 16,578 ✭✭✭✭osarusan


    People find different things and comedians funny. It's all subjective.

    Except Andrew Maxwell, he's objectively shite.


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    #16
    Pink Lemons
    Closed Accounts Posts: 437 ✭✭Pink Lemons


    He's pretty hit and miss for the most part, but a lot of his bits about being Irish and even more so about religion are absolutely gems.


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    #17
    Hank Scorpio
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,631 ✭✭✭✭Hank Scorpio


    Turns into a right downer at smashing pumpkins concerts


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    #18
    MadDog76
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,162 ✭✭✭MadDog76


    Tell me how wrote: »
    I used to think that he wasn't funny for some of the reasons listed above.
    But I was given a present of tickets to one of his shows a couple of years ago and went along.

    I laughed from start to finish. I was very surprised, I had gone there with the expectation of him being just vigorous and vulgar but I really enjoyed the show.

    Had a similar situation with Jimmy Carr a couple of years ago ....... my wife bought me tickets to see "your favourite comedian" so a whole list of names went through my head as I opened the envelope only to see "Jimmy Carr" on the tickets ......... I thought "WTF!?!!? I can't stand him!!!" but I gave my wife a big kiss and a smile.
    Off we went to see him a couple of months later (I'd practised my fake laugh a few times in the preceding days) and, I have to say, he was really funny ........ and seemed like a very genuine man.
    He kept coming back on stage to cheers of "more!" and ended up doing close to 3 hours .......... he also stood at the front door of The Olympia and personally thanked every single person who made the effort of coming out to see him ......... really nice touch.

    Funny thing is the wife didn't like him at all .......... he was "too durty!" :D


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    #19
    obezyana
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,498 ✭✭✭obezyana


    Would I sit and watch a DVD of his.....NO.

    I have seen him live many times and I found him very funny......He is a be there kind of funny comedian.

    So on that basis I find him funny.


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    #20
    MadDog76
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,162 ✭✭✭MadDog76


    Dominick Square Sprawl wrote: »
    Lee Evans, no.
    Brendan O'Carroll, no.
    Jason Byrne, no.

    Harry Hill, yes.

    My point proven so! :)


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    #21
    bpmurray
    Registered Users Posts: 1,275 ✭✭✭bpmurray


    Humour is very subjective - I can't stand him and I absolutely loathe Mrs. Brown, but there are obviously loads of folk who do love both of them. So I wish Tommy Tiernan & Brendan O'Carroll well, but I can't be bothered watching myself.


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    #22
    Bulbous Salutation
    Closed Accounts Posts: 882 ✭✭✭Bulbous Salutation


    Used to be funny. Then started doing that thing that most over-the-hill comedians do when they run out of funny material - start spewing out tired and lazy venom about religion. Well most religions. Keeps a rump of people who are into that sort of thing entertained. I like when comedians say funny things.


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    #23
    Polo_Mint
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,504 ✭✭✭Polo_Mint


    No. Hes not

    He Shouts alot, Makes noises and waits for reactions.

    I know there are people who like him because they are like him and they are people I would avoid when i can.

    If he is on TV i change the channel.


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    #24
    HiGlo
    Registered Users Posts: 561 ✭✭✭HiGlo


    I don't find him in any way funny. He relies too much on swearing to be humorous.
    A bit like the OP says, I used to think he was funny but then I actually went to one of his shows about 8 yrs or so ago now and thought, do you know what, he really isn't very funny at all. It was like this little epiphany I had in the middle of his show. If you take out all the swearing, there's a few smart observations, but nothing funny.

    I guess he's a character and it's the character that appeals to people.

    Humour is totally subjective. I don't find Brendan O'Carroll/Mrs Brown's Boys funny at all. I like PJ Gallagher and Republic of Tele and that kind of stuff.


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    #25
    Pink Lemons
    Closed Accounts Posts: 437 ✭✭Pink Lemons


    Bulbous Salutation wrote: »
    Used to be funny. Then started doing that thing that most over-the-hill comedians do when they run out of funny material - start spewing out tired and lazy venom about religion. Well most religions. Keeps a rump of people who are into that sort of thing entertained. I like when comedians say funny things.

    George Carlin was the worst for it ;)


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    #26
    MadDog76
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,162 ✭✭✭MadDog76


    Bulbous Salutation wrote: »
    Used to be funny. Then started doing that thing that most over-the-hill comedians do when they run out of funny material - start spewing out tired and lazy venom about religion. Well most religions. Keeps a rump of people who are into that sort of thing entertained. I like when comedians say funny things.

    He has always incorporated religion (specifically the Catholic Church) into his shows, it's not a new thing for him ......... if anything he actually speaks less about it nowadays than he did when he "used to be funny".


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    #27
    JustTheOne
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,681 ✭✭✭JustTheOne


    Brilliant.

    Lost himself a bit few years ago but back to his best.

    Does the Irishisms the best.


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    #28
    biko
    Registered Users Posts: 81,223 ✭✭✭✭biko


    Black Books has one of the funniest and one of the least funny comedians. They both do stand up and remain as funny/unfunny.
    Bill Bailey and Dylan Moran.


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    #29
    Sunnyisland
    Closed Accounts Posts: 10,562 ✭✭✭✭Sunnyisland


    I found his early material very funny but not so much now. .maybe i getting old and growing out of him.


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    #30
    MaryMD
    Registered Users Posts: 50 ✭✭MaryMD


    Exactly...its all subjective


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    #31
    mrcheez
    Registered Users Posts: 13,654 ✭✭✭✭mrcheez


    MadDog76 wrote: »
    Is Lee Evans, Brendan O'Carroll, Harry Hill, Jason Byrne etc. funny??
    Dominick Square Sprawl wrote: »
    Harry Hill, yes.

    Sarcasm I hope ... haven't laughed at a single Harry Hill moment. In fact I quickly change the channel whenever he's on. Very tame, childish humour.

    It's like people that find Mrs Brown's Boys funny. Never understood that.


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