Why is Mario Rosenstock so popular ?

Cliff Walker

He is actually a very poor mimic and his material hasn't changed since about 2001.

BunkMoreland

He's not accurate at all. Irish people have low standards, for example put a man in a dress and they think it's great comedy.

Tilikum

Cliff Walker wrote: »

He is actually a very poor mimic and his material hasn't changed since about 2001.

I heard a mimic on the radio earlier. He was doing Harrington & Katie Taylor. I don't know if it was yer man Mario or who it was.....but he sounded nothing like either of them.

mickdw

He was ok a few years back doing short radio sketches on topical subjects but any longer than about 3 minutes, and he just doesn't cut it.
His tv show was stupidly bad yet it gets season after season on rte.

He got very testy once when Pat Kenny shrugged that he didn't think Mario 'captured his essence' very well.

I think Oliver Callan is far superior.

Also, Mario is a bit of a prickly customer. He's developed an awful habit, characteristic of some ageing comedians, of becoming a tad politically snipey, and it isn't funny.

Mr E

I used to listen to Gift Grub religiously every morning in the early days, but have probably heard 5 full sketches in the last 2 years (and usually only when TodayFM posts to Facebook about how funny it was that morning). I used to buy the CDs too.

Maybe the current character rotation isn't as good as the early days of Bertie, Jaap, Roy and co.

BunkMoreland

BunkMoreland wrote: »

He's not accurate at all. Irish people have low standards, for example put a man in a dress and they think it's great comedy.

Speak for yourself. I don't think that's great comedy :-)

Say Your Number

His material is hit and miss, but it's genius when it hits the mark, he puts more effort into his skits than Callan, who instead of being witty and clever just goes for the "shock" factor instead.

Water John

Mario is inately a nice guy. Both those listening and on the recieving end, know it isn't with malice intent.
Callan is a blunderbuss in comparison.

PeterTheNinth

Callan has pulled far ahead of Rosenstock in terms of the writing and performing impressions. I think he has good writers on board as well.

Mario was brilliant a few years ago, but I feel sort of sad when I see him on TV dressed up as "Marty Morrissey", looking and sounding nothing like him and just getting cheap gags about all the women he pulls.

The most interesting thing about Rosenstock is that his grandfather was a Nazi doctor.

And that he himself once played a demented doctor, David Hanlon, in Glenroe. Remember him? He went AWOL with Fiddle-me's baby.

delaad

His insidious charm is that he makes hideous people seem charming.

Atlantic Dawn

I can think of nobody who comes close in this country to mimicing our own?

He's sort of like Hector and Des Bishop, funny for a while in the mid 2000's and just coasting along the period he was funny for a while

Max Headroom

Same could be said about Ed Byrne,Tommy Tiernan, Jason byrne.......never found any of them funny funny..

Max Headroom

Max Headroom wrote: »

Same could be said about Ed Byrne,Tommy Tiernan, Jason byrne.......never found any of them funny funny..

And they'll trot them out every couple of weeks on the Late Late Show, saying how funny they are when they're just awful

zoobizoo

Max Headroom wrote: »

Same could be said about Ed Byrne,Tommy Tiernan, Jason byrne.......never found any of them funny funny..

And yet they are hugely successful because so many people do.

Comedy is one of the most subjective art forms - I don't know of another which divides people's opinions as much.

I never thought Ed was funny, then I saw him live. I had only ever seen him as a smug panel show host - but his stand up was on point.

Jason has sold more tickets at the Edinburgh Festival than any other act.

---

With regards to Mario, there'll be people who like him and people who don't.

His material might not be what it once was.

The novelty factor after 15 years may have worn off... we are different culturally and our "icons" aren't what they used to be or the ones that are there have been done to death. The sketches aren't "Water Cooler" talk anymore.

Grolschevik

Because Ireland is small, parochial and professionally incestuous.

monkey9

I catch up with the Gift Grub sketches on the Today FM player and I enjoy the vast majority of them, but his TV shows are awful.

ads20101

Maybe it's just me but I find mario incredibly entertaining.

I would agree that some of the radio sketches don't always hit the mark, but most are generally funny and about 20% of the time he is right on the money.

I have seen him 3 times live. Twice in Ennis and once in limerick and he was brilliant on all occasions.

gluppers

The apres match lads are superior to them all. Uncanny

LostinBlanch

zoobizoo wrote: »

And yet they are hugely successful because so many people do.

Comedy is one of the most subjective art forms - I don't know of another which divides people's opinions as much.

I agree with this totally. Look at Mrs Browns Boys for example. I and most people I know don't like it at all, but look at how many others do. I don't understand it but there you go.

zoobizoo wrote: »

I never thought Ed was funny, then I saw him live. I had only ever seen him as a smug panel show host - but his stand up was on point.

Jason has sold more tickets at the Edinburgh Festival than any other act.

I haven't seen Ed, but I have seen Jason live, and he was a revelation and I'd recommend anyone to go and see him for themselves.

Max Headroom

The brits go mad for our "comedians"....i dont get it..i like Dara but he's on Robot wars and he's dreadful...

MeatTwoVeg

I have a theory that he was somewhat responsible for the popularity of Bertie Ahern during the Celtic Tiger era. His Gift Grub sketches portraying him as a loveable everyman as opposed to the reality of a shrewd political operator and crook.
That for me is the greatest problem with Rosenstock, good satire should be subversive, not chummy.

He had some moments, the Beckham 'dry your eyes' sketch the morning after the match was clever, but that was a long time ago and his shtick has been stretched pretty thin since.
Anytime I've heard him recently, and it hasn't been often, the humor seems pretty stupid to me.

threein99

Loved Gift Grub about 10 years ago when it was at its peak. I find it a bit tedious now

wnolan1992

I think he remains popular because people remember the peak, and he has just enough hits every now and then currently that people are willing to overlook the lows. IMO, it's very hit and miss the last few years. He's brilliant when he does a prerecorded sketch, but I find anything he does live with Ian to be very boring.

That said, his actual live shows are brilliant. Saw him in Limerick last year and it was a very well put together show.

The quality of his impressions isn't really that important. He doesn't need to sound exactly like them, he just needs to sound enough like them so you know who he's being which, IMO, he's far better at than Callan. Maybe it's because I grew up with Mario's versions of characters, but I can't stand Callan's attempts.


EDIT: I do think the fact that he does Gift 5 days a week (at least he was the last time I checked, don't listen to Ian, get Gift on the website every now and then) sort of diminishes it. If it was twice a week I think it'd be far fresher.

Oops69

ANY old impressions of the premier league managers keeps all the lads in stitches , we're a country of philistines , thats why he's popular .

wnolan1992

wnolan1992 wrote: »

I think he remains popular because people remember the peak, and he has just enough hits every now and then currently that people are willing to overlook the lows. IMO, it's very hit and miss the last few years. He's brilliant when he does a prerecorded sketch, but I find anything he does live with Ian to be very boring.

That said, his actual live shows are brilliant. Saw him in Limerick last year and it was a very well put together show.

The quality of his impressions isn't really that important. He doesn't need to sound exactly like them, he just needs to sound enough like them so you know who he's being which, IMO, he's far better at than Callan. Maybe it's because I grew up with Mario's versions of characters, but I can't stand Callan's attempts.


EDIT: I do think the fact that he does Gift 5 days a week (at least he was the last time I checked, don't listen to Ian, get Gift on the website every now and then) sort of diminishes it. If it was twice a week I think it'd be far fresher.

That's his problem in my opinion, I used to love listening to his show on the way to school/college, his ideas are a bit stretched out due to 5 days a week...Used to be around 80% a week were hits but now its 10% if lucky ...His tv show is bad though but im guessing its not an expensive show to make

Mc Love

Even Dermot Whelan is better at some of the impressions. I cant stand Rosenstock anymore, think he should cut some of the impressions. His Paul O'Connell is woeful and so is his Katie Taylor

Rambling Rake

Never got it personally. It's one thing being a great mimic but they often don't have the comedic talent to back it up.

I would put Callan and Apres Match in that bracket too.


Horses for coursea though.

maxwell smart

Water John wrote: »

Mario is inately a nice guy. Both those listening and on the recieving end, know it isn't with malice intent.
Callan is a blunderbuss in comparison.

Em....have you ever met him? Perhaps he is charming in social circles?

But if you ask anyone who actually has worked with him how much of a nice guy he is, you would be very very surprised indeed. I'm talking about production people, camera people, recording people. You know, the 'little' people. Mario is far from 'inately a nice guy' to them, I can assure you of that. Infact he is very very far from it.....

liam7831

maxwell smart wrote: »

Em....have you ever met him? Perhaps he is charming in social circles?

But if you ask anyone who actually has worked with him how much of a nice guy he is, you would be very very surprised indeed. I'm talking about production people, camera people, recording people. You know, the 'little' people. Mario is far from 'inately a nice guy' to them, I can assure you of that. Infact he is very very far from it.....

Dont leave us hanging... tell us your juicy story. No need to use specifics

maxwell smart

liam7831 wrote: »

Dont leave us hanging... tell us your juicy story. No need to use specifics

There is no 'juicy story', there are a series of them!

He is a rude, obnoxious, odious man who believes his own hype.

wnolan1992

Mod: We're on the border of this turning into personal jibes now, can we stick to discussing his work as opposed to hearsay about his off air personality?

liam7831

maxwell smart wrote: »

There is no 'juicy story', there are a series of them!

He is a rude, obnoxious, odious man who believes his own hype.

Odious you say, reminds me of Billy Mc and that lad he had the argument with on The Late Late Show