controversial comedians

decky1

been watching old clips of Bernard Manning it's great to see a time when we could enjoy ourselves and have a good laugh without the worry of offending anyone like it is now , I also love Frankie Boyle, chubby brown etc, .does anyone else enjoy this type of comedy and why do we live in an age where people are so offended by jokes or comments?:)

HONKEY TONK

Ricky Gervais is one of my favourite comedians

decky1

HONKEY TONK wrote: »

Ricky Gervais is one of my favourite comedians

stop will ye I can't stand him and that Keith Lemon, :mad:

YFlyer

Karl Spain as he claims to be a comedian.

DontThankMe

Love Frankie Boyle, Kevin bridges too. I wouldn't find any joke offensive. I think it's a person's choice to be offended by it or how they interpret it but then again everyone has a different sense of humour. So they might find the vast majority of Frankie Boyles jokes tasteless etc.

Beechwoodspark

Friend of mine has old Mike Reid, “Jethro” and chubby brown videos and we watched some of them over Christmas. Hilarious for the most part although some of it is in bad taste.

The_Valeyard

Frankie Boyle.


Hilarious though.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

I miss Spike...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYetxF516lg

biko

Richard Pryor and Eddie Murphy

Pac1Man

If you go to a stand-up show and come out offended, you're probably a d1ckhead. No subject should be off limits. Whether it is funny or not is a different matter.

EPAndlee

The darker the joke, the funnier it is

pleas advice

I love black humour, Big Mommas House is one of my favourite movies

mickrock

decky1 wrote: »

been watching old clips of Bernard Manning it's great to see a time when we could enjoy ourselves and have a good laugh without the worry of offending anyone like it is now

Bernard Manning's son Bernard Righton was a stand up comedian as well but had a very different act to his father:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxFqv1QDI3Q

NATLOR

Jim Jefferies funniest man alive

RabbleRouser2k

Comiedians I like-Kevin Bridges is funny, Daniel Sloss too, ditto Daniel Tosh, Richard Pryor, early Chris Rock, Eddie Murphy, George Carlin I appreciate, but more as a funny philosopher than a comedian. Adam Hill isn't controversial, but he does love to do the odd 'ooooh, shouldn't have said that' joke-did a bit on gay priests that's brilliant. Frankie Boyle used to be funny, he's lapsed, sadly. Ditto Jimmy Carr. Too often you see comics, especially the British and Irish ones, who you can see are desperately trying to get a TV show.
Instead of being funny,it's like 'I can do this, then get a tv show'...and that shows lack of passion.

Pryor never lost that spark for being funny, even after the suspected suicide attempt. Sarah Silverman has lapsed as well, went full sjw-when she used to tow the distaste line. Is Stewart Lee controversial? He seems like one of the few comics out there who has a passion for it. His career is dead now, but Louis CK was also good.
Chris Morris and Brass Eye is legendary-another guy who goes for the jugular. He gets the targets to laugh at themselves too. Bill Maher and Paul Mooney are also great. And I do like some of early David Cross-but again, he's kinda lost it, sadly. Went for the money.

Wibbs

Princess Consuela Bananahammock wrote: »

I miss Spike...

I bloody love Spike in all his incarnations. True comic genius.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0n88tZQc4Q

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w54aoIUC-Vw

Always had a soft spot for Eddie Murphy too.

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

Oddly enough, or not, they were my dad's two fave comics and he was born in 1918*, so you'd think he'd be likely more trad in his comedy tastes. He loved the Pythons, bit considered them Goons lite. One of the first videotapes I saw as a kid was when my Da™ brought home a video tape player on loan from a mate of his and Eddie Murphy's Raw VHS.





*he married late in life. A theme in my family's blokes. I'm not that old.

greencap

If you like your comedy offensive check out one anthony (antwan) cumia.

very funny, very offensive. very good impressions too.

Stonedpilot

Jerry Sadowitz- jokes on pardophilia often.

Steve Hughes- controversial as he tells the truth.

Sidebaro

I think everything can be funny but be smart/sound about it. If you want to tell ignorant jokes with your friends then go right ahead but if you're a comedian, you have to realise that somebody in the audience could be upset by that same joke. I'm not talking about the usual dumb **** that people get offended by, I mean actual offensive stuff.

Oh and to add to the list of controversial comedians, Doug Stanhope, Bill Burr and Reginald D Hunter. All very good and their material is smart.

elvis83

Sidebaro wrote: »

I think everything can be funny but be smart/sound about it. If you want to tell ignorant jokes with your friends then go right ahead but if you're a comedian, you have to realise that somebody in the audience could be upset by that same joke. I'm not talking about the usual dumb **** that people get offended by, I mean actual offensive stuff.

Oh and to add to the list of controversial comedians, Doug Stanhope, Bill Burr and Reginald D Hunter. All very good and their material is smart.

Who decides where the line is between "usual dumb sh*t" and "actually offensive"?

Sidebaro

elvis83 wrote:

Who decides where the line is between "usual dumb sh*t" and "actually offensive"?

Jesus. Treat others as you would like to be treated and all that. Add in a bit of empathy and common sense too.

It's hard to broadly talk about it without specific examples though I suppose. Frankie Boyles joking about Madeline McCann is ignorant as **** for instance and unnecessary. Most of his other stuff is fine though.

elvis83

Sidebaro wrote: »

Jesus. Treat others as you would like to be treated and all that. Add in a bit of empathy and common sense too.

It's hard to broadly talk about it without specific examples though I suppose. Frankie Boyles joking about Madeline McCann is ignorant as **** for instance and unnecessary. Most of his other stuff is fine though.

Yeah I wasn't having a go, just genuinely wondering. The line that you've drawn is one that arguably most people would agree with. A joke made at the expense of other people's suffering is too far.

But someone else might draw that line much further back and make that the distinction between what's acceptable and not. One man's poison and all that.

Sidebaro

elvis83 wrote:

But someone else might draw that line much further back and make that the distinction between what's acceptable and not. One man's poison and all that.

That's true. It's a hard one to universally agree on. I think you just have to look after your own stuff and try not to break your own rules. If you do that then you can stand up for yourself if somebody does call you out on it and you might end up disagreeing but at least your integrity is intact. I don't like to personally call somebody out if it's something they can't change about themselves. That gives me enough swinging room to be funny while still being sound. I don't tend to focus on particular individuals that much anyway though but that's just a personal preference. If somebody else wants to, then that's fine.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

elvis83 wrote: »

Sidebaro wrote: »

I think everything can be funny but be smart/sound about it. If you want to tell ignorant jokes with your friends then go right ahead but if you're a comedian, you have to realise that somebody in the audience could be upset by that same joke. I'm not talking about the usual dumb **** that people get offended by, I mean actual offensive stuff.

Oh and to add to the list of controversial comedians, Doug Stanhope, Bill Burr and Reginald D Hunter. All very good and their material is smart.

Who decides where the line is between "usual dumb sh*t" and "actually offensive"?

Question wasn't offensive: question was controversial.

The Backwards Man

It's a funny kind of cnut that can't be funny without being a cnut.

SEPT 23 1989

They built a brand new stand at Maine Road the only problem is that it's facing the fcuking pitch

Rip Bernard

Irish Guitarist

I don't like comedians that pick on actual people. You can come out with all the racist jokes you like and I won't give a shit but when Frankie Boyle did that joke about Jordans son raping her it really turned me off him. Especially as there wasn't much of a joke to it and he just came across as a prick. Then the hypocrite has the nerve to whine about Jeremy Clarkson.

LLMMLL

For some reason offense has become the most taboo of human emotions and we're all pretending that we never get offended.

Take the SNL Irish sketch recently. That thread is full of people who "weren't offended by it but.....". Actually you were offended, and that's fine. Stop pretending you had an issue with it because it wasn't funny or it was inaccurate.

There's plenty of things I find offensive. And me being offended or saying I'm offended does not mean I think there should be a law stopping people from being offensive.

urban sprawl

Stonedpilot wrote: »

Jerry Sadowitz

Sadowitz is a legend. I used to have an old cassette recording of his Total Abuse Show (the one from over 30 years ago in which he called Jimmy Saville a paedophile). It was brilliant stuff. I have never seen him live but have heard that his close up magic is as good as you'll see anywhere.

endacl

decky1 wrote: »

been watching old clips of Bernard Manning it's great to see a time when we could enjoy ourselves and have a good laugh without the worry of offending anyone like it is now , I also love Frankie Boyle, chubby brown etc, .does anyone else enjoy this type of comedy and why do we live in an age where people are so offended by jokes or comments?:)

TBH, if you have Frankie Boyle and Chubby Brown in the same category in your head, you’re missing the point of Frankie Boyle....

Irish Guitarist

Here's the hypocrite in all his glory talking about how Jeremy Clarkson should be sacked. Conveniently he talks about his political jokes rather than the one about Jordans son raping her. What was the 'context' of that joke I wonder.

EPAndlee

Irish Guitarist wrote: »

I don't like comedians that pick on actual people. You can come out with all the racist jokes you like and I won't give a shit but when Frankie Boyle did that joke about Jordans son raping her it really turned me off him. Especially as there wasn't much of a joke to it and he just came across as a prick. Then the hypocrite has the nerve to whine about Jeremy Clarkson.

The Richard Hammond is joke is pretty good too. I love Frankie Boyle

Fred Swanson

This post has been deleted.

DEFTLEFTHAND

Andrew Dice Clay for one.

Was subject to constant harrassment from gay campaigners at his peak . His movie Ford Failine was massively impacted by this, producers were threatened over it and widespread distrubution was canned. He also got heavy guff from the Christian Right in America at the time.


There's a great interview with him on Larry King from the early 90s. The first time he ever appeared out of character in the media.


He can't undrrstand why his satire is being misconstrued as genine sentiment.


He cultivated the Dice character from his experiences in his youth growing up in a rough section of Brooklyn which was mainly populated by scummy Italians and Jews.


He was paroding that culture in his act.

drillyeye

Bill Burr. Funny guy. Random selection below

Irish Guitarist

EPAndlee wrote: »

The Richard Hammond is joke is pretty good too. I love Frankie Boyle

Yeah he's great. Without him there would be no one brave enough to make jokes about disabled kids raping their mothers. Take that, retarded children lol

Leilak

does anyone know the link between Karl Spain and Kevin Bridges?

razorblunt

Leilak wrote: »

does anyone know the link between Karl Spain and Kevin Bridges?

A large Big Mac meal with McFlurry and chocolate milkshake?

razorblunt

I think there’s big distinction between comedians nowadays. There’s almost two different types; the stand ups and the ones looking to get on tv panel shows and milk that for all it’s worth.

The Fringe in Edinburgh is a good example, it’s gotten a bit beige with the stand ups, they’re all afraid of causing offence and it so tame.

RabbleRouser2k

LLMMLL wrote: »

For some reason offense has become the most taboo of human emotions and we're all pretending that we never get offended.

Take the SNL Irish sketch recently. That thread is full of people who "weren't offended by it but.....". Actually you were offended, and that's fine. Stop pretending you had an issue with it because it wasn't funny or it was inaccurate.

There's plenty of things I find offensive. And me being offended or saying I'm offended does not mean I think there should be a law stopping people from being offensive.

Which Irish Sketch? The Aer Lingus one, or the dating show with incest?
My brother laughed his head off at both, I just found the latter one funny, the Aer Lingus one was pretty okay, just thought it could have been funnier.

DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »

Andrew Dice Clay for one.

Was subject to constant harrassment from gay campaigners at his peak . His movie Ford Failine was massively impacted by this, producers were threatened over it and widespread distrubution was canned. He also got heavy guff from the Christian Right in America at the time.


There's a great interview with him on Larry King from the early 90s. The first time he ever appeared out of character in the media.


He can't undrrstand why his satire is being misconstrued as genine sentiment.


He cultivated the Dice character from his experiences in his youth growing up in a rough section of Brooklyn which was mainly populated by scummy Italians and Jews.


He was paroding that culture in his act.

Clay is a poor example-he had one joke, one-and he wore it out. The adventures of Ford Fairlane had Joel Silver producing, and Renny Harlin directing. The screenwriter hated working with Clay, even had his name taken off of the film. The movie was almost cancelled before filming because Clay, according to Silver, was 'too fat'. Had a very large budget, $40 million (For comparison, the Rocketeer, a special effects driven film with some major set pieces, cost roughly the same). Ford barely made half it's budget back.

Ford Fairlane was the second big winner at the Razzies, in 1991, after Ghosts Can't do it. 6 Nominations, 3 wins-one for Clay, one for worst script, and tied with GCDI for Worst Picture.

Roger Ebert gave it 1/4-and summed it up as

"The Adventures of Ford Fairlane" is a movie about a hero I didn't like, chasing villains I didn't hate, in a plot I didn't understand. It is also loud, ugly and mean-spirited. That makes it the ideal vehicle for Andrew Dice Clay, a comedian whose humor is based upon hating those not in the room for the entertainment of those present.

Also made the bottom 10 worst movies of the Year with Gene Siskel and Ebert.

Clay's follow up, Dice Rules, was shoved onto some other distributor (after Ford Fairlane's disastrous run), and was met with 3 razzie nominations.
And Siskel and Ebert gave the movie an even worse review.

"Dice Rules is one of the most appalling movies I have ever seen. It could not be more damaging to the career of Andrew Dice Clay if it had been made as a documentary by someone who hated him. The fact that Clay apparently thinks this movie is worth seeing is revealing and sad, indicating that he not only lacks a sense of humor, but also ordinary human decency.” — Roger Ebert

Siskel was harsher-he called Clay 'boring'...the very worst criticism a so-called entertainer can hear.

Fred Swanson

This post has been deleted.

razorblunt

Fred Swanson wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

I completely agree.
I live here so normally try to get to a good few shows during August.

The only stand outs I can remember were Bo Burnham and Tommy Tiernan (yes really, I'm not a huge fan but he was very good last year).

I think they're aware of that now which is why they're trying to move away from relying predominantly on comedy shows.

It also explains why shows like Game of Thrones: the Musical, Tape Face Boy and the Depressed Clown did well. They at least offered something different.

Hilly Bill

Beechwoodspark wrote: »

Friend of mine has old Mike Reid, “Jethro” and chubby brown videos and we watched some of them over Christmas. Hilarious for the most part although some of it is in bad taste.

You must have watched a different Jethro.

RabbleRouser2k

razorblunt wrote: »

I completely agree.
I live here so normally try to get to a good few shows during August.

The only stand outs I can remember were Bo Burnham and Tommy Tiernan (yes really, I'm not a huge fan but he was very good last year).

I think they're aware of that now which is why they're trying to move away from relying predominantly on comedy shows.

It also explains why shows like Game of Thrones: the Musical, Tape Face Boy and the Depressed Clown did well. They at least offered something different.

Burnham's been killing it for a long time. Had a tv show for a while, too-he's now directing.

There's this really irritating 'don't offend people' line of comedy that's just...ugh.
Tiernan at least tries, even if at times, he fails to 'get the funny'.

Duffy the Vampire Slayer

decky1 wrote: »

been watching old clips of Bernard Manning it's great to see a time when we could enjoy ourselves and have a good laugh without the worry of offending anyone like it is now , I also love Frankie Boyle, chubby brown etc, .does anyone else enjoy this type of comedy and why do we live in an age where people are so offended by jokes or comments?:)

In fairness, I think Roy Chubby Brown was always controversial.

Road-Hog

Duffy the Vampire Slayer wrote: »

In fairness, I think Roy Chubby Brown was always controversial.

All those guys (surprised he didn’t include the lovely Jim Davidson) mentioned by the OP used/use the lowest common denominators in their so called stand up/comedy ie foul language, sexism, racism and taboo subjects such as rape/Pedophilia.......why...?

somesoldiers

I went to see Chubby Brown once, he used to / maybe still does play Vicar St every November. The worst things about it was all the hilarious drunken hecklers interrupting the whole time. Spoiled it for me

threetrees

Dave Allen. You don't find re-runs very often but when they are on I'm reminded how funny he was.

bodhrandude

threetrees wrote: »

Dave Allen. You don't find re-runs very often but when they are on I'm reminded how funny he was.

Road-Hog

somesoldiers wrote: »

I went to see Chubby Brown once, he used to / maybe still does play Vicar St every November. The worst things about it was all the hilarious drunken hecklers interrupting the whole time. Spoiled it for me

The Drunken hecklers did you a favor. Chubby brown is about as funny as Vladimir Putin

RabbleRouser2k

Road-Hog wrote: »

The Drunken hecklers did you a favor. Chubby brown is about as funny as Vladimir Putin

Putin's supposed to be hilarious, I heard he 'kills' at his shows...*

*allegedly, cos I don't wanna die. 😊