The lowest rung of entertainment

CGI_Livia_Soprano

A friend of mine sent me a video on Instagram earlier of an Irish impressionist doing his impersonation routine with his caricatures responding to this week’s current events.

You all know what I mean, where the impressionist pretends he’s McGregor saying “you’ll do nothin” to Omicron or Roy Keane saying spreading the virus is “it’s job.” Something about Varadkar going “ehhh I didn’t bring it over from any music festivals if that’s what you’re asking.” That kind of shíte.

They always resort to the laziest, easiest catchphrases in their act, gurning away all the while while the viewers are supposed to be sitting at home clapping and wiping up the cum from the inside of their trousers.

Could impressionists actually be the lowest form of entertainment? Below even an rugby player-turned-television presenter?

No impressionists, that I have encountered, are actually in any way funny or talented people. They put in the hard graft of manipulating their voices and buying a wig in order to sound a bit like someone else/like five people. They don’t actually say anything funny, there’s no wit or humour in their performances. Just parroting catchphrases and shoe horning them into the topic du jour.

I hate impressionists and I have no respect for anyone who likes them. Especially Oliver Callan.

BuildTheWall

Like your man Rory Story or whatever the **** his name is. How people enjoy it is beyond me.

StevenToast

Nice dig on Tommy bowe

Callan really is a desperately unfunny guy. I presume he doesn’t write the material himself, so his writing team are desperately unfunny as well.

CGI_Livia_Soprano

I’m not a moderator however I would like to ask participants in this discussion not to name names (except Callan), and speak generally if possible. Mainly because, though I hate impressionists, I don’t want us to be an any way responsible for any of them to suffer some sort of financial hit from this thread. Thanks.

castletownman

And there I was thinking this was about the "Irish country music" scene.

Larbre34

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118254177#Comment_118254177

I think you overestimate your own importance there.

CGI_Livia_Soprano

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118254162#Comment_118254162

I had to look him up.

There is a tendency in Ireland, more so than other countries I feel, to think that because someone was a great sportsperson and “great craic” in the locker room that they’re also entertaining, charismatic, capable tv and radio presenters etc.

For example I don’t follow rugby and the people who play it for a living are all twats. And yet how many of them are offered cushy jobs in the media after they retire because they were “hero’s” on the pitch? Not for me, Clive.

nj27

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118254177#Comment_118254177

lolwtf

trashcan

I often think impressionists think it’s enough to be a good mimic, forgetting that they actually need to have good material as well. It can be funny if done well, Steve Coogan and Rob Bryson on the trip are good, Rory Bremner had his moments back in the day too. You’re right though, Irish ones don’t tend to be funny, even when the mimicry is decent.

Strumms

‘80’s and ‘90’s there were some decent impressionists, best probably is Bremner but I think comedy has moved on or impressionism isn’t a draw for people these days.

a friend of mine is a very capable impressionist with a few pints on him... Bruce Forsyth, Alex Ferguson, Michael D ... after a few jars one night he didn’t realize how loud he was and half the pub were in raptures of laughter.... Q then people coming up to him who wouldn’t even know his first name.. “ can you do ..?

elperello

You are very hard on entertainers.

The performer does their schtick if you don't like it hard luck.

The moment passes, not something to dwell on.

Save your hate for the real bad guys.

CGI_Livia_Soprano

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118254299#Comment_118254299

Like I said I’m not naming names (except Callan) so I won’t be standing between any mxn and their paper.

I think speaking generally I have every right to be hard on mimicry as a genre, it really is a disgrace.

85603

Anthony Cumia does great impressions. You would think theyre the real people

Really though its just one small part of his act, but he does an amazing Tony Soprano

As for the lowest, most desperate entertainment attempt, scorch tv.

chosen1

Clicked in here thinking it was going to be about "I'm a celebrity".

Lowest of the entertainment, with mostly has been celebrities degrading themselves in an attempt to revive their past fame.

There is mimicry in music too and in literature and in painting and other fine art. It is concealed to different degrees depending on the position and intentions of the artist, but it is there. This kind of mimicry seems to upset bleedin' purists, mostly. The vast majority of consumers in the art-entertainment complex don't care. If it works in the moment, it works. Authenticity, originality, and the history of the artform, be dammed. And maybe they are right.

That said, I'm not a fan of mimics, but at least they are honest about what they are doing :)

riclad

The script and writing needs to be really good, just imitating someone's voice is not that funny, I think trump impressions are pointless, as theres nothing more extreme or unpredictable than the things he says in real life . He's beyond satire. The celebs go on that program cos they paid a lot , its like a pension fund, like 500k even old actors have bills to pay American celebs when they are not so popular turn up on reality shows alot of celebs are now doing podcasts about the programs they were on years ago. No one probably remembers this but the writing on halls pictorial weekly was really good. Bill hader does really good impressions the voices are perfect and.hes very funny I think Steve Coogan did voices on spitting image before he was famous I think I'm a celeb is interesting because their personality comes thru how they talk to people without a script are they boring or interesting. I think big brother celeb version was entertaining in the USA many footballers end up doing various TV shows after they retire eg dancing with the stars etc many sports stars end up doing commentary on sports shows the people that run TV are mostly middle class so they probably like rugby

the whole year inn

Each to there own , but it is a skill and when done well it is brilliant .Billy Crystal as Ali is very good , Matt Damon as Matthew Mcconaughey, Jim Carey , Bill Hader , Jay Pharoah, Ross Marquand and Danna Carvey just to name a few. I would happly watch them and get a kick out of it. Some times standup can be a bit tedious and long waiting for the joke at least with impressions its straight to he point .

As i said to each to there own .

Dtp1979

“Friend sent it to me on Instagram”. The irony. Some would argue watching watching videos on Instagram or Tik tok as the bottom rung, or most definitely reality tv, if that even makes it on to the ladder.

rtron

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058220755/the-lowest-rung-of-entertainment

Agreed and in Ireland in particular, we've always had this as a means to bring politics to the lay people. Whether it's scrap Saturday / gift grub / kicks / spitting image [UK] there's always been an impression show to deliver a government message perhaps to people who wouldn't normally listen to current affairs programs or the news.

Penn

At the very least, there is a form of skill and talent in impressionism. The level of skill and talent determines how funny they are with it, but there is at least some discernible talent. How they use it is another matter. I always cringe when I see the likes of Bremner, Culshaw or MacGowan on quiz or panel shows because they have a constant need to throw a different impression into every sentence, even though the impressions themselves are quite good. But they're not the worst.

No the lowest rung of entertainment are the pricks on tiktok who mime over audio from comedy shows or sitcoms, audio which usually even includes studio/audience laughter and sound effects. There is no talent. No originality. Just a c*nt/c*nts miming over someone else's work, and always, always making it worse as they have no skill or talent to improve it in any way or to have the comedic presence to even come close to matching the original, however bad the original even may have been.

It is nothing. It is worth nothing. Anyone who has ever even thought about doing it has put far too much thought into it because it's not worth thinking about doing. It is, without question, the worst thing my family constantly sends in the family group chats.

It's probably even below the lowest rung of entertainment. It's buried in the ground under the entertainment ladder, and it should f*cking stay buried.

Cookie_Monster

Lowest form, nah. Still miles better than Love Island or Married at First Sight

nj27

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118254328#Comment_118254328

Don't see Opie and Anthony references here often! Do you remember Jay Mohr's impression of Colin Quinn? Might be the best I've ever heard.

TheIrishGrover

A good impressionist has their place. But there is little worse that a bad impressionist. I say "Little" because, for me, the lowest is that "Naked Attraction" thing on TV.

Gregor Samsa

There’s little worse than a bad impressionist. Panto for sure. Musicals or jazz probably too.

But the sign of a good impressionist is that you don’t even realise that it is one, and you think you’re watching the real Avril Lavigne (RIP).

osarusan

Lowest rung of entertainment is that Love Island style shyte, or First Dates, or pretty much any reality tv really.

85603

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118255137#Comment_118255137

I do indeed.

Im on the jim and sam now. Since Ants twitter incident.

El_Duderino 09

I get where you're coming from and the standard is pretty low, but nobody makes you watch any of this stuff. You've never been more free to seek out things that entertain you instead of relying on scheduled TV to do the job.

I'm aware of the kardashians and all manner not things thsy I've watched for 5 minutes and decided not wasn't for me, so I just don't watch it. If its on TV then it's probably commercially viable meaning it's entertaining other people and I don't begrudge them their entertainment. I don't find Oliver Callan very funny, I watched a few minutes and it really was quantity over quality (IMO). But lots of other people must enjoy it. Best of luck to them.

Just switch over to something enjoy. If you enjoy knowing that you're tastes are far too high brow for the slop the mucksavages are happy to call fodder, then good for you.

EmmetSpiceland

When it’s done well a good impressionist can be very funny. Where it “falls down” is when you have some eejit in a swim hat warbling away thinking that’s enough for a Michael D. Higgins impression.

Then you’ve got social media clowns becoming flash in the pan “celebs” because when they squint and gurn people think it’s a spot on De Niro or Mourinho.

Doing impressions used to be a great “vehicle” for satire but these days it just seems to be a way to get more “followers” and to give free Irish lessons as a bagless Blind Boy Boat Club.

Still stihl waters 3

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118254177#Comment_118254177

Lol OK Mario

Fergall

I think you overestimate your own importance there.

EmmetSpiceland

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118255578#Comment_118255578

Me?

Fandymo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118255540#Comment_118255540

Yeah, your man Al Foran is fculing terrible. Whoever encouraged him should burn in the depths of hell.

Gregor Samsa

@Penn No the lowest rung of entertainment are the pricks on tiktok who mime over audio from comedy shows or sitcoms, audio which usually even includes studio/audience laughter and sound effects.

I wasn't aware of this phenomenon until last week. My wife in stitches on the sofa, hands me her phone. "Look at this! Its hilarious!" Some gurning fool - no doubt the kind that describes himself as "a bit mad" - miming to what seemed to be a speeded up audio clip from Mrs. Brown's Boys (I'm assuming, perhaps incorrectly. I've never watched it). I stared it at it - allowing my eyes to absorb the photons from the screen, but that's about all I could do. There wasn't actually anything to mentally process. And then I silently handed her the phone back and sat down. She was like "Did you not think that was funny?". I replied that it wasn't that I didn't think it was funny per say - more that it actually, objectively wasn't funny. People say that comedy is subjective, and that's true to a degree. But a jar of jam, sitting on a supermarket shelf amongst countless other identical jars of jam, isn't funny. The act of putting clothes in the washing machine isn't funny. And this wasn't funny. She protested, but I think she realised deep down that I was right - because obviously I was.

I mean, i'm not going to divorce her or anything. But the local cat shelter will now be a lot better off when I pass.

B.A._Baracus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118254155#Comment_118254155

I dotn get it either. Fair play for earning a few quid. Just don't see it.

padd b1975

https://youtu.be/Op5YZ0p8B64

https://youtu.be/UDx7IZFA6lQ

That's how you do impressions.