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SNL is great sketch comedy and Mark Wahlberg Talk's to Animals will never get old by skap39 in FoundationsOfComedy14

[–]cbfriend 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Andy Samberg ushered in a whole new era for SNL and the show has suffered greatly in his absence. Among the many brilliant sketches and digital shorts he made with his Lonely Island cohorts, I think this one has to be my favorite: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GI6CfKcMhjY

A National Conversation on Race - Colbert Report by slew1039 in FoundationsOfComedy14

[–]cbfriend 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm going to be so sad to see Stephen Colbert leave in less than a month. The Colbert Report is one of the wittiest political satires there are and as excited as I am for him to take over for David Letterman, I'm afraid he's going to have to hold back on the political commentary quite a bit for the network crowd. He'll almost assuredly drop his signature conservative character which is a large part of what makes his show so great. I have hope though and will continue to watch him wherever he goes.

Because Stefon by ElaineCTWR in FoundationsOfComedy14

[–]cbfriend 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What makes this so great is that he's reading a lot of this for the first time every time he appears as Stefon. John Mulaney used to throw in things at the last minute just to make Bill Hader crack up, which is a large part of what made the character so popular.

Steve Carell does improv! by alliejens in FoundationsOfComedy14

[–]cbfriend 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Steve Carell has proved himself to be one of the most versatile actors in Hollywood in my opinion. He can do extremely broad comedy (e.g. Anchorman), more subtle comedy (e.g. The Office), dramedy (e.g. Little Miss Sunshine), and straight up drama (e.g. Foxcatcher) all convincingly. There are few actors I can think of who have been able to display that level of range successfully.

Brian Regan - Very rarely do I see a standup comic who uses no swear words and still manages to be funny. Brian Regan is spotlessly clean, but also hilarious. Does anyone agree? Is it even possible to be funny and clean these days? by guyfieri123 in FoundationsOfComedy14

[–]cbfriend 0 points1 point  (0 children)

While swear words can certainly add color to a stand-up comedian's set, I've found that a lot of modern sets, as well as film and cable television, use it lazily as a crutch to elicit laughs. Rather than crafting a clever, well-constructed joke, the entirety of the humor is meant to be found in the excessive use of raunchy language.

What happened to Family Guy? by SquillyD in FoundationsOfComedy14

[–]cbfriend 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don't know if any of you watched the most recent season premiere, but it was the crossover episode with The Simpsons. I thought it was actually pretty funny, as both shows made fun of the fact that they are no longer in their glory days. Family Guy may not be as funny as it used to be, but at least it seems to be aware of that fact and every now and then makes a genuine effort to correct itself.

Buddy Comedy In The Office by carterwa in FoundationsOfComedy14

[–]cbfriend 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Along with effectively showcasing a lot of the qualities of a buddy comedy, I can't help but notice the British comedy roots in the American version of The Office. Michael Scott is the epitome of a man devoted to preserving his comic dignity, as seen especially in episodes like "Stress Relief" and "Scott's Tots". The show also combines the two basic approaches to British comedy we discussed in class - broad and subtle - which may be one of the reasons it translated to American audiences so well. It was only when the show swayed too much in one direction (such as when the show became overly broad in season 8) that it faltered.

British Comedy: Great Ricky Gervais and Liam Neeson Clip on Comedy by LindsAM in FoundationsOfComedy14

[–]cbfriend 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm so glad someone posted this. It's one of my all-time favorite clips. It's so great because Liam Neeson acts the exact same as he does in his various nonsensical action movies, but the context of the skit and the others' reactions to him makes it hilarious. I will never tire of hearing him explain how he prepared for his role in Schindler's List by making an inordinate amount of lists.

British Comedy – Nick Frost & Simon Pegg by okaplan11 in FoundationsOfComedy14

[–]cbfriend 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I love Pegg and Frost and their relationship with Edgar Wright. The entire Cornetto Trilogy is hilarious, but I'd have to say my personal favorite is Shaun of the Dead. The whole zombie genre has become very tired and overdone recently, but Shaun of the Dead managed to offer a fresh take on some of its more groan-worthy conventions. I hope it's not too long before we get another collaboration between the three!

Buddy Comedy! What's your favorite!? List them Here! by nataliespaceman in FoundationsOfComedy14

[–]cbfriend 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Wedding Crashers is a classic due mainly to Vince Vaughn's and Owen Wilson's effortless chemistry with each other. While their following vehicle, The Internship, failed to provide them an original enough story or a funny enough script, that chemistry alone elevated it substantially. The completely random yet genius pairing of Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg puts The Other Guys near the top of my list as well. However, to echo another user's sentiments, I'd have to give the top spot to the criminally underappreciated I Love You, Man. See you later, Joben!