Jabba the Hutt doing ballet
Chris Farley, originally uploaded by Koosama.
Every time I see the trailer for Kung Fu Panda I think of Chris Farley. Why did I even watch Beverly Hills Ninja? It was singularly unfunny and embarrassing. In fact most of Farley’s work on Saturday Night Live was singularly unfunny and embarrassing. But I liked Chris Farley (and disliked David Spade, and no longer watch SNL). There was something touching about Farley’s performances–a desperate need to be liked, and a sense that he couldn’t help himself, he was out of control. Here was a guy who was ready to kill himself for a laugh. There’s a new biography of Farley by his brother and a biographer of Belushi. Why do comics have such unhappy lives? Or is it backwards: Why does unhappiness produce comedy?
Answers to questions you might be asking, unless you wandered onto this site purely by accident >>>
May 23rd, 2008 at 14:19
About the comedy/tragedy thing, I think comedians lead some of the most miserable lives and mine their tragedy for material. The stuff they talk about onstage is really the exaggerated version of their everyday torment, unless your stage name is Dane Cook.
The only person I look forward to on SNL nowadays is Kirsten Wiig, especially when she does her Target Stores cash register attendant. The only other talent worth checking out of SNL from recent batches is Tina Fey. 30 Rock has become my replacement for smart humor now that Arrested Development is in TV heaven…or syndication.
May 23rd, 2008 at 21:15
SNL had something of a renaissance a few ago. the funniest commedians in SNL are the women. Poehler and Wiig. Fey is smart and pretty. Maya Rudolph is sexy-hot and talented (too bad she’s gone now).
i first noticed kirsten wiig when she was gyrating in this SNL aerobic video called Body Fusion with dRew Barrymore.
video.aol.com/video-detail/snl-an-snl-digital-short-body-fusion/2322872398
May 24th, 2008 at 09:55
A little of both, I should think. Life is pretty funny; the absurd and the ridiculous always are.
But isn’t the “unhappy comedian” a cliche, along with the “prostitute with a heart of gold”?
Pero alam mo, gusto ko rin noon na maging komedyante. Kaya lang naisip ko, baka pagtawanan lang ako e.
May 26th, 2008 at 20:31
“There was something touching about Farley’s performances–a desperate need to be liked, and a sense that he couldn’t help himself, he was out of control. Here was a guy who was ready to kill himself for a laugh. Why do comics have such unhappy lives? Or is it backwards: Why does unhappiness produce comedy?”
– woah, deep stuff.