I got the idea for this list after (spoiler alerts) seeing Eddie Izzard last Friday, reading a book published by Ricky Gervais yesterday, and starting the new David Sedaris book.
Ryan's Top Five
1. Ricky Gervais - To be fair, he's usually part of a team with Stephen Merchant; this hurts other contestants (like Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie, for instance). That said, he's too fucking funny to pass up. Stephen Merchant is legitimately hilarious, but Ricky Gervais brings a matchless comic energy to his roles that verily forces you to laugh. He also invented the David Brent character, and thus inspired the Michael Scott character. The first time I saw episode 4 of The Office UK--specifically, "I think there's been a rape up there!"--I laughed for a solid five minutes. I have never laughed at any TV show, movie, standup, etc. more than that exact moment.
2. David Sedaris - I used to think David Sedaris was good but formulaic, but that was when I thought personal narrative was easy to write. It's not. And he makes it look effortless. And he's brilliant. This is a cliche phrase, but you really do have to see him live at some point in your life; as funny as his essays are in print, you cannot get the full effect without hearing him read it, and hearing his audience in hysterics. Sample lines, from "Six to Eight Black Men": "The six to eight black men [in Holland, Santa's elves] were characterized as personal slaves until the mid-fifties, when the political climate changed and it was decided that instead of being slaves they were just good friends. I think history has proven that something usually comes between slavery and friendship, a period of time marked not by cookies and quiet times beside the fire but by bloodshed and mutual hostility."
3. Stephen Colbert - It's really pretty amazing that Colbert can be that consistently funny that often. Most daily talk-shows, even the good ones (Conan O'Brien), have their ups and downs. There's usually at least one thing in every episode of The Colbert Report that is genuinely hilarious. It always amazes me how Colbert (and Conan) can be funny every night, and SNL gets an entire week to write and comes up with nothing. Finally, Colbert really deserves to be on American currency for this:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=BSE_saVX_2A&feature=related
4. Eddie Izzard - The only stand-up comic on my list (though David Cross and Demetri Martin come close...and I suppose Gervais does stand-up). It's hard even to relay Izzard's jokes; his delivery and unique story-telling method (almost stream of consciousness) are one-of-a-kind. John Cleese calls him "the lost Python," and you can really see it; he jumps randomly from subject to subject, layers his jokes, then makes jokes about those layers and his own treatment of the layers. Also, not many comedians choose to focus their material on topics like history, philosophy, religion, etc. Here's a sample:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=6omQ5JjjLsE
"Britain?" "Wot?" "What's that behind your back?" "It's India and a number of other countries." "Give 'em back." "Oh all right...there's that one, that one...Ah the Falkland Islands, we need the Falkland Islands...for strategic sheep purposes."
5. Simon Pegg - One of the masterminds behind "Shaun of the Dead" and "Hot Fuzz," the two funniest movies this decade (http://topfiveofalltime.blogspot.com/2007/07/top-5-comedies-since-2000.html ... I would now reverse the order of 1-2, though). He and Edgar Wright are working on the third of their "Blood and Ice Cream Trilogy," a movie about the end of the world. Pegg's also making a movie with Nick Frost about the pair road-tripping across America... All is well in the comedy world. Anyway, do yourself a favor and buy both of these movies if you haven't seen them or don't already own them.
Honorable mentions: Demetri Martin, Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie (they are too much of a team to single either one out, and this was their downfall), Conan O'Brien, David Cross, Stephen Merchant, John Cleese, Larry David.
Tim's Top 5:
My list will be stand-up comedians. Why? Because that's the kind of guy I am. (Read: the guy with a bunch of comedy CDs).
1. Todd Barry - Hands down, he's my favorite comedian. Every album is worth owning, every joke is at least a little bit funny, and his perpetual semi-fame keeps him from getting any more famous than he'll be as the third conchord.
2. Dave Attell - His HBO special from last year got off to an underwhelming start, but Skanks for the Memories is the best comedy album I'm aware of, and his comedic style really matches the way I converse with friends on a daily basis. His is funnier and perhaps even more offensive, but it's a style I'm comfortable with.
3. Michael Schur - Who? Well, you may know him as Cousin Mose from The Office (the man can handle a raccoon with the best of them), and he's one of the key writers for the series, but he's also the best sports blogger in the business under the guise of Ken Tremendous at firejoemorgan.com. It's smart, hilarious, and aside from the shared affection all the writers have for the hated Red Sox, it's invariably worth reading.
4. Michael J. Nelson - Ok, he might not actually be, we don't know how the MST3K writing sessions really worked, but his books (Mind Over Matters and Mike Nelson's Death Rat!) are consistently funny, and everyone associated with Mystery Science Theater 3000 warrants a nobel prize for humor.
5. Lewis Black - He's gotten too famous for his own good, the Carnegie Hall performance was underwhelming, his first book was a huge disappointment, but his comedy is just funny. He generates more material than nearly anyone, because his rage merges well with every news story.
Honorable mention: me, I'm my biggest fan (by height, I suspect the heftier folks are totally into me). Really, since I wasn't in Unaccompanied Minors, I should slot myself in at #5. But oh well. The guy who runs gemmintten.blogspot.com warrants mention here, though he may still be a flash in the pan. David Cross has really grown on me, his last comedy album really turned the corner.
Dan' Top 5:
1. Patton Oswalt - By far my favorite living stand-up comedian, Patton's gift of comedy, I think, is derived from his English major in college. His bits are full of really inventive embellishments.
2. Nick Hornby - High Fidelity being so brilliant is what inspired this website, isn't it? I think that Hornby is one of the masters at pointing out humor in truth.
3. David Sedaris - Probably the most articulate person on the list. The only problem with Sedaris is that in my mind, nothing will ever top his masterpiece, "Six to Eight Black Men"
4. David Cross - Drops a few sots because his standup comedy is a bit too politically-oriented. All his other work, especially Mr. Show and Arrested Development is brilliant
5. Seth Green - Seth sneaks in at my suprise-for-five spot. I'm giving him all of the credit for the hilarious Robot Chicken series. I get the feeling that he's the kind of person who works best behind the scenes.
Honorable Mentions: Stephen Colbert (only excluded due to previous representation... props to his work on Strangers with Candy), Eddie Izzard, Joel Hodgson (MST3K creator)
Showing posts with label comedy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label comedy. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Monday, June 2, 2008
Top 5 Simpsons Episodes
Here it is. The List To End All Lists. A list that has forced me to expand into a Bonus Top 10 (really this is cheating and a cowardly move to make myself feel better about excluding nos. 6-10 from the top 5...but even crafting a top 10 was difficult. This list looks strikingly different from the Top 35 list I made five years ago; given, though, when I made that list I was going solely on personal favorites. This time I've tended toward episode greatness, and, moreover, some of my old favorites have waned for me. (I wish I had a magic Simpsons iPod that tracked how many times I've watched particular episodes in my lifetime--Lisa the Vegetarian, for instance, has to approach 50 [at least].)
Tim suggested we do this list, and it was gnawing at me so I am posting it now in the hope that he doesn't mind...
Ryan's Top 10
1. Lemon of Troy, season 6 - I took a good amount of time setting out my rankings, and I had no idea this would be my #1 when I set out to do this list. Now that I'm done, I like it in this spot. This episode has a strong plot from start to finish, back when Simpsons episodes used to have plots rather than being a collection of pop culture references (which, don't get me wrong, are still better than most of the crap on television and certainly network television). This is yet another of the greats from seasons 6 and 7, the two best seasons. It also has the best Milhouse lines from any episode: "I feel like I'm going to explode here!" "This is what it sounds like, when doves cry!" Other gems: "This whole raid was as useless as that yellow lemon-shaped rock over there. Wait a minute... there's a lemon behind that rock!"
2. Homer the Great, season 6 - Nos. 1 and 2 were a toss-up, and this one could easily be on top without much argument. The Stonecutters' episode, like Lemon of Troy, is perfect plot-wise, start to finish. It also has one of the best songs in the series: "Who controls the British crown, who keeps the metric system down? We do! We do!" Other random, non-comprehensive gems:
Bart: Dad, remember those self-hypnosis courses we took to help us ignore Grampa?
Homer: Do I ever! It's five years later and I still think I'm a chicken. I'm a chicken, Marge!
3. You Only Move Twice, season 8 - This will doubtless rate high on other people's lists (I believe it's Tim's #1, unsure of Dan). And for good reason. Without having seen anyone else's list, I'll defer to them to dissect the greatness of this one further. I leave you with my favorite quotes from the episode:
Hank: Hammocks? My goodness, what an idea. Why didn't I think of that? Hammocks! Homer, there's four places. There's the Hammock Hut, that's on third.
Homer: Uh-huh.
Hank: There's Hammocks-R-Us, that's on third too. You got Put-Your-Butt-There?
Homer: Mm-Hmm.
Hank: That's on third. Swing Low, Sweet Chariot... Matter of fact, they're all in the same complex; it's the hammock complex on third.
Homer: Oh, the hammock district.
(OK, my favorite scene is the end, with the Denver Broncos. Now I'm done.)
4. Bart Sells His Soul, season 7 - Contains, among many great lines, the classic "In the Garden of Eden," by I. Ron Butterfly. Also Uncle Moe's Family Feedbag, which has street signs indoors and sunglasses on alligators. ("Now I've seen everything!") Gems (this time from memory, so forgive a misplaced word or two): "You know Bart, Pablo Neruda said that laughter is the language of the soul." "I am familiar with the works of Pablo Neruda." Excellence.
5. Homer's Barbershop Quartet, season 5 - I completely left this one off my last list of 35, and I have no idea why--obviously a complete lapse in memory. (I did make that list when I was working an 11pm-7am at the dorm.) Anyway, this episode features George Harrison as a guest star and has more of the best music in the series. This is another strong plot episode... I probably wouldn't even being saying things like that if the last few seasons weren't so random. Gem:
Bart: [incredulous] Barbershop? That ain't been popular since aught six, dagnab it.
Homer: [reproachfully] Bart, what did I tell you?
Bart: [abashed] No talking like a grizzled 1890s prospector...consarnit.
SUPER HAPPY BONUS TOP 10 ACTION!
6. Mr. Plow, season 4 - Brilliant, and the less said, the better, probably. "The forecast calls for flurries of passion, followed by extended periods of gettin' it on."
7. Marge vs. The Monorail, season 4 - Losing Phil Hartman in 1997 really hurt the series, as his episodes/characters are some of the best. Here he stars as Lyle Lanley, the monorail swindler who put Brockway, Ogdenville, and North Haverbrook on the map. Leonard Nimoy also guest stars: "A solar eclipse. The cosmic ballet goes on." "Does anyone want to switch seats?"
8. Itchy & Scratchy Land, season 6 - "Barclay"..."Barry"..."Bert"... "Bort"? Aw, come on. "Bort"?
Child: Mommy, mommy! Buy me a license plate.
Mother: No. Come along, Bort.
Man: Are you talking to me?
Mother: No, my son is also named Bort.
9. And Maggie Makes Three, season 6 - This one's gained prominence for me recently--it's another textbook plot-driven episode. I actually taught plot elements with this one in school--you can pinpoint the climax, when Maggie grabs Homer's thumb. It's also probably the best "heartwarming episode" and, of course, hilarious. "My marketing plan attracted a record number of police and fire officials, but few stayed to bowl."
10. Bart of Darkness, season 6 - Season 6 is fucking brilliant. This is one of my all-time personal favorites, in addition to being an all-around great episode. "'Tis a fine barn English but sure 'tis no pool!" "D'oh'eth!" Also, and this is impossible to verify, but it has one of the best signs-as-a-running-gag: POOL SHARKS -- WHERE THE BUYER IS OUR CHUM. Another of my all-time favorite lines: "I understand. Let us celebrate our arrangement with the adding of chocolate to milk."
Honorable Mentions, in no order:
- Simpsoncalifragilisticexpiala(Annoyed Grunt)cious
- Bart After Dark (the burlesgue house)
- Bart Vs. Australia (an all-time personal favorite, but I figured the trip to Australia was gimmicky enough to force its exclusion from the top 10)
- Bart Gets an Elephant (damn it, this should probably be on there)
- The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show (good but again, gimmicky...self-admittedly, to be fair)
- Lisa the Vegetarian (another personal favorite and owner of one of my favorite lines (the BBBQ)
- 22 Short Films About Springfield
Dan's Top 5:
1. 22 Short Films About Springfield - I love shows that follow a bunch of simultaneous story lines, and the Pulp Fiction references are priceless. "Do they have Krusty Partially Gelatinated Non-Dairy Gum-Based beverages?" "Yeah, they call 'em 'shakes.'" "'Shakes.' Hmph. You don't know what you're getting!"
2. Mr. Plow - "And now we play the waiting game... eh, the waiting game sucks. Let's play Hungry Hungry Hippos!"
3. Krusty Gets Cancelled - A million cameos in this one, though the true highlight is Krusty's rendition of "Send in the Clowns." Gains points because I saw it a number of times when I was into the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
4. Homer Goes to College - Classic take on the Animal House-style college paradigm, complete with a dean who's a jerk, and Homer mentoring three lovable nerds. In true Simpsons fashion, no one learns anything by the end of the show.
5. Treehouse of Horror VI - Included almost entirely because of "Homer^3." I actually remember the hype, even if it might have been entirely in my mind, for the Simpsons being 3-D. "Uh...it's like...did anyone see the movie 'Tron'?"
Honorable Mentions (read: A Top 10 with no commentary): You Only Move Twice, Flaming Moe's, Dancin' Homer, Homer to the Max, Last Exit to Springfield.
Tim's Top 5:
As Ryan said, I was working on this...for far longer than I would like to admit, but thankfully discussing it with some co-workers finalized my list today.
1. You Only Live Twice - I don't think that this is even close. Every character is amusing in this, and given my contempt for nearly any episode that substantively involves Lisa, that's saying something. Hank Scorpio is a brilliant merger of Bond villains with the new-wave CEO, the Denver Broncos are the perfect ending, and Bart's remedial class is one of the best use of supplementary characters in the series. Marge's drinking problem, Otto's squatting...yeah, this is a flawless episode.
Just a few moments:
Scorpio: Sugar? Sure. There you go. Sorry it's not in packets.
Apu: Hello. I am not interested in buying your house, but I would like to use your rest room, flip through your magazines, rearrange your carefully shelved items and handle your food products in an unsanitary manner. Ha! Now you know how it feels!
Homer: Thank you, come again!
Kid: I'm from Canada and everyone thinks I'm slow, eh?
Other kid: I fell of the jungle gym and when I woke up, I was in here.
Another kid: I start fires!
2. The Mansion Family - The greatest line in all of Simpsons history (Bart: “what does that satellite do?” Homer: “it rebroadcasts major league baseball with implied oral consent, not expressed written consent, or so the legend goes.”) is the key to this episode, but nearly all the moments are worth celebrating. Monkey knife fights, man-cow weddings (Rick Santorum was right), box socials, that’s all I ask of an episode. It’s funny that I love it so, because it gets terrible reviews from the people on snpp.com. But these are also the deranged people who enjoyed The City of New York v. Homer Simpson.
3. Marge vs. the Monorail - Conan O'Brien's shining hour has Phil Hartman at his best, has a great cameo from Leonard Nimoy ("Didn't I?") and a lot of good Homer moments ("Do you want to change your name to Homer Junior? The kids can call you Hoju!") and an unforgettable opening of Homer singing the Flintstones theme. A solid rendition of The Music Man, but fantastic for those who haven't seen it, too.
4. Homer the Great - The Stonecutters song is hands down the greatest musical experience in The Simpsons canon...and I'm mentioning this right after Marge vs. the Monorail, so I realize what I'm saying. The whole episode is fantastic, and few moments are as funny as "attach the Stone of Triumph!"
5. The Trouble With Trillions - "Well, if it's a crime to love one's country, then I'm guilty. And if it's a crime to steal a trillion dollars from our government and hand it over to communist Cuba, then I'm guilty of that too. And if it's a crime to bribe a jury, then I'll soon be guilty of that!" Homer's discussions while wearing a wire are among the best moments I can recall, and the entire story is entertaining enough to warrant mention here.
Honorable mention: Okay, I lied, I said I had items from both lists on mine, but that was when 22 Short Films About Springfield (now on this list) was at #5. But I have to go with The Trouble With Trillions. Homer vs. the 18th Amendment - "To alcohol, the cause of -- and solution to -- all life's problems!" I've always wanted to be a bootlegger, Dave Thomas does some of the best guest work for a guy who's not particularly famous to non-Canadians; Homer's Phobia - which gets major credit for not only being educational, funny, and really ahead of the curve on embracing (or tolerating) homosexuality, but gets even more credit since I got to interview John Waters about it; Homer At The Bat - "You just don't know when to quit, do you Saxy boy?" aside from its failure to recognize that clemens' downfall should be pedophilia, it's a sterling episode that destroyed many a baseball career; Lisa’s Wedding – this is by far the best of the Lisa episodes, it actually warrants mention not on that curve; Mr. Plow - "Oh yeah, what president is on it?" "Uh...all of them, they're having a party...Jimmy Carter is passed out on the couch."
I have a lot to catch up on, so Seinfeld is tomorrow's goal, as well as coming up with some more future lists.
Tim suggested we do this list, and it was gnawing at me so I am posting it now in the hope that he doesn't mind...
Ryan's Top 10
1. Lemon of Troy, season 6 - I took a good amount of time setting out my rankings, and I had no idea this would be my #1 when I set out to do this list. Now that I'm done, I like it in this spot. This episode has a strong plot from start to finish, back when Simpsons episodes used to have plots rather than being a collection of pop culture references (which, don't get me wrong, are still better than most of the crap on television and certainly network television). This is yet another of the greats from seasons 6 and 7, the two best seasons. It also has the best Milhouse lines from any episode: "I feel like I'm going to explode here!" "This is what it sounds like, when doves cry!" Other gems: "This whole raid was as useless as that yellow lemon-shaped rock over there. Wait a minute... there's a lemon behind that rock!"
2. Homer the Great, season 6 - Nos. 1 and 2 were a toss-up, and this one could easily be on top without much argument. The Stonecutters' episode, like Lemon of Troy, is perfect plot-wise, start to finish. It also has one of the best songs in the series: "Who controls the British crown, who keeps the metric system down? We do! We do!" Other random, non-comprehensive gems:
Bart: Dad, remember those self-hypnosis courses we took to help us ignore Grampa?
Homer: Do I ever! It's five years later and I still think I'm a chicken. I'm a chicken, Marge!
3. You Only Move Twice, season 8 - This will doubtless rate high on other people's lists (I believe it's Tim's #1, unsure of Dan). And for good reason. Without having seen anyone else's list, I'll defer to them to dissect the greatness of this one further. I leave you with my favorite quotes from the episode:
Hank: Hammocks? My goodness, what an idea. Why didn't I think of that? Hammocks! Homer, there's four places. There's the Hammock Hut, that's on third.
Homer: Uh-huh.
Hank: There's Hammocks-R-Us, that's on third too. You got Put-Your-Butt-There?
Homer: Mm-Hmm.
Hank: That's on third. Swing Low, Sweet Chariot... Matter of fact, they're all in the same complex; it's the hammock complex on third.
Homer: Oh, the hammock district.
(OK, my favorite scene is the end, with the Denver Broncos. Now I'm done.)
4. Bart Sells His Soul, season 7 - Contains, among many great lines, the classic "In the Garden of Eden," by I. Ron Butterfly. Also Uncle Moe's Family Feedbag, which has street signs indoors and sunglasses on alligators. ("Now I've seen everything!") Gems (this time from memory, so forgive a misplaced word or two): "You know Bart, Pablo Neruda said that laughter is the language of the soul." "I am familiar with the works of Pablo Neruda." Excellence.
5. Homer's Barbershop Quartet, season 5 - I completely left this one off my last list of 35, and I have no idea why--obviously a complete lapse in memory. (I did make that list when I was working an 11pm-7am at the dorm.) Anyway, this episode features George Harrison as a guest star and has more of the best music in the series. This is another strong plot episode... I probably wouldn't even being saying things like that if the last few seasons weren't so random. Gem:
Bart: [incredulous] Barbershop? That ain't been popular since aught six, dagnab it.
Homer: [reproachfully] Bart, what did I tell you?
Bart: [abashed] No talking like a grizzled 1890s prospector...consarnit.
SUPER HAPPY BONUS TOP 10 ACTION!
6. Mr. Plow, season 4 - Brilliant, and the less said, the better, probably. "The forecast calls for flurries of passion, followed by extended periods of gettin' it on."
7. Marge vs. The Monorail, season 4 - Losing Phil Hartman in 1997 really hurt the series, as his episodes/characters are some of the best. Here he stars as Lyle Lanley, the monorail swindler who put Brockway, Ogdenville, and North Haverbrook on the map. Leonard Nimoy also guest stars: "A solar eclipse. The cosmic ballet goes on." "Does anyone want to switch seats?"
8. Itchy & Scratchy Land, season 6 - "Barclay"..."Barry"..."Bert"... "Bort"? Aw, come on. "Bort"?
Child: Mommy, mommy! Buy me a license plate.
Mother: No. Come along, Bort.
Man: Are you talking to me?
Mother: No, my son is also named Bort.
9. And Maggie Makes Three, season 6 - This one's gained prominence for me recently--it's another textbook plot-driven episode. I actually taught plot elements with this one in school--you can pinpoint the climax, when Maggie grabs Homer's thumb. It's also probably the best "heartwarming episode" and, of course, hilarious. "My marketing plan attracted a record number of police and fire officials, but few stayed to bowl."
10. Bart of Darkness, season 6 - Season 6 is fucking brilliant. This is one of my all-time personal favorites, in addition to being an all-around great episode. "'Tis a fine barn English but sure 'tis no pool!" "D'oh'eth!" Also, and this is impossible to verify, but it has one of the best signs-as-a-running-gag: POOL SHARKS -- WHERE THE BUYER IS OUR CHUM. Another of my all-time favorite lines: "I understand. Let us celebrate our arrangement with the adding of chocolate to milk."
Honorable Mentions, in no order:
- Simpsoncalifragilisticexpiala(Annoyed Grunt)cious
- Bart After Dark (the burlesgue house)
- Bart Vs. Australia (an all-time personal favorite, but I figured the trip to Australia was gimmicky enough to force its exclusion from the top 10)
- Bart Gets an Elephant (damn it, this should probably be on there)
- The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show (good but again, gimmicky...self-admittedly, to be fair)
- Lisa the Vegetarian (another personal favorite and owner of one of my favorite lines (the BBBQ)
- 22 Short Films About Springfield
Dan's Top 5:
1. 22 Short Films About Springfield - I love shows that follow a bunch of simultaneous story lines, and the Pulp Fiction references are priceless. "Do they have Krusty Partially Gelatinated Non-Dairy Gum-Based beverages?" "Yeah, they call 'em 'shakes.'" "'Shakes.' Hmph. You don't know what you're getting!"
2. Mr. Plow - "And now we play the waiting game... eh, the waiting game sucks. Let's play Hungry Hungry Hippos!"
3. Krusty Gets Cancelled - A million cameos in this one, though the true highlight is Krusty's rendition of "Send in the Clowns." Gains points because I saw it a number of times when I was into the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
4. Homer Goes to College - Classic take on the Animal House-style college paradigm, complete with a dean who's a jerk, and Homer mentoring three lovable nerds. In true Simpsons fashion, no one learns anything by the end of the show.
5. Treehouse of Horror VI - Included almost entirely because of "Homer^3." I actually remember the hype, even if it might have been entirely in my mind, for the Simpsons being 3-D. "Uh...it's like...did anyone see the movie 'Tron'?"
Honorable Mentions (read: A Top 10 with no commentary): You Only Move Twice, Flaming Moe's, Dancin' Homer, Homer to the Max, Last Exit to Springfield.
Tim's Top 5:
As Ryan said, I was working on this...for far longer than I would like to admit, but thankfully discussing it with some co-workers finalized my list today.
1. You Only Live Twice - I don't think that this is even close. Every character is amusing in this, and given my contempt for nearly any episode that substantively involves Lisa, that's saying something. Hank Scorpio is a brilliant merger of Bond villains with the new-wave CEO, the Denver Broncos are the perfect ending, and Bart's remedial class is one of the best use of supplementary characters in the series. Marge's drinking problem, Otto's squatting...yeah, this is a flawless episode.
Just a few moments:
Scorpio: Sugar? Sure. There you go. Sorry it's not in packets.
Apu: Hello. I am not interested in buying your house, but I would like to use your rest room, flip through your magazines, rearrange your carefully shelved items and handle your food products in an unsanitary manner. Ha! Now you know how it feels!
Homer: Thank you, come again!
Kid: I'm from Canada and everyone thinks I'm slow, eh?
Other kid: I fell of the jungle gym and when I woke up, I was in here.
Another kid: I start fires!
2. The Mansion Family - The greatest line in all of Simpsons history (Bart: “what does that satellite do?” Homer: “it rebroadcasts major league baseball with implied oral consent, not expressed written consent, or so the legend goes.”) is the key to this episode, but nearly all the moments are worth celebrating. Monkey knife fights, man-cow weddings (Rick Santorum was right), box socials, that’s all I ask of an episode. It’s funny that I love it so, because it gets terrible reviews from the people on snpp.com. But these are also the deranged people who enjoyed The City of New York v. Homer Simpson.
3. Marge vs. the Monorail - Conan O'Brien's shining hour has Phil Hartman at his best, has a great cameo from Leonard Nimoy ("Didn't I?") and a lot of good Homer moments ("Do you want to change your name to Homer Junior? The kids can call you Hoju!") and an unforgettable opening of Homer singing the Flintstones theme. A solid rendition of The Music Man, but fantastic for those who haven't seen it, too.
4. Homer the Great - The Stonecutters song is hands down the greatest musical experience in The Simpsons canon...and I'm mentioning this right after Marge vs. the Monorail, so I realize what I'm saying. The whole episode is fantastic, and few moments are as funny as "attach the Stone of Triumph!"
5. The Trouble With Trillions - "Well, if it's a crime to love one's country, then I'm guilty. And if it's a crime to steal a trillion dollars from our government and hand it over to communist Cuba, then I'm guilty of that too. And if it's a crime to bribe a jury, then I'll soon be guilty of that!" Homer's discussions while wearing a wire are among the best moments I can recall, and the entire story is entertaining enough to warrant mention here.
Honorable mention: Okay, I lied, I said I had items from both lists on mine, but that was when 22 Short Films About Springfield (now on this list) was at #5. But I have to go with The Trouble With Trillions. Homer vs. the 18th Amendment - "To alcohol, the cause of -- and solution to -- all life's problems!" I've always wanted to be a bootlegger, Dave Thomas does some of the best guest work for a guy who's not particularly famous to non-Canadians; Homer's Phobia - which gets major credit for not only being educational, funny, and really ahead of the curve on embracing (or tolerating) homosexuality, but gets even more credit since I got to interview John Waters about it; Homer At The Bat - "You just don't know when to quit, do you Saxy boy?" aside from its failure to recognize that clemens' downfall should be pedophilia, it's a sterling episode that destroyed many a baseball career; Lisa’s Wedding – this is by far the best of the Lisa episodes, it actually warrants mention not on that curve; Mr. Plow - "Oh yeah, what president is on it?" "Uh...all of them, they're having a party...Jimmy Carter is passed out on the couch."
I have a lot to catch up on, so Seinfeld is tomorrow's goal, as well as coming up with some more future lists.
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Top 5 Seinfeld Episodes
I have been meaning to do this one for some time now, I just plumb forgot about it. This is the site I used, though there are probably more helpful sites out there: http://www.stanthecaddy.com/seinfeld-episode-guide/
Ryan's Top Five:
1. The Contest - For me there's no contest about this one (pun intended and apologized for). Not only was this episode both groundbreaking (for the subject matter and for the advance of the show's popularity) and genius, its greatness has not been matched since. No other show could walk the line so carefully to such brilliant results; anything raunchier wouldn't be as funny, and ditto anything tamer. Memorable lines: Jerry: "Are you still master of your domain?" George: "I am king of the county!" Incidentally, the moment Kramer exits the contest was voted the third funniest moment in TV history (by people who assuredly have less merit in ranking things, but still, it's worth noting). And if you're unaware of the "subject matter," you really need to purchase this season. Do it anyway.
2. The Rye - A perfectly crafted episode that houses zaniness firmly within the realm of realism. The culmination is George fishing for a marble rye bread from a New York apartment, but anyone can recognize being embarrassed by the crass manners of friends or family members. To dissect the episode any further wouldn't be funny, so instead, picture the scene where Jerry mugs an old lady for a loaf of bread ("Shut up you old bag!").
3. The Invitations - If there's a better use of the "shock factor" in a sitcom, I haven't seen it. Killing off people in sitcoms is so out-of-left-field, you would never expect it to happen--let alone for any comedy to result. And if you had any doubts about the vices of the characters before this episode, this should settle it. Favorite scenes--how about George trying to get a date with Marissa Tomei after his fiance dies? Or Elaine's consolation: "I'm... sorry?" This episode was, undoubtedly, shockingly brilliant.
4. The Opposite - If you're unfamiliar with the title, here's a short recap: George does everything against his instinct and Jerry's life always evens out--George's life becomes great and Elaine's life gets shitty. I'm not sure where everyone else ranks this episode, but it's a personal favorite; this is also the one where George gets the job with the Yankees. Here are some of my favorite Seinfeld quotes:
Yankees exec: This is Mr. Costanza. He's one of the applicants.
Steinbrenner: Nice to meet you.
George: Well, I wish I could say the same. But I must say, with all due respect, I find it very hard to see the logic behind some of the moves you have made with this fine organization. In the past twenty years you have caused myself, and the city of New York, a good deal of distress, as we have watched you take our beloved Yankees and reduce them to a laughing stock, all for the glorification of your massive ego!
Steinbrenner: Hire this man!
....
George: My name is George. I'm unemployed and I live with my parents.
5. The Voice - This is the newest one in the top 5, from season 9. Highlights include "the voice" (i.e., HELLOOOOOOOOO!!! LA HA HA!) that Jerry, George, and Kramer come up with that speaks out of Jerry's girlfriend's belly button. This is also the episode with Kramerica Industries and Kramer's attempt to solve oil spills with rubber balls (LOOK AT ME, I'M ALL COVERED IN OIL!). Brilliance.
Controversial Omissions (i.e. Honorable Mentions), in chronological order:
- The Bubble Boy
- The Library (the Detective Bookman episode, and "Can't-Stand-Ya")
- The Boyfriend Parts 1 and 2 (Keith Hernandez and the "magic loogy" theory
- The Outing ("Not that there's anything WRONG with that!")
- The Puffy Shirt
- The Marine Biologist ("Is anybody here a marine biologist?")
- The Hamptons (definite shrinkage)
- The Race (Jerry as Superman)
- The Soup Nazi: Here's the thing, this is maybe the most classic episode of Seinfeld. However, upon re-watching, this episode basically only has the Soup Nazi angle going for it (Elaine gets an armoire stolen by gay street thieves, which is funny, but not as funny as, say, Kramerica Industries). Now, this is almost certainly the 6th best episode of the series (or, failing that, solidly in the top 10), but it's not as complete as the top 5 above.
- The Bizarro Jerry
- The Little Kicks (Elaine dancing)
- The Abstinence (George gives up sex and becomes brilliant, Elaine gives up sex and becomes a moron)
- The Susie (including George's classic answering machine message, "Believe it or not George isn't at home, please leave a message at the beep..."
- The Strike ("It's a Festivus for the rest of us!")
Dan's Top 5:
The Contest - ep. 411 - I love the fact that the central conflict in this episode is sexual frustration, but every reference is in the form of innuendo. As a result, it gets to stay tame enough for network television. No use in saying too much more, as Ryan sums it up sufficiently.
The Gum - ep. 710 - The taboo of insanity is the central focus here. What I love about this episode is how well everything is interconnected in true Seinfeld fashion. (Elaine complains that a man is washing the sidewalk with a hose, and later George cannot put out the fire in the Jon Voight car because it's been disconnected.) One of my favorite moments ever is when George runs after Deena, shouting, "This isn't mine. I got it from the Institute. The Institute!"
The Frogger - ep. 918 - Really a commentary on the unachievable nature of immortality. Elaine destroys a piece of Edward VIII's legacy by eating a piece of decades-old wedding cake, George's attempt at immortality comes in the form of trying to preserve his high score on a Frogger machine, only to fail when executing the Frogger strategy on a real-life street.
The Airport - ep. 412 - This is probably the first Seinfeld episode I really memorized. I suspect that a lot of sitcoms have done episodes regarding an airport, but this one was actually funny and memorable. Jerry and Elaine highlight the differences between first class and coach, which is to be expected, but the true comedy of the episode is Kramer's pursuit of his old roommate for $300, and George's interactions with a major criminal.
The Fusilli Jerry - ep. 621 - Another episode that deals primarily with sex - (the episode where numerous "moves" are exchanged). But really, the highlight of this episode is Kramer's "ASSMAN" license plates. "I'm Cosmo Kramer, the assman!" A million-to-one shot.
Honorable Mentions - Let's not kid ourselves... every other episode.
Tim's Top 5:
I'm doing this all from memory, so I could be horribly wrong. But they're the episodes that strike me as particularly memorable.
1. The Contest - Yeah, Ryan had it right. It was a revelation to have on television and it opened the door to a lot of similarly themed episodes when the most explicit thing on TV before had been a character on Growing Pains that was named Boner for no apparent reason except for Alan Thicke's wanton pedophilia (note: Alan Thicke is notactually necessarily a pedophile).
2. The Abstinence - George becomes brilliant by not having sex, Elaine becomes a moron while not sleeping with Bob Odenkirk so he can become a doctor. Kramer opens a smoking club in his apartment and gets to go see Jackie Chiles, and George decides being a genius is still less important than sleeping with a Portuguese waitress.
3. The Little Kicks - Elaine dances, Elaine turns a co-worker onto George by warning her to avoid him, Kramer gets Jerry to end up as a movie bootlegger, and the episode ties up all its loose ends with one seamless conclusion that will make you cry, cry again.
4. The Library - I swear that Seinfeld is responsible for Phillip Baker Hall coming back out of the woodwork as an actor, and that alone would make it well worth including this episode. But it's also flawless casting, Phillip Baker Hall is the best library cop you could envision, the Can'tstandya scenes are sheer hilarity, and Kramer's seduction of the librarian completes the trifecta. Definitely the best of the early episodes.
5. The Andrea Doria - Jerry conspires to get Newman transferred to Hawaii but loses Newman's job by doing too good a job delivering the mail; George tells his tale of woe to compete with the Andrea Doria survivor for an apartment in a coop; Elaine has a big head; Kramer goes to the vet to get a pill for his cough.
Honorable mention: The Beard - The Melrose Place polygraph is an all-time highlight. But that's it, because if I kept doing reearch, I'd just have to change my list. I'll just have to settle for being wrong.
Ryan's Top Five:
1. The Contest - For me there's no contest about this one (pun intended and apologized for). Not only was this episode both groundbreaking (for the subject matter and for the advance of the show's popularity) and genius, its greatness has not been matched since. No other show could walk the line so carefully to such brilliant results; anything raunchier wouldn't be as funny, and ditto anything tamer. Memorable lines: Jerry: "Are you still master of your domain?" George: "I am king of the county!" Incidentally, the moment Kramer exits the contest was voted the third funniest moment in TV history (by people who assuredly have less merit in ranking things, but still, it's worth noting). And if you're unaware of the "subject matter," you really need to purchase this season. Do it anyway.
2. The Rye - A perfectly crafted episode that houses zaniness firmly within the realm of realism. The culmination is George fishing for a marble rye bread from a New York apartment, but anyone can recognize being embarrassed by the crass manners of friends or family members. To dissect the episode any further wouldn't be funny, so instead, picture the scene where Jerry mugs an old lady for a loaf of bread ("Shut up you old bag!").
3. The Invitations - If there's a better use of the "shock factor" in a sitcom, I haven't seen it. Killing off people in sitcoms is so out-of-left-field, you would never expect it to happen--let alone for any comedy to result. And if you had any doubts about the vices of the characters before this episode, this should settle it. Favorite scenes--how about George trying to get a date with Marissa Tomei after his fiance dies? Or Elaine's consolation: "I'm... sorry?" This episode was, undoubtedly, shockingly brilliant.
4. The Opposite - If you're unfamiliar with the title, here's a short recap: George does everything against his instinct and Jerry's life always evens out--George's life becomes great and Elaine's life gets shitty. I'm not sure where everyone else ranks this episode, but it's a personal favorite; this is also the one where George gets the job with the Yankees. Here are some of my favorite Seinfeld quotes:
Yankees exec: This is Mr. Costanza. He's one of the applicants.
Steinbrenner: Nice to meet you.
George: Well, I wish I could say the same. But I must say, with all due respect, I find it very hard to see the logic behind some of the moves you have made with this fine organization. In the past twenty years you have caused myself, and the city of New York, a good deal of distress, as we have watched you take our beloved Yankees and reduce them to a laughing stock, all for the glorification of your massive ego!
Steinbrenner: Hire this man!
....
George: My name is George. I'm unemployed and I live with my parents.
5. The Voice - This is the newest one in the top 5, from season 9. Highlights include "the voice" (i.e., HELLOOOOOOOOO!!! LA HA HA!) that Jerry, George, and Kramer come up with that speaks out of Jerry's girlfriend's belly button. This is also the episode with Kramerica Industries and Kramer's attempt to solve oil spills with rubber balls (LOOK AT ME, I'M ALL COVERED IN OIL!). Brilliance.
Controversial Omissions (i.e. Honorable Mentions), in chronological order:
- The Bubble Boy
- The Library (the Detective Bookman episode, and "Can't-Stand-Ya")
- The Boyfriend Parts 1 and 2 (Keith Hernandez and the "magic loogy" theory
- The Outing ("Not that there's anything WRONG with that!")
- The Puffy Shirt
- The Marine Biologist ("Is anybody here a marine biologist?")
- The Hamptons (definite shrinkage)
- The Race (Jerry as Superman)
- The Soup Nazi: Here's the thing, this is maybe the most classic episode of Seinfeld. However, upon re-watching, this episode basically only has the Soup Nazi angle going for it (Elaine gets an armoire stolen by gay street thieves, which is funny, but not as funny as, say, Kramerica Industries). Now, this is almost certainly the 6th best episode of the series (or, failing that, solidly in the top 10), but it's not as complete as the top 5 above.
- The Bizarro Jerry
- The Little Kicks (Elaine dancing)
- The Abstinence (George gives up sex and becomes brilliant, Elaine gives up sex and becomes a moron)
- The Susie (including George's classic answering machine message, "Believe it or not George isn't at home, please leave a message at the beep..."
- The Strike ("It's a Festivus for the rest of us!")
Dan's Top 5:
The Contest - ep. 411 - I love the fact that the central conflict in this episode is sexual frustration, but every reference is in the form of innuendo. As a result, it gets to stay tame enough for network television. No use in saying too much more, as Ryan sums it up sufficiently.
The Gum - ep. 710 - The taboo of insanity is the central focus here. What I love about this episode is how well everything is interconnected in true Seinfeld fashion. (Elaine complains that a man is washing the sidewalk with a hose, and later George cannot put out the fire in the Jon Voight car because it's been disconnected.) One of my favorite moments ever is when George runs after Deena, shouting, "This isn't mine. I got it from the Institute. The Institute!"
The Frogger - ep. 918 - Really a commentary on the unachievable nature of immortality. Elaine destroys a piece of Edward VIII's legacy by eating a piece of decades-old wedding cake, George's attempt at immortality comes in the form of trying to preserve his high score on a Frogger machine, only to fail when executing the Frogger strategy on a real-life street.
The Airport - ep. 412 - This is probably the first Seinfeld episode I really memorized. I suspect that a lot of sitcoms have done episodes regarding an airport, but this one was actually funny and memorable. Jerry and Elaine highlight the differences between first class and coach, which is to be expected, but the true comedy of the episode is Kramer's pursuit of his old roommate for $300, and George's interactions with a major criminal.
The Fusilli Jerry - ep. 621 - Another episode that deals primarily with sex - (the episode where numerous "moves" are exchanged). But really, the highlight of this episode is Kramer's "ASSMAN" license plates. "I'm Cosmo Kramer, the assman!" A million-to-one shot.
Honorable Mentions - Let's not kid ourselves... every other episode.
Tim's Top 5:
I'm doing this all from memory, so I could be horribly wrong. But they're the episodes that strike me as particularly memorable.
1. The Contest - Yeah, Ryan had it right. It was a revelation to have on television and it opened the door to a lot of similarly themed episodes when the most explicit thing on TV before had been a character on Growing Pains that was named Boner for no apparent reason except for Alan Thicke's wanton pedophilia (note: Alan Thicke is not
2. The Abstinence - George becomes brilliant by not having sex, Elaine becomes a moron while not sleeping with Bob Odenkirk so he can become a doctor. Kramer opens a smoking club in his apartment and gets to go see Jackie Chiles, and George decides being a genius is still less important than sleeping with a Portuguese waitress.
3. The Little Kicks - Elaine dances, Elaine turns a co-worker onto George by warning her to avoid him, Kramer gets Jerry to end up as a movie bootlegger, and the episode ties up all its loose ends with one seamless conclusion that will make you cry, cry again.
4. The Library - I swear that Seinfeld is responsible for Phillip Baker Hall coming back out of the woodwork as an actor, and that alone would make it well worth including this episode. But it's also flawless casting, Phillip Baker Hall is the best library cop you could envision, the Can'tstandya scenes are sheer hilarity, and Kramer's seduction of the librarian completes the trifecta. Definitely the best of the early episodes.
5. The Andrea Doria - Jerry conspires to get Newman transferred to Hawaii but loses Newman's job by doing too good a job delivering the mail; George tells his tale of woe to compete with the Andrea Doria survivor for an apartment in a coop; Elaine has a big head; Kramer goes to the vet to get a pill for his cough.
Honorable mention: The Beard - The Melrose Place polygraph is an all-time highlight. But that's it, because if I kept doing reearch, I'd just have to change my list. I'll just have to settle for being wrong.
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Top 5 Pythons
From wiki: "The group's influence on comedy has often been compared to The Beatles' influence on music." So I think a Top 5 is in order. I came up with this idea when I landed on PBS, which was airing the German episode of Flying Circus. Let me preface this list with the obvious, that there aren't remotely any "bad" Pythons in my book, but I'm assuming we might disagree on the ranking scheme.
Ryan's Top 5:
1. Michael Palin - I give Palin a slight nod over Cleese, so that someone else can change the order. Palin wrote a pretty good novel in Hemingway's Chair. He was, notably, the dead parrot salesman, the transvestite lumberjack, and the lead cardinal of The Spanish Inquisition.
2. John Cleese - Probably the most talented of the bunch, if we're being objective, which isn't exactly something I pride myself on (hi, my name is Ryan). Played loads of roles, but the ones that come to mind are the Minister of Silly Walks and the double vision leader of the proposed expedition to Kilimanjaro. He was also essentially the host of a lot of the episodes and And Now For Something Completely Different, and frequently narrated. Fawlty Towers is also hilarious, and really so is anything else he's in.
3. Graham Chapman - Probably the most dead of the bunch, if we're being objecti... oh, wait. Played King Arthur and Brian, and he was The Colonel.
4. Eric Idle - He wrote "Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life," which really could make him #1. Wink wink, nudge nudge, say no more.
5. Terry Gilliam - I thought about putting Jones here but The Pythons really wouldn't have been the same without their trademark cartoon animation, which even now is eminently and immediately recognizable. He was also great as Patsy in The Holy Grail.
It feels wrong not including Terry Jones, because he was a principal writer of some of the best sketches and also earns bonus points for penning the Labyrinth screenplay. But someone had to go to fit in the animator.
Dan's Top 5:
1. Michael Palin - Unlike Ryan's reasoning, mine is that he truly is my favorite Python. He seemed the most versatile, as well as the most Charismatic. Played practically everything in The Holy Grail, and a number of memorable roles in the television series.
2. Graham Chapman - Probably my favorite of what seemed to be the two "leaders," Chapman and Cleese. I loved the juxtaposition of straight-faced and absurd. Co-wrote “The Ministry of Silly Walks”, "Raymond Luxury Yacht", and “Dead Parrot.” Oh, and here is part of his memorial service.
3. Eric Idle - The musical talent of the group (apart from Neil Innes) and perhaps the most unique of the bunch (he wrote his material alone). Also responsible for "Spamalot," which I would love to see.
4. John Cleese - I really feel bad putting him this low, as it seems like he's one of the smartest of the bunch. However, he's been tremendously successful outside of Monty Python, so I'm sure he'll cope.
5. Terry Jones - I hate to leave out Gilliam, but half of my esteem for him comes from his non-Python directing efforts. So, I feel it's better to have Jones included for his terrific acting and cross-dressing.
Ryan's Top 5:
1. Michael Palin - I give Palin a slight nod over Cleese, so that someone else can change the order. Palin wrote a pretty good novel in Hemingway's Chair. He was, notably, the dead parrot salesman, the transvestite lumberjack, and the lead cardinal of The Spanish Inquisition.
2. John Cleese - Probably the most talented of the bunch, if we're being objective, which isn't exactly something I pride myself on (hi, my name is Ryan). Played loads of roles, but the ones that come to mind are the Minister of Silly Walks and the double vision leader of the proposed expedition to Kilimanjaro. He was also essentially the host of a lot of the episodes and And Now For Something Completely Different, and frequently narrated. Fawlty Towers is also hilarious, and really so is anything else he's in.
3. Graham Chapman - Probably the most dead of the bunch, if we're being objecti... oh, wait. Played King Arthur and Brian, and he was The Colonel.
4. Eric Idle - He wrote "Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life," which really could make him #1. Wink wink, nudge nudge, say no more.
5. Terry Gilliam - I thought about putting Jones here but The Pythons really wouldn't have been the same without their trademark cartoon animation, which even now is eminently and immediately recognizable. He was also great as Patsy in The Holy Grail.
It feels wrong not including Terry Jones, because he was a principal writer of some of the best sketches and also earns bonus points for penning the Labyrinth screenplay. But someone had to go to fit in the animator.
Dan's Top 5:
1. Michael Palin - Unlike Ryan's reasoning, mine is that he truly is my favorite Python. He seemed the most versatile, as well as the most Charismatic. Played practically everything in The Holy Grail, and a number of memorable roles in the television series.
2. Graham Chapman - Probably my favorite of what seemed to be the two "leaders," Chapman and Cleese. I loved the juxtaposition of straight-faced and absurd. Co-wrote “The Ministry of Silly Walks”, "Raymond Luxury Yacht", and “Dead Parrot.” Oh, and here is part of his memorial service.
3. Eric Idle - The musical talent of the group (apart from Neil Innes) and perhaps the most unique of the bunch (he wrote his material alone). Also responsible for "Spamalot," which I would love to see.
4. John Cleese - I really feel bad putting him this low, as it seems like he's one of the smartest of the bunch. However, he's been tremendously successful outside of Monty Python, so I'm sure he'll cope.
5. Terry Jones - I hate to leave out Gilliam, but half of my esteem for him comes from his non-Python directing efforts. So, I feel it's better to have Jones included for his terrific acting and cross-dressing.
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Top 5 Comedy Central Shows (past and present)
Tim's Top 5:
Note: This list does not include shows that Comedy Central simply re-runs, for all you people who love Scrubs so much that you think it excuses Comedy Central from their God-given duty to broadcast The Colbert Report 8 times a day, so it's actually on when I'm there to watch TV.
1) Mystery Science Theater 3000 - This was a struggle, but I gave many years of my life to this show and have now spent hundreds and hundreds of dollars acquiring its episodes, many sight unseen. It was the best concept on television and it was the best writing on television and it was utterly incomprehensible television. The fact that it ever aired in any format is astounding, given that episodes run two hours and aren't readily abridged (the Mystery Science Theater Hour in syndication tried, but it was just a dumb idea as a practical matter). Without this show, most people would never have encountered anything more than Gigli in the world of bad movies...but now one can invoke Manos, The Hands of Fate and actually find discussion partners.
2) The Colbert Report - Where the Daily Show failed by being boringly political -- it doesn't take satire to make President Bush look incompetent, it takes accurate reporting -- the Colbert Report succeeded. It's had its downsides, the special reports are usually not particularly special, but every episode of this show is guaranteed to have something funny in it. It's second on this list -- the fightin' second! -- but it's second to none. Barry Manilow should really return his ill-gotten Emmy.
3) Dr. Katz: Professional Therapist - This is, all told, one of the lamest concepts for a television show ever created. Described in the abstract, you just have to wonder how it ever aired, before realizing the mess that Comedy Central was ten years ago when its primary show was SNL re-runs (sure beats Mad TV reruns, all told). So you take a comedian and have him ask questions as if he were a therapist and all his clients are stand-up comedians who use the questions to do their material. It sounds awful, but it's amazing and never had any chance to jump the shark before it got yanked. It had its weaker episodes -- Dom Irrera is not funny and he's on half a dozen, Joy Behar is annoying, Garry Shandling's not particularly funny -- but it introduced much of the world to people like Todd Barry, Steven Wright, Louie C.K., and so on.
4) South Park - The last two seasons may have undone all the goodwill that Trey Parker and Matt Stone had gotten from surprising me with adequacy for seasons 2-8. I had given up on the show early -- the Mr. Hankey episode was, and is, inane. It's less dreadful now than it was at the time, but it gave me good cause to stop watching. Then DVD solved that problem, and I found out it was pretty funny most of the way through. But Cartoon Wars was pretty damn lame, Manbearpig was the dumbest 22 minutes of my lifetime, and the specter of Timmy is in the distant past.
5) The Daily Show - It was not that good at first, great for a while, and then faded into mediocrity after Stephen Colbert left, joining Steve Carell in the list of people who have gone on to better things. Still, for a channel that was an afterthought, The Daily Show was probably the show that really vaulted it into the ordinary tier on cable packages. Back in my MST3K days, it wasn't uncommon to encounter cable systems without Comedy Central. Thankfully, I did not suffer through that strife for long.
There are no honorable mentions, all that's left is awful, awful, awful. No matter how many people tell me Strangers With Candy was awesome (see, no doubt, Dan's Top 5), I have never been able to force myself to watch more than thirty seconds and I need not reconsider my position. AWFUL.
Ryan's Top 5:
I have a feeling I'd be putting MST3K in here somewhere, as the few I've seen have been brilliant--but I haven't really seen enough to feel good about slotting it in the Top 5. What I have seen I saw about 15 years ago, no less. And also, after looking at this helpful list from what should have been my #1-rated website (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_programs_broadcast_by_Comedy_Central), I see that you are absolutely right, Tim, in having no honorable mentions. Mind of Mencia is bad, but obviously so--I had forgotten about the countless terrible shows of yore. That's My Bush! - shudder.
1. The Colbert Report - In my mind, definitely the finest show Comedy Central has ever had a part in. Tim pretty much nails my sentiments, but I'll add that Stephen Colbert gets extra cool points from me for his ability to make conservatives think he's actually on their side. And unlike almost any other talk show, I actually don't change the channel during the guest segments. And the Threatdown, oh man, the Threatdown...brilliance.
2. Chappelle's Show - I don't think this is as brilliant as a lot of its devout fans make it out to be, but when this show's good it's really good. (It can also miss occasionally.) The Wayne Brady episode was classic, and the black white supremacist was pretty good. Negative cool points for inspiring Mind of Mencia, possibly the worst show in Comedy Central history.
3. The Daily Show - If I'm being honest I'd probably rate this #2, but it's really slipped the past few years. It's still one of the better shows on TV, but I mean...it's lazily funny. Guess what, if a show has a liberal viewpoint and a decent sense of humor it will get me to watch it. Colbert does the same thing TDS tries to do but with real humor. That being said, some of the newer correspondents are really promising: John Oliver, Demetri Martin, ... that's all that comes to mind.
4. South Park - Used to be a lot better than it is now. I mean, wow--the Oprah episode was 30 minutes of my life that I'll never get back. I'd like to see more Butters, Timmy, and Jimmy.
5. The Sarah Silverman Program - Sure I've only seen a few episodes, but they were really, really good. And it's either this or Win Ben Stein's Money, the last show in which Jimmy Kimmel didn't inspire strangling.
Honorable mentions: Beat the Geeks, VS., Ben Stein's Money. Not Top 5 material but not bad.
Tory's Top 5:
1. Chappelle's Show - As good as my number 2 is, I am not completely politically charged so Colbert isn't able to pull me in quite as much as Chappelle was. I also feel that the two seasons (and a couple of segments from the lost episodes) were the two funniest seasons of any sketch comedy show.
2. Colbert Report - Despite claiming to not have a political charge, I still do love Colbert. Steven vs. Steven I wish was on it more, as well as the threat down... or that they were on whenever I remembered to watch.
3. Crossballs - It is a true shame that this wasn't watched by too many people, because it was just as poignant as Colbert, and shared a lot of the same themes ie getting others to believe that a comedian was actually a professional on whatever subject. The episode about marijuana was one of the funniest things I've ever seen when you take into account the comment ticker going throughout the show.
4. Man Show - I am a huge Adam Carolla fan, even if Jimmy Kimmel is not that funny, this show survived on the antics of the two together; specifically the episode when Adam takes his mother out on a date under the guise that every man wants a woman like his mother.
5. Insomniac - Dave Attell is hilarious. This show starts out with a very short stand up from him. The remainder of the show isn't extremely comical, but it does succeed in being one of the most interesting/intriguing show on comedy central.
Honorable mentions: Daily Show, Jon Stewart kept this from being on my list; South Park.
Dan's Top 5:
1. Mystery Science Theater 3000 - Everything Tim said is correct. I had actually forgotten that this had switched over to Comedy Central before making the jump to the SciFi channel (to date the only reason I'd ever watch the latter.) The only reason I'd ever not love an episode of this program is if the movie in question was just too painful to watch (Manos, the Hands of Fate was the only one to pass my movie pain threshold and still remain enjoyable due to good comedy). Notable favorite episodes include: Pumaman, Manos the Hands of Fate, Jack Frost, Space Mutiny, and The Sinister Urge. Of course, a majority of these aired on SciFi, but hey, it's the same series.
2. Strangers with Candy - I'll admit that for the longest time, the commercials for this program just struck a sour note with me - it just didn't seem like something I'd want to watch at all. However, after recently watching the series on DVD and learning that both Amy Sedaris and Stephen Colbert are geniuses, I love this show. The humor isn't the best in the world, but I feel the highlight is the delivery, primarily by Colbert and Greg Hollimon. Sorry, Tim, but I like this one.
3. The Colbert Report - Whenever I visit home, I use my laptop in the den, where the TV is, and for a while I'd be forced to watch the O'Riley Factor. Having to actually watch that shit really made me appreciate Colbert so much more.
4. Win Ben Stein's Money - A nice, moderately hard television quiz show. The series was full of things that I like: a face-off round with isolation booths, pop song references at the top of the show, innuendo in category titles, and Jimmy Kimmel getting the boot and being replaced with a hot chick.
5. Insomniac with Dave Attell - Thanks, Tory. I was about to consider The Daily Show as #5, but this is a better choice. This wasn't a side-splitting show, but it was unique and entertaining enough.
And now a variation of honorable mentions: Good shows that have declined too much for inclusion - The Daily Show, South Park.
Note: This list does not include shows that Comedy Central simply re-runs, for all you people who love Scrubs so much that you think it excuses Comedy Central from their God-given duty to broadcast The Colbert Report 8 times a day, so it's actually on when I'm there to watch TV.
1) Mystery Science Theater 3000 - This was a struggle, but I gave many years of my life to this show and have now spent hundreds and hundreds of dollars acquiring its episodes, many sight unseen. It was the best concept on television and it was the best writing on television and it was utterly incomprehensible television. The fact that it ever aired in any format is astounding, given that episodes run two hours and aren't readily abridged (the Mystery Science Theater Hour in syndication tried, but it was just a dumb idea as a practical matter). Without this show, most people would never have encountered anything more than Gigli in the world of bad movies...but now one can invoke Manos, The Hands of Fate and actually find discussion partners.
2) The Colbert Report - Where the Daily Show failed by being boringly political -- it doesn't take satire to make President Bush look incompetent, it takes accurate reporting -- the Colbert Report succeeded. It's had its downsides, the special reports are usually not particularly special, but every episode of this show is guaranteed to have something funny in it. It's second on this list -- the fightin' second! -- but it's second to none. Barry Manilow should really return his ill-gotten Emmy.
3) Dr. Katz: Professional Therapist - This is, all told, one of the lamest concepts for a television show ever created. Described in the abstract, you just have to wonder how it ever aired, before realizing the mess that Comedy Central was ten years ago when its primary show was SNL re-runs (sure beats Mad TV reruns, all told). So you take a comedian and have him ask questions as if he were a therapist and all his clients are stand-up comedians who use the questions to do their material. It sounds awful, but it's amazing and never had any chance to jump the shark before it got yanked. It had its weaker episodes -- Dom Irrera is not funny and he's on half a dozen, Joy Behar is annoying, Garry Shandling's not particularly funny -- but it introduced much of the world to people like Todd Barry, Steven Wright, Louie C.K., and so on.
4) South Park - The last two seasons may have undone all the goodwill that Trey Parker and Matt Stone had gotten from surprising me with adequacy for seasons 2-8. I had given up on the show early -- the Mr. Hankey episode was, and is, inane. It's less dreadful now than it was at the time, but it gave me good cause to stop watching. Then DVD solved that problem, and I found out it was pretty funny most of the way through. But Cartoon Wars was pretty damn lame, Manbearpig was the dumbest 22 minutes of my lifetime, and the specter of Timmy is in the distant past.
5) The Daily Show - It was not that good at first, great for a while, and then faded into mediocrity after Stephen Colbert left, joining Steve Carell in the list of people who have gone on to better things. Still, for a channel that was an afterthought, The Daily Show was probably the show that really vaulted it into the ordinary tier on cable packages. Back in my MST3K days, it wasn't uncommon to encounter cable systems without Comedy Central. Thankfully, I did not suffer through that strife for long.
There are no honorable mentions, all that's left is awful, awful, awful. No matter how many people tell me Strangers With Candy was awesome (see, no doubt, Dan's Top 5), I have never been able to force myself to watch more than thirty seconds and I need not reconsider my position. AWFUL.
Ryan's Top 5:
I have a feeling I'd be putting MST3K in here somewhere, as the few I've seen have been brilliant--but I haven't really seen enough to feel good about slotting it in the Top 5. What I have seen I saw about 15 years ago, no less. And also, after looking at this helpful list from what should have been my #1-rated website (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_programs_broadcast_by_Comedy_Central), I see that you are absolutely right, Tim, in having no honorable mentions. Mind of Mencia is bad, but obviously so--I had forgotten about the countless terrible shows of yore. That's My Bush! - shudder.
1. The Colbert Report - In my mind, definitely the finest show Comedy Central has ever had a part in. Tim pretty much nails my sentiments, but I'll add that Stephen Colbert gets extra cool points from me for his ability to make conservatives think he's actually on their side. And unlike almost any other talk show, I actually don't change the channel during the guest segments. And the Threatdown, oh man, the Threatdown...brilliance.
2. Chappelle's Show - I don't think this is as brilliant as a lot of its devout fans make it out to be, but when this show's good it's really good. (It can also miss occasionally.) The Wayne Brady episode was classic, and the black white supremacist was pretty good. Negative cool points for inspiring Mind of Mencia, possibly the worst show in Comedy Central history.
3. The Daily Show - If I'm being honest I'd probably rate this #2, but it's really slipped the past few years. It's still one of the better shows on TV, but I mean...it's lazily funny. Guess what, if a show has a liberal viewpoint and a decent sense of humor it will get me to watch it. Colbert does the same thing TDS tries to do but with real humor. That being said, some of the newer correspondents are really promising: John Oliver, Demetri Martin, ... that's all that comes to mind.
4. South Park - Used to be a lot better than it is now. I mean, wow--the Oprah episode was 30 minutes of my life that I'll never get back. I'd like to see more Butters, Timmy, and Jimmy.
5. The Sarah Silverman Program - Sure I've only seen a few episodes, but they were really, really good. And it's either this or Win Ben Stein's Money, the last show in which Jimmy Kimmel didn't inspire strangling.
Honorable mentions: Beat the Geeks, VS., Ben Stein's Money. Not Top 5 material but not bad.
Tory's Top 5:
1. Chappelle's Show - As good as my number 2 is, I am not completely politically charged so Colbert isn't able to pull me in quite as much as Chappelle was. I also feel that the two seasons (and a couple of segments from the lost episodes) were the two funniest seasons of any sketch comedy show.
2. Colbert Report - Despite claiming to not have a political charge, I still do love Colbert. Steven vs. Steven I wish was on it more, as well as the threat down... or that they were on whenever I remembered to watch.
3. Crossballs - It is a true shame that this wasn't watched by too many people, because it was just as poignant as Colbert, and shared a lot of the same themes ie getting others to believe that a comedian was actually a professional on whatever subject. The episode about marijuana was one of the funniest things I've ever seen when you take into account the comment ticker going throughout the show.
4. Man Show - I am a huge Adam Carolla fan, even if Jimmy Kimmel is not that funny, this show survived on the antics of the two together; specifically the episode when Adam takes his mother out on a date under the guise that every man wants a woman like his mother.
5. Insomniac - Dave Attell is hilarious. This show starts out with a very short stand up from him. The remainder of the show isn't extremely comical, but it does succeed in being one of the most interesting/intriguing show on comedy central.
Honorable mentions: Daily Show, Jon Stewart kept this from being on my list; South Park.
Dan's Top 5:
1. Mystery Science Theater 3000 - Everything Tim said is correct. I had actually forgotten that this had switched over to Comedy Central before making the jump to the SciFi channel (to date the only reason I'd ever watch the latter.) The only reason I'd ever not love an episode of this program is if the movie in question was just too painful to watch (Manos, the Hands of Fate was the only one to pass my movie pain threshold and still remain enjoyable due to good comedy). Notable favorite episodes include: Pumaman, Manos the Hands of Fate, Jack Frost, Space Mutiny, and The Sinister Urge. Of course, a majority of these aired on SciFi, but hey, it's the same series.
2. Strangers with Candy - I'll admit that for the longest time, the commercials for this program just struck a sour note with me - it just didn't seem like something I'd want to watch at all. However, after recently watching the series on DVD and learning that both Amy Sedaris and Stephen Colbert are geniuses, I love this show. The humor isn't the best in the world, but I feel the highlight is the delivery, primarily by Colbert and Greg Hollimon. Sorry, Tim, but I like this one.
3. The Colbert Report - Whenever I visit home, I use my laptop in the den, where the TV is, and for a while I'd be forced to watch the O'Riley Factor. Having to actually watch that shit really made me appreciate Colbert so much more.
4. Win Ben Stein's Money - A nice, moderately hard television quiz show. The series was full of things that I like: a face-off round with isolation booths, pop song references at the top of the show, innuendo in category titles, and Jimmy Kimmel getting the boot and being replaced with a hot chick.
5. Insomniac with Dave Attell - Thanks, Tory. I was about to consider The Daily Show as #5, but this is a better choice. This wasn't a side-splitting show, but it was unique and entertaining enough.
And now a variation of honorable mentions: Good shows that have declined too much for inclusion - The Daily Show, South Park.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Top 5 Comedies Since 2000
I almost went with "Top 5 Movies Since 2000," but after checking my list and seeing that they were all comedies, I figured I'd give myself a chance of being in line with normal movie-going folk.
I only ever watch comedies--given, some darker than others--now, it seems.
Ryan's Top 5:
1. Hot Fuzz - OK, this one may be a bit premature...but it just feels more complete than Shaun of the Dead, what can I say. This is a tie, really.
2. Shaun of the Dead - See above. These guys are immensely talented comedians. The scripts are so intricately woven...I really don't know how 1 or 2 could be better.
3. High Fidelity - Great book, great movie. Nick Hornby writes books that just beg to be made into movies that don't involve baseball.
4. Snatch - I forgot to include what used to be my favorite movie. Really funny, and the soundtrack kicks ass.
5. Wonder Boys - Great book, great movie. Katie Holmes doesn't ruin it, and Robert Downey, Jr., actually creates a better character in the movie than the novel's counterpart, in my mind. I know this isn't a book-movie comparison, but the movie is certainly more light-hearted--and more directly concerned with comedy, albeit the dark variety.
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*6. Sideways - My impulse is not to include this, but then I think about Thomas Haden Church...every line he says is funny.
Honorable mentions/I wasn't sure how much "comedy" they actually were, in no order:
About Schmidt
Love Actually
The Royal Tenenbaums (comedy?)
About a Boy
Life Aquatic (comedy? I still stand by my assertion that I've had since it came out: this movie is like Wes Anderson made a feature-length Max Fischer play)
Wallace and Gromit
Dan's Top 5:
1. Snatch - Probably the best use of plot ever, full of hilarious situations.
2. High Fidelity - The film that supplements my music addiction.
3. Hot Fuzz - I loved this film even better than Shaun of the Dead, and that's saying something.
4. Sideways - A good film that reminds me I'm never as depressed as I could be.
5. For Your Consideration - Christopher Guest and crew are hilarious in this unscripted parody of modern moviemaking.
Tory's Top 5:
1. Sideways - The best movie ever made.
2. Amelie - Beautiful in every way. It is hilarious and brilliantly made. Jean-Pierre Jeunet is a genius.
3. High Fidelity - I don't need to explain as it's on every other list here.
4. Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny - Let's face it. Despite it not being number one on my list (that is because it didn't have Alexander Payne, Jean-Pierre or Stephen Frears at the helm in favor of Liam Lynch) it is still the funniest movie ever made (for Ryan's sake I'll say tied with Office Space.)
5. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou - You all put it in honorable mentions, but I think that it is hilarious, and of course extremely well done since Wes Anderson directed it.
I only ever watch comedies--given, some darker than others--now, it seems.
Ryan's Top 5:
1. Hot Fuzz - OK, this one may be a bit premature...but it just feels more complete than Shaun of the Dead, what can I say. This is a tie, really.
2. Shaun of the Dead - See above. These guys are immensely talented comedians. The scripts are so intricately woven...I really don't know how 1 or 2 could be better.
3. High Fidelity - Great book, great movie. Nick Hornby writes books that just beg to be made into movies that don't involve baseball.
4. Snatch - I forgot to include what used to be my favorite movie. Really funny, and the soundtrack kicks ass.
5. Wonder Boys - Great book, great movie. Katie Holmes doesn't ruin it, and Robert Downey, Jr., actually creates a better character in the movie than the novel's counterpart, in my mind. I know this isn't a book-movie comparison, but the movie is certainly more light-hearted--and more directly concerned with comedy, albeit the dark variety.
=================================================
*6. Sideways - My impulse is not to include this, but then I think about Thomas Haden Church...every line he says is funny.
Honorable mentions/I wasn't sure how much "comedy" they actually were, in no order:
About Schmidt
Love Actually
The Royal Tenenbaums (comedy?)
About a Boy
Life Aquatic (comedy? I still stand by my assertion that I've had since it came out: this movie is like Wes Anderson made a feature-length Max Fischer play)
Wallace and Gromit
Tim's Top 5
My list is relatively unpredictable precisely because three of the five on the list aren’t really comedic in the ha ha sense.
1) Catch Me If You Can – There’s not a joke in the film, but it’s lighthearted enough that it’s really hard to call it anything but a comedy. I think it’s undoubtedly Spielberg’s best effort at filmmaking. He’s made more significant films, but he actually made this one what it was.
2) About a Boy – It’d have to be #1, if it weren’t for the weak ending. That said, the book upon which it was based suffered from the same deficiency…and the ending of the book, like all of Hornby’s novels, is just flat out mediocre.
3) Wonder Boys – A movie I really didn’t care much for the first time I saw it, but it’s grown on me and become one of my favorite movies, and one of the few that I watch with any regularity.
4) Team America: World Police – I took ages to see it, but it was well worth the wait. It has its shortcomings – it’s overly crude and targets too many people, but Kim Jong Il’s panthers, “Matt Damon!”, The End of An Act and freedom costing a buck o’five work magic for me.
5) Stranger Than Fiction – Again, it’s not a pure comedy, but it’s one of the most literary films in ages and just seems pitch perfect from start to finish. Will Ferrell’s performance really warranted a film that more than a dozen people would see, but it was rightly 2006’s Best Picture. And yet it's only fifth on this list...which tells you a lot about 2006.
Here’s four more that could have made the list, only the first three are really comedies in their pure form.
The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou
Meet the Parents
Thank You For Smoking
Big Fish
Love Actually
For the record, I've seen neither Hot Fuzz nor Shaun of the Dead.
Dan's Top 5:
1. Snatch - Probably the best use of plot ever, full of hilarious situations.
2. High Fidelity - The film that supplements my music addiction.
3. Hot Fuzz - I loved this film even better than Shaun of the Dead, and that's saying something.
4. Sideways - A good film that reminds me I'm never as depressed as I could be.
5. For Your Consideration - Christopher Guest and crew are hilarious in this unscripted parody of modern moviemaking.
Tory's Top 5:
1. Sideways - The best movie ever made.
2. Amelie - Beautiful in every way. It is hilarious and brilliantly made. Jean-Pierre Jeunet is a genius.
3. High Fidelity - I don't need to explain as it's on every other list here.
4. Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny - Let's face it. Despite it not being number one on my list (that is because it didn't have Alexander Payne, Jean-Pierre or Stephen Frears at the helm in favor of Liam Lynch) it is still the funniest movie ever made (for Ryan's sake I'll say tied with Office Space.)
5. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou - You all put it in honorable mentions, but I think that it is hilarious, and of course extremely well done since Wes Anderson directed it.
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