Do you find Tommy Tiernan funny?

se02orqua5xz9v

A YouTube channel I follow recently uploaded a clip of Tommy Tiernan performing at the Just for Laughs festival in Montreal a few years ago. I'd seen the footage before, but not for a while.

It made obvious to me what I've believed for many years now - that Tommy Tiernan simply isn't funny, and that his success is derived from a series of 'tricks' i.e. pacing around the stage, vigorous hand gestures, excessive use of volume (e.g. shouting at the end of a sentence) and, of course, swearing.

I see no craft, no wit, no quality to any of his material. There isn't a single line that, were you to write it down on a piece of paper, you could pinpoint where the "funny bit" is.

I remember, in secondary school, when Tiernan's popularity exploded. All the lads would quote his first DVD, but I never once understood why they liked him so much.

I'm not convinced it was a mixture of Emperor's New Clothes syndrome mixed with mass delusion.

No one wanted to be the one person who didn't laugh at Tommy Tiernan, so they all 'laughed'. After a while, the forced laughter seemed natural, because people had convinced themselves Tiernan was funny.

There are so many great stand up comedians out there, who write proper jokes, with a feedline and a punchline, but Tiernan doesn't seem to ever do this.

Or am I wrong? Is Tiernan really that funny?

Ruu

He is very shouty.

steppen

LOUD NOISES

ChippingSodbury

No, don't think he's funny at all. Swearing for shock factor is wearing thin...

ChippingSodbury

Ruu wrote: »

He is very shouty shitty.

Fixed...

Dr. Mantis Toboggan

To answer your question, humour is subjective. Some people find Richie Kavanagh funny.

Don't beat yourself over it kiddo, you seem very perplexed over it.

jamesbere

He's loud and annoying, used to be when he first came on the scene.

Insect Overlord

His first DVD is a work of art. Bit mixed since then, but some moments of gold.

Schwiiing

You could say all that about Mrs Browns Boys yet it still wins BAFTAs. People like what they like. If you don't like it don't watch it or go to his shows. Simples.

DEFTLEFTHAND

Like you mentioned a lot of energy and noise but I fail to see where the wit is.

Tell me how

I used to think that he wasn't funny for some of the reasons listed above.
But I was given a present of tickets to one of his shows a couple of years ago and went along.

I laughed from start to finish. I was very surprised, I had gone there with the expectation of him being just vigorous and vulgar but I really enjoyed the show.

biko

Humour isn't science. Some of his stuff is funny, some less so.
Same goes for all other comedians.

MadDog76

It's all very subjective ........ I sometimes find the things Tommy says hilarious and sometimes I just find him interesting to listen to/watch ......... overall, I like him.
I wouldn't describe him as a "joke teller" though, he's more of a storyteller.

Is Lee Evans, Brendan O'Carroll, Harry Hill, Jason Byrne etc. funny??
I don't know but I do know that I personally do not find any of them funny ......... I also know that lots of people do ........ for some reason?

se02orqua5xz9v

MadDog76 wrote: »

Is Lee Evans, Brendan O'Carroll, Harry Hill, Jason Byrne etc. funny??

Lee Evans, no.
Brendan O'Carroll, no.
Jason Byrne, no.

Harry Hill, yes.

osarusan

People find different things and comedians funny. It's all subjective.

Except Andrew Maxwell, he's objectively shite.

Pink Lemons

He's pretty hit and miss for the most part, but a lot of his bits about being Irish and even more so about religion are absolutely gems.

Hank Scorpio

Turns into a right downer at smashing pumpkins concerts

MadDog76

Tell me how wrote: »

I used to think that he wasn't funny for some of the reasons listed above.
But I was given a present of tickets to one of his shows a couple of years ago and went along.

I laughed from start to finish. I was very surprised, I had gone there with the expectation of him being just vigorous and vulgar but I really enjoyed the show.

Had a similar situation with Jimmy Carr a couple of years ago ....... my wife bought me tickets to see "your favourite comedian" so a whole list of names went through my head as I opened the envelope only to see "Jimmy Carr" on the tickets ......... I thought "WTF!?!!? I can't stand him!!!" but I gave my wife a big kiss and a smile.
Off we went to see him a couple of months later (I'd practised my fake laugh a few times in the preceding days) and, I have to say, he was really funny ........ and seemed like a very genuine man.
He kept coming back on stage to cheers of "more!" and ended up doing close to 3 hours .......... he also stood at the front door of The Olympia and personally thanked every single person who made the effort of coming out to see him ......... really nice touch.

Funny thing is the wife didn't like him at all .......... he was "too durty!"

obezyana

Would I sit and watch a DVD of his.....NO.

I have seen him live many times and I found him very funny......He is a be there kind of funny comedian.

So on that basis I find him funny.

MadDog76

Dominick Square Sprawl wrote: »

Lee Evans, no.
Brendan O'Carroll, no.
Jason Byrne, no.

Harry Hill, yes.

My point proven so!

bpmurray

Humour is very subjective - I can't stand him and I absolutely loathe Mrs. Brown, but there are obviously loads of folk who do love both of them. So I wish Tommy Tiernan & Brendan O'Carroll well, but I can't be bothered watching myself.

Bulbous Salutation

Used to be funny. Then started doing that thing that most over-the-hill comedians do when they run out of funny material - start spewing out tired and lazy venom about religion. Well most religions. Keeps a rump of people who are into that sort of thing entertained. I like when comedians say funny things.

Polo_Mint

No. Hes not

He Shouts alot, Makes noises and waits for reactions.

I know there are people who like him because they are like him and they are people I would avoid when i can.

If he is on TV i change the channel.

HiGlo

I don't find him in any way funny. He relies too much on swearing to be humorous.
A bit like the OP says, I used to think he was funny but then I actually went to one of his shows about 8 yrs or so ago now and thought, do you know what, he really isn't very funny at all. It was like this little epiphany I had in the middle of his show. If you take out all the swearing, there's a few smart observations, but nothing funny.

I guess he's a character and it's the character that appeals to people.

Humour is totally subjective. I don't find Brendan O'Carroll/Mrs Brown's Boys funny at all. I like PJ Gallagher and Republic of Tele and that kind of stuff.

Pink Lemons

Bulbous Salutation wrote: »

Used to be funny. Then started doing that thing that most over-the-hill comedians do when they run out of funny material - start spewing out tired and lazy venom about religion. Well most religions. Keeps a rump of people who are into that sort of thing entertained. I like when comedians say funny things.

George Carlin was the worst for it

MadDog76

Bulbous Salutation wrote: »

Used to be funny. Then started doing that thing that most over-the-hill comedians do when they run out of funny material - start spewing out tired and lazy venom about religion. Well most religions. Keeps a rump of people who are into that sort of thing entertained. I like when comedians say funny things.

He has always incorporated religion (specifically the Catholic Church) into his shows, it's not a new thing for him ......... if anything he actually speaks less about it nowadays than he did when he "used to be funny".

JustTheOne

Brilliant.

Lost himself a bit few years ago but back to his best.

Does the Irishisms the best.

biko

Black Books has one of the funniest and one of the least funny comedians. They both do stand up and remain as funny/unfunny.
Bill Bailey and Dylan Moran.

Sunnyisland

I found his early material very funny but not so much now. .maybe i getting old and growing out of him.

MaryMD

Exactly...its all subjective

mrcheez

MadDog76 wrote: »

Is Lee Evans, Brendan O'Carroll, Harry Hill, Jason Byrne etc. funny??

Dominick Square Sprawl wrote: »

Harry Hill, yes.

Sarcasm I hope ... haven't laughed at a single Harry Hill moment. In fact I quickly change the channel whenever he's on. Very tame, childish humour.

It's like people that find Mrs Brown's Boys funny. Never understood that.

jungleman

Agree 100% with An File.

His first DVD was hilarious.

Every DVD after that, I'd laugh a little bit less at each one.

It got to the stage where he was just storming around the stage,screaming and cursing, ranting and raving, flailing his arms around, with no joke or punch-line in sight. If I wanted to see that I'd just leave a skidmark on the toilet and wait until my mother saw it.

MEGA BRO WOLF 5000

I said when he was at the peak of his powers a few years ago and I was nearly shunned for it. He simply isn't funny. I know humour is subjective but I can't see how anyone can find him funny in the slightest.

fiachr_a

Irish people think TT is funny because they're not allowed have comedians like Bernard Manning.

enfant terrible

HiGlo wrote: »

I like PJ Gallagher and Republic of Tele and that kind of stuff.

Is that the whistle guy with the paper? hate that guy.

wp_rathead

biko wrote: »

Black Books has one of the funniest and one of the least funny comedians. They both do stand up and remain as funny/unfunny.
Bill Bailey and Dylan Moran.

But, They're both brilliant

Insect Overlord

"The bicycles go by in twos and threes. Nobody on them, just these f*cking bicycles."

Nobody else would look at Kavanagh like that.

parttime

Not funny without the Peruvian marching powder!

bodhrandude

I loved when he done the priest with the sing song voice on the Loose DVD.

parttime

biko wrote: »

Black Books has one of the funniest and one of the least funny comedians. They both do stand up and remain as funny/unfunny.
Bill Bailey and Dylan Moran.

Which is the funny one? I saw Bailey on Norton the other day,and he was about as funny as leukemia.

Duck Soup

osarusan wrote: »

People find different things and comedians funny. It's all subjective.

Except Andrew Maxwell, he's objectively shite.

In fairness, Michael McIntyre is also objectively a big steaming pile. The idea that many hundreds of people purchase tickets and leave their houses - often in quite inclement weather - to spend a couple of hours listening to him is one of life's gigantic mysteries.

MadDog76

parttime wrote: »

Which is the funny one? I saw Bailey on Norton the other day,and he was about as funny as leukemia.

I think you've answered your own question!

Galwayguy35

No I don't but then I once went to a Brendan O Carroll show and thought he was about as funny as a wake as well.

I like Dara O Briain though.

parttime

MadDog76 wrote: »

I think you've answered your own question!

I meant in the other guys opinion:pac: I used to laugh at Bailey, but he seems to have lost it. Love Dylan Moran and Black books. Also have seen Dylan And Tommy live, and both were excellent. Something about being in the room. Laughter is infectious. My proof of this is My mother made me go and see Jason Byrne and suprisingly i laughed alot. Normally he is on the same list as Brendan Ocarroll,Andrew Maxwell and their ilk

meeeeh

I like very few comedians. I absolutely dread O'Carroll type stuff, Tiernan is ok but there are a lot more enjoyable ways to spend the evening. The swearing doesn't bother me but I could do without prancing around and shouting.

Barely There

He was funny for a 6month period in early 2001 and has been unrelentingly unfunny since

PARlance

He has his moments of brilliance, heavily weighted towards his early stuff though.

As for his cousin, can't recall her name, truly shocking.

LordSutch

Loud, obvious, predictable, crass, and in yer face!

Shouting very loudly about a woman in the front row with a Big Arse! or some such.

It's always the same old stuff with Tommy.

He was funny when he first started out many years ago, but now . . . . .

MadDog76

parttime wrote: »

I meant in the other guys opinion:pac: I used to laugh at Bailey, but he seems to have lost it. Love Dylan Moran and Black books. Also have seen Dylan And Tommy live, and both were excellent. Something about being in the room. Laughter is infectious. My proof of this is My mother made me go and see Jason Byrne and suprisingly i laughed alot. Normally he is on the same list as Brendan Ocarroll,Andrew Maxwell and their ilk

I'm assuming his opinion is, that Dylan is the funny one and Bill isn't ......... it couldn't possibly be the other way round ........ could it??? :eek:

wp_rathead

Duck Soup wrote: »

In fairness, Michael McIntyre is also objectively a big steaming pile. The idea that many hundreds of people purchase tickets and leave their houses - often in quite inclement weather - to spend a couple of hours listening to him is one of life's gigantic mysteries.

I don't find him funny but I get his popularity - he is an observational middle class comedian, which is probably the comics target audience in UK for those wanting to sell out big stadiums

My fav comedians are: Tim Minchin, John Oliver, Bo Burnham, Hannibal Buress, Tony Law and Stewart Lee (a comedian some people despise)
The Irish comedians I like are Dara O'Briain, Dylan Moran, David O'Doherty and the sketch trio Foil, Arms and Hog.

It all subjective

Some of Tommy Tiernans material is actually rather clever, other is just trying to be outrageous on purpose imo

Irish_rat

I enjoy Tierney. most Irish comedians are utterly ****e anyway.