Unfunny Irish comedians <<MOD note in OP>>

BuilderPlumber

snipey wrote: »

not very many mentioning Delamere

Le creme Delamere!!

ohnonotgmail

BuilderPlumber wrote: »

Quantity not quality defines the current Irish comedy scene. Way too much emphasis placed on stuff like imitating Enda Kenny and the like. Oliver Callan is a prime exponent of this jaded form of comedy. Imitating politicians may have been funny 15-20 years ago but now it is just way too commonplace and too easy an option for would be comedians.

Mrs Brown has also become jaded. Brendan O'Carroll was doing it for years with mixed success but suddenly in early 2011 it caught the imagination of an Irish public hungry for escapism from all the then negative economic programmes and the then recent abysmal weather of late 2010. Ever since RTE have milked Mrs Brown for what it is worth and though the early series was funny and likeable recent Christmas specials have been very poor.

Is it not a BBC show?

K-9

topmanamillion wrote: »

Oliver Callan. No idea what people see in him. He throws a load of fake tan and a plastic forehead on and he`s Marty Morrisey. WOW.
He`s also delved into the hack comedian pursuit of giving his view on everything from water charges to feminism.

It seems to be a good general sign that a comedian is suffering from writers block when they start commenting on social issues, doing travel shows and other stuff. Callan has a bit of a pass as his "comedy" is political anyway.

RayM

Irish Pictorial Weekly had its moments.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjhsJ6F5rMg

el diablo

The Rubber Bandit are rubbish. I'll never understand their appeal.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vpqKfX3Rzk

:rolleyes:

Same goes for Neil Delamere and Maeve Higgins.

Dannyriver

K-9 wrote: »

It seems to be a good general sign that a comedian is suffering from writers block when they start commenting on social issues, doing travel shows and other stuff. Callan has a bit of a pass as his "comedy" is political anyway.

Or they are trying to earn a living, maybe?

Dannyriver

el diablo wrote: »

The Rubber Bandit are rubbish. I'll never understand their appeal.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vpqKfX3Rzk

:rolleyes:

Same goes for Neil Delamere and Maeve Higgins.

Have to say I roared laughing when I saw you back man, I remember you from back in 2010 around the time of horse outside saying that they wouldn't last 5 months cos they were **** and you were sure of it..... at least now you ve admitted to simply not understanding them. Brilliant.

el diablo

Dannyriver wrote: »

Have to say I roared laughing when I saw you back man, I remember you from back in 2010 around the time of horse outside saying that they wouldn't last 5 months cos they were **** and you were sure of it..... at least now you ve admitted to simply not understanding them. Brilliant.

No, I never said I didn't understand them. I said I never understood their appeal. I guess their target audience is teenage schoolboys. Last I heard they were both working in Supermacs in Claremorris.

Ralf and Florian

RayM wrote: »

Irish Pictorial Weekly had its moments.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjhsJ6F5rMg

Was good when it started but lost it's way and began to feel like Bull Island the more it went on (There's a blast from the past that's best forgotten)

mzungu

Ralf and Florian wrote: »

Was good when it started but lost it's way and began to feel like Bull Island the more it went on (There's a blast from the past that's best forgotten)

It was frustrating to watch at times. One or two sketches would be top notch and the rest just filler.

Dannyriver

el diablo wrote: »

No, I never said I didn't understand them. I said I never understood their appeal. I guess their target audience is teenage schoolboys. Last I heard they were both working in Supermacs in Claremorris.

Well they won a couple of Edinburgh comedy awards and you have to be at least 18 to get into those shows I believe and you ll be pleased to know they re not working in supermacs in Claremorris either...I know you don t get what they do and that s your own business....Sure I know people that don't get why Bob Dylan is lauded.... astounding as that may seem to me, but if you think he has no talent then you simply dont understand it, likewise with the bandits if you dont get what they do and prefer your comedy more observational/straightforward fair enough but if you cant see the talent then you don t understand what they are up to.Get a look at the link there.

https://goss.ie/rubberbandits-just-landed-huge-mtv-usa-show/

Sundance_Kid

Dustin is the best comedian in Ireland, not even sure if he is a comedian but he gives me a few laughs when he takes the p1ss out of some of the Irish Z-Listers.

fleet_admiral

Tommy Tierney. I can't understand how people find him funny

Skommando

K-9 wrote: »

It seems to be a good general sign that a comedian is suffering from writers block when they start commenting on social issues, doing travel shows and other stuff. Callan has a bit of a pass as his "comedy" is political anyway.

Might be easier to name a good Irish comedian. Got any suggestions ?

MadDog76

fleet_admiral wrote: »

Tommy Tierney. I can't understand how people find him funny

You don't have to ......

feargale

Skommando wrote: »

Might be easier to name a good Irish comedian. Got any suggestions ?

I thought Kevin McAleer was good, and then I saw a video of a performance of his in a pub or club or some den, and it was full of smut and vulgarity and not half as funny as his tv stuff. But I guess they all give their best on tv and dish out the dross at remote venues.
Jimmy O'Dea was good in another age, but he belonged to a different world and a different Ireland. I don't know how he would be received today. Comedy doesn't age well. Anyway very little of his stuff survives.
Rosenstock ain't bad.
Off topic, was there ever a greater comic genius than Peter Sellars? I don't think so. But then are there any comedians to beat the best of the English ones?
The greatest test of a comedian is to be able to make people laugh without resorting to vulgarity. Anyone can do the latter, even the eejit in the pub on a Friday night.

feargale

Sundance_Kid wrote: »

Dustin is the best comedian in Ireland, not even sure if he is a comedian but he gives me a few laughs when he takes the p1ss out of some of the Irish Z-Listers.

And made a laughing stock of the country in the Eurovision Song Contest, as the only act that was ever booed off the stage. One of the most notorious lows of Celtic Tiger vulgarity. If I can't win the game anymore I'll puncture the ball. When other countries tired of Eurovision they did the decent thing and stayed away from it.

feargale

feargale wrote: »

And made a laughing stock of the country in the Eurovision Song Contest, as the only act that was ever booed off the stage. One of the most notorious lows of Celtic Tiger vulgarity. If I can't win the game anymore I'll puncture the ball. When other countries tired of Eurovision they did the decent thing and stayed away frommit.

What we should have done really not to be wasting time and money.

debabyjesus

Saw Andrew Maxwell in dub airport a few years ago. I shouted out look it's yer man off the telly, Ed Byrne...

He just looked at me like a piece of **** on his shoe, I thought it was funny anyway, the ****.

debabyjesus

debabyjesus wrote: »

Saw Andrew Maxwell in dub airport a few years ago. I shouted out look it's yer man off the telly, Ed Byrne...

He just looked at me like a piece of **** on his shoe, I thought it was funny anyway, the ****.

Maxwell is a pretentious w@nkstain. Not a bit funny. That stupid fúckin accent of his would go through ya.

Zimmerframe

Unless Michael McIntyre declares for Ireland, then Brendan O Carroll wins easily.

_Jamie_

David O'Doherty is very funny.

Chain Smoker

feargale wrote: »

I thought Kevin McAleer was good, and then I saw a video of a performance of his in a pub or club or some den, and it was full of smut and vulgarity and not half as funny as his tv stuff. But I guess they all give their best on tv and dish out the dross at remote venues.

McAleer is all about the performance really. When he actually dishes out a joke it falls on his arse, but if he's in the right mood and the audience are receptive he can get a great out of a well timed pause. Pretty sure Stewart Lee has cited him as an influence way back in the 90s, but Lee's more recent stuff has felt quite indebted to McAleer in some ways.


Considering Ireland isn't really set up to be all that conducive to building a comedy career (very small national circuit meaning very little room to branch out, dreadful national TV and radio situation, far too easy to be pegged as a regional act when in the UK), Ireland does okay enough as far as standups go.

BuilderPlumber

K-9 wrote: »

It seems to be a good general sign that a comedian is suffering from writers block when they start commenting on social issues, doing travel shows and other stuff. Callan has a bit of a pass as his "comedy" is political anyway.

Way too many Irish comedians have to rely on this type of thing. It seems like the current guy has to copy exactly what the guy before him was at. There is no doubt that Callan and his type are good at what they do but we just have way too much of this type of comedy.

PJ Gallagher represents the other tired old format of Irish comedy. All that 'Naked Camera' stuff was desperately unfunny. Way too much of the same old thing. Like most things that are adverse in Ireland, I will have to blame the media and its closed shop censorship approach for all the proliferation of poor comedy fare. The same old faces are pushed at us every chance they get. The likes of those mentioned here are examples. Callan has some talent at least but Gallagher imo has none. Yet RTE will make sure the likes of him will be catered for. Look at all that RTE 2 drivel and so-called sitcoms. I have lost count of the number of woeful 30 minute shows on that channel over the years that are supposed to be 'comedy'. The joke is on us.

BuilderPlumber

Stonedpilot wrote: »

What is it with people who are desperately UNFUNNY making lucrative careers in comedy in Ireland?. As far as I'm concerned the list here is endless from comedians who incessantly laugh at their own rambling barely coherent unfunny stories (Tommy Tiernan) to those that have humour for 2 year olds (Jason Byrne) to those that see themselves as edgy and sharp whilst simultaneously sucking on the teets of crap RTE shows (think anyone who's ever been on Republic of Telly) or worse the god awful Des Bishop. Incessantly speaking condescendingly about Irish people only for them to lap it up and think he's profound and funny for speaking about Ireland with contempt as if we were backwater primitive slobs.

It seems crap Irish comedians are 10 a penny now. All being 'edgy' sometimes getting up on their pedestal and preaching after being funny perhaps once (think Rubberbandits). It seems comedians are abundant but bereft of talent here. I suppose what I'm getting at is it has been so dumbed down comedy, these chancers know they don't need wit, or timing, or impeccable delivery or even to be funny. Just to get on some RTE show is good enough and then read out rubbish topical jokes they wrote several days in advance whilst simultaneously letting on it's on the spot.

Before anyone says I don't have a sense of humour I love comedy. Comedians I like well George Carlin is one of the greats, nowadays, Steve Hughes is amazing, Rich Hall is great, Greg Morton always cracks me up, Stewart Lee's dry humour is impeccably timed and Romesh Ranganathan is worth a mention.

Can I think of a single Irish comedian now who can lace their boots?. Nope, won't stop them getting a crap intelligence insulting comedy (Bridget and Eamon/Damo and Ivor etc) or guest spot on some awful panel show with scripted jokes and toilet humour.

Christ we gave the World Oscar Wilde for God's sake!.

Damo and Ivor is the show I was trying to think of that I saw 5 minutes of and said Oh My God. Are we really supposed to sit back and take this absolute drivel? RTE and the like think so. Jason Byrne is more overrated, overhyped poor fare that we get way too much of.

RTE do not have a clue and insist on forcing poor individuals at us that they take a shine to. This of course does not stop with comedy and these woeful current so-called comedians are the comedy equivalent of what them boybands and modern country singers are to music. Real fans of comedy and music would not touch this RTE-favoured drivel. Of course proper talent exists in Ireland but RTE and the like censor it in order to protect their favourites.

I'm sure the many talented comedians that actually do exist in Ireland but who the media slam the door in their face could do with a break. It must be a terrible insult to them when they see the likes of Damo and Ivor or anything by PJ Gallagher being hyped. Media cronyism is in general is killing all forms of talent in Ireland. Now for some REAL comedy on RTE, one has to go to this:

The_Captain

I saw a guy from Cork, can't remember his name but he had a joke about kicking a frozen poo through the window of his car and trying to claim insurance for it.


Funny guy, one of the better Irish comedians I've seen

Jerichoholic

BuilderPlumber wrote: »

Look at that horrible line up of guests. Jesus Christ RTE.

K-9

Skommando wrote: »

Might be easier to name a good Irish comedian. Got any suggestions ?

Posted earlier.

Glenster

BuilderPlumber wrote: »

Damo and Ivor is the show I was trying to think of that I saw 5 minutes of and said Oh My God. Are we really supposed to sit back and take this absolute drivel? RTE and the like think so.

Damo and Ivor was amazing.

The perfect sitcom, one which contained no boggers gong on about their farms.

Breaston Plants

Eleanor Tiernan.