Maxim's Worst Comedians of ALL-TIME List - Page 3

Absolutely on that last point.

I thought about bringing up Cook and Silverman, but it's generally acknowledged around here that Cook sucks too much to be considered a great comic, and Silverman still manages to fulfill one of Hitchens' criteria (though I'm not sure if her style of angst is at all "masculine by definition"), which might complicate the issue.

I'd say the ugly to average to attractive ratios are probably pretty even. Most male and female comics are probably somewhere in the "average" category with their attractiveness boosted by their respective talents. I just think, as heterosexual men, we're not as conscious of how attractive a male comic is, while we unavoidably tend to evaluate women partially on that basis. When a relatively attractive comedienne gains an audience, it seems like half of the guy fans get a little carried away with how "hot" she is (see Garafalo, Silverman - also Amy Poehler and Tina Fey, if we include sketch comedy). You don't really see this as much from women when it comes to male comics, even if they do acknowledge the sex appeal.

For the record, Tina Fey is unbelievably hot. My wife finally caught on and bought a pair of those little rectangular glasses ... grrrowl.

Tina Fey is only hot with the glasses on for some reason. Every photo I've seen her without the glasses, not that hot.

Also, Hitchens is an idiot.

Fey and Pohler are not stand-ups, though. And Pohler is in no way classically attractive. It's also interesting to note that a lot of Silverman's comedy is based on her saying transgressive things which are palatable because she's playing against her own sex appeal. And then she's also making jokes about having anal sex, which are just as likely meant to make people laugh as make male audience members aroused ("I'm a dirty girl!")

But even in the sketch world, Jimmy Fallon and Andy Samberg seemed to get a lot of resistance when they were introduced, because they looked like pretty faces. Fallon proved to have no talent, while Samberg has proved to be amusing. Though again, he looked kinda "The Strokes's Bassist"/hipster douchebag.

Sex appeal? She has all the sex appeal of all small child (read: NONE) and her humor comes from the cupie-doll voice of a small child spouting terrible things. She's built her entire career from expanding on that old joke/urban legend about the girl who shouts at the department store "I'll tell that I saw you kissing daddy's pee-pee!"

I'm always amazed when a funny comedienne is smoking hot. Because a person that pretty spending her life honing those skills (when they could have just got by on their looks) is impressive. It's a double-whammy. A definite keeper, in my book.
http://www.myspace.com/lynnekoplitz

Hey, you came close to making a joke. But seriously, yes, you don't find her attractive, but don't go all Zod and make a blanket statement, cause I've heard plenty of people rave about her, and I'm sure you have too. Now is that partly because she's funny? Inarguably.

See, that's what's kind of fucked up about our preoccupation with looks in fields that don't necessarily have anything to do with them. This reaction is limited to women, and it also assumes that attractive women are to be singled out for praise when they accomplish anything other than just being pretty. It's incredibly condescending: "Oh, you're not just pretty, but actually have a working brain? Wow!"

And Goldberg, my post wasn't aimed specifically at your tastes. Glad we know where you stand on Silverman, though.

I was kinda implying that my tastes in women (which start with the physical & chemical attraction) need more for the long-term companionship... Hence, the must-have criteria of a sense of humor. That's where the "definite keeper in my book" comment was geared more towards the personal and less towards the field of comedy. I wasn't clear.

Sure, physical beauty has nothing to do with the quality of humor, but as Andre mentioned, you don't often see them together... because well, pretty people have less to complain about (or less relatable complaints). I'd assume those muscles wouldn't get flexed as often. That's why I'm surprised when they do. I never said pretty people can't be smart, just that they don't often go into stand-up.

I apologize for sounding superficial or vain, that wasn't my intent. I just happen to like my women (my partner, not all women) funny & pretty. The comedians I enjoy merely have to be funny.

EDIT: to make my comments more clear

Right. "... if we include sketch comedy..."

She's little, cute, and blonde, which I'd say is enough to plop her in the "reasonably attractive" category. Not really worth splitting hairs over.

Agreed.

Yeah, I think this comes down to a double-standard (one that very well may be unavoidable, based on how men and women work in terms of attraction). I wonder how relevant their looks were to women in evaluating their talent?

I see Sarah Silverman and I think, "Oh - girl's kinda' cute."

Then I watch Sarah Silverman perform - and I fall deeply in love with the most beautiful creature alive...

It sounds sexist - but whatever. Males aren't used to females being "witty" - let alone genuinely funny - so when it happens, that woman leaps four points on the ten-point scale.

I've dated women attractive enough for me to be hated by other males (I'm the classic "Why is that totally hot chick with that fucking mongoloid" guy) - and it wasn't because of their killer comic stylings. Intelligence and creativity have been factors, to be sure - but never sense of humor.

I think that's kind of the non-sexist flipside, though. Talent makes anyone more attractive, and this goes equally for men and women.

Where I think it gets tricky is this idea that beauty makes someone talented more notable or praiseworthy for their talents. It's hard to find an exact analogy because of the difference in routines, but it's why I suspect someone not so attractive like Paula Poundstone will more quickly be written off as unfunny than Sarah Silverman, who's generally perceived as at least kind of attractive (Goldberg's comments notwithstanding). Even if Silverman were an awful comic, Maxim probably wouldn't have included her on this list. All hypothetical, of course. I just think that when it comes to evaluating "talent," men put a higher premium on women comedians' looks than women do on men comedians' looks.

It's all subjective. I'd have to say that the worst comedian ever in all of the space-time continuum would have to be Bob Hope. Maybe he's a tradition to some, but I always thought that his jokes were stale, his delivery needy, his dependence on cue cards rather pathetic, and his fascination with Joey Heatherton kind of creepy. I seriously doubt that any of the U.S. serviceman serving in Vietnam saw Bob's USO specials as anything more than a chance to get away from the shooting and take in Charo's coochy-coochy - unless, of course, they were in a don't ask/don't tell situation.

And I've seen Sandra Bernhard's one-woman show. She is quite funny in her element but I would not say that she is a comedian; she's more like a performance artist.

How has this thread gone for so long without mention of the most vile unfunny woman in comedy today, Lisa Lampanelli?

Fuck all the bullshit. Dane's stand-up is great.

I think Silverman is cute,but agree with you about her limited ability as a comic. The "nice Jewish Girl saying all those outrageous things" shtick is old.

Ellen De Generes is a hundred times funnier.

Bob Hope? Worst comedian ever? Shut the hell up, please. Best comic timing ever. Watch some of his films before making such a dumb statement.

You better believe him, too, BD (coincidence? I think not). Zod here's the king of stupid blanket statements.

What the fuck is Margaret Cho doing on that list?

I call shenanigans!!!!

And I call dyke!1

sry. that was harsh.

Oh yeah, that Bob Hope is a real fucking hack. National Treasure? FUCK OFF.

Someone with good knowledge on the history of comedy needs to start a new thread where we can argue about who is...

• Current Best Comedian
• Current Best Comedienne
• All-time Best Comedian
• All-time Best Comedienne

Along with talent, what makes Silverman more attractive while she's performing is her confience. Great performers have a great deal of confidence that shines through, even if they're playing "nervous" characters, and that's hard to resist.

Back to the list, I read all of these posts (I can't believe I read all of these posts) and I don't think anyone else noted that the Bottom 3 were all comedians of color, for lack of a better phrase. Carlos Mencia is the only "contemporary" comedian on the list and he's on the bottom.

Also, most of these comics have very distinct images. Most could be broken down into two or three words.

Sinbad - crazy pants
Cho - angry asian
Tenuta - growly accordion player
Smirnof - what a country
Gallagher - sledge-o-matic
Anderson - the fat one (v.1)
griffin - screechy red head

I really don't like Bernhard (especially since I once switched her name with Sarah Bernhardt and was mocked mercilessly for hours) so I would need many more words.

The list is crap and was made to appeal to the basest of sensibilities. Recognizable, easy targets. There are plenty of accomplished actors and writers that stank their way through the comedy club circuit that would make for a much more compelling list.

If this list were made ten years ago I'd agree with you.

Is Emo Phillips still alive? Was he ever?

Roseanne Barr is a pile of shit.

People rave about Carlos Mencia and Dane Cook. Is that partly because they're funny? Arguably.

Yes, it is a question of taste. But your rejection of Miss Silverman would be like me saying that Dane Cook isn't a professional comedian. Or saying Jessica Alba isn't attractive.

In a word: Stupid

One of the things that has always bugged me -- and this is a total nitpick -- about Cook is his routine about how every guy wants to be part of a heist. He's like "They watch Heat...and go...I WANNA DO THAT!" Did he see a different movie? Because the impression I got from Heat was that everybody except for Val Kilmer wound up dead.

Sir Anthony Hopkins had a TV show?