fablespot: 2008.06

I can't believe it... Our hero, this unique genius will no longer ... explain our world to us! He was not only a comedian... he was a philosopher, a cultural icon, a nessecity in our fucked up world... His cynisism was liberating, his humor hit you in the gut, and his views, you wouldn't find yourself disagreeing with them, at least if you were normal... We'll miss you Georgy, more than you've problably have thought!... Thank you for all the laughs and the wisdom!

A lot of people dismiss Benny Hill, as being one of the not so great comedians. They have that fixed image of many people running around and throw clothes behind the bushes. We all have the Benny Hill music stuck to our heads, for all our lives. But look beyond that. There are so much more to his comedy. Surely after you've seen a sketch so many times, not a Benny Hill one, anyone, it stops being funny anymore. And we've all seen more than enough times all the Benny Hill Shows. But isn't that indicative of something? People seem to forget how many barriers Benny Hill broke and how outrageous was he at his time. He was not only a politically incorrect comedian, he was a brilliant satirist. Who else could attack the freaks of the self indulgent so called "Artsy Movies"? He was uniquely methodic about his comedy, always caring with him a notebook where ever he went, when eating with a friend he would interrupt him and write ideas or the conversation he had with the waiter. He was one of the first entertainers when TV was still young and owned by few. His comedy had strong roots in variety theatre, revolving around comic songs, routines and sketches. He had his own show on the BBC as early as 1955. On so many shows he wrote all his own material! Under his contract with Thames Television, Benny Hill was given full control of his program such that he could undertake a program when, in his opinion, he had accumulated enough comic material. Benny Hill once told an interviewer that, like Van Gogh, he would be appreciated in 100 years time. The statement implied that he was not recognised as the great comedian that he was... That's a pity!

Check him out! (Search, find, watch, buy)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benny_Hill
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Benny_Hill_Show

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001350/
http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/B/htmlB/bennyhillsh/bennyhillsh.htm

Norm from Cheers, played by George Wendt, is one of the most brilliant and recognizable characters in TV history.

Here are some of his quotes...

"How's life treating you Norm?""Like it caught me sleeping with its wife."

"Women. Can't live with 'em....pass the beer nuts."

"What's going down, Normie?""My butt cheeks on that bar stool."

"What's the story Norm?""Boy meets beer. Boy drinks beer. Boy meets another beer."

"How's about a beer, Norm?""That's that amber sudsy stuff, right? I've heard good things about it!"

"What's going on Mr. Peterson?""The question is what's going in Mr. Peterson? A beer please, Woody."

"Can I pour you a beer Mr. Peterson?""A little early isn't it, Woody?""For a beer?""No, for stupid questions."

It doesn't matter what temperature the room is, it's always room temperature.
I once put instant coffee in a microwave and went back in time.
Last year for Christmas, I got a humidifier and a dehumidifier.... I thought I'd put them in the same room and let them fight it out.
I woke up this morning and couldn't find my socks, so I called information. She said they were behind the couch.
In my house there's this light switch that doesn't do anything. Every so often I would flick it on and off just to check. Yesterday, I got a call from a woman in Germany. She said, "Cut it out."
I xeroxed a mirror.
I went to the museum where they had all the heads and arms from the statues that are in all the other museums.
When I was crossing the border into Canada, they asked if I had any firearms with me. I said, "What do you need?"
When I turned two I was really anxious, because I'd doubled my age in a year. I thought, if this keeps up, by the time I'm six I'll be ninety.
Sponges grow in the ocean. That just kills me. I wonder how much deeper the ocean would be if that didn't happen.
When I was a little kid we had a sand box. It was a quicksand box. I was an only child....eventually.
I went to a restaurant that serves "breakfast at any time". So I ordered French Toast during the Renaissance.

More on the genius Steven Wright here.

Terry Jones is one of those geniuses that they don't seem to get enough credit. I don't know what it is! Maybe its their modesty, or their idiocyncracy, or their persona, or that they are perceived as part of the whole. Most people fail to recognise what's in front of them. For all of you pythonians, you must already know that Tery Jones is one of the pillars of the Monty Python team, writing a great number of sketches and making his absurd surreal humor characterise the whole series. He used to argue, artistically that is, a lot with his friend John Cleese, and write with his friend Michael Palin. He also directed Life of Brian, and co directed Holy Grail. He is also a unique comedic actor and makes me laugh whenever I see him on a sketch. But he is also a scholar, and he gave us brilliant series like The Crusades, the most comprehensive TV guide as to what happened then, so that we better understand today. And of course my favorite, Medieval Lives, where he gives a very vivid picture of what those so called Dark Ages were. Did you know that never humans believed the Earth was flat? And that the pitiful Medieval peasant worked less hours a week than us, the superior beings? Well, thanks Terry...

Check him out! (Search, find, watch, buy)
Do Not Adjust your Set (1967-69)
Monty Python's Flying Circus (1969-74)
Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
Ripping Yarns (1976-79)
Life of Brian (1979)
The Meaning of Life (1983)
Labyrinth (1986)
The Crusades (1995)
The Wind in the Willows (1996)
Medieval Lives (2004)
Barbarians (2006)
http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/terry_jones/index.html

Find out stuff about Terry Jones
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terry_Jones
http://www.terry-jones.net/
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001402/

Family Guy is one the best animated shows out there! It's okay if you haven't heard of the show, I mean there must be nothing wrong with you, but it should definately alarm you. So, Family Guy is form the brainchild of the super funny and very young Seth MacFarlane, (born in 1973 and Family Guy started airing on 1999 = 26 years old, but his television career started before even that), and is about a very normal and typical family of the western world. I mean, this series has captured the everyday trials and tribulations of the western family and deals with difficult issues like farting and stem cell research, and shoe fetishists, and other brilliant stuff. I think that Herbert the old gay ephebophile must be the most outrageous character ever created on TV. I maybe wrong but the truth is that he makes me laugh every time I see him, and his limp old dog. It's very difficult to decide upon your favorite character on Family Guy, the show is that good, there is Stewie, Brian, Mayor Adam West, Tom Tucker the news anchor, Tricia Takanawa, the asian reporter... Have your pick!

Check it out (Search, find, watch, buy)
http://www.familyguyx.net/
http://www.familyguynow.com/
http://www.familyguy.com/
http://www.planet-familyguy.com/
http://www.familyguyfiles.com/
http://www.familyguyquotes.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_Guy
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0182576/
http://www.justfamilyguy.com/

David Cross is a unique and extremely funny stand up comedian. He is also a comedic actor best known for his role as Tobias Fünke in the brilliant series Arrested Development which was sadly so good and edgy that it was cancelled.

David Cross began his professional television career as a writer on The Ben Stiller Show. It was during this period that he first met Bob Odenkirk, with whom he would later co-create the HBO sketch comedy series Mr. Show in 1995. He has appeared several times on the MTV2 series Wonder Showzen. Cross teamed up with Odenkirk to produce a feature film, based on one of their Mr. Show characters, called Run Ronnie Run. In 1999, he was given his own one-hour comedy special on HBO, entitled The Pride Is Back. He has released two recordings, Shut Up You Fucking Baby! and It's Not Funny. In 2004, Shut Up, You Fucking Baby! was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album. In 2003, he released his first tour film, Let America Laugh, and was named #85 on Comedy Central's list of the 100 greatest stand-ups of all time.

Check him out! (Search, find, watch, buy)

Mr. Show with Bob and David (1995-1998)
Arrested Development (2003-2006) - Dr. Tobias Fünke
Shut Up You Fucking Baby! (2002) 2CD
Let America Laugh (2003) DVD
It's Not Funny (2004) CD
Invite them Up (Compilation) (2005) CD/DVD
Comedy Death-Ray (album) (Compilation) (2007) CD

Find out stuff about David Cross

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Cross
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0189144/
http://www.bobanddavid.com/

John Oliver is only 31 years old, but he has already made his mark in the comedy world, and promises us even wilder comedy and most importantly accute satire. John is a regular writer & correspondent on the Emmy award winning Daily Show with Jon Stewart. He is my favorite Daily Show "Correspondent", it's not just his accent, and is one of the most intelligent satirists (Caution: endagered species) out there! He was also the writer and star of Radio 4's 'The Department' alongside Chris Addison and Andy Zaltzman. It centered around a three man 'think tank' who each week solved one of the world's major problems and it was hilarious. He is also currently writing and presenting "The Bugle" podcast.

Check him out! (Search, find, watch, buy)
http://www.thedailyshow.com/castBio.jhtml?castId=74954
The Bugle

Find out stuff about John Oliver
http://www.mrjohnoliver.com/
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1056659/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Oliver_(comedian)

Links on youtube ( a taster )
There is almost every segment of him here... Enjoy!
http://www.thedailyshow.com/castBio.jhtml?castId=74954

You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You approach her and say, "I'm fantastic in bed." That's Direct Marketing.

You're at a party with a bunch of friends and see a gorgeous girl. One of your friends approaches her, points at you says, "He's fantastic in bed." That's Advertising.

You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You approach her and get her telephone number. The next day you call and say, "Hi, I'm fantastic in bed." That's Telemarketing.

You're at a party and see a gorgeous girl. You get up and straighten your tie, you walk up to her and pour her a drink. You open the door for her, pick up her bag after she drops it, offer her a ride, and then say, "By the way, I'm fantastic in bed." That's Public Relations.

You're at a party and see a gorgeous girl. She walks up to you and says, "I hear you're fantastic in bed." That's Brand Recognition.

All beds have special L-shaped cover sheets which reach up to the armpit level on a woman but only to waist level on the man lying beside her.

If being chased through town, you can usually take cover in a passing St. Patrick's Day parade - at any time of the year.

All grocery shopping bags contain at least one stick of French Bread.

Once applied, lipstick will never rub off - even while SCUBA diving.

During all police investigations it is necessary to visit a strip club at least once.

All telephone numbers in America begin with the digits 555.

The Eiffel Tower can be seen from any window in Paris.

Should you wish to pass yourself off as a German officer, it will not be necessary to speak the language. A German accent will do.

Most laptop computers are powerful enough to override the communication systems of any invading alien civilization.

If staying in a haunted house, women should investigate any strange noises in their most revealing underwear.

It is always possible to park directly outside the building you are visiting.

All bombs are fitted with electronic timing devices with large red readouts so you know exactly when they're going to go off.

When they are alone, all non-native English speakers prefer to speak English to each other.

When paying for a taxi, don't look at your wallet as you take out a note - just grab one at random and hand it over. It will always be the exact fare.

A man will show no pain while taking the most ferocious beating but will wince when a woman tries to clean his wounds.

When a plane is low on fuel, the hero usually taps the gas gauge as if that will help.

Coffee will sober you up from a drunken stupor in a matter of minutes.

Dogs always know who's bad, and bark at them.

There are always people carrying around large sheets of glass on the street during a car chase.

Whenever anyone knocks out anyone else and takes their clothes, it's always a flawless fit.

Have you ever wanted to insult your friends with something witty, memorable but nothing came to mind? Have you ever wanted to trash your friends but at the same time make them think "Wow! I got rightly served! What an intelligent person this is!" ? Then here are some custom-made witty insults to adjust to your conversations and make a difference...

"He loves nature in spite of what it did to him." Forrest Tucker

“Some cause happiness wherever they go; others, whenever they go.” Oscar Wilde

"A modest little person, with much to be modest about." Winston Churchill

"There's nothing wrong with you that reincarnation won't cure." Jack E. Leonard

“Why do you sit there looking like an envelope without any address on it?” Mark Twain

"I’ve just learned about his illness. Let’s hope it’s nothing trivial.” Irvin S. Cobb

“He has no enemies, but is intensely disliked by his friends.” Oscar Wilde

“I didn’t attend the funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying I approved of it.” Mark Twain

“He has never been known to use a word that might send a reader to the dictionary.” William Faulkner