Stand-Up Comedy in Europe Sucks...Discuss

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Only one I know of is Eddy Izzard...and he tells jokes about history. (although he is quite funny...and a crossdresser to boot)

Why are Europeans so...unfunny? Do blue jokes make them "cross"?

I love stand-up and have seen live...John Stewart, Jim Norton, Rich Voss, Jim Breuer, and a few lesser acts...

How could an entire continent not like stand-up comedy? It couldn't be as bad as that, could it?!?

 

If I may offer a theory...

European comedians (the British are the only ones I know of right off) are more theatrical in their delivery and performance. Rowan Atkinson (of Mr. Bean and Black Adder fame) has a hilarious stand-up routine, but even his is like more of a theatre show where he does various characters and skits. Prop-free, but still in that style. Same with Monty Python and others.

One could argue that American comedians are less talented in that area, and rely more heavily on vulgarity and situation humor. Whereas you wouldn't expect a Brit to get up on stage and start yabbing about relationships and society, or whatever. "The other day I was sitting down for tea with my flatmate and he said..." blah blah blah. Don't see much of that.

Eddy Izzard (he kicks so much ass) is no exception. His comedy is in more of a "lecture" kind of style, as opposed to getting up there and making observations about modern life.

And yes, Eddy Izzard rules.

Thoughts? (on both points)

 

Well, my country has got Emil, Victor Jacobbo and Ursus und Nadeschkin. Now, to understand them, there's the little problem, of a chli schwwizerdütsch z'chönne, nur e chli, aber ganz ohni gahts nöd. Obviously, there's a certain factor, which makes it impossible to take hold on an foreign country, with a different language, without changing the very nature of the comedy itself, meaning letting go of it's country specific jokes.

But I usually watch Jon Stewart's daily show, global edition too.

Edit: Implementing Death Rabbit: Jokes are born in a certain surrounding. What's the use of a joke about, for example, a story which is on the frontpage of Texas newspapers, if you're 4'000 miles away from Texas, and never heard about it ? And the other direction.

The Global Edition makes jokes about Global stuff, but what's the point in watchin Leno, when he's making jokes about ....... and ...... and ....... and ........... and ...... and ......

Which is all like: hgöadsjgöladskgösdgf, because you never heard about it, him, her, them, or anything about it.

 

Actually Eddy Izzard has a very "American" approach to stand-up. I remember from his HBO act his discussion of his childhood and how it effected his sexual development...very American routine. Although...pretty much all non-traditional sexual identities go with that act because...

a.) it's unusual and therefore interesting
b.) it's personally painful for the teller and therefore much more funny

Now the lecture thing is correct...and you know what...I remember him doing sort of a Mr. Bean style visual thing as well.

Come to think of it...Eddy Izzard rules! Dude combines all kinds of things.


Edit: First of all...Jay Leno isn't funny. Only to grandma's. Second of all...jokes about famous personalities suck. Any joke that involves a president, a celebrity, or anything of the sort just isn't cool.

Now SARS jokes...they can be funny. It's all about laughing at pain...

 

At Late-Night Thinker

I don't know if he's funny compared to other Americans, because I nearly know any other Americans. I only know about Jeno, because here's a TV station, which used to advertise with him. But I guess they have axed that program. I know John Stewart, because the global edition is aired around here. And that's about it. All others you metioned are completly unkown to me. Never heard of them.

 

In Holland we had a show called the Comedy Factory, in which, various stand-up comediens told jokes. There weren't many Dutch comediens on the stage, but there were a lot of American comediens, but also a lot of English. The English comediens were usually very funny.

In Holland we have something else, which is called 'cabaret'. This word is probably used in other ways in other countries, but 'cabaret' in Holland is a sort of stand-up comedy, but on a bigger scale. It is mostly done in theatres, with much bigger audiences and the shows are much longer. Usually there are also more props used and there are often songs. Basically it is a sort of stand-up comedy, because in 'cabaret' there is also a guy telling us about bad experiences and funny happenings. This is much more popular in Holland, then stand-up comedy and often just as funny.

I like stand-up comedy very much, and I love to watch to Comedy Central (an American show, for those who are not familier with it). But stand-up comedy evolved in America and it just hasn't made the transfer to Europe ...yet.

 

@ Late-Night: 2 Corrections

1. Eddie Izzard isn't a cross-dresser, he's an "Executive Transvestite." You should know that!

2. It's not that Jay Leno isn't funny...it's that he never was. Letterman's good, Dennis Miller is better. Jon Stewart beats them all.

--

I'm having trouble thinking of any other good European comedians...I'm sure there are others, at least ones I've heard of, anyway.

@ Yago

Forgive me, but I seem to have missed your point directed at me completely. If your point was that situation or news humor is only funny to those who are familiar with that bit of news, I didn't think I was disputing that... throw me a bone, man.

 

@ Death Rabbit

No, that meant you brought the Idea to my mind. You said somehting about, that the British have a different, very British style. I've read your part, then I've read Texas and then.... Yep, that's it. Jokes only work, when you know the things involved. Jokes do not work in different countries, because the audience, more specific, the topics which the audience interests are different and they way, the want jokes presented is different. I wasn't disputing you, you brought me to the idea.

What does "thowing a bone" mean?

Global Edition and some specific stuff (mostly abuot sex) work over here to, the rest just doesn't make sense, if you know not the story.

 

Yag,

Give me a hint, toss me a clue, help me out. Throw me a bone. And you did. Thanks.

You haven't seen Austin Powers, apparantly.

Now seeing your post I very much agree. Which also brings up a good point. Rowan Atkinson and Eddy Izzard especially use more universal tactics in their act to include everyone. You're basically listening to a history lesson or a story with them, rather than a new witty take on a news story or observation - unless of course it's a global story, like SARS, war, etc.

 

Dennis Miller is very funny but I don't like how he uses so many "obscure references". I think a lot of the time I laugh at them because his delivery is so well done that I feel I am supposed to laugh, rather than actually having an understanding of what is funny.

My favorite aspect of stand-up is how painfully honest it is. Take for example a bit by Jim Norton. He was talking about TIVO and how it allows viewers to record a program and automatically edit out the commercials. He was talking about how the advertising industry was all up in arms about this. He said that it is actually the advertisers fault for running such fairy commercials where everyone is happy and blah blah blah. Take weight loss programs for example...if they showed a commercial of kids throwing rocks at a fat chick...I would watch it. (He has much funnier stuff BTW) But underlying it all is laughing at a few very painful things in life like the brutality of children and the plight of the overweight.

The funniest people in this world have been through hell and back...thats why they laugh. They have to or they would be crying.

 

My favorite stand up is/was Bill Hicks.

There were two ideas here that really made me think of him. I'll just quote:

It's interesting to me because it shows that while we always hear about, for example, a "british sense of humor" as if it was different than ours there is obviously a lot in common but maybe there was a delay in when the US was essentially 'catching up.'

The other was the idea LNT has brought up about comedy being dark and the idea above about vulgarity and loudness.

Vulgarity for the sake of being vulgar isn't particularly funny to me. I think the article named some prime culprits imo.

One of my favorite bits he did was about crime in England and 'hooligans' (He goes to England from LA after the riots and they tell him how "crime is hooorrrrible" and how much they can sympathize. He goes into a rant about their "hooligans" knocking over dust bins and the image of their "hooligans" meeting up with some of our Bloods. Can't do it justice, but it's classic. )

http://www.loopdiloop.com/fsharp/BillHicks.asp

 

Well, here in germany there are quite a couple recently, some really funny ones actually, but as they are in german only they'll hardly find their way to an american audience, much less to a british. Germans, funny? Hah! We won the war!

 

I've seen Austin Powers. But isn't Meyer a Canadian ? Anyway, James Bond is a global thing, therefore it works everywhere. I read, that Meyer's started out as Saturday Night Life stand-up comedian. A show, which I only know, because the Blues Brother's and Eddie Murphy came from that. This caused me to watch a TV-reportage about it. It doesn't get aired here.

@ Laches

I think you bring another interesting point. A comedian can search for his audience in other countries. Like Meyer's did, when he went to the US. That works maybe even better as at home, if the Comedian manages to make a connection between him and the foreign audience. Or just his personal style is much more demanded in a foreign country.

 

As has been pointed out Stand-up comedy exists almost all over Europe. True the art form isnt as old here as it is in the states. As it is only the British and the Irish that speaks a language that is used extensively it is not strange you have not heard about Swedish, German or French stand up comedians. They do their acts in their own language and if they would want to go across the big pond I think it is pretty impossible as I am fairly certain there are already comedians enough in the states and it owuld be damned hard for some Swedish dude with a bad accent to come over and joke about Swedish things.

 

@ Yago

Yes, Mike Meyers is Canadian. I just said "throw me a bone" as a figure of speech, and brought up Austin Powers because you said you didn't get what I meant, and that's from where the phrase has become famous recently. Hope that settles that.

On to Canada - many many great comedians have come from Canada. Kids in the Hall, Mike Meyers, etc. But the transition in material and popularity is much easier from Canada to the US because our two cultures are more or less identical. I don't even consider Canadians to be foreigners, actually. It's just a great big state up north, as far as I'm concerned. In fact, I bet if you ask 10 people on the street here where Mike Meyers was from, 1 or 2 at most would say Canada. The cultures are similar enough that no one seems to notice. So for that reason, Meyers had no real audience to "search for."

But the particular styles of certain comics only seem to fit with certain audiences, in which case the comic has no choice but to search them out. Margeret Cho, for example, grew up in San Francisco in the gay scene. Though not gay herself, most of her jokes center around her wacky upbringing with her fish-out-of-water korean family in the big city. This feeling of being an outcast, coupled with her tolerance and acceptance of gays, has made her one of the most, if not THE most popular comic among the American gay community, which makes up the majority of her fan base.

So I guess - back to the original question -

@ Late Night

It's not that European stand-up comics suck, it just difficult for them to find an audience here. Thus, bozos like you and me will never hear about them.

 

Look,
it's very simple actually. Americans cherish a form of humor known as slip-down humor. Very few americans cherish sarcasm and irony as a form of humor, while most europeans do. If you want to see the best comic in Europe and the world at his best, rent "Rowan Attkinson live". Enjoy!

 

Has no-one mentioned Billy Connolly! This guy is hilarious. I swear, that once you see any one of his acts, you'll be ROFL!

 

Oh I don't know about that Malaqai. I think Americans do like sarcasm and irony. I can't debate it now though, the most popular American comedy ever, Seinfeld is on and later on Curb Your Enthusiasm which has become one of the most popular cable shows on will be on so I can't argue then either. Maybe later.

EDIT - just thought about it, Cheers or MASH may beat out Seinfeld for the most popular award but I'm not sure.

 

Very very very very untrue. Most of our most popular sitcoms (Seinfeld, Will & Grace, Friends) are rife with sarcasm and irony. It's key to their popularity. Just watch "As Good as it Gets" with Jack Nickleson, which won best picture a few years back, and say Americans don't cherish sarcasm. Simply not true.

"Slip-down" humor, as you call it works it's way in as well, but isn't near as popular as it used to be (I think you mean "Slap-stick"). While still popular, it's hayday is long over. Three Stooges, the Marx Brothers, etc. Jim Carrey is very much this type of comedian, but very few these days can pull it off without looking like a knock-off of him.

@ Morningstar

Yes, I like Connely as well. He is Scottish, right? Figure you'd know.

 

I think Jim Norton said it best...

"You couldn't make me laugh at a sit-com if I was on mescaline and you tickled me with feathers..."

Sit-coms are dying because the humor is soooo fake. Stand-up will ALWAYS be around because it is so real. Stand in front of people and make them laugh. That simple.