Is this funny?
I’ve never understood Will Ferrel’s appeal. So I was watching him do his shtick on Conan last night and acting like a spastic chipmunk with a flute, and tried to think of any other comedian that would have done a gag like this and if any of them could make it work. Groucho would have done it more in a tumbling fashion, and had some grace to it. George Burns would have looked at the instrument and perhaps been confused…holding it gingerly and testing it but then giving it up. Bob Hope would have played flat notes and bounced around the melody. Eddie Murphy would have told the band to get that *&%$#@ thing away from me (also Chris Rock and Chris Tucker). Bill Cosby would have actually played it right, but also played up a lack of rhythm. No jerking and twitching like Ferral, but some awkward moments. Richard Pryor may have pulled this off like Ferrel did. But for some reason, it seems like it would be funny if he had done it.
Then again, I suppose you can’t entirely blame Ferrel. Squeky childish voices and jerky movements is pretty much what passes for comedey over at SNL, and has since the writers all sobered up. It’s a shame because it makes stars out of these mediocre clowns and then when an average comedian like Tina fey comes around, it makes them look SO good in comparison it propels them to superstardom.
I miss clever comdy. I miss wit. And I just dont get guys like Will Ferrel or Adam Sandler or Jim Carrey.
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