Why does he insist on doing topical material on his specials that people will have to say "Oh yeah, I guess that did happen...." by the time the thing fucking airs?
And covering the firing of Anthony, while yes it's nice for us fans to hear, if he ever wants to go mainstream, anyone who doesn't listen to O&A couldn't give a shit.
I don't know if it was you but somebody raised the point about Jim's stand up being too topical here recently and I can't believe it had never occurred to me but that is exactly the problem with it.
Of course he's also a little stilted and blinky but mostly it really is the fact that aside from cheap puns and gags all of his material is incredibly topical, which is perfect for a daily talk show but terrible for a stand up special. I don't know if I've ever heard Jim do a bit that had some weight to it (that wasn't just a pun or throwaway joke) that was based around some kind of Universal theme, the kind of unchanging deeply human theme that makes Richard Pryor's stuff completely relatable today. There may be some points thrown in about free speech etc but it's always in direct relation to a very specific thing going on at that time and is never expanded far enough from that.
Excellent post. For example, just last week I saw Jim Breuer tape his latest special. Aside from mentioning the blizzard outside at the beginning, not ONE thing he talked about could be considered "old" ever.
Norton's standup is really one trick pony stuff. Trannies, porn, and other things that mainstream America finds uncomfortable... or it's topical and outdated by the time America hears it.
8 comments
6 K1bbler 2015-02-19
"Norton covers Bill Cosby and the firing of his Opie & Anthony co-host Anthony Cumia, among other topics."
Yuck.
5 highflyin 2015-02-19
Why does he insist on doing topical material on his specials that people will have to say "Oh yeah, I guess that did happen...." by the time the thing fucking airs?
And covering the firing of Anthony, while yes it's nice for us fans to hear, if he ever wants to go mainstream, anyone who doesn't listen to O&A couldn't give a shit.
1 OfficialEdAsner 2015-02-19
I don't know if it was you but somebody raised the point about Jim's stand up being too topical here recently and I can't believe it had never occurred to me but that is exactly the problem with it.
Of course he's also a little stilted and blinky but mostly it really is the fact that aside from cheap puns and gags all of his material is incredibly topical, which is perfect for a daily talk show but terrible for a stand up special. I don't know if I've ever heard Jim do a bit that had some weight to it (that wasn't just a pun or throwaway joke) that was based around some kind of Universal theme, the kind of unchanging deeply human theme that makes Richard Pryor's stuff completely relatable today. There may be some points thrown in about free speech etc but it's always in direct relation to a very specific thing going on at that time and is never expanded far enough from that.
1 highflyin 2015-02-19
Excellent post. For example, just last week I saw Jim Breuer tape his latest special. Aside from mentioning the blizzard outside at the beginning, not ONE thing he talked about could be considered "old" ever.
Norton's standup is really one trick pony stuff. Trannies, porn, and other things that mainstream America finds uncomfortable... or it's topical and outdated by the time America hears it.
6 truthie 2015-02-19
Truly awful name.
1 PeytonsForehead18 2015-02-19
It wouldn't be a Norton special without something to do with sex in the title. We get it Jim!
1 FJaxJones 2015-02-19
Jim's specials are like Jay Leno's monologues, except instead of a nightly talk show it's every 6 months.
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