Comedian and poker commentator Norm Macdonald has died
09-16-2021
, 05:59 PM
Quote:
Funniest guy in my lifetime, just the best. Single greatest talk show guest of all time, and somehow his standup was even better. I once saw him two sets straight in DC, completely different 90 minutes both times, something that most comedians work a lifetime for he was able to completely change in one night. His unique comedic genius didn't stop there, he recognized my buddy and I from the first show and sat at our table during the middle act. Now this was no normal middle act, this was quite possibly the worst comedian in the history of comedy. He was a guy whose schtick was that he was an atheist, but not only that he was the most hardcore atheist ever and every joke was about how much of an atheist he really was. Well Norm knew this guy was going to bomb, so there he was sitting at our table cackling at the top of his voice over every non punchline. Whole place was groaning four minutes in, except our guest of honor who was loving every minute.
One of my best friends and I would wait for Norm tickets like most people wait for concerts and sporting events. The guy had the most unique take on the world, constantly searching for the perfect joke and never taking the easy punch line. My favorite memory was at the small showroom at the South Point where I probably saw him 8 times. In between making us die laughing, I am sitting front row and he asks me what I do for a living. We begin to talk for five minutes about poker during the set, he invites me backstage to continue our gambling conversation, and then just lays into how boring my buddy who is an accountant.
It's one thing to be funny, its a whole different thing to do anything for a laugh. He got fired from just about every hollywood job he ever had because of that drive. When the head of NBC whose best friend was OJ Simpson told him to stop with the constant OJ jokes, he shoehorned in every OJ joke he could think of. When comedy central tells him he needs to be brutal during the roast of Bob Saget, he reads from a the softest joke book from 1950. When the University of Iowa sold 10s of thousands of tickets but told him about what he couldn't say, he brought out his most lude set and laughed as thousands of people ran away from their seats. He has been banned for three decades at ESPN after ignoring the producers and having the funniest opening monologue at any awards show in history. He was uncompromisingly dedicated to the art of joke telling, while at the same time underselling how incredibly well read and analytical he really was. He didn't even tell those closest to him that he had cancer so as not to get in the way of making the audience laugh.
I haven't been able to start once again going down that Norm Macdonald youtube tunnel, but I can't wait for when I am able to again. Just remember, board is spelled "bored" and there are some things they can't take away from you, unless you kill your wife and waiter.
One of my best friends and I would wait for Norm tickets like most people wait for concerts and sporting events. The guy had the most unique take on the world, constantly searching for the perfect joke and never taking the easy punch line. My favorite memory was at the small showroom at the South Point where I probably saw him 8 times. In between making us die laughing, I am sitting front row and he asks me what I do for a living. We begin to talk for five minutes about poker during the set, he invites me backstage to continue our gambling conversation, and then just lays into how boring my buddy who is an accountant.
It's one thing to be funny, its a whole different thing to do anything for a laugh. He got fired from just about every hollywood job he ever had because of that drive. When the head of NBC whose best friend was OJ Simpson told him to stop with the constant OJ jokes, he shoehorned in every OJ joke he could think of. When comedy central tells him he needs to be brutal during the roast of Bob Saget, he reads from a the softest joke book from 1950. When the University of Iowa sold 10s of thousands of tickets but told him about what he couldn't say, he brought out his most lude set and laughed as thousands of people ran away from their seats. He has been banned for three decades at ESPN after ignoring the producers and having the funniest opening monologue at any awards show in history. He was uncompromisingly dedicated to the art of joke telling, while at the same time underselling how incredibly well read and analytical he really was. He didn't even tell those closest to him that he had cancer so as not to get in the way of making the audience laugh.
I haven't been able to start once again going down that Norm Macdonald youtube tunnel, but I can't wait for when I am able to again. Just remember, board is spelled "bored" and there are some things they can't take away from you, unless you kill your wife and waiter.
09-18-2021
, 04:40 AM
