• southsamurai@sh.itjust.works
    0·
    3 months ago

    Damn, if this is real, it’s yet more proof that Norm hid the mind of a brilliant poet beneath his comedy.

    Tbh, I was never a fan of his comedy. A little too flat for me. But the guy was so smart and kind, it’s no wonder everyone that knew him loved him.

    • The Picard Maneuver@lemmy.worldOP
      0·
      3 months ago

      He was a very thoughtful person.

      I was always aware of him as that guy who was on SNL, but I didn’t truly give his comedy a chance until after he died and everyone started sharing their favorite clips. I went down a deep rabbit hole on youtube for a while, watching everything of his that I could find.

      That old chunk of coal might be my favorite comedian of all time now.

    • agamemnonymous@sh.itjust.works
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      3 months ago

      A little too flat for me

      There’s a reason why he’s considered the comedian’s comedian. His deadpan delivery is a perfect blend of subverting joke structure and just perfect timing.

      • southsamurai@sh.itjust.works
        0·
        3 months ago

        I’m on board with that fully. I think the best thing I’ve ever seen of his is the moth joke.

        And, I think part of my view of him was “too flat” was because he works best when he’s playing off of someone that gets it. Working just for a camera, or a crowd, he doesn’t have the same delivery as he does when it’s smaller scale. He’s still deadpan, but it’s “alive” in a way I’m not sure how to describe.

        Obviously, since this came up, I’ve been casually watching stuff again. And that’s the impression I get, that when he’s able to play to people rather than a camera or generic crowd, there’s something in the way he moves that changes. The stuff that has me laughing like a loon is when he’s connected to someone, or a small group, like when he was reading jokes at the roast.

        I agree with the other comment, he was the natural successor to the kind of thing Kaufman was so good at. I really just wish I’d seen more of that side of him as a viewer as opposed to the SNL stuff which is a totally different vibe.

      • TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world
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        3 months ago

        Norm gets how comedy and jokes work in a way that anyone who isn’t a comedian or isn’t a student of comedy wouldn’t understand.

        In the end, Norm was Kaufmans heir. He understood that all comedy is based on subversion, but that even that has to fold in on itself.

    • The Picard Maneuver@lemmy.worldOP
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      3 months ago

      I’ve only seen it once, but his last special feels less like a stand-up show and more like you’re on a zoom call with Norm while he tries out material. It’s funny, but I really missed all the “oohs” and grumbles from the audience when he would stick his toe over the line and then grin at the reaction.

      It’s also very bittersweet, because it includes a bunch of Norm’s comedian friends sharing memories about him and being visibly sad that he’s gone.

      • TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world
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        3 months ago

        I keep rewatching Norm MacDonald Live! on internet archive. Its the best of Norm imo. The Superdave Episode (the real first one, not the fake after the fact, produced one), where Superdave (I think) is literally not in on the joke till the last 20 minutes, it might be one of the funniest pieces of comedy out there.