[Internetics]

For instance, I'm a huge fan of Stella and Darkplace. But because no one I meet or show these shows to like them, I get the idea that my taste in comedy is either so refined that only the terrifically unfunny is funny to me. I can't stand Adam Sandler, Tim & Eric, Dane Cook, Carlos Mencia and wouldn't be caught dead watching the Meet the Spartans trailer.

In the best light, you could just say that I'm just not "hip" to mainstream comedy. Which leads me to thinks that maybe it's not such a bad thing. What do you guys think? There has to be a few of you here that like or liked Darkplace.
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"Is Father's Day nine months after Mother's Day, or is it the other way around?"

[Toups]

I often find myself feeling the same way, Marco.
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[shnozlak]

I am on this boat.

Example: "TV Carnage" Years of horrible, campy 70's - 90's Canadian TV edited down, cut up and set to music. I think its just insanely funny and yet only a few people I know seem to "get" it.
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Mixtapes galore ~ VG MUSIC
ᕦ(ò_óˇ)ᕤ http://phantom-photon.tumblr.com/

[CubaLibre]

cry cry I'm so refined

I mean, it's pretty hilarious to say you're not "in tune with mainstream comedy" and then list horrific shitbags like Dane Cook and Carlos Mencia as your examples. Jim Carrey is "mainstream" but actually hilarious. Jim Gaffigan. The Will Farrell/Steve Carell post-SNL comedy complex. Judd Apatow. All these people are hilarious and make money in the "mainstream."
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Let's Play, starring me.

[Swimmy]

Just watch Castle of Meat X over and over again until you can't laugh no more.
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[Panoptic]

[Predator Goose]

Now, when you say "Stella" do you mean the stage shows, or their transition to television?

Because that was not a pretty transition.

As for Darkplace, yeah, I thought it was pretty funny. I still haven't watched the last episode though, I just don't want it to end.

Kids in the Hall is where it's at for me though. So sad that they all pretty much went on to jack shit.
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I can no longer shop happily.

[boojiboy7]

Tim and Eric do not deserve to be lumped with Mencia and that horrible hack Dane Cook. Just saying.

[shnozlak]

[CubaLibre]

South Park is as mainstream as it gets and as far as I'm concerned it just keeps getting funnier.

My personal favorite "totally hilarious comedy thing that nobody knows about" is Awesometown.
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Let's Play, starring me.

[Mr. Apol]

what do you think of reflections of evil?
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[CubaLibre]

I've never heard of it?
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Let's Play, starring me.

[wasted potential]

[Mr. Apol]

[108]

yeah, i, too, have been pretty much eternally Unable to Laugh at american comedy that isn't produced 100% by jewish people.

the last thing i found actually funny was the british comedy "peep show". just download and watch all four seasons of that. some of it's pretty spectacular -- they took the format of all the "best" american sitcoms (they're obviously huge seinfeld fans -- see if you can count the direct references / tributes) and just made it perfect. the pacing is great! all these improv speds (like that "stella" bullshit) try to make every fucking sentence a punchline -- of itself! it doesn't work that way! peep show maintains interesting topics, and every time a punch line pops up (once a minute or so), it always manages to surprise you. clever shit!!
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[Sushi K]

British humor all the way. Every time an American makes a joke he stops to pat himself on the back and make sure that everyone got it. The English are not afraid of others not understanding their jokes.

One great show is "Waiting for God" that they are showing on PBS. Dark comedy about an old folks home where the main character is waiting to die.

EDIT here we go...

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Kb8A7mz1Fzc
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[km]

Seconding Peep Show.
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vi) RPGs (Role-Playing Games)
For adolescents; half-formed personalities roaming (in packs) in search of identity.

[boojiboy7]

I wish I got to see more Peep Show. I should get on that. It was such a funny show.

[Swimmy]

Ok but seriously, Dane Cook and Adam Sandler aren't funny, but there are mainstream programs and comedians that are not necessarily Lowest Common Denominator. I mean, does it get any more mainstream than Bill Murray? And what was the last movie he wasn't amazing in?

I'm not feeling South Park at all these days (ok they don't like Michael Bay I get it) but it's got 11 seasons now, and there's something in there for almost everyone. There are great new shows. How I Met Your Mother is well-written, has great jokes that require you to pay attention, and has attractive women, hoo-boy. The Big Bang Theory has genuine jokes for nerds. The more you know about physics and nerd culture, the more you'll like it. House is full of downright cheese and annoying melodrama, but whoever comes up with House's one-liners is a goddamned genius. It's worth it just for that. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia has Danny fuckin' Devito. Fuck yeah.

Adult Swim has a near-monopoly on good cartoons. If you haven't seen Frisky Dingo, do yourself a favor. I've not seen anything so quotable and rewatchable since Space Ghost.

There are defunct shows worth revisiting. The entire O*Grady run is on the-n, for instance.

And yeah, britcoms. Every episode of The It Crowd and Black Books is on youtube.

If you don't find any of these funny, yeah, your funnybone is broken. Sorry!
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[CubaLibre]

A Bit of Fry and Laurie anyone?

Also, all you people who hate American comedy: Arrested Development says fuck you too.

Adult Swim can go fuck itself. After they lost Harry Goz on Sealab there weren't nothin worth watching. Funniest cartoon ever made: Clone High. 13 episodes of awesome.

[Lick Meth]

[Sushi K]

[sam]

yeah um this thread seems kindof odd to a brit. for example, darkplace is pretty much universally loved here, whereas i'm not really a fan and am generally of the opinion that american comedy (curb, arrested development, even the US version of the office) is a whole lot better than ours right now.

i really really like peep show, though, and that's about as mainstream as british comedy gets currently (not counting the obviously unwatchable shit like my family or catherine tate). most of my favourite comedy shows are british (blackadder, spaced, fawlty towers, flying circus, alan partridge, the day today, brass eye...the list goes on) but we're certainly not producing a whole lot of quality at the moment.

[Mr. Apol]

blackadder is golden

the short-lived american crime/comedy sledge hammer! is pretty damn fantastic too
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[Faithless]

The Office, Peep Show, YouTube.

These are the only things that I laugh at anymore. I can't stand comedy, and perform mainstream "comedy" as a way to make money. Seriously, writing for a major audience is more like math than love.
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my website

[Toptube]

[elvis.shrugged]

I've been watching so much Black Books lately

You should all just watch that seriously.
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last.fm
tumblr

[Toptube]

Clone High was great. I miss that show with tears.

I like Becker way more than House.

[Swimmy]

[Mikey]

[DonMarco]

[108]

[psiga]

This interview with Steve Martin hit the web earlier today. I haven't seen much of his acts, but definitely enjoyed the interview. (I'd say that his banjo playing is more entertaining than most of the jokes in the included video, but hey.)

"How many people have never raised their hands before?"
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[bleak]

[Loki Laufeyson]

[CubaLibre]

[Predator Goose]

I don't think I mentioned the Marx Brothers. I feel silly for not doing so. Notable for producing the same feature film at least 10 different times, and still managing to make it funny. And so goddamn classy.
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I can no longer shop happily.

[sam]

bill bailey is funny when he's actually doing stand-up and not playing around with the demo settings on a casio keyboard.

[Faithless]