Worst Stand Up Specials?

[KAMALARAMBO: BOOMSHAKALAKA!!!]

I suppose you can also mention best in here.

I try to avoid watching ones with comedians I don't like because unlike bad movies, bad standup is harder to find things to ironically laugh at. However, sometimes even good comedians do bad specials. Jerry Seinfeld's "I'm Telling You For the Last Time" stands out in particular. Such a let down after how good his show was.

Also, while I wouldn't say it's the worst of the worst I just watched Norm MacDonald's "Me Doing Standup." Even the title suggest he did it with as little effort as possible and pretty much just for the money. It's a shame too because Norm is probably in my top 5 favorite standup comedians (heck maybe in my top 5 comedians in general).

[Mozenrath]

Possibly Lavell Crawford. In addition to having bad material, the guy sounded like he was going to collapse at any moment.

[hotshotalex]

George Lopez "Tall, Dark and Chicano." That one is painful to watch

[Cyno]

Nick Kroll's "Thank You Very Cool." I don't think I laughed once while watching it and his annoying characters were even worse than usual. It was very disjointed and unfunny.

Any standup special by Lisa Lampinelli. All she does is use racial and homophobic slurs instead of trying to be funny.

[Bub (BLM)]

I can't remember the name, but I watched part of a Charlie Murphy stand-up special that was just painful. I was bummed because I always found him hilarious on Chappelle's show, but his timing and delivery during his stand-up was atrocious.

[Deleted]

Mar 16, 2013 13:51:10 GMT -5 Cyno said:

Nick Kroll's "Thank You Very Cool." I don't think I laughed once while watching it and his annoying characters were even worse than usual. It was very disjointed and unfunny.

I concur.

[Gerard Gerard]

I'm not sure how familiar you'd be with the British and Irish stand-up scene, but I'd consider it ever so slightly more mainstream than that of the US. For example, you'd 'stand-ups' hosting daytime television, panel shows and weekly primetime shows. As a consequence, come Christmas, every store shelf from Galway to Dover is chocked with mediocre specials; rife with stock jokes and 3 hours of tepid laughter.

I'd also cite a lot of those 'roasts' that're available on Comedy Central. It's pretty much just a platform for hacks to get up and try score some DVD sales from being as artlessly nasty as possible.

[Brood Lone Wolf Funker]

Dane Cook Viscous Circle

[Dat Dude]

Chelsea Handler on "Comedy Central Presents". I was completely puzzled on how such an unfunny comedian was able to get on Comedy Central Presents. I'm even more puzzled on how she got a talk show on E!

["Playboy" Don Douglas]

I have no idea which one it was (or exactly when it was, for that matter) but the last George Carlin special I watched was soundly disappointing for a simple reason: he wasn't trying to be funny. He was just ranting and raving about political stuff that most of his fans would agree with. Regardless of the nature of the politics and whether or not I agree with them, I hate when comedians do that.

I want to laugh, not listen to someone and their fans congratulate each other for having the same political affiliation.

[Dave the Dave]

That one where Jeff Dunham uses the puppets

[Deleted]

I remember watching a Jim Norton special on HBO that I didn't think was very good. I'm used to (and enjoy) his material on O&A, which is set up differently because he's not the only person ranting, so it was odd seeing how he did his stand up routine. Maybe now that I'm more used to his material I can give it another shot.

Didn't like that Dane Cook center stage at MSG a couple years back, mainly just because of the material (not as good as prior stuff, or his more recent comedy album) - and also the screaming fangirls aspect of the audience was very annoying too.

Mar 16, 2013 15:47:39 GMT -5 "Playboy" Don Douglas said:

I have no idea which one it was (or exactly when it was, for that matter) but the last George Carlin special I watched was soundly disappointing for a simple reason: he wasn't trying to be funny. He was just ranting and raving about political stuff that most of his fans would agree with. Regardless of the nature of the politics and whether or not I agree with them, I hate when comedians do that.

I want to laugh, not listen to someone and their fans congratulate each other for having the same political affiliation.

You might be referring to his next to last special (Life Is Worth Losing) - that one was very dark, full of some very angry rants and overall quite unpleasant - I actually don't have it on CD, I disliked it that much (I have every CD of his). He went into rehab not long afterwards.

His last special (It's Bad For Ya), which I think aired after he died (I know the CD came out after he died) was much different, much lighter than the last several specials and devoid of much ranting at all.

[Mochi Lone Wolf]

Mar 16, 2013 15:38:57 GMT -5 Dat Dude said:

Chelsea Handler on "Comedy Central Presents". I was completely puzzled on how such an unfunny comedian was able to get on Comedy Central Presents. I'm even more puzzled on how she got a talk show on E!

Look at the standard they've set on E! for getting shows. It doesn't take much. Doesn't excuse the fact that she's absolutely terrible but it really sin't that puzzling how she could get a show on a network like E!.

[JLAJRC]

There was a Gilbert Gofried one called "Dirty Jokes." The only redeeming thing about it is that he tells his famous "Aristocrats" joke in the last 10-15 minutes of it.

Ditto anything from Liza Lampenelli.

Not a big fanof Margaret Cho.

[Dat Dude]

Mar 16, 2013 16:17:56 GMT -5 Mochi Lone Wolf said:

Mar 16, 2013 15:38:57 GMT -5 Dat Dude said:

Chelsea Handler on "Comedy Central Presents". I was completely puzzled on how such an unfunny comedian was able to get on Comedy Central Presents. I'm even more puzzled on how she got a talk show on E!

Look at the standard they've set on E! for getting shows. It doesn't take much. Doesn't excuse the fact that she's absolutely terrible but it really sin't that puzzling how she could get a show on a network like E!.

Point taken ;D

[tigermaskxxxvii]

Mar 16, 2013 16:16:31 GMT -5 @knapp said:

I remember watching a Jim Norton special on HBO that I didn't think was very good. I'm used to (and enjoy) his material on O&A, which is set up differently because he's not the only person ranting, so it was odd seeing how he did his stand up routine. Maybe now that I'm more used to his material I can give it another shot.

Didn't like that Dane Cook center stage at MSG a couple years back, mainly just because of the material (not as good as prior stuff, or his more recent comedy album) - and also the screaming fangirls aspect of the audience was very annoying too.

Mar 16, 2013 15:47:39 GMT -5 "Playboy" Don Douglas said:

I have no idea which one it was (or exactly when it was, for that matter) but the last George Carlin special I watched was soundly disappointing for a simple reason: he wasn't trying to be funny. He was just ranting and raving about political stuff that most of his fans would agree with. Regardless of the nature of the politics and whether or not I agree with them, I hate when comedians do that.

I want to laugh, not listen to someone and their fans congratulate each other for having the same political affiliation.

You might be referring to his next to last special (Life Is Worth Losing) - that one was very dark, full of some very angry rants and overall quite unpleasant - I actually don't have it on CD, I disliked it that much (I have every CD of his). He went into rehab not long afterwards.

His last special (It's Bad For Ya), which I think aired after he died (I know the CD came out after he died) was much different, much lighter than the last several specials and devoid of much ranting at all.

It's Bad For Ya premiered on HBO a few months before Carlin's death. In fact Seinfeld mentioned in an article he wrote on Carlin's death in the New York Times that he called George shortly after the special's premiere to congratulate him on it. But you are right on the CD version, that came out posthumously.

["Playboy" Don Douglas]

Mar 16, 2013 16:16:31 GMT -5 @knapp said:

You might be referring to his next to last special (Life Is Worth Losing) - that one was very dark, full of some very angry rants and overall quite unpleasant - I actually don't have it on CD, I disliked it that much (I have every CD of his). He went into rehab not long afterwards.

His last special (It's Bad For Ya), which I think aired after he died (I know the CD came out after he died) was much different, much lighter than the last several specials and devoid of much ranting at all.

Good to hear. I think the guy was generally hilarious when he wasn't going off on tangents like that.

[Free Hat]

I had the misfortune of watching a Bob Saget special once.

[DSR]

I dig Paul F. Tompkins, but "You Should Have Told Me" wasn't fun. He didn't really have jokes, just some mildly amusing stories. I gave up halfway through.

Also, while I wouldn't say it's the worst of the worst I just watched Norm MacDonald's "Me Doing Standup." Even the title suggest he did it with as little effort as possible and pretty much just for the money. It's a shame too because Norm is probably in my top 5 favorite standup comedians (heck maybe in my top 5 comedians in general).

I liked "Me Doing Standup." Not Norm's best material, sure, but I still found it funny.

[ashcampbell]

Every single one of Katt Williams 'specials'. If there is a less funny comic out there, then let him step forward, because not once did I ever crack anything even close to a smile during those shows. Funny voices and making up words does not a comedian make. Plus the guy is just an all around Tooly McToolbox.

The Kevin James special. Didn't laugh once. I just don't find him the least bit funny, not even in the 'fat guy fall down go boom' aspect.