Unfunny Comedians

"இப்போது என்னால் பிரமாதமாக ஒண்ணும் சிரிக்க முடியவில்லை ..உண்மை தான் .ஆனால் அந்த கால கட்டத்தில் ஏன் மக்கள் சிரித்திருப்பார்கள் என்பதை என்னால் ஓரளவு ஊகிக்க முடிகிறது.
"
Oh, Joe, no doubt about that. I certainly dont mean that old-timers didnt have sense for comedy. Just that it doesnt work for me, avol dhaan. Indha cosmic sense-la, me is not even a millionth of a dot illaiya.
On 'vignanathai', indha thread-leye I posted few days back that it works for me! Certainly, I can see where he comes from - infact, it works for me without any qualifications about giving a time handicap. It works absolutely. That and Deiva Piravi still works for me. Nandhanar was a fine one, too - except that it works more as social commentary than as comedy for me.

Long and short is no I dont disrespect Kalaivaanar just because his comedy doesnt work for me most of the time - something I cannot say of Thangavelu - because comedy was his only suit.

Joe,
Its not about underestimating the audiences' tastes. Isn't it simply a question of whether we (that is, we hubbers here) laugh or not? 15 years-ku appuram makkal Vadivel comedy-a paathu sirippaangala nu theriyadhu. Appadiye sirikkalennaalum it is understandable. Most humor is tied to the time (Charlie Chaplin madhiri exceptions um undu).
So, why does one have to qualify statements when he says Thangavelu or Vadivel or x.y is not funny? Matra vishayam na there is room for some debate, discussion, going into the context, reading stuff and then rewatching a movie might offer some insight one would have missed while watching the first time etc...
For example, a person who says NT or Kamal is overacting may be helped with pointers and stuff and made to see why he is 'wrong' or what he has missed. OTOH, humor appadi illai nu nenaikkaren. You just laugh or you don't.

Yesterday two of my colleagues were laughing their guts out quoting an utterly lame ass blade diaogue from a Crazy Mohan play. OTOH, i would :rotfl: to a lame dialogue like "Aadu nadandhudhu maadu nadandhudhu" etc... Appadiye varradhu dhaan.. Nobody is safe here, not even Nagesh, Kounder or Vadivelu, let alone Thangavelu

P.S: All this said, "having VAM is a blasphemy" is just a rant. So, one should not take the contradictions seriously :)

Plum,CR,
கிட்டத்தட்ட உங்கள் இருவரின் கருத்தையும் நான் ஏற்றுக்கொள்கிறேன் ..இப்போது இந்த விவாதத்திற்கு பின் காலம் கடந்து நான் உணர்ந்த ஒன்றை சொல்லியாக வேண்டும் ..'காமெடியன்' என்ற கூட்டில் என்.எஸ்.கே-வை சேர்க்காமல் இருப்பது நல்லது ..எனென்றால் காமெடியன்கள் பொதுவாக பரிகாசத்துக்குரிய காரியங்களை செய்பவர்களாகவே இருப்பார்கள் .என்.எஸ்.கே அப்படிப்பட்ட நகைச்சுவை பாணியை பின்பற்றியவர் அல்ல ..அவர் பரிகாசத்துக்குரியவராக இருந்த கதாபாத்திரங்களில் நடித்ததாக தெரியவில்லை ..சமுதாயத்தை ,பழக்க வழக்கங்களை மெலிதாக அவர் தான் பரிகசிப்பார் .. மற்றவர்களால் பரிகசிக்கப்படும் பாத்திரங்களில் அவர் கோமாளித்தனம் செய்து சிரிக்க வைத்ததாக தெரியவில்லை ..அவர் கதாபாத்திரங்கள் முழுநீள நகைச்சுவை பாத்திரங்கள் அல்ல .நகைச்சுவை மெலிதாக இளையோடும் பாத்திரங்கள் .அவ்வளவே !

எனவே முழுநீள காமெடியன் வரிசையில் என்.எஸ்.கே-வை வைத்திருப்பது நியாயமல்ல.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by joe

..அவர் கதாபாத்திரங்கள் முழுநீள நகைச்சுவை பாத்திரங்கள் அல்ல .நகைச்சுவை மெலிதாக இளையோடும் பாத்திரங்கள் .அவ்வளவே !

எனவே முழுநீள காமெடியன் வரிசையில் என்.எஸ்.கே-வை வைத்திருப்பது நியாயமல்ல.

---

makes sense .... I second Joe ...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by joe

Expecting a Karuthu from PR also :)

---

Who makes me laugh the most (at all) is the simple ruthless yardstick I wish to apply to comedians.

Charlie Chaplin is in the 30s still I laugh out loud. sari that falls into the apparently despicable category of 'physical humour'. Only recently I watched Groucho Marx's Duck Soup (1933). A sure :rotfl: movie. He makes an able case for himself without me having to give him any handicap over time or take into account his historic, technical relevance. In fact that is what annoys me about many Chaplin rasigars. Humanism, overarching philosoophy of the tramp, instilling the message of overall human goodness, he reflects the individual's spirit of freedom appidi ippidinnu theories. It feels like they are apologizing for laughing.

I don't know whether GM or Vadivelu will stand the test of time. Standing today I don't see how they will not. I think they will, particularly GM, as he is as 'human' as it gets. But there are no guarantees.

We enjoy yester-years' music without giving any handicap, we enjoy yesteryears' writers without any handicap, then why can't we be just as demanding with yesteryears' comedians ?

You will see yester-years' acting is also conspicuously absent in my enjoy-without-handicap.... I am already feeling many of Kamal's performances (which I used to enjoy) quite underwhelming when revisited. anyway.... adhu vEra panjAyaththu....

Joe, yes, thats where I am coming from - if we lump NSK in the comedians list, then the evaluation will be accordingly done. If, as a mark of respect for his other achievements/contribution to the society (within and outside the film world), we want to avoid that sort of an evaluation, I fully understand. Continuing my practice of irrelevant-to-the-thread examples, it is like evaluating, say, Revathi or Savithri as a glamour doll - out of syllabus-nu vudaradhu dhaan better option :-)

Prabhuram - Groucho Marx - I have only read not seen him but what I read is enough to LOL - "Those are my principles, if you dont like it, I have others", "I'll not be part of any club which is willing to take me as a member". Enna profound humour!

//dign...
VR... sooper avatar! That building is awesome!//

//Thanks Venki :D //

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Prabhu Ram

We enjoy yester-years' music without giving any handicap, we enjoy yesteryears' writers without any handicap, then why can't we be just as demanding with yesteryears' comedians ?

You will see yester-years' acting is also conspicuously absent in my enjoy-without-handicap.... I am already feeling many of Kamal's performances (which I used to enjoy) quite underwhelming when revisited. anyway.... adhu vEra panjAyaththu....

---

Thinking about this!

It is something like this IMO - Literature & Arts (Even music) appeals to the intellect after the initial emotional connection we make with them, and hence we tend to appreciate or enhance our appreciation on them over the time. Sometimes music /Acting which does not appeal in the beginning may come back and hit us with greater force later when our knowledge is widened enough. (Nadigar Thilagam was such a force for me).So, I feel intellect plays an important part in the longevity of any Art.

I dont think 'Comedy' can be judged with the same yardstick. It predominately resides in the era which it was made and should connect by the ways of 'emotions' mostly. ( Arivu velai senja Sirikka mudiyaathu - exceptions irukku sila jokes'a arivupoorvamaan thaan rasikka mudiyum, But Iam trying to paint a larger picture). A parallel I could draw is on the kavarchi/Glamour/Sex Etc., in films of the bygone era. Antha kaalathula inthellaam vaaya polanthuttu paathiruppaangagrathey enakku ippa aacharyamaa irukku! But I can understand the social psyche then. And yes there are exceptions here too like a Chaplin for comedy or a Monroe for Glamour. But we wont be able to connect to everything in the same way due to the restriction that we cannot connect emotionally since we are not from the socio-political scenario of those times.

Puriyara mathiri ezhuthi irukkaennu ninaikkiaraen.

BTW I love NSK in Nallathambi. There are some scenes after he is brought into the Jamin building due to mistaken identity - the parody he makes over the lavishness and waste of money can be paralleled only by MRR or Gounder later. Enna Gounder and MRR needed konjam sound over the matter while a 'Mmmm Hmmmm...' was enough for NSK :notworthy:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by viraajan

//Thanks Venki :D //

---

Dig// Neenga Edutha Photo'vaaa? Entha Area? Similar voodu one naan design pannen konjam varushangal munnadi //end Dig