tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8839584506001378073.post4371706386687726047..comments2023-10-30T22:39:14.941+11:00Comments on Jonathan Gould, Writer: Make a joke but don't break my eardrumsJonathan Gouldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06169533695637011148noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8839584506001378073.post-17910854408120988362014-10-05T18:46:01.362+11:002014-10-05T18:46:01.362+11:00Like you one of my big influences is comedy and I ...Like you one of my big influences is comedy and I frankly find it hard to be serious for any length of time. Given my general demeanour I think this surprises some people. They imagine I’ll be too serious for that. The thing is you can be serious and humorous at the same time. Humour makes serious things palatable. To that end I probably veer towards more gentle forms of humour. I’m, for instance, a huge Woody Allen fan. And the one thing he’s not is loud. Half the time you’re not even sure whether he’s being serious or ironic or flippant or actually just cracking a honest to goodness joke. Of the stand-ups I go for the observational comics. I’m particularly fond of the likes of Jack Dee, Steven Wright and Peter Cook—deadpan comics. I don’t tend to seek out comedies these days. I get round to every Woody Allen film eventually and I do look at every upcoming film but it’s been <i>years</i> since a comedy’s grabbed me by the lapels and screamed: WATCH ME! I did watch <i>A Million Ways to Die in the West</i> recently which was okay—nothing Seth MacFarlane has a hand in is going to be awful (<i>Ted</i> was likewise okay)—but that’s the best I could say about it. Mostly I stick to sitcoms and as we watch two a day (one with lunch, one with dinner) I get through a fair number. Most are average fair but I do really like <i>The Big Bang Theory</i>. <i>Louis</i> is good and <i>Maron</i> too. The rest just blur into a single mush of gentle, not especially offensive humour. <br /><br />Occasionally—usually when Carrie’s in the States—I’ll watch a few stand-up sets and they can be loud. Sometimes it feels like they’re berating the audience. That can wear one down even when they’re very good—I’m thinking of classic performers like Richard Prior and Eddie Murphy—and there’s no reason for it. They have microphones. They could whisper their entire acts and we’d hear every word. Eddie Izzard doesn’t scream at his audiences. And neither did George Carlin—been working my way through his shows. Did watch one fellow last time you should check out—he’s done a fair bit of work in Australia—Ross Noble. The show I watched began with him chatting to the audience and his entire routine was constructed from his interactions with him. Quite astounding really.<br /><br />Haven’t watched an animated film in many a year. Not probably since <i>Antz</i> or<i>A Bug’s Life</i>. Or maybe that’s not true. I seem to recall seeing <i>Cars</i> and <i>Robots</i> and they’re not that old. And <i>Up</i>. And <i>Toy Story 3</i>. So maybe I’m havering. Forget I said anything.<br />Jim Murdochhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12786388638146471193noreply@blogger.com