There are three things that are absolute truths in this world. Death, Taxes and that my wife will laugh anytime someone falls down. It’s the simple things in life right? Like we all know that when we are watching America’s Funnest Home Videos that kid with the wiffle ball bat is going to turn his dad’s hang down into pinata practice, yet we laugh anyway when it inevitably happens.
As my salute to physical comedy I am going to compile a list of my five favorite comedians that made slapstick their art.
#5 Michael Richards- Sure he may have said some disparaging things about black people… But that doesn’t change the fact that on Seinfeld he spared no expense getting laughs through his body. Of course everyone will always remember him for his crazy entrances into Jerry’s apartment. But there is one scene I remember more than any other. Here it is:
#4 Chris Farley- Fat people being clumsy… It’s funny. And Farley made a career off of it. Yet it was his Chippendale’s dance with Patrick Swayze that burst him onto America’s landscape. I remember thinking to myself, “Big Boy has got some moves!” The following is a scene most of us have seen many times before. But I’m going to tell you how you know it’s genius. Watch Christina Applegate and David Spade through all of it. They can’t keep it together.
#3 Chevy Chase- Chevy brought prat falls into America’s home every Saturday Night as he became the first break out star of Saturday Night Live’s original cast. I personally am a zealot of Vacation. I can’t even count how many times I have seen that movie. I can quote it ad nauseum. This short one is simple and great.
#2 Curly Howard- You probably know him simply as Curly, but he is my favorite of the three Howard brothers along with Moe and Shemp. The only reason he is not #1 on this list is because I think he benefited greatly from being in a team dynamic. Here is Curly doing a great bit of solo work brimming with vaudeville roots.
#1 John Ritter- Probably the most underrated physical performer of the last thirty years. John Ritter’s work on Three’s Company is timeless. Unfortunately the copyright nazi’s keep many good clips from appearing of the show online, but please enjoy the following.
Honorable mention goes to Jim Carrey. Also as a bonus video you have to watch the following vid from the Comedians of Comedy tour in which Zach Galifianakis expounds on the cheap laughs brokered by slapstick humor. Very funny video. “Take ‘er Easy!”
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Oh man…those are all so classics. Love Kramer (I’m a total Seinfeld junkie). And Jim Carrey deserves more than honorable mention…at least in his Pet Detective role. :) And of course Chris Farley was a comedic genius. Loved him too.
I gotta go with Farley on this one. I loved that Cat. He was brilliant and that Chip and Dale thing still cracks me up and I’ve watched it a million times!
So, as I write this, in my van down by the river, I gotta stop to, wait a minute….Drink a beer. Now, I’m twisting up a marijuana cigarette, to watch the next…crap, I wish I had a pull -down-staircase, in my van. The Three Stooges, livin in the Van next to me are making a lot of noise…JibbJibbJibb.
I’m back now after pluggin in my AC adapter to watch, Three’s Company reruns. Man, John died way to soon, he could be drop dead serious too.
Zach Galifianakis ! OMG, I love those guys. Was Zach one of those characters, in the Hangover? And, what’s his name, from King of Queens? The big goofy dude is always funny. Priceless.
So…La Di Frickin Da…See ya’ later.
Yeah Zach was in The Hangover. And the guy from King of Queens is named Patton Oswalt. Patton’s stand up is great.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbALbZ9bHFU (Not Safe For Work)
Slapstick, and people falling down is always funny! These guys are timing geniuses!