Unfunny comedians

[TheTecknician]

We've covered lousy actors and questionable singers. A further spin-off: who really isn't that funny, past or present? I offer:

Hale and Pace
Freddie Starr
Lenny Henry

Mean-spirited, I know.

On the plus side, I did like Jimmy Tarbuck. I'm probably being unfashionable but his delivery as a stand-up was perfect, even if some of the jokes wouldn't go down well today.

I was just talking about this today. So many Instagram reels that are skits where a man has a towel or t shirt on his head (occasionally they push the boat out and buy a wig) and doing "Mums". Middle class, working class whatever. And they're all shit. Why not parody Dads? Why are mums in their 30s and 40s the go to comedy material for not very funny men. The fella that pretends to be super posh mums doing boasting about their kids called Implausible or whatever. Just not funny.

I also cannot stand Michael MacIntyre or Sarah Milican. Most of the rest I can just ignore but those two are just tedious.

Another vote here for Rosie Jones. McIntyre is getting unfairly mentioned in my opinion!

I love live comedy, mostly, but watching on tv just isn't funny to me for some reason

Almost all of them these days. Lotts of listen to the news on radio 4 at 6pm, after which there's a 'comedy' programme every day. Without fail all extremely unfunny. I can't turn it off quick enough. The only decent one I can think of is Peter Kay, don't mind him at all.

I think Michael McIntyre is hilarious and Katherine Ryan is up there with the greats. Frankie Boyle - absolutely vile human but he always makes me laugh (against my will).

Unfunny:
Nish Kumar
Stewart Lee (and no, it's not because I don't get his Oh So Clever Genius)
Lucy Porter
The one Marcus Brigstocke is married to
Sarah Pascoe (sp??)
Josie Long
Mark Steel
Robin Ince

Basically anyone's who's had a show on state owned radio.

i love Romesh. His humour is very similar to mine.

FFS autocorrect! I listen to ... not Llots of listen to

Nish Kumar
Rosie Jones (did like her on Taskmaster, clever and imaginative...but not funny)

He was quite sinister. I like that.

Also Dave Allen was superb

I used to enjoy Rowan Atkinson before Mr Bean

I don't like Billy Connelly either. He did massive sell out tours, but I wouldn't have gone even with a free ticket.
Jasper carrot was funny in his day.

Another vote here for Rosie Jones. Not funny at all, and she’s an arsehole of a person as well.

I don’t know if she technically counts as a comedian but Jon Richardson’s ex-wife, Lucy Beaumont, is another one who is chronically unfunny.

It’s interesting though, there are fewer really good female comedians about. I quite like Sara Pascoe and Katherine Ryan can be quite funny, but there’s a real dearth of funny women. Maisie Adams is always good fun but she’s not generally a laugh out loud funny person, just entertaining in a more general sense.

I don’t know why there aren’t more female comedians though - lack of interest? Lack of opportunities?

Paul Merton was hilarious when I was 20 something, 30 years ago. Frankie Boyle makes me murderous.

Mel and Sue.
Jimmy Carr.
Ross Noble.
Greg Davies, after the first tour.
Milton Jones.
Robin Ince.
Dave Gorman.
Rosie Jones.
Sarah Pascoe.
Lucy Beaumont.

So many Instagram reels that are skits where a man has a towel or t shirt on his head (occasionally they push the boat out and buy a wig) and doing "Mums". Middle class, working class whatever. And they're all shit. Why not parody Dads? Why are mums in their 30s and 40s the go to comedy material for not very funny men.

Ah that's what was meant by tea towel on the head. Yeah, none of them are funny.

Also I work in advertising and I don't think Rob Mayhew (the LinkedIn influencer who parodies agency life) is funny at all. He's observant but that's not enough for comedy. That's what a lot of Influencer comedians forget. It's not enough to notice or parody a trend or behaviour - you have to WRITE JOKES.

@FKAT can you elaborate on why you think he’s funny? What is it that makes you think he is? Can you remember offhand even one funny thing he’s ever said? Other people I can see it as personal taste but I just can’t fathom what anyone sees in Michael Macintyre.

Frankie Boyle.

Jason Manford, and he's basically just become a tv presenter now from what I can tell which proves his comedy is/was absolute shite!

Agree re McIntyre, he used to be good but has become prescriptive. I find that with most comedians now though apart from.maybe Peter Kay and Billy Connolly

As with the performing arts generally, it's all down to personal taste, by and large. In the past, double acts like Morecambe and Wise and The Two Ronnies had broad appeal as family entertainment but more modern versions would be regarded as dreadfully dated and have limited appeal.

Shappi Khorsandi.
Nosh Kumar because he just slags people off with a different perspective to himself.
James Acaster.

Rosie Jones. Timing is so essential to comedy. She just seems like a square peg in a round hole to me.

Stewart Lee is insufferable.

I like Michael MacIntyre. I disagree that he isn't spontaneous - he's said some funny things off the cuff on The Wheel.

Can't say I was a big fan of Lenny Henry but his character Theophilus P. Wildebeeste was super sexy!

Can't stand Romesh. I really don't know why he's everywhere. Sorry to Rosie but although she seems quite sweet as a person, I don't find her funny.
The best of the guest hosts on Pointless IMO has been Stephen Mangan - very witty, as is Lee Mack.

But it's a shame so many comedians seem to rely on shouting and bad language. I don't know why people clap swearing, I mean we can all swear if we want to.

Reginald D Hunter was shit live. So was his misogynistic support act, some Australian bloke.

Also I'm-turning-the-telly-off unfunny are Rosie Jones, Nish Kumar and Eddie Izzard, and that cunt Brendan O'Carroll and the entire Mrs Brown's Boys cast.

On the plus side, I hope that Bob Monkhouse is looking down and appreciating the Mumsnet love for his life and work

Bob Monkhouse was funny and a bit edgy too
He was the master of the one liner

Love romesh and Rob Beckett.
Tom Davis is fab.
and Josh widdecombe

Not keen on Rosie

Katherine Ryan (can’t stand her)
Tom Allen
Michael McIntyre
Rosie Jones
Lucy Beaumont
Josh Widdicombe