It’s a year since the passing of the great Norm Macdonald – the legendary Canadian comedian who didn’t tell anyone he was even sick. He was a stand up, who got his first Hollywood break writing for Roseanne. Later, he was hired and then fired as Weekend Update host on
My god, I love Norm so much. Never even knew much about him until after he passed away…
My favourite bit is when he’s with Seinfeld in Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee. He tells Jerry that that he doesn’t think the worst thing about Cosby is his hypocrisy. No. It was the raping.
Nov 22, 2022·edited Nov 22, 2022Liked by The Kicker
The funniest comedian of our lifetime & Comedy's Enigma - so odd, unusual, both sincere & cunning. He was incredibly smart & educated but also seemingly childlike, gullible, awkward, & folksy.
I also find his over-all career, arc & all, to be extremely weird & confusing; a great young standup, the funniest Weekend Update anchor ever but also a hilarious impressionist in SNL sketches(even though he pretended to think he stunk at them), & the most consistently funny roller coaster ride of a talk show guest ever, particularly on late night shows, but after being fired from SNL, he also went on to be a terrible lead actor in awful, unsuccessful movies like Dirty Work & Screwed & in dreadful, uninspired sitcoms like Norm & A Minute With Stan Hooper, & he hosted several hilarious but short-lived cable TV shows & online podcast shows that have a strong niche following.
All of this while continuing to do great, uproarious stand-up gigs, a funny comedy album, a slew of small parts in Hollywood movies with varying results, a great comedy special(I think he only did that 1?), & many, many other odd side projects in-between over the last few decades.
What a special & magnificent ride it was! I know that some will disagree with me that his movie vehicles & sitcoms were lousy & I respect that but I think perhaps every one can agree that he wasn't comfortable in those kinds of star roles & high-profile show biz projects; that his heart wasn't fully in them & he wasn't at his best in that role.
In particular, I remember feeling at the time that his 1st big movie Dirty Work & his 1st sitcom Norm were blatantly half-baked, shallow, formulaic, & cynical cash grabs & nothing more. But that too is part of the weird charm of his unconventional comedic journey in the entertainment industry & pop culture landscape of his particular era, especially in the 90s. I am personally amused & fascinated by how he enjoyed bombing & doing awful projects at times & I think it is an integral part of the wonderful legend & legacy that he created for us & that I know will always be enjoyed & studied by hardcore comedy buffs for generations to come.
Thank you Mr. MacDonald & Rest In Peace. Bless you & your family.
My god, I love Norm so much. Never even knew much about him until after he passed away…
My favourite bit is when he’s with Seinfeld in Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee. He tells Jerry that that he doesn’t think the worst thing about Cosby is his hypocrisy. No. It was the raping.
The funniest comedian of our lifetime & Comedy's Enigma - so odd, unusual, both sincere & cunning. He was incredibly smart & educated but also seemingly childlike, gullible, awkward, & folksy.
I also find his over-all career, arc & all, to be extremely weird & confusing; a great young standup, the funniest Weekend Update anchor ever but also a hilarious impressionist in SNL sketches(even though he pretended to think he stunk at them), & the most consistently funny roller coaster ride of a talk show guest ever, particularly on late night shows, but after being fired from SNL, he also went on to be a terrible lead actor in awful, unsuccessful movies like Dirty Work & Screwed & in dreadful, uninspired sitcoms like Norm & A Minute With Stan Hooper, & he hosted several hilarious but short-lived cable TV shows & online podcast shows that have a strong niche following.
All of this while continuing to do great, uproarious stand-up gigs, a funny comedy album, a slew of small parts in Hollywood movies with varying results, a great comedy special(I think he only did that 1?), & many, many other odd side projects in-between over the last few decades.
What a special & magnificent ride it was! I know that some will disagree with me that his movie vehicles & sitcoms were lousy & I respect that but I think perhaps every one can agree that he wasn't comfortable in those kinds of star roles & high-profile show biz projects; that his heart wasn't fully in them & he wasn't at his best in that role.
In particular, I remember feeling at the time that his 1st big movie Dirty Work & his 1st sitcom Norm were blatantly half-baked, shallow, formulaic, & cynical cash grabs & nothing more. But that too is part of the weird charm of his unconventional comedic journey in the entertainment industry & pop culture landscape of his particular era, especially in the 90s. I am personally amused & fascinated by how he enjoyed bombing & doing awful projects at times & I think it is an integral part of the wonderful legend & legacy that he created for us & that I know will always be enjoyed & studied by hardcore comedy buffs for generations to come.
Thank you Mr. MacDonald & Rest In Peace. Bless you & your family.
On North Korea... "Didn't M*A*S*H settle that 20 years ago?"