There has been plenty of sadness in the entertainment world, just this year alone. With the passing of Philip Seymour Hoffman, Robin Williams, Joan Rivers, Mickey Rooney, Sid Caesar, and very recently Jan Hooks of Saturday Night Live fame — just to name a few — I thought I might use this week’s Funny Friday to honor some of the classic comedians who once graced our TV screens.
Chris Farley, A champion of goofballs, Chris never let you forget how to smile. Self-deprecating and unashamed to crack jokes at himself, Chris pulled you in to his world with a crooked grin and a snicker. Physical, seemingly unstoppable, he gave all he had to hear the resounding chorus of laughter. The video I chose is raw, to me, because in this moment he was being genuine and legitimate, — with no surprise, generating laughter — which meant, though wholly vulnerable, standing up and admitting why comedy chose him. (From wotsitooyou)
Gilda Radner, The world lost her light when I was only 6 years old. I wouldn’t know her brand of humor until high school, when I began seeing a resurgence of “retro” TV clips from 1970s-era Saturday Night Live — where she performed along side the likes of John Belushi, Bill Murray, Jane Curtain, and Dan Aykroyd. The Barbara Walters impersonation, Roseanne Rosannadanna, and The Nerd Prom skit are how I know her best. But watching this video of Miss Emily Litella had me rolling across the floor. It’s no wonder she was the first cast member hired by Lorne Michaels back in 1975. (From DetroitWalkToFAME)
Andy Kaufman, I was the kid who stayed up late at night to watch things like Alfred Hitchcock Presents and The Ray Bradbury Theater as reruns, but if I managed to catch some Nick at Nite before them I got to see Tony Danza, Jeff Conaway, and Danny DeVito exchange jokes with Andy — then portraying the character Latka Gravas on Taxi. Again, not until much later in my life (high school and college) would I truly understand the breadth and depth of this man’s desire to laugh. Not necessarily to make others laugh, that was a perk, but he wanted to laugh at us. Never wanting to just be a comic, Andy wanted to be seen as a song-and-dance man — instead, he took the concept of performance to its jarring edges; never minding the fact that he might be upsetting, annoying, or insulting anyone. To him, it was all for a laugh. (From ClassicComedyBits)
collected. 