Laugh-In Co-Host Dick Martin has died

[redsmetz]

Surprised this wasn't posted yet (usually the precursor to someone pointing out that it has been...), but comedian Dick Martin died at the age of 86. This year would be the 40th anniversary of Rowan & Martin's Laugh-in debuting on national TV.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/TV/0....ap/index.html

I was pondering recently the demise of comedy duos such as Rowan & Martin, but also The Smothers Brothers, Jerry Lewis & Dean Martin, etc. I can't think of a single comedy act that's a duo. Perhaps it's due to the demise of the nightclub circuit. Are there still comedy duos anymore?

[Chip R]

Penn & Teller?

[redsfan1966]

i guess The Conchords are kind of a comedy duo even though they sing...never watched the show, just have read a lot about it lately....Otto and George, Hannity and Colmes...those are some current comedy duos...

[Kingspoint]

Say Goodnight, Dick.

[flyer85]

IMO, the lack of comedy duos is because it generally takes a funny man and a straight man and it takes a lot of humility to be the straight man. It was what made Carson so good as the host of the tonight show, he was more than willing to play the straight man to whatever guest(comedian) that was on. With guys like Leno and Letterman they are always in competition with a comedian who comes on as a guest.

[Kingspoint]

IMO, the lack of comedy duos is because it generally takes a funny man and a straight man and it takes a lot of humility to be the straight man. It was what made Carson so good as the host of the tonight show, he was more than willing to play the straight man to whatever guest(comedian) that was on. With guys like Leno and Letterman they are always in competition with a comedian who comes on as a guest.

I can't stand Letterman. He stopped being funny about six months after he had his own show.

[Kingspoint]

IMO, the lack of comedy duos is because it generally takes a funny man and a straight man and it takes a lot of humility to be the straight man. It was what made Carson so good as the host of the tonight show, he was more than willing to play the straight man to whatever guest(comedian) that was on. With guys like Leno and Letterman they are always in competition with a comedian who comes on as a guest.

I tossed you a softball the post before yours.

[Chip R]

IMO, the lack of comedy duos is because it generally takes a funny man and a straight man and it takes a lot of humility to be the straight man. It was what made Carson so good as the host of the tonight show, he was more than willing to play the straight man to whatever guest(comedian) that was on. With guys like Leno and Letterman they are always in competition with a comedian who comes on as a guest.

I think it's mainly because that the money is so good for established standups, why divide a payout in two?

[Unassisted]

IMO, the lack of comedy duos is because it generally takes a funny man and a straight man and it takes a lot of humility to be the straight man. It was what made Carson so good as the host of the tonight show, he was more than willing to play the straight man to whatever guest(comedian) that was on. With guys like Leno and Letterman they are always in competition with a comedian who comes on as a guest.

I think it takes a certain amount of humility to be part of a comic duo, since you're going to spend a good portion of your time in the act as the butt of the jokes. Both Rowan and Martin were able to do that. Same with the Smothers Brothers. All of today's comedians that I know of, including Letterman and Leno, lack the humility to do that.

[redsmetz]

I had forgotten about Penn & Teller, and I think they speak to what I mentioned about the rise of Rowan & Martin - there is not the nightclub circuit there was 50-60 years ago.

The other comment about Hannity & Colmes, are they comedians? I don't have cable, so I don't know, but I never had the sense that they were a comedy show ala Jon Stewart's show. I understand they have a schtick, but I was always under the impression that they were a news interview show.

[redsmetz]

I think it takes a certain amount of humility to be part of a comic duo, since you're going to spend a good portion of your time in the act as the butt of the jokes. Both Rowan and Martin were able to do that. Same with the Smothers Brothers. All of today's comedians that I know of, including Letterman and Leno, lack the humility to do that.

It's a shame the genre is disappearing because the interaction of two comedians together is wonderful. Even when you knew the acts, they could often make it fresh. And it didn't require reading the faces in the pauses as they joke would be set up. It even worked on radio and the silence would have you rolling on the floor. Jack Benny was superb at this and he would milk a comedic pause beyond where you think the punch line would come in and it would the funnier for it.

I think there are quite a number of comedians who could pull this off in pairs. I'd love to see some experimenting with that. Some of it translates now as some stand up acts move to TV or film, but it's not often and, on TV especially, it's not done well very often. But I'd like to see it.

[RedsBaron]

IMO, the lack of comedy duos is because it generally takes a funny man and a straight man and it takes a lot of humility to be the straight man. It was what made Carson so good as the host of the tonight show, he was more than willing to play the straight man to whatever guest(comedian) that was on. With guys like Leno and Letterman they are always in competition with a comedian who comes on as a guest.

I totally agree.

[RichRed]

Say Goodnight, Dick.

Goodnight, Dick.

[Chip R]

There are still comic pairs out there but it's just in radio instead of nightclubs.

[minus5]

I was pondering recently the demise of comedy duos such as Rowan & Martin, but also The Smothers Brothers, Jerry Lewis & Dean Martin, etc. I can't think of a single comedy act that's a duo. Perhaps it's due to the demise of the nightclub circuit. Are there still comedy duos anymore?

Looks like Tommy & Dick Smothers are still together and celebrating their 50th year of performing together. I've always liked the Smothers Brothers and still enjoy listening to Live at The Purple Onion on occasion. They have some upcoming performances on their concert schedule on their website. Nothing near Cincinnati that I saw though.