Norm Macdonald (1959-2021)

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Never Cursed
Such is life on board the Redoutable
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Norm Macdonald (1959-2021)

#1 Post by Never Cursed » Tue Sep 14, 2021 2:28 pm


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therewillbeblus
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Re: Passages

#2 Post by therewillbeblus » Tue Sep 14, 2021 2:34 pm

Never Cursed wrote:
Tue Sep 14, 2021 2:28 pm
Norm MacDonald
No! This one hurts so, so much. One of the funniest people alive- his Saget roast, The View appearance, relentless OJ Weekend Updates, and the infamous Carrot Top bashing Conan interview are gems everyone should celebrate by watching today

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swo17
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Re: Passages

#3 Post by swo17 » Tue Sep 14, 2021 2:35 pm

Bob Dole seriously outlived him?

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Pavel
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Re: Passages

#4 Post by Pavel » Tue Sep 14, 2021 2:37 pm

Never Cursed wrote:
Tue Sep 14, 2021 2:28 pm
Norm MacDonald
Fuuuck

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okcmaxk
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Re: Passages

#5 Post by okcmaxk » Tue Sep 14, 2021 2:44 pm

Never Cursed wrote:
Tue Sep 14, 2021 2:28 pm
Norm MacDonald
Incredibly shocking and awful.

Any of his Letterman/Conan guest spots are way up there for me—“Chairman of the BORED” is an all-timer—and easily the best Weekend Update anchor. Definitely makes his last time on Letterman even more bittersweet; maybe it had to do with the Jimmy Fallon cancelling, but it makes sense now why he didn’t show up for Conan’s final line of shows. Get that extra Dirty Work footage out, Bob Saget/MGM.
Last edited by okcmaxk on Tue Sep 14, 2021 2:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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soundchaser
Leave Her to Beaver
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Re: Passages

#6 Post by soundchaser » Tue Sep 14, 2021 2:49 pm

My friend and I were literally talking about that “chairman of the bored” joke this morning before the news broke. Wild.

EDIT: This bit, which has no punchline to speak of, remains one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen.

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mfunk9786
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Re: Norm MacDonald (1959-2021)

#7 Post by mfunk9786 » Tue Sep 14, 2021 2:58 pm

Probably the funniest human being I've been contemporaneously aware of. Rest in peace, Norm.

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domino harvey
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Re: Norm MacDonald (1959-2021)

#8 Post by domino harvey » Tue Sep 14, 2021 3:00 pm

If I can bring in a deep cut, I love this “bad” joke from his last talk show
In my opinion if we are going to fight the war on terror, a good place to start would be our country's haunted houses.

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Big Ben
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Re: Norm MacDonald (1959-2021)

#9 Post by Big Ben » Tue Sep 14, 2021 3:04 pm

Man this is some bullshit. Norm has been a presence my entire life. RIP.

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therewillbeblus
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Re: Passages

#10 Post by therewillbeblus » Tue Sep 14, 2021 3:19 pm

soundchaser wrote:
Tue Sep 14, 2021 2:49 pm
My friend and I were literally talking about that “chairman of the bored” joke this morning before the news broke. Wild.
My friends and I usually go down a Norm YT rabbit hole every other Friday as a ritual, and we talk about this moment all the time of course (though "Box Office Poison" is even better I think). The passive accusation that Bill Clinton is a murderer on The View is my favorite

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captveg
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Re: Norm MacDonald (1959-2021)

#11 Post by captveg » Tue Sep 14, 2021 3:21 pm

This one hits hard. Kudos to him for staying the same hard hitting yet lovable guy in public over the last decade despite his private health issues. A "character" with true character, best seen by how openly beloved he was by his peers. His final performance on Letterman during the end of that show stands out to me; just a great Norm set and a real sincerity afterwards from the performance space. (EDITED per correction below)
Last edited by captveg on Tue Sep 14, 2021 3:46 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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swo17
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Re: Norm MacDonald (1959-2021)

#12 Post by swo17 » Tue Sep 14, 2021 3:35 pm


Titus
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Re: Norm MacDonald (1959-2021)

#13 Post by Titus » Tue Sep 14, 2021 3:35 pm

captveg wrote:
Tue Sep 14, 2021 3:21 pm
His final performance on Letterman during the end of that show stands out to me; just a great Norm set and a real sincerity afterwards on the couch during the interview.
Yeah, that Letterman appearance was really lovely. There was no interview, just Norm delivering a tearful tribute after his set. After six months or so of Letterman squirming as his guests spouted some cliches about how important his show has been, it was really moving to see such an acerbic comedian genuinely overcome with emotion when it was his turn.

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captveg
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Re: Norm MacDonald (1959-2021)

#14 Post by captveg » Tue Sep 14, 2021 3:42 pm

Titus wrote:
Tue Sep 14, 2021 3:35 pm
captveg wrote:
Tue Sep 14, 2021 3:21 pm
His final performance on Letterman during the end of that show stands out to me; just a great Norm set and a real sincerity afterwards on the couch during the interview.
Yeah, that Letterman appearance was really lovely. There was no interview, just Norm delivering a tearful tribute after his set. After six months or so of Letterman squirming as his guests spouted some cliches about how important his show has been, it was really moving to see such an acerbic comedian genuinely overcome with emotion when it was his turn.
That's right. He didn't go to the couch. I remembered the emotion of the moment, but forgot that he did it standing from the performance space.

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hearthesilence
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Re: Norm MacDonald (1959-2021)

#15 Post by hearthesilence » Tue Sep 14, 2021 3:54 pm

Aw man, he might be the only thing I liked about SNL in the late-'90s. The O.J. jokes remain cathartic to this day. He had the craziest rehab story too.

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colinr0380
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Re: Norm MacDonald (1959-2021)

#16 Post by colinr0380 » Tue Sep 14, 2021 4:09 pm

Saturday Night Live never really made it to the UK, but surprisingly enough his series Norm turned up on Channel 4 on Friday nights in their US comedy slot around the same time as they were showing Friends, Will & Grace, Frasier, Spin City and so on.

That's really where I know him best from (well actually mostly from voicing Death on Family Guy. I see he later turns up on The Orville but have not yet seen that show). Its a shame that most of his film work was as part of the Adam Sandler ensemble players, although that does also mean that he turns up in the one tolerable Adam Sandler film, as part of the cavalcade of comedian cameos in Funny People.

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Big Ben
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Re: Norm MacDonald (1959-2021)

#17 Post by Big Ben » Tue Sep 14, 2021 5:26 pm

colinr0380 wrote:
Tue Sep 14, 2021 4:09 pm
That's really where I know him best from (well actually mostly from voicing Death on Family Guy. I see he later turns up on The Orville but have not yet seen that show). Its a shame that most of his film work was as part of the Adam Sandler ensemble players, although that does also mean that he turns up in the one tolerable Adam Sandler film, as part of the cavalcade of comedian cameos in Funny People.
The Orville is essentially Star Trek by way of Seth McFarlane. It's considerably less crude than Family Guy but it's still on that same wavelength so if you're into all that you may enjoy it. MacDonald played a sentient alien blob on the show. It suits him well enough and plays to his strengths. The variable quality of the show is another thing entirely though, at least in my opinion.
Last edited by Big Ben on Tue Sep 14, 2021 5:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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colinr0380
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Re: Norm MacDonald (1959-2021)

#18 Post by colinr0380 » Tue Sep 14, 2021 5:29 pm

The main way I have been exposed to the Orville so far is through those Red Letter Media videos talking about Star Trek: Discovery series that was airing at the same time, where they felt that ironically the 'comedy series' of The Orville ended up feeling like a more faithful spiritual successor Star Trek series than the official entry did!

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therewillbeblus
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Re: Norm MacDonald (1959-2021)

#19 Post by therewillbeblus » Tue Sep 14, 2021 5:43 pm

Alright finally have a brief break at work to post these gems:

The View Interview

Midget Joke

Bob Saget Roast (video included, finally)

I won't post them, but you can watch compilations of his OJ Weekend Update gags on YT, so many that they couldn't be contained in one video!

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knives
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Re: Norm MacDonald (1959-2021)

#20 Post by knives » Tue Sep 14, 2021 5:46 pm

Man, I watch his Conan dolphin story way too often.

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soundchaser
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Re: Norm MacDonald (1959-2021)

#21 Post by soundchaser » Tue Sep 14, 2021 5:52 pm

I forgot how good he was on Celebrity Millionaire, too - not just as a comedian, but as a contestant.

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jindianajonz
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Re: Norm MacDonald (1959-2021)

#22 Post by jindianajonz » Tue Sep 14, 2021 6:40 pm

therewillbeblus wrote:
Tue Sep 14, 2021 5:43 pm
The View Interview
That "There's never been any accusation towards Bill Cosby about anything" line certainly doesn't play the same way now.

This is a real bummer. Norm McDonald on the weekend updates was the first comedian I ever took notice of.

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therewillbeblus
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Re: Norm MacDonald (1959-2021)

#23 Post by therewillbeblus » Tue Sep 14, 2021 6:59 pm

jindianajonz wrote:
Tue Sep 14, 2021 6:40 pm
therewillbeblus wrote:
Tue Sep 14, 2021 5:43 pm
The View Interview
That "There's never been any accusation towards Bill Cosby about anything" line certainly doesn't play the same way now.
No but I always took it to be another deadpan joke since there had been plenty of accusations that were ignored, with Norm recognizing it and then the line (expectedly and deliberately, reinforcing his flippant ethos) being ignored on the show itself

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therewillbeblus
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Re: Norm MacDonald (1959-2021)

#24 Post by therewillbeblus » Tue Sep 14, 2021 8:20 pm

Image

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The Narrator Returns
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Re: Norm MacDonald (1959-2021)

#25 Post by The Narrator Returns » Tue Sep 14, 2021 8:50 pm

therewillbeblus wrote:
Tue Sep 14, 2021 6:59 pm
jindianajonz wrote:
Tue Sep 14, 2021 6:40 pm
therewillbeblus wrote:
Tue Sep 14, 2021 5:43 pm
The View Interview
That "There's never been any accusation towards Bill Cosby about anything" line certainly doesn't play the same way now.
No but I always took it to be another deadpan joke since there had been plenty of accusations that were ignored, with Norm recognizing it and then the line (expectedly and deliberately, reinforcing his flippant ethos) being ignored on the show itself
It's probably worth sharing a subsequent Bill Cosby joke of his:
There's a comedian, Patton Oswalt, who told me: "I think the worst part of the Cosby thing was the hypocrisy." And I disagree. [...] I thought it was the raping.

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