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Why is Dennis Miller a failure on TV?

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Why is Dennis Miller a failure on TV?

Old 12-11-04, 02:12 AM
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Why is Dennis Miller a failure on TV?

I think the guy is clever, bright, and funny.


Why can't he draw audiences?


The only bad thing is that now he is a Bush loyalist.


I am not a Democrat or a Republican but I liked it when he bashed both parties.
Old 12-11-04, 02:35 AM
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He uses big words.
Old 12-11-04, 03:01 AM
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Originally Posted by Jackskeleton
He uses big words.


I used to be a huge fan of Miller's, especially during the early years of his HBO show. I was even lucky enough to see him live at Washington University in St. Louis. It was a great show.

Miller always was erudite to a fault, but as he's gotten older he seems to be going out of his way to find impenatrably obscure references. It's almost like he's in it only to amuse himself.

He has also turned into a bit of a crank. One of the things I used to like about him most is that he was distinctly Libertarian and you could never predict where he was going to come down on an issue. He held both liberal and conservative viewpoints, depending on the issue at hand, which always gave his audience something to ponder. But ever since Sept. 11, he has skewed so far to the right he's alienating a lot of his audience.

It's like the hippest kid in school became the cranky old bastard next door who won't give you your baseball back if it goes over his fence.

Of course, that's just my opinion. I could be wrong.

Last edited by Mr. Salty; 12-11-04 at 06:37 PM.
Old 12-11-04, 10:26 AM
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I'm a long-time Dennis Miller fan, and I gave his new show every chance in the world...but it just wasn't that good. It played like a poorly-run cable access show, and wasn't particularly entertaining or engaging.
Old 12-11-04, 10:49 AM
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Mr. Salty's right. Miller just isn't funny as a conservative.
Old 12-11-04, 04:17 PM
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actually, he's a war on terror loyalist
he still bashes both sides on other issues
reason I stopped watching his cnbc show was that they'd show reruns every other week
Old 12-11-04, 08:01 PM
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actually, he's a war on terror loyalist
The problem being the right's War on Terror is different from the left's.
Old 12-12-04, 02:18 AM
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It seems not so long ago, that I counted myself as one of Dennis Miller's biggest fans.

From his SNL days to his talk show (which I watched) to his HBO shows, I not only thought Dennis was hilarious, but I when he pointed out the hypocrisy and bullshit of The Powers That Be, I felt like he was saying what I wished I could get on a stage or TV, and say.

Since his post 9/11 conversion, I not only find Dennis to be consistently unfunny, but he has become irritating and grating.

Dennis has become a cheerleader for the conservatives and a basher of the left, and I completely disagree with him, politically, but I hope that it is not why I changed my opinion of him.

Throughout the 90s, Dennis took shots at Bill Clinton (who I whole-heartedly supported) and I thought Dennis was funny.
Today, I watch Conan and Dave and Jon Stewart make jokes about John Kerry and I laugh.

I don't know what it is. I can still watch that Millenium Special that they rerun on HBO from time to time, and I still think it's very funny.
His latest special THE RAW FEED might as well be an hour of somebody rubbing a balloon.

More than his point of view, Dennis Miller's personality has changed.
I've tuned into his CNBC show occasionally, but again I find it unwatchable because I find him so god-awfully irrritating. Even the Varsity Panel segments when he is just asking questions and offering comments make me want to scream.

Plus I saw him on an interview saying that he didn't give a damn about Lenny Bruce.

Go to hell, Dennis --or at the very least, just go away.

(Of course, that's just my opinion. I could be wrong.)
Old 12-12-04, 02:21 AM
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My answer: "Because he "Switched teams".


Different thought, similar topic. Based on non-conservatives "switching teams" in an attempt to get new audiences: That's funny, "Switching teams" worked well for Rush Limbaugh......


Friendly jab type remark: I guess some of you feel betrayed.


Edited for clarity and to end the bitchfest the post apparently started...

Last edited by Giantrobo; 12-12-04 at 09:36 PM.
Old 12-12-04, 03:29 AM
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Originally Posted by Giantrobo
I guess some of you feel betrayed.
Apparently you "read" what you wanted to read and missed the point in several posts, which is that Miller, like all good comedians, used to poke fun at all sides. But now he's bitterly partisan and ignores the very hypocracy on one side of the political fence that he used to specialize in ranting against.

If I had to put my finger on anything, I'd have to say there is a meaness to Miller's humor that wasn't there before.
Old 12-12-04, 05:14 AM
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Giantrobo wrote:
"Because he "Switched teams". That's funny
You put quotation marks around the statement you find so humorous.

But in no post previous to yours is that statement made.

Who are you quoting?

Making up quotes and then snidely commenting on them... Giantrobo, are you Ann Coulter?
Old 12-12-04, 08:50 AM
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Dennis Miller only works in small doses, like when he's reading fake news.

Give him more time, and he starts to come off like a putz.

And watching him try to do interviews is just painful. Back on his old HBO show, the only good thing about the interviews was some pothead called in on the LACTOSE number.
Old 12-12-04, 08:56 AM
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Originally Posted by Mr. Salty


I used to be a huge fan of Miller's, especially during the early years of his HBO show. I was even lucky enough to see him live at Washington University in St. Louis. It was a great show.

Miller always was erudite to a fault, but as he's gotten older he seems to be going out of his way to find impenatrably obscure references. It's almost like he's in it only to amuse himself.

He has also turned into a bit of a crank. One of the things I used to like about him most is that he was distinctly Libertarian and you could never predict where he was going to come down on an issue. He held both liberal and conservative viewpoints, depending on the issue at hand, which always gave his audience something to ponder. But ever since Sept. 11, he has skewed so far to the right he's alienating a lot of his audience.

It's like the hippest kid in school became the cranky old bastard next door who won't give you your baseball back if it goes over his fence.

Of course, that's just my opinion. I could be wrong.
Very well put. I too have a struggle to find Dennis Miller funny now, whn there was a time not long ago he was always in my "top 5" funniest guys around. Hell. I LOVED his stint on MNF!!! Where'd my guy go?
Old 12-12-04, 09:46 AM
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Originally Posted by Count Dooku
Giantrobo wrote:
Making up quotes and then snidely commenting on them... Giantrobo, are you Ann Coulter?

Unfortunately, there's a similar comparison:

Dennis Miller loses the funny after he turns conservative
Giantrobo loses the funny after he started to post about politics (and I use to love Giantrobo's threads Please come back Classic Giantrobo!)
Old 12-12-04, 09:48 AM
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Because John Stewart and The Daily Show cast is better.

I used to watch Miller's HBO show whenever I got a chance. But his new MSNBC show just isn't as good. But it's still funny. Not something that I take time out of my day for, though.
Old 12-12-04, 10:40 AM
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I don't wanna go on a RANT here but America's foreign policy makes about as much sense as Beowolf having sex with Robert Fulton at the first Battle of Antietam. I mean when a neo-conservative defenstrates it's like Raskalnakov filibuster dioxymonohydrostinate.
Old 12-12-04, 11:12 AM
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His CNBC show absolutely sucked when it launched. I came back to it after it was retooled and I enjoy it now.
Old 12-12-04, 06:52 PM
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You can all kiss my ass. Why are you guys so bitter?

I didn't read what I wanted into anything. You think you guys are the only people I've talked too who don't like him anymore? What did I get wrong? People I know don't like him becausein their eyes, he "Switched teams" froma equal opportunity critic to a neo-conservativeposter boy.

I would say I'm sorry for you guys not getting what I meant but life is too fuckin' short....

Last edited by Giantrobo; 12-12-04 at 07:02 PM.
Old 12-12-04, 06:57 PM
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Originally Posted by Count Dooku
Giantrobo wrote:


You put quotation marks around the statement you find so humorous.

But in no post previous to yours is that statement made.

Who are you quoting?

Making up quotes and then snidely commenting on them... Giantrobo, are you Ann Coulter?

Dooku, You know what I meant. He "swithced" from his bashing conservatives along with some non-conservative things and now he's mostly bashing non-conservatives. Why is that so hard?


You do know QUOTES can be used for other reasons?
Old 12-12-04, 06:59 PM
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Originally Posted by greydt
Unfortunately, there's a similar comparison:

Dennis Miller loses the funny after he turns conservative
Giantrobo loses the funny after he started to post about politics (and I use to love Giantrobo's threads Please come back Classic Giantrobo!)

Well it seems your "funny" sucks just as much as my political posts.

Last edited by Giantrobo; 12-12-04 at 07:04 PM.
Old 12-12-04, 08:19 PM
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Originally Posted by Giantrobo
I would say I'm sorry for you guys not getting what I meant but life is too fuckin' short....
No need to apologize to us just because you didn't articulate your argument well.

Originally Posted by Giantrobo
You do know QUOTES can be used for other reasons?
No, quote marks are a pretty specific form of punctuation. And the way you used them indicated you were quoting from a previous post.

Now the tilde --- that's a punctuation mark with many uses.
Old 12-12-04, 08:45 PM
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Originally Posted by Mr. Salty
No need to apologize to us just because you didn't articulate your argument well.


No, quote marks are a pretty specific form of punctuation. And the way you used them indicated you were quoting from a previous post.

Now the tilde --- that's a punctuation mark with many uses.
No their not. Every pick up a something written in "real" English...
Old 12-12-04, 09:23 PM
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Originally Posted by Mr. Salty
No need to apologize to us just because you didn't articulate your argument well.


What arguement? It seems like I more or less agree with the previous posts. A few of you overreacted to my post and jumped on me. Why are you making such a big deal over nothing?

Also,

No, quote marks are a pretty specific form of punctuation. And the way you used them indicated you were quoting from a previous post.

From here...


Emphasis and ironic quotes

Another important usage of quotation marks is to indicate or call attention to ironic or apologetic words. Ironic quotes are sometimes called scare quotes or sneer quotes.

He claimed he was too "busy" to visit me.
Ironic quotes should be used with care, as they can obscure the writer's intended meaning and are easily confused with quotations.

Quotes are also used to indicate that the writer realizes that the word is not being used in its (currently) accepted sense ("in the fifteenth century, we 'knew' that blah blah..."), or to emphasize that an instance of a word refers to the word itself, rather than its associated concept.

Quotes are also sometimes used for emphasis in lieu of underlining or italics. This is generally discouraged not only because it is historically an improper usage, but also because it is easily confused with ironic or altered-usage quotation as described above. This is most commonly found on signs or placards. Example:

For sale: "fresh" fish, $5.99
Notice how easily that statement could be construed to imply that the word fresh is not being used with its everyday meaning.

See also Wikipedia:Manual of Style.

I was giving my own answer. Because he switched "teams".

Granted, I could see how Dooku fucked up and got it wrong. I'll go back and edit it so it doesn't confuse others.

But I guess I was also doing some friendly "sneering" in my quote.

Last edited by Giantrobo; 12-12-04 at 09:37 PM.
Old 12-12-04, 09:24 PM
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His current show is just plain awful. I used to enjoy him very much but I'm not so sure anymore. Granted he has to be taken down a notch for normal TV but his material is such total crap.

He needs to find a middle ground. He used to make references to various people I had never even heard of and it was too high end. Currently it's an unfunny and forced version of The Daily Show and I took it off my DVR record list ages ago. Now and then I'll come across it while changing channels and cringe slightly before moving to something else that is actually entertaining. If he ever does another show I'd check up out but I've given up on the current train wreck.
Old 12-12-04, 09:35 PM
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Giantrobo is right in that " " can be used for other things

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