Was America not ready for this comic genius in the mid 90's lol?

Not as bad as people made him out to be but not great either.

The crowds were rather tough on him and he did have some good materal during the weekend updates and he would get no laughs.



"Another reason why Germans love David Hasselhoff"

So, in your own opinion, Norm MacDonald was "not as bad as people made him out to be, but not great either"

And you are asking if he was ahead of his time.

Does this make any sense at all?

To answer your question, f'ing no. Lucky he got his 15 minutes including the starring roles in a couple of movies. Major cornball twit.

Norm rocks.

Ahead of his time? Are you saying that NormMacDonaldEsque comedians are now all the rage?

Norm's hilarious... I actually think his funniest stuff was when he was on Conan and would stay on after he was interviewed and would insult the other guests... classic example was when Courtney Thorne-Smith was on talking about being in a Carrottop movie and Norm said they should call the movie Box office poison.

I really wish he could have taken over Andy's job as sidekick when he left... but I guess they wouldnt have that many guests return

A ringing endorsement if I ever heard one!

I thought he was hilarious anytime I saw him interviewd (I loved that midget sex and mustard story). My favorite was when some woman was on promoting this movie called Chairmen of the Board. She made some crack about Norm and he throws back, "I'll bet it's spelled 'b-o-r-e-d.'

I thought he was the absolute worst Weekend Update host. It bugged me the way he would laugh and stumbel through each joke. It struck me as being so unprofessional that I was glad when he got canned.

norms my favorite comedian.... The Norm show was classic and I'd love a dvd set. He was awsome on SNL... Who's done it better? Jimmy fallon, collin quin? Fuck NO! Seriously snl has just sucked for the last 5 years hard core.... They need norm back.... Has anyone seen dirty work, or screwed? Their both classic, and both star norm... Go watch them... Norm is a genious... His last show stan hooper did suck though... I doubt I watched 3 episodes.

If SNL had Norm back it wouldn't make it uber cool. It would be the same ol' shit.

I think he was more behind his time. His dryness doesn't go over well with younger audiences. Most adults, I remember getting his humor (and lauding it), but since the non-Adam Sandler running around, crazy face, buffoonery wasn't his thing, he has been overlooked and underappreciated. He's not my favorite comedian, but definately knows his shit.

This thread is off the hook, yo.

I've always enjoyed Norm, 'Dirty Work' is one of the few comidies that I can repeatedly watch. I think I just like the way he talks and delivers the lines, as someone said above I guess its the dryness.

Norm cracks me up big-time! Love it whenever he does 'panel' on any of the chat shows.

I still consider his 'assistant crack whore' joke from WU the funniest one-liner I've heard in 20 years. It's just brilliant in its simplicity.

to Norm. I loved Dirty Work and his ABC show. Too bad his Fox show last season was so terrible. It pretty much went against what makes Norm funny.

another actor ahead of his time ... you guess it - Frank Stallone.

lol. best laugh ive had in a LONG time! thank you!

You can't forget the requisite picture

I think Norm if funny as well, and I will also say I thought Stan Hooper was a pretty good show. It had a "Newhart" type feel to it, and Norm has this dry sense of humor that reminds me of Bob Newhart's. Obviously, they tell different types of jokes, but they seem to have this dry approac that is funny to me.

And with Stan Hooper, that's just one more good show that I feel Fox cancelled too early. If Brandon Tartikoff was alive today and the head of Fox, that show (and so many more) would still be on the air. I think that show had a good chemistry with the cast. I think the premise was too much like a traditional sitcom, but it had good writing and when you have a cast like they had, the show would have only gotten better. It could have been one of those stories of a series that struggled in the ratings in the first year then just took off in the second year. Of course, Fox is run nothing like NBC was in the 80's, so Fox will never have any stories to tell about any of their shows. Ever.

I used to have a crush on Norm MacDonald back in the 90s when he was on SNL & then had Norm on ABC. So did my sister. Yes, we're a strange family. LOL

I've always remembered that bit. The lead-up to that was actually a bit better. It was Courtney Thorne-Smith and she said she was working on a movie with Carrot Top. Then Norm spoke up and said, "Carrot Top? Is the movie called Box Office Poison?" She then said the title and Conan says to Norm, "Hah, I bet you can't do anything with that." And Norm immediately came back with the above part.

Norm's the best talk show guest I've ever seen. When he's just being himself, everything he says makes me laugh. When he works off a script, he's still good, but not great.

This was by far the most I've ever laughed at anything on TV.

Here's the stream of the interview:
http://www.fakenews.net/archive/tran...05_conan_a.ram

It's always worth reading the transcript:

That 'Melrose Place' Chick

CONAN: Alright everyone, we're back. Ladies and gentlemen, for the last five seasons, my next guest has played Allison Parker, one of the many dysfunctional but gorgeous residents of 'Melrose Place'. Please welcome Courtney Thorne-Smith. [Applause.]

[Courtney Thorne-Smith comes out and Norm gives her a lingering hug until Conan pulls him away.]

CONAN: Norm! Norm, you're sick, and you're all over her like a bear rug!

{snipped some of the interview}

CONAN: [To Courtney.] Well, I want to talk to you about something because this came up earlier in the show accidentally. Cause I didn't know what Norm was going to talk about tonight. And it's best sometimes if I don't know. But, he mentioned Carrot Top. You are making a movie with Carrot Top right?

COURTNEY: I MADE a movie with Carrot Top.

CONAN: You made a movie with Carrot Top, it's not out yet.

NORM: [Interrupting.] Wait a minute! She left "Melrose Place" to do a movie with Carrot Top?[Laughter.]

CONAN: That's where I'm going, my friend. [To Courtney.] This begs the question now, "Why a movie with carrot Top?"

COURTNEY: Why a movie with Carrot Top?

CONAN: I mean, no, I don't know much about Carrot Top. I'm a little jealous, cause he's a red-haired comedian and I felt like maybe you'd do a movie with me first, then move on to Carrot Top, then to Ralph Mouth from Happy Days. [Laughter.] -- Do you have a scene where you and he embrace?

COURTNEY: Yeah, lots of making out.

CONAN: [Disgusted.] Oh, for God's sake. [Laughter.]

COURTNEY: Nothing but making out. It's like "9 and 1/2 Weeks," but Carrot Top -- basically is what we were doing. [Laughter.]

CONAN: [Laughing.] Wow! I've got to check out that movie.

NORM: Is it called "9 and 1/2 Seconds?" [Applause.] -- Like he's a premature ejaculator -- [Applause.]

CONAN: [Laughs.] You know what happened? This is what happened, he said "9 and 1/2 Seconds" and I'm looking at him, cause I know there's more. Then I wait and wait, then I see the glimmer in the eye and BANG! I thought you were going to "crackwhore, dirty sex," but no -- [Laughter.]

CONAN: [To Courtney.] What's the movie going to be called?

NORM: [Interrupting.] I know what it's going to be called! [Laughter.]

CONAN: Yeah? What's that?

NORM: If it's got Carrot Top in it, you know what a good name for it would be?

CONAN: What's that, Norm?

NORM: "BOX OFFICE POISON!" [Applause.]

COURTNEY: [A little upset.] I'm in it, too! Come on! What about my career?

CONAN: SHE'S in it! Courtney Thorne-Smith, the girl sitting to your left, is IN THE MOVIE!

NORM: -- I'm going to go see it for Courtney. [Applause.]

COURTNEY: After you scare everyone else away?

NORM: No, I love this girl. I would go see ANY movie with this girl in it. She's a beautiful lady -- and a talented, nice -- talk show guest. [Applause.]

CONAN: As evidenced by her appearance on our RIVAL SHOW! [Laughter.] [To Courtney.] All right, there's this 2 hour finale of "Melrose Place." There's this movie coming out, title undetermined at this point --

COURTNEY: "Chairman of the Board."

CONAN: Oh, all right. [To Norm.] Do something with that, you freak. [Laughter.]

NORM: I bet the "Board" is spelled B-O-R-E-D ! [Huge laughter, applause.]

I'd say the Ben Stiller show was ahead of its time... Norm wasn't. You either like him or you don't. I've always liked him.

that audio clip was great! norm needs to get his way back on tv

I love Norm. On the Conan show he was brilliant. The Norm Show was great too. Blunt and inappropriate. Right up my alley.

"On the last show I intimated that Andy was into Gay Porno. I never said he was gay, just that he had a huge obsession with gay porno. And I promised that I would never again bring up his alleged obsession with gay porno.....and I won't."

Paraphrased.