Dame Edna Everage-an embarrassment

Gday all :)

Feel the need to express how much this character p15ses me off.

Gets rolled out (read - paid for appearance :( ) at many events in Oz, the AFL Grand Final, something else recently; it just makes me spew how much the media fawns all over this embarrassment to our country.

Barry Humphries slags off Australia regularly, spouts on how culturally backward this country is, blah blah - I can cop someone's opinion but it then narks me when he has no problem getting paid for appearance here and he is made a huge fuss of.

The whole charcter is massively dated, the "joke" is unfunny and well & truly laboured, and should have been dead and buried years ago. Barry Humphries is quite witty and I don't mind Sir Les, but still don't want to see him paid for appearance here.


Ah, that's better :p Therapy over, pay the lady on the way out :D


Cheers.................Sean

It's just a mtter of personal taste.

I love her/him. Reminds me so much of my dear departed Nan. :)

Hi scooter,
I find it the other way around. Can't stand Sir Les Patterson but find the sarcastic wit of Dame Edna very funny. I don't think "she" is making fun of Australia I think she's making fun of everthing especially the blue-rinse set

I agree, can't stand the silly old twit/twat in any of his forms.

OK, so who is a good Aussie comedian then?

I'd be going for Martin and Molloy as the best of the past 10-20 years. The D-Gen, Late Show etc were all classics.

I laugh at rodney Rude too. :D

There have been some absolute shockes though.

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good Aussie comedian

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That's an oxymoron, Gumby. They all pale into significance compared to the likes of Billy Connelly, Ben Elton. ;)

Actually, I really like the D-Gen and the Late Show stuff. Big fan of Russell Coight. Hate Magda thingo. Why they ever got her for those Jetstar commercials, I will never understand.

Nah, we have some good stuff here, but none of the individual efforts really stand out for me.

I recon the guys on Chaser do a great job, i always get a laugh.
The character I hate is Mr Bean grrrrrr.

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Originally Posted by silentC

That's an oxymoron, Gumby. They all pale into significance compared to the likes of Billy Connelly, Ben Elton. ;)

Actually, I really like the D-Gen and the Late Show stuff. Big fan of Russell Coight. Hate Magda thingo. Why they ever got her for those Jetstar commercials, I will never understand.

Nah, we have some good stuff here, but none of the individual efforts really stand out for me.

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True, it's a shallow pool that one.

Connolly would be my favorite too. I've seen himn live a few times and nearly had a coronary I was laughing so much. I wasn't a fun of Humphries actually, until i saw him live and that changed my mind. I think he come over better on stage.

The Python guys, particularly palin are the best but I'm trying to think of Aussies. I believe you are right whn you say it's an oxymoron. But why don't we produce good comics like the Brits do?

I reckon it's because we aren't anywhere near as silly as the Brits and so they have so much more material to work with and poke fun at!

Also explains the success of people like Jerry Seinfeld and Eddie Murphy. I used to love Seinfeld the show but actually can't stand his character!

If you look through a list of Australian comedians, like this one, Barry Humpheries is the only one who really stands out as having had widespread mainstream success anywhere near the level of someone like Billy Connolly.

I don't know why. We're such a funny lot, there should be heaps of 'em...

That list has Rod Quantock on it. :cool:

He has to be one of the unfunniest people around. :rolleyes:

I forgot the best of all time in that earlier post - Groucho.

Scared Weird Little Guys - classic comedians. (Ok, they use music to get their lines across, but it doesn't make them any less comic!)

Hoges in his day.
Aunty Jack
Mother and son
Norman Gunston

And the best would have to be Johny Howard....... What do you mean? He not joking?:eek: :eek: :eek:

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Originally Posted by scooter

...Dame Edna Everage-an embarrassment ...

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Lots of Aussies thought Steve Irwin was embarrassing too. ;)

Yes of course, I forgot Paul Hogan. Not at all funny (not since the 70's anyway) but well known by the yanks, so I suppose he qualifies as a famous Aussie comedian.

But mostly we are talking about TV shows here and they have writers and often the words are put into the actors' mouths. I suppose the same is true for a lot of stand up comics too. I'm just trying to think of a stand alone comedian who you would put up as the best in Australia. Someone who is recognised in their own right, rather than being remembered as whatsisname from The Late Show etc.

I just don't think we have anyone who compares to the likes of Billy, Ben Elton, Eddie Murphy (love him or hate him - I hate him), Richard Pryor, Steve Martin etc. etc.

Roy Renee (Henry van der Sluys) or Boy Roy

But better known as?????????????

Dame Edna just sounds like a Pom. I don't get why she even is supposed to be an Australian.

I think bert Newton is putting in a late bid to be the best. Not because he's funny (which he definitely isn't), but because you have to have a sense of the ridiculous to be able to go on National TV looking like somebody stuck a bike pump up your #####. he looks like he's about to explode ! :eek:

He is definitely the biggest Aussie joke.

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Originally Posted by bennylaird

Roy Renee (Henry van der Sluys) or Boy Roy

But better known as?????????????

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That would be Mo

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Originally Posted by Bleedin Thumb

That would be Mo

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Certainly is. Pity we don't see more of his acts on the box. Have to rate right up there with the best.

How do you spell his last name ...Macakee???

Mo McCackie

In the 1940's, Henry appeared on a number of radio programs, including McCackie Mansion, which aired for three years from 1947. He played the character of Mo McCackie in the program, which was produced in front of a live studio audience.

Henry left school at the age of 14 and commenced his career on the stage, adopting the stage name of Roy Rene, but before that, his stage name was Boy Roy. During 1916, he formed a partnership with Nat Phillips, and commenced performing as Mo the clown in the long running stage act Stiffy and Mo. In 1934, he starred in the film Ken G. Hall film Strike Me Lucky, a reference to one of his many catchphrases. This was his only film performance.

Mo McCackie according to Wikipedia.

Never heard of him :o

Here he is.

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Originally Posted by silentC

Mo McCackie according to Wikipedia.

Never heard of him :o

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Ahh. The younger generation.:rolleyes: :D

When he said 'Mo' I thought it was one of the Three Stooges, until I looked him up. Oh well, some of you old blokes have probably forgotten more than I ever knew :p ;)

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Originally Posted by silentC

When he said 'Mo' I thought it was one of the Three Stooges, until I looked him up. Oh well, some of you old blokes have probably forgotten more than I ever knew :p ;)

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nyuk, nyuk, nyuk

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Originally Posted by Gumby

OK, so who is a good Aussie comedian then?

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Old Gra Gra was funny till he died, Bert will remain a joke AFTER he dies. Dame Edna? Needs a makeover (years ago actually, but can be witty).

You want to see a test of comedians, "Thank God Your Here" returns this week. This is a test of who can think on their feet.

Mo Mcaughey,oh phew here comes spencer!!

I remember walking round the streets of North Sydney as a young fellow,on a hot summers night ,everyone had their front doors open ,you wouldn't miss a minute of Mrs Obbs or Yes What! Eveybody had their radios tuned into them, used to be about 6.30-7pm from memory.:)

Dad still has fond memories of Blue Hills. We used to listen to Dad and Dave when I was a young fella working in the factory, but that might have been a modern remake. The other show was The Boys from Benalla.

I see Steve Vizard has a new show in Melbourne at the moment..Doesn't seem that funny.


The character he plays has got a very poor memory.;)

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Originally Posted by Bleedin Thumb

I see Steve Vizard has a new show in Melbourne at the moment..Doesn't seem that funny.


The character he plays has got a very poor memory.;)

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That the show that comes on at 6 o'clock? Hosted by a dolly bird? Funny, old Steve is only on for a few minutes, then they start talking about car crashes and wars.

Richard

What, he's not become a newsreader has he?

No, the silly bugger IS the news. It appears they've caught him behaving like all the other businessmen, but not well enough to hide it.

Richard

Ah! Well, I never watch the news. It's like a soap opera, you can miss it for weeks or even months and then when you finally do watch it, it's the same actors and the same plot every time.

Daughter works for a company where Mr. V. was a director. When the merde hit the aerator and he quit, the shares took off.
Coincidence?

Well, I suppose I'm riding against the wind again, but I like Dame Edna. Barry has a quick mind and a strong wit. What he plays on is the ability of comedians to speak a truth that can't normally be expressed; in much the same way as the court jesters in Shakespeare. Here is a cynical and scathing man pushing his opinions through the persona of the naively sexual middle aged woman, but only through innuendo. In this way he can walk that fine line between what it is socially acceptable and what is not. I think that he does it brilliantly.

Norman Gunston achieved the same thing, employing a brilliant and quick mind to express contentious issues "safely" through his strange character.

It's a funny ( :rolleyes: ) thing, I actually find most of the Dame's comedy funny, it's just the overexposure of this character vs. Barry Humphries (when not in character) bagging of Oz that gets my goat.


Cheers................Sean

Scooter,

I enjoyed the character a little bit until I saw this post and a picture of the Transvestite kissing Melbourne's big spender Mayor in yesterday's advertising guide punctuated with gossip (Herald Sun).

I now detest the character.