Eric Idle On The Two Types Of Comedians | Late Night with Conan O’Brien
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 24 พ.ย. 2019
- (Original airdate: 09/29/99) Eric Idle talks about skipping the SNL Anniversary party and the different types of comedians.
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Eric Idle On The Two Types Of Comedians | Late Night with Conan O’Brien
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"I laughed and cried, and then I read the book".
Lol, hes so quick witted.
He wrote a blurb for the back of a book. How do you know how long it took?
@@AlanHope2013 what? Don't be to literal
Steve Martin's blurb.
Everything he said about SNL still applies now. Almost all the sketches are either underwritten or labouring the same point over and over again.
Yeah, sure you guys are right.
th-cam.com/video/KL4kcGiqWmw/w-d-xo.html
th-cam.com/video/SJUhlRoBL8M/w-d-xo.html
Ever since John Mulaney left as a writer, yeah.
Gaussamer how long ago was that? The show goes through a lot of talent. Ebbs and flows.
@@Xplora213 oh sure and i am not saying it was all perfect while he was on. he started around 2008 and stopped around 2012-2013 i think. he was stefons writer.
Gaussamer the show has strong periods (Eddie Murphy, Dan Akroyd, Bill Murray...... the SNL cast movies have happened for a long time) and that’s based on people, not on a machine. There hasn’t been an Eddie Murphy, a... I can’t think of anyone his level. Ricky Bobby from Talledega Nights... I can’t remember his name.
Your age dictates a lot of it. I don’t find Mulaney very funny. Yet Jeselnik makes me die. Similar era.
I love that Monty Python quit when they felt they were tired of it, instead of forcing themselves to continue.
That's the difference between the brits and Americans. The Office - Britain two series of 8 episodes... The Office US 10 seasons, 20 episodes a season, just so they could get syndicated.
To be fair, Monty Python's Flying Circus was at least one season too long, too. :-D
@@Zett76 I think you're right and I did see an interview with John Cleese where he said that near the end of MPFC he thought they were beginning to repeat themselves. Of course you have to balance that with the fact that Cleese is a lifelong misery guts. He's my favourite and funniest whinging Pom!
Aslan Like Key and Peele...
Cleese was really the one who made the call for them, and he was probably right.
He's actually got it backwards, imo. Andy is the one that sits back and just assassinates people with one line.
I mean, he’s not wrong about SNL
Just the fact that they're still on after so many years prove them right
@@tolfan4438 proves them popular. Sifilis was once popular.
@@mauriciokrebs2913 yeah I know people used to stand in line to get it
He's so goddamn effortlessly funny.
I’ve been very lucky to talk to Eric Idle several times. He is VERY NICE and friendly. His wife is lovely and charming and his daughter is really nice too. They are just lovely people.
Well, that's not very funny.
@@AlanHope2013 but your face is 😳
I was in the studio audience for this !!!
Cool! :-)
What did he play on his guitar?
@@banjopink4409 I remember he did always look on the bright side of life but I could be mistaken. I was in high school for chrissakes ! What I remember vividly was him trashing SNL and then I got ahold of " The Road to Mars" after this appearance and it was TERRIBLE.
@@chor-danpiotyrsohn3730 lol
What right do you have to criticize Saturday Night...Oh, you invented sketch comedy. Nevermind.
@@felixmidas3245
Exactly, the deconstruction. Grew up on them, thanks to PBS. Let's not forget some that came before. Your Show Of Shows, The Red Skeleton Show (one of my favs).
They didn't invent it but they sure did destroy it and raise the medium. They had a particular influence on SNL.
Not sure they invented Sketch Comedy...but they might have invented the comedy troupe. Loved them in the early 70's...very political and ballsy.
Spike Milligan is decomposing a rebuttal to that statement....
@@notlikely4468 i doubt it, he's dead.
Did Eric Idle invent the expensive-suit-with-high-end-trainers fashion? This is 1999, and no one else started wearing that until well into the '00s. Plus with the flattened disco collar. WOWza.
Everything is a repeat... I can remember that style being popular in the 80s. :)
Paul McCartney did it 15 years before then
All the members of The Beatles did that in mid 60's...
Just take a look at 'Abbey Road' album cover, John Lenon was wearing one...
He did do the first mockumentary, though. :)
(according to him. I didn't verify or falsify it)
I'm so happy Conan had Eric on his podcast. Two of my favorite comedians
ERIC IDLE looking more and more like GENE WILDER, i always though he was GENE WILDER when i saw him in NUNS ON THE RUN.
I thought Gene Wilder was in Casper.
@@HelenGPitts what a fucking useless place to advertise, a 15 like comment on a
I just read this about the 1971 version of “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory”: “All six members of Monty Python, Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin, expressed interest in playing Wonka, but at the time they were deemed not big enough names for an international audience. [The role ultimately went to Gene Wilder]. Incidentally, three of the members, Cleese, Idle, and Palin, were later seriously considered for the same role in Tim Burton's version.
20 years, wow, still love Python
Conan and Andy are both hybrids, each capable of slipping between being a rednose or whiteface comedian.
Agreed. Things are always more complex but people feel the need to compartmentalize/take away the complexity to dumb things down but what you're left with is an incomplete/inaccurate description thats easy to digest.
Exactly. It's such a simplistic dichotomy, I thought Idle was setting up a joke. I can't believe he actually believes it.
@David McDonald There are 2 types of people; those who split people into 2 distinct categories, and those who have insight into human nature.;)
@@WeTubule But the comment you're agreeing with employs the dichotomy...
He's so on point about SNL.
"Bright side of life" singalong still makes me laugh.
I remember him from Casper in the 90s ❤
Classic
Ever hear of Monty Python?
I remember him from monty python in the 70s.
I remember him best from The Adventures of Baron Munchausen.
He was on rosie and Jim too
Conan is so in awe and respectably so
"The Golden Age of SNL" = a 20 something's memory of SNL 10 years before when, as a teenager, their comedic sense was developing.
Not any more.
@@banjopink4409 the golden age = anything pre 2015
@@RatelHBadger
I'm a high-ranking badger
@@banjopink4409 indeed. Badger of the first order
@@RatelHBadger A result of having eliminated my cognitive diocese.
Always look on the bright side of life
@David McDonald We're having cake?
LIfe's a piece of sh*t.
(Dear TH-cam AI censor: that's a literary citation ;) )
How dared Conan to ask such cheesy question whilst there is no cheese
He's obviously operating some variety of cheese shop
I hate that moment when you're at an awesome party, everything's goin' really well, and some dude breaks out an acoustic guitar.
And did those feet...
In ancient times...
Walk upon England's
mountains green....
I hear ya but I always like to look on the bright side of life.
It's like the similar breakdown Jerry Lewis' character gives at the end of 'Funny Bones' in a great true speech about comedy:
"There are two types of comedian: a funny bones comedian, and a non-funny bones comedian. They're both funny. One is funny, the other tells funny..." Great movie, btw.
“And the thing is, and this hurts me the most to say: you’re neither.” Awesome movie and the best comedy film about comedy there is.
monty Python are the Beatles of comedy, influenced everyone worth influencing, invented everything, and still are brilliant and adored by people all over the world
Sorry but they pinched many an idea from the great Spike Milligan, watching him as he did his shows at the BBC in the next studio. Check out Spike Milligan and his shows called Q and you can see were a lot of Python came from.
@@alisonsmith4801 Well done Alison for standing up for good old British comedy traditions. The Goons were on the wireless, so Americans obviously think British comedy started with Python. In fact it goes back even further, with seeds being sown in Round the Horne and Carry on. Python didn't invent everything, and none of them would ever make such a claim.
@@AlanHope2013 So true, I think it was John Cleese who admitted they would watch Spike record his shows in the next studio. Sadly a lot of what we found funny then simply wouldn't fly nowadays.
Python took it to the stratospheric level. Spike and the Goons were really only prototypes
Eric Idle's episode of "Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend" is out now. apple.co/37xRZdz
And it is fantastic! ❤️
So happy listening your podcast, thank you very much ❤️❤️❤️
I have a long list of podcasts I enjoy and Conan's in my top 2. I wish the guest interviews were at least 15 minutes longer but otherwise an amazing, very excellent podcast!
Please upload david Bowie 99's interview
Team Coco didn’t even realise this podcast was a thing. Now I have literally hours to spend!
That has ALWAYS been my complaint with SNL, the sketches go on way too long, finally someone else said it.
Finally someone said it...20 years ago
In his absolute dismissal
of over the top showbiz
You can tell he spent time
with George Harrison
Idle is right. We remember the great old SNL sketches and forget all the filler. SNL should have become a 45 minute show (plus ads) after the first year.
That doesn’t change the time of the individual sketches.
Trevin Taylor Quite true, but if they were only trying to fill 45 minutes, more of them could be either long good sketches or rewritten shorter good sketches.
Hiltonian _ if they had the ability to rewrite, I think they would be doing it. The length of the show won’t change that they’ve never known how to end a sketch. “Just stop” is not an ending. I don’t know that I buy the idea that skill will suddenly appear, and I’m an SNL defender. Simpson’s too.
That is true of 2 thirds of the Monty Python TV show too.
Conversely, it's nice that it runs so late because then they can save the weirdest risky ones for the end. So many of those end up being classics over time
What a legend... Andy is just amazing
i have -loved Eric Idle since i want to say (1990) or (1991) it was Nuns on the Run where i first discovered him as a kid i believe. than later on found out about Monty Python
He is probably my favorite Monty Python
David Oliveira Definitely my favorite.
@@eklyptiksun "Nudge ! Nudge ! Wink ! Wink ! Grin ! Grin ! Know what I mean ? Know what I mean ?"
@David Oliveira I don't know if I can say he's my favourite, as I always liked Palin for playing the understated roles, but I do consider him the funniest (Cleese a close second) outside of Python and their roles.
@David MacDonald i wish I'd read your post before posting mine as that's kind of what I was saying, except you included everyone. I don't agree on 'the other two' though and you have to bear in mind that Gilliam was there for his animations, not for his acting, so he can't really be considered the same way. I will state that Gilliam has made it to the best director of the bunch.
@David McDonald That's fair enough and while I didn't see that part as a joke, I also didn't see it as you being harsh or whatever to them. I agree about Connie, she was a big part of Python from what I've heard, yet rarely gets the credit.
I also realised that I spelt your name wrong last time. Oopsie and sorry, that's what I get for typing instead of copying it. I suspect that may happen to you a lot, if it is your real name.
'Road to Mars' was pretty good, found it in a used store a few months ago. Kind of falls flat in the end, but lots of decent bits.
Bloody well right.. got a bloody well right too say... love this man. He will say anything! Grew up on his comedy.
Loved him when I was a kid 😁👍🏻 One of Comedy's Greats!
Still love him.
I'd have his kids without hesitation, and I'm not even a woman.
I love these old bits, so grateful they started posting them!
❤ALWAYS look on the Bright Side of Life! ❤ love you Eric Idle and you’re spot on about SNL!
Pretty sure i saw this when this aired--he was on NBC at the time this aired because he got a role as the new boss on the last season of Suddenly Susan which aired in fall of '99. (Hey look--work's work!)
He’s a wink wink nudge marvelous interview
Love these oldies
Norm is the epitome of the white face. He even went through a phase where his comedy centered around death
2:40 Eric beat Ron Burgundy to the punch!! In his book, _Let Me Off at the Top: My Classy Life and Other Musings_ Ron put his own blurb on the cover: "I wrote a hell of a book!"
What's with the sky-high chair level
Conan? WTF? 😄😁😆😎
(💖 Conan)
I've read that book when it came out.
Was it good
So the remarks of Norm Macdonald about the lovable fat guy were true, after all. :P
David Spade - White Face
Chris Farley - Red Face
OMG It's Nigel Channing from Epcot's Journey Into Imagination!
*insert One Little Spark playing here*
Wow I can't believe how Idle vocalised my thoughts on SNL, I moved to Canada from Scotland and was obviously aware of what it was, I'd seen classic compilations of Chevy Chase, Dan Akryod etc but when my friends over there sat down and watched it with me I was thinking 'Christ this is slow, not very funny and a bit cringe'.. almost like watching a School talent day.
Wow, first time I saw a video right as it was posted
I love "the Road to Mars". ☺
Wow, I've just realised that it was the 50th anniversary of the 1st broadcast of Flying Circus (in the UK) on the 5th Oct just gone...heard nothing about it though.
Just watched him on National lampoon's xmas vacation 2, he makes a surprise appearance in the movie, loved it!
somewhereupthere I remember him being in European vacation, didn't even know that they made an Xmas number 2! Any good?
@@beardwierd2783 I enjoyed it, its not the typical xmas you'd see, it's more sun and beaches lol
somewhereupthere I'll have to check it out then, grew up watching the lampoons movies i still wrap the Christmas presents while watching the first Christmas movie and now that I have a family it rings even truer.Chevy Chase was brilliant.
Merry Christmas my man.
@@beardwierd2783 my kids make fun of me because every year I have to watch Emmett otters Christmas jug band.. lol, merry Christmas to you as well
Legend
Man is a breath of fresh air
Interested in that book
I just understood that the stand-up robot from one of the old south park episode's based on this book.
Life is quite absurd and that's the final word.
Death's the final word (are the lyrics)!
Eric Idle is so brilliant as a man and as a comedian. His observation of "Red Nose" and "White Face" comics is spot on. It's funny how he declares both he and Conan to be "White Faces" and they both attended prestigious schools. Eric graduated from Cambridge and Conan from Harvard. That could explain the cutting style of their humor.
BTW, Eric was right to criticize SNL. Monty Python would not have aired half of those crappy skits, if they were given the same material. That's why it still stands up today.
BTW, I read that book when it came out and it is fabulously funny and insightful.
Happy birthday, Mr Idle.
It's Dirk McQuirkley from The Rutles!
Oh snap this was just posted
My two types of comedians are those who tell jokes, and those who use jokes to say something more. Both cool, just different. The first category would be comics like Jerry Seinfeld, Rodney Dangerfield, Don Rickles, and generally, most comics who are breaking into the business. The second category is one some comics develop into, but most do not. People like Dave Chappelle, Norm Macdonald, Bill Hicks, or Bill Burr.
Obviously you fail to see the sociological undertones of Seinfelds pop tart bit or Rodney's proclamation of getting no respect
@@lamolambda8349 ;~)
@David McDonald I think Python generally dips into both...always silly, but always making a point...Chris Farley had to be the ultimate red nose!
@David McDonald Agree, although Cleese could definitely go red too as with the Silly Walk sketch.
@@GeneBurnett OK, what's the point of the fish-slapping sketch?
Can you post the song he sings? It was really funny!
F*CKING GENIUS !
Now that's funny! 😊
I love you Conan. How dare he suggest or even mention Mr Robert Williams.
Who is Robert Williams? Lol did you mean Mr Robin Williams?
Eric Idol.
I feel like he has it backwards, Conan is a total Red Nose comedian while Andy is the White Face.
I just scrolled down to check if anyone had already made this comment lol.
Vincent J. Rubio I disagree. I feel like he’s spot on. I think Conan tries to cross over but it always comes off as forced in my opinion. Conan is too cerebral for the red nose.
@@vhscopyofseinfeld I agree with this. British humour is typically dry, sardonic, cold, witty, and intelligent and ''white face''. Conan is white face. Andy is red-nosed (but you can tell he wishes he were white face).
The confusion comes from both Conan and Andy wanting to be what they're not.
Conan is just hiding his red nose behind a talk show desk.
I think conan is also a red nose because he cares way more than andy that he is well received by the audience/gets a laugh.
We were just schooled in Philosophy of Comedy 101 by one of the Transcendent Masters.
I can’t believe this is from 1999.
one thing about Eric is that he has an interesting face, i can’t tell if he looks like Paul Mccartney, Bob McGraff from “Sesame Street” or Jean Stapleton (Edith Bunker) from “All In The Family”…
LIFE DOESN’T GO ON FOREVER
I wasn't expecting The Spanish Inquisition!
But no one ever expects the Spanish Inquisition!
So what about the song that it appeared he was about to play????
No second part? :(
Woah its the TATMR guy :0
where's the rest of the interview?
Conan is the red nose haha
20 years old... unbelievable
atleast back then there was some class
"red noses" and "white faces"
I have heard it like "cats" and "dogs "
it is simplified but not totally wrong.
For some reason I thought that a bootleg Jeremy Clarkson was on the thumbnail
SNL was wildly popular when I was in high school in the 70’s. I was one of about 5 kids in my school who knew who the Pythons were and never missed a Sunday night broadcast on PBS. I never thought SNL were funny and still don’t.
Red Face - Michael McIntyre
White Face - Frankie Boyle
Both unfunny!
Red nose*
@@KatMusic2009 I see your point, but I'll leave the typo in... McIntyre is all over the place, like the red nose element has expanded and grown like a fungus to consume the entire visage.
Eric's chair looks pretty uncomfortable
This isnt cheesy.
You see, this.. is mars, not the moon.
I know, I know, both start with M, but the difference is big... One is made of cheese and the other one is made of chocolade...
He's a God. In a reality where God doesn't exist.
ok
America isn't used to this jabby humour lmfao
has anyone read the book... if so how is it?
He was first metoo.
Another thing.
What happened when Eric was on driving school.
Driveinstrugtur: Eric, when on manual hear my saying adwise when on downhill. Idle, now...
Eric: What?
Maiden name, married name
Talk show hosts have no depth, which is why they can’t cope with cutting commentary from guests
Agreed wholeheartedly. Although I'd argue that Conan, who struggled mightily with this for many years, has grown to handle the volleying with great aplomb. He can hang with the best of them at this point.
Yet again or nawt... first, from Finland. :)
@Top Dog Yeah, that's why I wrote "..or nawt" which stands for "or not" Keletanatu. :)
The country where I'd want to be
. .Yes.. There's Hope. .Mark Levin. Article 9. ( Nine ). .
I may be schizophrenic but at least I have each other
Too funny for Americans
Is that Loretta?
Conan is white face and red nose at the same time. Ok, also Andy. Their majority is as he said (great theory), but they do interchange.
TIL There are 29 months.
Bring out your dead!!🔔
I'm not dead
Gonna go watch Holy Grail
White face comedian says: *Death* . Audience laughs their poop out! Hahaha!
He was joking about the quality of SNL sketches, but talk about life imitating art.