Last Ralph Standing
…Boo. I was thinking to myself after the last ep that I was surprised Debra went home last week, because she’s the kind of comedian that I don’t really care for but that LCS audiences tend to protect — and generally speaking, I haven’t been as frustrated with who gets put through/sent home as I have been in past seasons. The show just seems better this year.
But of the remaining comics going into last night’s ep, Ralph was my least favorite; he’s hit-or-miss, but even when he’s on, his men-are-from-Mars material isn’t great and his delivery doesn’t have much depth, so I’m a little annoyed that he didn’t get bounced. That said, he had a better set than Matt did this time, and that’s what they’re voting on. I think Matt could have beat him if he hadn’t to go first, but he didn’t have time to hang back and read the room, and he got a little shouty. I liked Doug’s set more than Ralph’s, but he was taking a little too long with his set-ups, and if you’re trying to beat a more down-the-center guy like Ralph, I think you have to adjust, and pack your set tighter. That’s just Doug’s delivery, but it’s surprising that he lasted as long as he did anyway. He’s one of those comedians who would do better in a voting pool composed of other comedians and writers, because he’s a little more cerebral and a little more about timing and deadpan, and that doesn’t always play, especially if the audience is used to more traditional set-ups and so on.
It’s a better final five than in the past, though. Not crazy about Ralph; not sure why Gerry Dee is still there, although I admit he’s growing on me. We’ll see.
Tags: TV writing
PS I linked to the TWoP LCS thread before I realized Doug Benson has been posting in it. Woo!
Yes, sadly, our little british boy Matt was our favorite. Amy Schumer is just going to have to make it to the end now.
I tend to agree that this seaason seems to be better than previous ones. Part of me thinks it’s because there’s no “back at the house/boat/whatever” segments.
Oh, my gosh. You have really hit the nail on the head for me. I felt the same way. I just don’t feel Ralph like I did Doug or Matt- although for me, I think the appeal with Matt was more a “let me take you home in my pocket and protect you.” Ralph has a sense of entitlement that I don’t care for. Doug was wacky and a little more obscene, but funnier than Ralph I thought. You’re probably right about Matt having a better shot if he hadn’t gone first. Gerry Dee… oh man, he’s just hanging out with his invisibility strategy. Lavell is just straight up funny. Jon Reep… meh. I’m with Amber- go Amy!!
That episode was very depressing for me. I lost my two favorites in one night. Ralph? Really?
Matt is funny and I think he has a nice range of material. I think he is at an automatic disadvantage because of his accent (some people immediately tune out when they hear one and some really do have a hard time adjusting their ear) and he is too smiley. It works for some of his jokes, but not for others and I think it has more to do with him being nervous than a conscious decision.
Doug was my top pick and I was so sure that he had nailed it. His material was good and there seemed to be a nice reaction from the audience. Personally, I love his delivery so much that just having him read off of a menu would make me laugh. I’m going to have to try and find someone else to root for, but so far, I really haven’t been that impressed by any of the other comics.
Boo indeed. I don’t know that I’ll keep watching, now that the Benson is gone. Stupid audience. Ralph is just so unoriginal. I have no clear favorite among the remaining contestants, though I guess Amy has a slight edge. My money’s on Lavell to win the whole thing, and I guess I can live with that. He does have excellent delivery and is great with the improv. But still! The Benson Is Gone! Sniff.
I don’t think Lavell is funny at all. “Fat joke fat joke fat joke, nobody loves me, fat joke. Also: I hate women.” Which means that he’ll probably win, cause hahaha fat jokes and misogyny, America. Meh. Amy and Doug are/were the funniest, with Matt right behind, but now the final five is packed with middlin-gimmicky types. Fingers crossed for La Schumer.
I didn’t know Doug had been posting on TWoP either! Wicked! I have loved him ever since he appeared in that White Noise pilot that only aired once at 4 AM.
Anyway, I was dismayed that those two comics went up against Ralph because I knew he would beat both of them. An unpaid audience of tourists they probably rounded up from the Santa Monica Pier aren’t going to go for humour that’s thinky or unusual, because their favourite standup comic is probably Bill Cosby or perhaps Rich Little.
With this final five, I feel fairly confident in saying that Lavell is going to win this year. My theory about the show is that the comics who do best are the ones who have gimmicks that make them memorable when voting time comes: Dat Phan did the funny pidgin English; Stella yelled a lot; Lavell (like Ralphie May before him) is enormous. And all his jokes are about being fat. So when the end of the show comes and you have to vote, that’s easy to remember. Of course, I thought Dante had a gimmick that would carry him further, too, and was glad to be wrong there.