Gary Shandling has died
- Thread starter ericram
- Start date
At the risk of a crude comment too soon: He still probably looks better than Letterman.
Guy had two absolute home run, groundbreaking television series to his name. You could make a strong case that he is one of the most important people in television comedy history on the basis of two shows. It's Garry Shandling's Show is so odd, it's hard to imagine it being on TV, and network TV at that for a couple years, all the way back in the 80s. Off-beat, meta comedies like that aren't that unusual now, especially on outlets like Comedy Central, Adult Swim or IFC, but back then...it was quite literally mind blowing.
Larry Sanders of course is genius, and the best and most consistent use of profanity as art that has been produced, but that show gets its due. It's Garry Shandling's show is damn amazing in it's own right.
For a guy who wasn't all over television all the time, his legacy with those two shows is remarkable.
And he has a personal spot for my wife and I. We used to watch the Larry Sanders Show together all the time when we were first married. One of our first Christmases after having kids, we were so poor, for Christmas I bought my wife the "Larry Sanders Biography" book that was stacked up at the Dollar Tree. Christmas morning, open up presents, she bought me the same thing. We both spent a dollar on a Christmas gift for each other, and it was the same thing. So we have quite a bond over Garry Shandling.
Larry Sanders of course is genius, and the best and most consistent use of profanity as art that has been produced, but that show gets its due. It's Garry Shandling's show is damn amazing in it's own right.
For a guy who wasn't all over television all the time, his legacy with those two shows is remarkable.
And he has a personal spot for my wife and I. We used to watch the Larry Sanders Show together all the time when we were first married. One of our first Christmases after having kids, we were so poor, for Christmas I bought my wife the "Larry Sanders Biography" book that was stacked up at the Dollar Tree. Christmas morning, open up presents, she bought me the same thing. We both spent a dollar on a Christmas gift for each other, and it was the same thing. So we have quite a bond over Garry Shandling.
Wow. Thanks for posting this. This was a perfect tribute to our lost comedy legend.
CNN) -- Garry Shandling, who died Thursday at 66, was considered a groundbreaking comic genius.
His "Larry Sanders Show" and "It's Garry Shandling's Show" were two of the first meta-comedies to tickle audiences, and Shandling will long be remembered for his standup and late night talk show appearances.
The man whose standard quip was "After making love, I said to my girl, 'Was it good for you too?' And she said, 'I don't think this was good for anybody' " was the king of self-deprecation and observational humor. Here are just a few of his funny bits.
On traveling
"I'm not thrilled about flying. ... The planes are aged now. As if we don't have enough problems to worry about. Now we don't know how old the airplanes are, and there's really no way for us to tell, 'cause we're laymen. I figure, if the plane smells like your grandmother's house, get out. That's where I draw the line."
On love
"When I'm not in a relationship, I shave one leg, so when I sleep, it feels like I'm with a woman."
On sex
"I once made love for an hour and 15 minutes, but it was the night the clocks are set ahead."
On immigration
"I'm not against a Mexican taking my job. I wish George Lopez was here right now to take over."
On eating healthy
"I had an avocado and wood sandwich and some pigeon milk. It was great. I went outside and went to the bathroom on the windshield of my car."
On comedy in Los Angeles versus comedy in New York
"Usually, like in L.A., you got to go into a nightclub to try jokes. Here, you walk into Central Park, you just say something out loud, and someone goes 'ummmmm, Charlie Rose. Do that on Charlie Rose.' "
His "Larry Sanders Show" and "It's Garry Shandling's Show" were two of the first meta-comedies to tickle audiences, and Shandling will long be remembered for his standup and late night talk show appearances.
The man whose standard quip was "After making love, I said to my girl, 'Was it good for you too?' And she said, 'I don't think this was good for anybody' " was the king of self-deprecation and observational humor. Here are just a few of his funny bits.
On traveling
"I'm not thrilled about flying. ... The planes are aged now. As if we don't have enough problems to worry about. Now we don't know how old the airplanes are, and there's really no way for us to tell, 'cause we're laymen. I figure, if the plane smells like your grandmother's house, get out. That's where I draw the line."
On love
"When I'm not in a relationship, I shave one leg, so when I sleep, it feels like I'm with a woman."
On sex
"I once made love for an hour and 15 minutes, but it was the night the clocks are set ahead."
On immigration
"I'm not against a Mexican taking my job. I wish George Lopez was here right now to take over."
On eating healthy
"I had an avocado and wood sandwich and some pigeon milk. It was great. I went outside and went to the bathroom on the windshield of my car."
On comedy in Los Angeles versus comedy in New York
"Usually, like in L.A., you got to go into a nightclub to try jokes. Here, you walk into Central Park, you just say something out loud, and someone goes 'ummmmm, Charlie Rose. Do that on Charlie Rose.' "
