Day 97 - Norm MacDonald

"Women are attracted to funny men, it is often said. This is not true. It only appears this way because women laugh at everything a handsome man says" - Norm MacDonald. This is a quote from his almost entirely fictional book - 'Based on a True Story: Not a Memoir', a continuously funny book I would fully recommend. 

After his death in 2021 this clip of his famous moth Joke circulated:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJN9mBRX3uo

It is only since his death that I have realised the initially unclear genius of the man. Esoteric at first in being both subversive and a classic joke teller at the same time, once you understand his deal, he is undeniably one of the best. In the past year as well as reading his book, I have watched both of his movies, Dirty Work and Screwed. Both panned, both very funny. I've even watched a fair few episodes of his sitcom The Norm Show. There's a surprising amount of content out there if you look hard enough.

His influence and ability is made evident from the guests on his Netflix remembrance special. Adam Sandler, Dave Chappelle, David Letterman, Conan O'Brien all shed their respect on this video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWBms-SJ9fI. This clip follows the final stand-up act performed by Norm MacDonald, recorded on his own in his room prior to his final operation, which he knew at the time proposed a risk that he would not be able to ever perform the material afterwards. Most stand-up performances in from of no audience with no laughs are doomed to fail but he fully pulls it off, another thing which is well worth a watch.

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