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Barkley is an absolute anomaly. I mean, he was barely over 6'4" and yet, not only did he play Power Forward in the NBA (most Power Forward's are 6'9" or 6'10") but he also dominated the position as well. In fact, up until Tim Duncan (7'0" by the way…) came along, he may very well have been the greatest Power Forward of all time. That's impressive enough, but factor in his size and it's damn near staggering.
That said, that's not why he's here. Well, not the only reason, anyways. No, he's here because of his larger than life personality. He's just a smart, funny, and knowledgeable dude. He's that rare person that, despite being a little crass, everybody loves. And of course, most famously, he speaks his mind like few others can. And that candid, unfiltered candor is definitely what most people love and respect about him. Myself included.
#19 Craig Ferguson
Previously Ranked: Honourable Mention
I only consistently watch one Late Night talk show: Craig Ferguson. I'll catch clips from Conan, Fallon and Kimmel when they start making the rounds online, and I'll sometimes check out a guest or musical act that I really like if they do Leno or Letterman. But in terms of actually sitting down and watching a show start to finish, only GP the Fergs get that honour.
I can't really even put my finger on it (what I love about the show so much) either. I guess it's because the it just sort of feels like it's entirely off the cuff. Sure, there's at least 25% scripted/rehearsed material per night, but the rest genuinely feels like its just being made up on the spot. Maybe it's not, I honestly don't know, but it feels like it is. And I like to think I have a pretty good nose for sniffing out such things.
Of course, 'off the cuff' doesn't mean a damn thing if it's not funny. And that's what makes it so great: it's as good as, if not better than the other - fully scripted - late night shows, but with the feeling that it's all just being made up as the night goes on. The whole thing sort of feels like, 'Well, not many people watch us (the CBS executives included…), so let's just do what we want.' And there's something endlessly endearing about that to me. Plus, the guest interviews feel more genuine and are way more interesting than most other shows, as they too feel completely unrehearsed, and more like two people just having a conversation.
Basically, I just can't see a production meeting where some CBS guy in a suit is pulling all the strings, saying things like "Hey, Craig, just hit on the guests, and tell dirty jokes with a foul-mouthed rabbit hand puppet." The whole show just feels like they give Ferguson carte blanche to do whatever he wants, and everything on screen is really just an extension of Craig being Craig. None of it works without him. Which is a fairly bold move, when you think about it, because he has a very specific brand of humour that not everyone will be into. I mean, he got one of those bad two-man-horse halloween costumes back when that Secretariat movie came out in 2010 for a one-off gag, and somehow it's become a main character on the show. His sidekick is a robot skeleton which, on paper, is kind of stupid, but in reality, is one of the show's strongest elements. And it all comes down to the great dynamic between Craig and the guy that operates the robot (Josh Robert Thompson - who is great at keeping up with Craig during the improv, while also providing a ton of really good voices and impressions).
That's why I'm convinced the show isn't scripted or planned out. Because none of the best moments that happen make sense/work on paper, or would make it past a pitch meeting. Craig just goes out there and trusts that he can find the funny moments without the need for a prepared joke or elaborate setup. And he's smart/witty/quick enough that he can feel when a moment is working and knows to stay with it until it becomes something great (or, just as importantly, when it's not working and it's time to bail) and the other people around him on the show do a great job of keeping up with him, and are able to react and build on a bit if he suddenly throws it to them without warning. And it's that sort of stream of consciousness, non-sequitur humour that the show lives and dies by. Which is also what I love about it. Rather than trying to be all things to all people, it would rather just really appeal to the small group that share that same very specific brand of humour. A group which, based on this Man Crush, obviously includes myself.
#18 Jeremy Clarkson
Previously Ranked: #25
Not much to say here. I still love Top Gear, and I still love Clarkson.
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I remember watching 3rd Rock from the Sun when I was young. I don't remember much about it specifically, and all that I really do remember about it is that it was just a fairly standard, run-of-the-mill sitcom. That there was nothing particularly exceptional about it, or enough to raise it above the rest of the formulaic fare of the era (gag, laugh track, everything back to the way it was by the end of the episode, rinse and repeat).
What I really don't remember about it is ever thinking at the time that the kid that played Tommy might some day be one of my favourite actors. He wasn't bad on the show, but he didn't stand out by any stretch of the imagination. So, when Brick and The Lookout came out, and I thought to myself, "Isn't that the kid from that John Lithgow show? Well, this is probably going to suck…" you can imagine my surprise when not only did I really enjoy both movies, but the kid from 3rd Rock was actually really good in them.
(500) Days of Summer was one of the better Rom-Coms that I've seen in recent memory, Inception was solid, The Dark Knight Rises, while disappointing overall, had it's moments, and Looper was the best movie of last year. Maybe even the last three years. Not a bad resume. Enough to get you a on the Man Crush list at any rate.
#16 Bret McKenzie
Previously Ranked: Honourable Mention
Previously Ranked: Honourable Mention
While I still don't love him quite as much as Jemaine, I will fully admit that since the last list was made, a period during with which Flight of the Conchords (my main source of love for both men) has all but disappeared, Bret has been the far more successful of the duo. I mean, his work on The Muppets movie was dripping with Flight-eqsue goodness, and I think anyone would agree that they'd rather have an Oscar (like Bret does), over being like main villain in Men in Black 3 (like Jemaine was). Either way, Bret deserved to be on the list last time, and throw in his more successful post-Flight career, and I don't think I need to justify this Man Crush any further.
Ooh, Craig Ferguson! That is a solid pick.
ReplyDeleteI like Clarkson, but May is my Top Gear man. Mostly for the Oz and James, Man Lab and Toy Stories shows rather than Top Gear though.
Speaking of Top Gear, you know who might sneak onto my list? Adam Ferrara from Top Gear USA. That guy is hilarious.
Agreed. When Top Gear USA first came out, I pretty much hated it. I'm glad I stuck with it, because it's since found it's own voice and become a decent little show that's worth watching. Well, not really it's 'own voice', as it still borrows pretty heavily from the British version, but more so that it stopped trying to do everything that the UK one does (Celebrity laps, etc...) and just focused solely on having a vehicle challenge for the hosts every week. It's still no where near as good as the original, but it's certainly come a long way since it's early episodes.
ReplyDeleteI do like Ferrara on the show too (even though it was originally supposed to be Adam Carolla instead, with whom I hold a mighty Man Crush) but I've never seen him in anything else. Have you, or are you just basing it all on Top Gear? He's a comedian, right? Does he have any good specials worth looking up?