His words sound like he can barely even articulate them before he gets them out. Some of his words aren’t even words but you still know what they mean. He sounds like the buddy you’re having drinks with, not some guy up on a stage. There’s an intimacy to that which draws you in. You’re in on the joke and you feel special.
Conan’s reaction…
Totally unexpected. RIP
@triggercut thanks so much for posting those pages of his book, that was both funny and sad to read.
I liked Norm’s SNL stuff well enough, but I recently heard a criticism of Rodney Dangerfield by him that struck me as brilliant.
Apparently he said that it was the “flash of pain in Dangerfield’s eyes with each joke” that made his self deprecating humor special.
RIP. What a boss, going like that without calling attention to himself.
Sad to hear. RIP.
Going to miss his voice on The Orville.
Probably because he had to to avoid career blackballing.
Great moment:
I’m pretty sure, I’m not a doctor, but I’m pretty sure if you die, the cancer dies at the same time. That’s not a loss. That’s a draw.
I honestly never found him funny on his SNL skit with the news desk. But I’m still saddened because i feel like he was a part of my youth and now that’s gone. Oh my goodness, that oral sex joke on Conan’s show! I did laugh a bit about that but felt very bad about it at the same time.
Dunno why you’d feel bad about it. It’s obviously a joke he’s telling, and a very funny one.
Thanks for all the great clips and writing, everyone. I’m laughing my ass off revisiting all these great moments. I had never seen his final appearance on Letterman and how sentimental he got… very unexpected and touching.
My first memory of Norm was on (I think) a young comedians special I taped where he did his homeless dog routine. I’ve shared that joke my whole life and it always kills. I can’t find the special but here he is doing it on The Larry Sanders Show. It’s a classic episode about Hank’s sex tape… I love how he delivers his final line here.
Letterman is right about that twinkle in his eye. I love how he said he’s trying to avoid using the phrase. What a gift Norm had, and was.
Shit. This was so unexpected. This sucks.
Ah man, I just randomly watched this yesterday. RIP.
Loved his deadpan. This one hurts more than other celebrity deaths in recent years. Too many greats go too early, including Norm. RIP.
That was really touching.