You have to feel a little sorry for Dennis Miller. He has become such a professional failure and so personally unpleasant that you almost wish God would relieve him of the misery which is his life. However, there are some who take joy in Dennis Miller’s constant failures because no matter how bad their careers get, they can always say, “Well, at least I’m not Dennis Miller.”
Dennis had his better days. I remember my friends and I would watch Saturday Night Live every weekend in the mid-eighties. When the “Weekend Update” segment came on, we would laugh so hard as to spit out whatever we were eating. Dennis Miller’s commentary was witty, relevant, and absolutely hilarious. Unlike some of the other “Weekend Update” anchors, he didn’t give the impression that he was trying too hard to be funny; he was the physical and intellectual definition of humor. He entertained us for years until he left to create his own show, The Dennis Miller Show, in 1992.
This new late night show was supposed to be “cool” and “alternative.” But not only did Dennis Miller act like he was obviously reading off of cue cards, he always looked as if he came to the set after drinking a little too much. Some blamed the extremely low ratings on contracting problems with the Tribune Company, but most likely tuned out due to Mr. Miller’s complete lack of humor. The biggest thing The Dennis Miller Show could take credit for was breaking the band Toad the Wet Sprocket through to the mainstream. That, itself, should be considered a crime.
In 1994, Dennis Miller made a smart move to HBO where he created Dennis Miller Live. It was a half hour comedy show that was simple, but funny and effective. He would usually have only one guest on a show and end it with a news segment similar to his days as an anchor on Saturday Night Live. The show won five Emmy awards but soon became a parody of itself as Dennis had, apparently, run out of funny material. After deeply declining ratings and horrid feedback from viewers, HBO canceled the show.
Just before Dennis Miller Live was canceled, Dennis tried out Monday Night Football where he attempted to add a funny twist to his awful commentary. He thought he could win over audiences with such quotes as, "Check out the helmet hair on Randy Moss, babe! He looks like some freakish anti-Mr. T after a long evening sleeping through Aida.” People were laughing at Dennis Miller more than they were laughing at his pathetic jokes. Even though I’m not a football fan, I have to admit to tuning in sometimes just to see Dennis Miller for the train wreck effect. In 2002, after awful ratings, Dennis Miller was told to pack his bags.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - dentomark
typical naysayer spouting personal diatribes against people you disagree with-you are "exhibit a" in describing the coarsening of American society, and the pathetic lack of class in todays commentators. how about a nice cup of java in a bill o' reilly mug
2 - Dr Dreadful
Are you talking about Daryl or Dennis?
3 - daryl d
The underline point of this whole article is to immitate the same diatribe against Dennis Miller that he uses against some "evil" liberals who don't agree with his point of view.
The left can be pretty harsh sometimes, but I have never seen such hateful diatribe escape the mouths of commentators like it does with the Neocons. It's as if they are just so miserable with themselves that they are using others as a target.
4 - Dave Nalle
Daryl, your link to the Miller video demonstrates very clearly WHY Miller is often not funny. Sarcasm isn't always funny, and it's often because, as is the case with Miller, it's too true to be funny.
Miller's presentation of the Reed diatribe is as funny as he can make it, but at heart it's an accurate criticism of one of our most mediocre politicians, and the fact that he's risen to where he has really isn't funny.
IMO that's the whole problem with Fox news's attempt at humor on the Half-Hour News Hour. It's all just too grim to be funny in anything but a dark and horrible way.
And BTW, how could you fail to mention Miller's other great disaster, Bordello of Blood and his movie career in general.
All of this said, and acknowledging the truth of what you put in the article, I still think Miller is funny and one of the most important voices of my generation. I long to see Arriana Huffington stuck in a room with him and Ron Silver and watch her dry up to a shriveled husk when exposed to their desert-like dry wit.
Dave
5 - daryl d
I'm not a big fan of Reid either, but the diatribe by Dennis Miller, as well as his other diatribes, don't come across as funny.
Dennis Miller was a talented guy. But he just had the shit beat out of him by all his failures. I wish I made as much money for my successes as he does for his failures, but you get the point.
The Daily Show is usually funny. Bill Maher is funny as well, but often trots into the "desperate" category with Dennis Miller. Politics and humor can work, but it's very difficult.
6 - Egbert Sousé
While I don't find Dennis as funny as I used to since he determined the President was off-limits, he still has his moments.
I know this is an opinion piece, but I don't see why that entitles you to ignore the reality of situations. Got a link to the ratings and feedback regarding his HBO show because if he was such a mess, it doesn't make sense that they would give him HBO specials?
Miller was not let go from MNF because of ratings. It was because John Madden became available after leaving FOX. Miller was much more entertaining than that old, boring windbag. Miller's last cable show aired on CNBC, and now he's currently got a radio show, which some people do pretty well with.
7 - Phil
Miller tried to hitch himself to the Fox wagon after 9/11. I guess he figured he could revive his faltering career by pandering to neo-cons. Instead he found out that most of his fans were actually liberals. His ratings went from small to nonexistent. Now his only job is to follow Bill O'Reilly around all day and say, "May I get you some more ice tea sir?"
8 - Dan
I guess I'm one of those who have grown, ideologically, with Miller. He's just as funny to me now as he was back on SNL.
Just as a related, contrasting percpective, I thought Al Franken was humorous then too. They have a different schtick of course, but Franken was good at sight gags, and personifying a couple of different funny character types.
Now I just find him disturbing, and sort of troubled psychologically. It seemed at first that he maybe was just going for an Andy Kaufman/ Hitchcockian ruse. But a friend pressured me into reading "Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot" and it gave me a look into a very serious, and ugly soul.
Now, I could sooner laugh along with OJ Simpson, if he were to try to be funny.
I dunno, maybe that's how daryl feels about Miller.
9 - Baronius
I loved Bordello of Blood. Who doesn't want to see naked vampire hookers exploding to the tune of "Ballroom Blitz"? It was my generation's Casablanca.
10 - Brook
Most of us would love to have achieved Dennis level of failure. He can fill up any comedy club in America with a 5-figure appearance, which adds up to well more than 6 on an annual basis. Smite me with this kind of failure, please!
11 - Doug DeLong
IMO that's the whole problem with Fox news's attempt at humor on the Half-Hour News Hour. It's all just too grim to be funny in anything but a dark and horrible way.
Oh please...grim? Have you seen Dick Cheney's face lately? Fox's so-called comedy show isn't funny because the concept, writing, and performers really suck. That simple. Look to the Daily Show for how to do good political comedy.
And watching Miller go from an in-your-face anti-establishment icon to a whining apologist for Bush and the war was a bit like watching your best friend decide to become a woman (not that there's anything wrong with that, as Seinfeld would say.).
12 - Reader with a brain
The anonymous writer "DarylD" claims that Mr. Miller has "turned into the physical and mental definition of misery." I don't see any justification for that.
13 - Al Barger
Yes Daryl D, Miller has become rather a hawk and something of a "conservative" since 9/11. This proves that he is dishonest and no longer funny, and indeed must be a miserable basket case. Quad erat demonstratum.
14 - Mark Saleski
politics aside, i thought the dennis miller show was hilarious.
15 - daryl d
Al:
It's not that he's become a conservative, but is completely unconvincing in becoming one. It was a desperate career move since he failed at everything else. I would also have to say that anybody who still defends George W. Bush is really out of step these days and if you think this is coming from a commie liberal, read some of my other political articles.
16 - Dave Nalle
Miller was and is a pro-defense libertarian. When it's social issues the left is going to love him, when it's the war or government spending he's going to be unfunny and evil and have a failing career.
Dave
17 - Egbert Sousé
This was not a career move by Miller. Dave is right about there being no change in his political stance if you were actually paying attention.
But who's the real failure: A guy who gets paid to appear on television and radio or a guy who writes for free on the Internet?
18 - Clavos
Point, set, and match to Egbert et alia.
19 - Morgan
Daryl,
You are a blogger. Respect your betters.
20 - Bubby Dean
To quote Sir Dennis, Daryl... You couldn't be more full of shit if you were a port-a-potty at Lallapalloosa!!
I see you failed to mention the successful launching of his Westwood One radio show. He's in over 110+ cities and they're adding stations over there faster than Union Pacific railroad in the late 1800s! Wow, that sounds like a Dennis joke!!
I guess attacking Dennis Miller makes you feel better about your own blogboy existence.
Sad...
21 - John
Dennis Miller's great.
You've got to love all the left-wing loons who feel that Miller has somehow betrayed them, merely because the event of 9/11 prompted him to re-prioritize his views on certain issues.
As funny as Miller is (and he's a gifted talent for sure), NOTHING is funnier than reading of someone who is actually upset that Harry Reid got picked on by a comedian. OHHHH the humanity! Not Harry Reid!
And as fun as it would be to debate why some anonymous internet blogger named "Daryl" feels the need to critique a career that FAR exceeds his own in every way imaginable, I'll go ahead and take the high road by complying with this forum's rules. Adios kids!
22 - daryl d
Has Dennis Miller ever taught a mentally handicapped man who hasn't spoken in twenty years to speak again?
Has Dennis Miller prevented a high school student from stabbing someone?
Has Dennis Miller ever had the guts to work with mentally ill patients in a nursing facility located in the worst part of Chicago, risking his own life to do so?
I'm not going to brag about my achievements because I know the Neocons don't consider the above achievements since it doesn't involve much money. No matter what I do in life, I've NEVER been fired from FIVE jobs. I do ridicule public figures on this site, but I know I don't have much influence, so it's more fun than pure vengeance.
Dennis Miller operates on pure vengeance. Like all the Neocons (and I used to side with them five years ago so I'm not a loony liberal), Dennis has just let hate take over his former wonderful self. Neocons, like Dennis, hate everything: they hate gays, they hate blacks, they hate Hispanics, they hate Jews, they hate and they hate. It's all for the purpose of hating and nothing else. Is their hate dangerous? You bet, because it has led to the maming of thousands of USA soldiers as well as even more innocent people from Iraq who had NOTHING to do with our problems.
23 - John
> Has Dennis Miller ever taught a mentally handicapped man who hasn't spoken in twenty years to speak again?
Possibly.
> Has Dennis Miller prevented a high school student from stabbing someone?
Maybe.
> Has Dennis Miller ever had the guts to work with mentally ill patients in a nursing facility located in the worst part of Chicago, risking his own life to do so?
I think he did twice.
> I'm not going to brag about my achievements
Strange. That seemed to be what you were doing.
> Neocons don't consider the above achievements since it doesn't involve much money.
lol. Oh Daryl, you're cute. Filled with so much hate and you don't even know why. Throwing around terms you don't understand and silly stereotypes which make you look like a clown. HONK!
> No matter what I do in life, I've NEVER been fired from FIVE jobs.
That's because the fast-food and super-market industries like to retain their employees to cut-down training costs.
Seriously though D, I know you're just spewing out knee-jerk outrage toward people who have the audacity to hold different views than you do, but let me give you a little homework assignment:
Go ahead and research John Stewart's career and get back to me on how many jobs he's held in the entertainment industry during his career. And when you're done, do the same for Bill Maher.
Education is the key, my friend.
24 - Ray Ellis
tsk, tsk, john and daryl---do you really consider a string of non sequiturs the foundation for debate?
25 - John
Okay, I was going to let this slide and all, but I can't resist.
Daryl... For the love of God, please research the term "Neocon", because you're clearly unaware that it's a term specific to "hawkish" foreign policy.
It has nothing to do with social and economic ideologies. This whole racist-rich-hate-monger lunacy may be entertaining to the rest of us, but the terminology you're using makes absolutely no sense.
Please, if you're going to spew your hateful stereotypes, at least get your terms right.
Once again, I'm paying it forward for you buddy!