Macdonald is not going anywhere

On September 14, Norm Macdonald died of leukemia and the comedy world was deprived of one of its most polarizing and stealthily intelligent members. Macdonald’s humor was as reserved and patient as it was quick, seeking to confuse listeners with precise frankness. He was singular: few other comedians are brave enough to intentionally bombard television.

Although he had a Netflix show and a robust and successful stand-up career, most still recognize him for his iconic tenure as the host of the Weekend Update segment on Saturday Night Live from 1993 to 1998. His unusual style simple charmed audiences, but he was occasionally involved in conflicts with the show’s management elements due to his nonchalant attitude towards controversial topics. When he wasn’t calling Michael Jackson a “gay pedophile” or teasing the Clintons, his staunch muse was OJ Simpson, whose eleven-month double murder trial served as Macdonald’s relief and punching bag in such a way. reliable that at the end of his tenure on the show that his mere mention could provoke waves of nervous laughter from the public.

Don Ohlmeyer, president of NBC’s West Coast division, pulled Macdonald from the segment in 1998 with his casus belli dropping audience ratings. Macdonald, however, publicly attributed his dismissal to Ohlmeyer’s long-standing friendship with Simpson.

Macdonald had a series of other shows afterwards, including a three-season sitcom without exception in the Seinfeldian vein called “The Norm Show”, but it (along with the others) was abruptly canceled. His 2018 Netflix show “Norm Macdonald Has a Show” was also not renewed following his comments in favor of Louis CK and Roseanne Barr.

It’s hard to pick a single moment that captures all of the monotonous dexterity of Macdonald’s humor, but a serious contender would be this joke, delivered in “Late Night with Conan O’Brien,” told with such lengthy discipline it It’s not hard to imagine it coming in 20th at the 2007 World Series of Poker or writing a curvy and skillful quasi-novel like “Based on a True Story: A Memoir.” “

Macdonald’s influence on modern comedy has been pronounced since his days with Saturday Night Live, but even with crowds of stand-up amateurs aping his every move, no one has been able to replicate the stealthy look. which made Norm Macdonald himself.

Written by: Jacob Anderson – arts@theaggie.org