One liner Comics

http://fest.theskinny.co.uk/article/99755-line-em-up

The One Liner comic, are they coming back into fashion or did they never leave?
Steve Wright & Emo Phillips were two of the best, and in more recent times Tim Vine and Keith Chegwin have blazed a trail for the snappy silly joke.

Special mentions to Tony Cowards & Yatta on the BCG to name but two, who both write some great oneliners.

Twitter seems to be the perfect platform for One line jokes.
Has it started a resurgence in the oneliner or just amplified the mood for it?

Comedy fashion, like fashion...erm...fashion is cyclical, three years ago "whimsy" was all the rage (Terry Saunders, Josie Long, Isy Suttie etc had all the "buzz" up in Edinburgh), now it does seem to have swung back a little to "jokes", perhaps, partly down to Twitter.

Soon enough it'll be something else, then in a few years people will "rediscover" one-liner comics despite the fact that they never went away.

Interesting that they're coming back, because they definitely went away when the new comedy revolution started 30 years ago. All the old style non PC comics were one liner merchants more or less. Now, thanks to the likeable Tim Vine there appears to be no anti one liner code in comedy any more. I expect some of the top 'observational comedians' around still sneer at the practice tho, just my thoughts.

My fave Tim Vine joke (so far) -
'I got half way through a horse before I realised I wasn't so hungry after all.'

How many one liner comics does it take to change a light bulb.
2 one for the setup and one to give the bulb the punchline.

I know people accuse him of nicking them but some Bob Monkhouse one liners:

"You'll be glad to hear, I can still enjoy sex at 74 which is great because I live at 76."

"They laughed when I said I was going to be a comedian. They're not laughing now."

"I want to die peacefully in my sleep, like my father. Not screaming and terrified like his passengers."

"With my wife it was sex, sex, sex...Yes, three times in 35 years."

I love Monkhouse! And I like a lot of 'one liner' acts, but I've noticed that they don't go down too well at live shows. Personally I find it hard to keep up with the scatter gun delivery. I'd prefer to watch Tim Vine on tele than see him live.that way I can pause and rewind.

I like one liners, like Tim Vine, but generally prefer a short set from them, if that's all they're going to do. Can feel a bit insubstantial and unsatisfying if it's a full length show.

The problem is that it's going to be very hard for these one liner comics to break through. Tim Vine is already the master at it, so is anyone taking it in a different direction? A 1/2 liner, perhaps.

Quote: Ben @ August 13 2010, 6:03 PM BST

The problem is that it's going to be very hard for these one liner comics to break through. Tim Vine is already the master at it, so is anyone taking it in a different direction? A 1/2 liner, perhaps.

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Jimmy Carr is obviously a popular proponent of the one liner style, too.

Quote: Matthew Stott @ August 13 2010, 6:05 PM BST

Jimmy Carr is obviously a popular proponent of the one liner style, too.

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Yeah and I guess he's quite different to the Vine. I still think it's going to be hard, man!

I much prefer anecdotal stand up.

The only one liner I can listen to for a whole set is Steven Wright.

Quote: Ben @ August 13 2010, 6:06 PM BST

Yeah and I guess he's quite different to the Vine. I still think it's going to be hard, man!

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Don't tell Tony 'Mr One Liner' Cowards that!

Gary Delaney is about to break through to the big time and you have Stewart Francis, Milton Jones, Simon Evans etc

I think Persona & peronality can play a vital role.
With Steve Wright & Emo Phillips you buy into their weird worlds immediately. and their timing & delivery are immaculate.
Stuart Francis & Tim Vine on the other hand are very affable & likeable.
Tim Vine hardly even tries to pretend that he's not telling jokes & has some great self effacing stuff.
However when I saw him in a smaller venue years ago the audience stopped laughing after about 5 or 6 jokes and it was all a bit awkward after that.
But he's a lot more well known now & audiences know what they're going to get from him.

Quote: Tony Cowards @ August 13 2010, 6:56 PM BST

Stewart Francis,

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He's really good. Though having said that, I've seen him do the same jokes about five times now. They're good jokes, mind you.

Quote: Steve Sunshine @ August 13 2010, 7:11 PM BST

I think Persona & peronality can play a vital role.

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Absolutely; probably why I can't take Jimmy Carr over a longer set, but can for a short set.

I like Tony Coward's web developer joke. Actually, I'd be most grateful for a signed copy of it. Get in touch, Tony!