John Kearns 

John Kearns: the 10 funniest things I have ever seen (on the internet)

The British standup loves watching people falling off chairs, old men earnestly explain sandwiches and Will Ferrell bloopers. But who doesn’t?
  
  

John Kearns
‘It’s extremely pleasing when someone sends a reel that made them think of you’ … John Kearns. Photograph: Matt Stronge

I’m hardly on social media so I rely on good friends to send me clips and videos that they think I might enjoy. They are usually right and it’s extremely pleasing when someone sends a reel that made them think of you. A slow fall, someone’s teeth falling out, big characters, an old person being earnest about a sandwich: the internet famously has something for everyone. Below is a snapshot of favourites I may or may not stand by in years to come.

1. Dame Edna versus Piers Morgan

I once showed this clip to someone and they didn’t get it. I tried to explain it to them but that wasn’t happening. Showed it to them again. Nope. Don’t think we’ve spoken since.

2. This moment on University Challenge

I’ve always wondered which of the nicknames convinced the chap to buzz in with his guess. Has to be the Emperor’s Chambermaids, surely.

3. A man falling off a chair

This is a good fall. It’s slow. Not from a great height. Our hero’s dog and wife wander in. Brian May looks down. Freddie, of course, looking down. A fantastic expletive. It has it all.

4. This man making a ham sandwich

Certainly funny to think about watching but to then actually see it is extremely moving.

5. Jiminy Glick interviews Julia Louis-Dreyfus

Another moment where someone slowly falls off a chair. I’m learning what my sense of humour is doing this.

6. Bob Blackman sings Mule Train

An important reminder that this is essentially what all comedians do and is what people should expect from comedy. The naive pointlessness of it all. Inspiring stuff.

7. Victoria Wood: As Seen on TV – Two Soups

Along with her performance in Acorn Antiques, this sketch proves why Julie Walters is one of our greatest comic actors.

8. The ‘shoe party’ TikTok

I’ve called this “shoe party” but it is a video that I refuse to ask questions about or to find out why it exists.

9. This Irish man saying ‘hello’

“Anything becomes interesting if you look at long enough,” wrote Flaubert. It’s arguably the same with finding how funny the word hello is when being said by a nice Irish man.

10. Will Ferrell bloopers from Eastbound and Down

As a teenager I remember watching bloopers from The Office, and thinking, “Why would anyone not want to do that for a job? Of all the jobs, that looks a lot of fun.” I’ve not even seen Eastbound and Down but I have stolen the phrase “all the while” when needing to dramatically pivot after an improvisation has run its course.

 

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