...may be one of the funniest comedians out there, and it seems as if he doesn't even try.
A few days ago, I nearly spent an entire day looking up videos of him on YouTube, and I have to say he is one hell of a funny guy. These days, nearly all successful comedians have to spend days, if not months, working on their material. However, when I see Zach perform his act, I'm under the impression that he doesn't even much effort for his jokes. He just pulls what comes out of his head, and coincidentally, it makes people laugh.
Now I will say that his material is not for everyone. Not because it's severely inappropriate, but simply because some people may not find his material to be funny. After all, a good amount of his material is self-depreciation, and those who don't have the best of personalities may not perceive it to be comical. At times, his material heavily relies on sarcasm, cynicism, and occasional humor regarding controversial topics.
One of the reasons that I think he has become more popular was because of his beard. Almost a decade ago, he hosted a show on VH1 called Late World With Zach. The show was ditched by VH1 at the end of its first season due to low ratings. For most of the episodes, Zach did not have his beard grown. It was quite an interesting sight really, because he is so well known by many today because of the infamous beard. He looks very different back then, on a show that was on air only a few years ago. Even today, I wonder if his popularity would exist in the mainstream culture had he not had a beard. The 'creepy hobo' look would be nonexistent, and perhaps some would have seen a 'clean shaved' Zach a lot less funnier. I haven't seen a single episode of the show myself, but considering the fact that it received low ratings, I probably won't get around to it.
There are a few reasons that I like Zach, some that make him apart from other celebrities today. Yes, the first one is a no brainer.
1. He's Funny
For the select few people who may enjoy his humor, he genuinely is funny. What separates him from many other comedians is how he doesn't have to continuously fire jokes to prove his point. Perhaps just the way he says certain things or the way he looks at the crowd is enough for one to burst into laughter. A lot of the funny things that he says may not be seen as jokes to some. Most of what he says can be rhetorical questions, remarks, or even obnoxious statements. It's really comes down to not what he says, but the way that he says it. Another thing that I like about him is that he is funny on and off the stage. His standup and performance in movies, more recently The Hangover, are stellar, but what's just as good are his interviews on television. I love the fact that he decides to blow his interviews off when on TV, he often makes a joke or ludicrous lies when asked a personal question. He is able to make the audience laugh, yet at the same time, he is able to keep his personal information...to himself.
Which brings me to my next point...
2. He Values Privacy
Ironically, Alan Garner, the character he plays in The Hangover frequently blurts out random information about himself, a good amount of that information is almost always inappropriate too. However, in real life, he likes to keep the juicy details of his personal life under wraps. It's hard to find a celebrity in Hollywood today who isn't part of a social networking site that he or she frequently updates all the time. Most of them enjoy tweeting either every little thing that comes to their head. Not only that, but you always see some stars making the headlines over the dumb things they say or do that they choose to make public. Most of these people only do it for the fame, with no regard to their credibility or reputation. Surprisingly, Zach keeps most of the details of his personal life to himself. Even on television, his line of jokes and non sequiturs distract the host and the audience away from the matter at hand. These days, it's good to see that there are a few in Hollywood to like to keep things to themselves. A while ago, he got engaged to his longtime girlfriend, yet those details never spilled out until recently.
Here's an article from Cinema Blend that proves my point:
Zach Galifanakis might often play character prone to blurting out overly personal information, but in his private life, the comedian tends to play it pretty close to the vest. A good example of that secrecy would be his recent engagement. The Hangover star apparently proposed to his girlfriend Quinn Lundberg at some point in the past, but no one outside his close circle of friends found out until one of the wedding invitations leaked this morning.
I'm not saying that everyone should be like him, but it's nice to have people who enjoy being out of the spotlight, instead of acting like the world revolves all around them. Maybe Hollywood wouldn't have such a bad rap if we had more people like Zach out there. But then again, that's just my take on things. Let me know what you think in the comment section below.
Thanks for reading,
If you have not seen The Hangover, I would advise against watching this next clip.
A few days ago, I nearly spent an entire day looking up videos of him on YouTube, and I have to say he is one hell of a funny guy. These days, nearly all successful comedians have to spend days, if not months, working on their material. However, when I see Zach perform his act, I'm under the impression that he doesn't even much effort for his jokes. He just pulls what comes out of his head, and coincidentally, it makes people laugh.
Now I will say that his material is not for everyone. Not because it's severely inappropriate, but simply because some people may not find his material to be funny. After all, a good amount of his material is self-depreciation, and those who don't have the best of personalities may not perceive it to be comical. At times, his material heavily relies on sarcasm, cynicism, and occasional humor regarding controversial topics.
One of the reasons that I think he has become more popular was because of his beard. Almost a decade ago, he hosted a show on VH1 called Late World With Zach. The show was ditched by VH1 at the end of its first season due to low ratings. For most of the episodes, Zach did not have his beard grown. It was quite an interesting sight really, because he is so well known by many today because of the infamous beard. He looks very different back then, on a show that was on air only a few years ago. Even today, I wonder if his popularity would exist in the mainstream culture had he not had a beard. The 'creepy hobo' look would be nonexistent, and perhaps some would have seen a 'clean shaved' Zach a lot less funnier. I haven't seen a single episode of the show myself, but considering the fact that it received low ratings, I probably won't get around to it.
There are a few reasons that I like Zach, some that make him apart from other celebrities today. Yes, the first one is a no brainer.
1. He's Funny
For the select few people who may enjoy his humor, he genuinely is funny. What separates him from many other comedians is how he doesn't have to continuously fire jokes to prove his point. Perhaps just the way he says certain things or the way he looks at the crowd is enough for one to burst into laughter. A lot of the funny things that he says may not be seen as jokes to some. Most of what he says can be rhetorical questions, remarks, or even obnoxious statements. It's really comes down to not what he says, but the way that he says it. Another thing that I like about him is that he is funny on and off the stage. His standup and performance in movies, more recently The Hangover, are stellar, but what's just as good are his interviews on television. I love the fact that he decides to blow his interviews off when on TV, he often makes a joke or ludicrous lies when asked a personal question. He is able to make the audience laugh, yet at the same time, he is able to keep his personal information...to himself.
Which brings me to my next point...
2. He Values Privacy
Ironically, Alan Garner, the character he plays in The Hangover frequently blurts out random information about himself, a good amount of that information is almost always inappropriate too. However, in real life, he likes to keep the juicy details of his personal life under wraps. It's hard to find a celebrity in Hollywood today who isn't part of a social networking site that he or she frequently updates all the time. Most of them enjoy tweeting either every little thing that comes to their head. Not only that, but you always see some stars making the headlines over the dumb things they say or do that they choose to make public. Most of these people only do it for the fame, with no regard to their credibility or reputation. Surprisingly, Zach keeps most of the details of his personal life to himself. Even on television, his line of jokes and non sequiturs distract the host and the audience away from the matter at hand. These days, it's good to see that there are a few in Hollywood to like to keep things to themselves. A while ago, he got engaged to his longtime girlfriend, yet those details never spilled out until recently.
Here's an article from Cinema Blend that proves my point:
Zach Galifanakis might often play character prone to blurting out overly personal information, but in his private life, the comedian tends to play it pretty close to the vest. A good example of that secrecy would be his recent engagement. The Hangover star apparently proposed to his girlfriend Quinn Lundberg at some point in the past, but no one outside his close circle of friends found out until one of the wedding invitations leaked this morning.
I'm not saying that everyone should be like him, but it's nice to have people who enjoy being out of the spotlight, instead of acting like the world revolves all around them. Maybe Hollywood wouldn't have such a bad rap if we had more people like Zach out there. But then again, that's just my take on things. Let me know what you think in the comment section below.
Thanks for reading,
If you have not seen The Hangover, I would advise against watching this next clip.
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