The MOFO Preliminary Discussion of the Top 100 Comedies

This is so NOT the way to deal with Yin Just ask anybody that's run one of those monthly music tournaments that he's participated in.

When I said my ballot had recency bias, it was due to
1. The 2010's ballot positions having a much higher ranking than other entries
2. I had a massive drop-off once I hit the 1960s. I think in general film categories I'd have better representation from the 60s and something from the 50s (I think). And tend to have an bias against things from the last 10 years for "all time" lists (I also apparently think the last 10 years include 2010, so apparently on some level I don't realize we're two years I to the current decade).


Fwiw, I'm ~10 years younger than you. The few things I'm curious about is, how much the rise of VHS and home video played on shaping people's opinions of movies at that time - the whole, "it became a cult classic later." And also how that's shifting with generations with streaming.



And then more comedy-specific, how much people go back and rewatch their selections (at least compared to other type of all time great lists movies). That's something that's crossed my mind over the years whenever I hear someone complain about the lack of comedies on best-of lists. I think there's a preference for movies people can rewatch for those lists (or at least the people making them do), and one thing that hurts a lot (not all, but a lot) of jokes is seeing the punchline coming. Which is something that's going to happen if a comedy gets rewatched too many times. That's in addition to all the other explanations you hear about why comedies often aren't on these lists.


So I'm also partially wondering how much people are listing movies they've watched recently vs going off of their memory of when they first encountered it (I'm not saying one is necessarily more right than the other for this list because of the afore-described rewatching comedy issue). But that selection process is relevant for the teenage-imprinted years question.


Side note, I don't watch a lot of TV shows, but I feel like there's a much more comedic bent in the ratio of TV compared to movies in terms of my consumption. I do wonder if some of that's a reflection of my proposed repetition of comedy issue. You get similar types of jokes in a series, but not the literal same joke. (Though it could also just be, I want to relax my brain and that goes with wanting shorter segments of media consumption).

Done!

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Hey, I already submitted by ballot!

...a minute ago.

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That should make the 3 with mine incoming at the last possible minute.

I think this was the list with the most "near misses" for me, as well as the most last minute changes. It was really hard to weigh films I like more as a whole vs films I find funnier.

Not me, my ballot is heavy on comedies that were made way before I was even born.

We got our first VCR in 1984 I don't remember watching many comedies back then, mainly sci fi. I'm sure all exposure to movies shapes one's opinions, but I don't have a deep love for 1980s stuff so I can't say that what I watched back then effected my ballot much now.


I don't usually rewatch films so for me that wasn't a factor.

I just now looked at my comedy ballot and even though the films are heavily from the 1930s-1960s most all of them I've seen recently. I didn't vote for anything that I hadn't seen in years...A good example are the Monty Python films, I use to love them but I haven't seen them in 15 years plus so left them off my ballot.

Does anybody know why the last host @Thief is so silent? I don't see his name in the list of posted ballots.
Wake him up, please!

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"Population don't imitate art, population imitate bad television." W.A.
"You can't depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus." M.T.

I think he's still recovering.

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"My Dionne Warwick understanding of your dream indicates that you are ambivalent on how you want life to eventually screw you." - Joel

"Ever try to forcibly pin down a house cat? It's not easy." - Captain Steel

"I just can't get pass sticking a finger up a dog's butt." - John Dumbear

Well, I think I've got my 25. I'd still like to revisit to confirm ordering so I'll sit another 24 hours or so. ...or so. I'm also sure that I've forgotten some very obvious titles, as I did with the last countdown. I'd like to not make that mistake again.

sigh. the PRESSURE!

I literally just now submitted my ballot. Overall, I've been a bit away of the forums, or not away, but less active. Lots of work, lots of things on my plate right now, but I'm always lurking. Thanks for banging those pans above my sleepy head, anyway

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Anyway, I'm more or less happy with my ballot. There were a handful that I really wanted to include, but just couldn't. I would admit to some strategic voting, cutting some that I'm sure won't need my help, in favor of others that might need the points more. I also tried to focus more on pure comedies as opposed to more hybrid efforts (I don't think I put any romcoms, for example).

Ballot submitted. Decade breakdown, since all the other cool kids have been doing it:

800 B.C.: 2
1860's: 1
1940's: 2
1950's: 3
1960's: 1
1970's: 2
1980's: 3
1990's: 5
2000's: 4
2050's: 1
2140's: 1

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My decade breakdown...

1920s: 1
1930s: 0
1940s: 0
1950s: 0
1960s: 1
1970s: 1
1980s: 6
1990s: 8
2000s: 4
2010s: 4
2020s: 0

At least I wasn't the only one who accidentally submitted under a super obvious alternate account.

yikes, y'all. 2/3 of my list are from the 80s.

o . O

For me, all of the movies on my ballot I watched for the first time in my teens, but also only 3 movies came out AFTER I was born.

I think in my case it's pretty obvious. I was a teen during the late 1980s and 1990s, so my list leaned heavily towards those two decades. Aside from the nostalgia, I used to watch a lot of comedies back then, whereas now I tend to look more for thrillers, dramas, scifi, etc.

I will also admit that about 1/3 of my list are films that I've only seen once, but they surely left an impression.

My ballot actually has a fairly wide spread, with only one film from the 21st century appearing in it.

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IMDb
Letterboxd

that first line was so obvious that it distracted me from the later hidden gems. nice delay on that bit.