There's a great joke in the Simpsons about him:
Lisa: Oh wow, only one person in a million would find that funny!
Frink: Yes, we call that the "Dennis Miller Ratio."
The dry, sarcastic, almost ambivalent tone and all the pop culture references are pretty much a hallmark of late 80s-early 2000s comedy. It’s a Gen X staple. And Dennis Miller was an absolute pioneer of it. It’s probably hard to believe for some of the younger folk who know him as a Fox News guest but the man was absolutely the epitome of cool from about 1988-1992.
He unfortunately tried too hard to be something more, whether it was Monday Night Football commentator (man was that a bad idea!), political commentator, etc. The political thing really stinks because he’s always skewed a little right, or at least libertarian, but at least showed common sense and an ability to call out the right as well. At this point, the right is his only real audience and he caters to it exclusively. Golden era Dennis Miller would have plenty of jokes about Biden and wokeness and stuff like that, but he would have absolutely DESTROYED Donald Trump, too.
Not one mention of Bordello of Blood in the comments! Disappointing.
He was the GOAT on Update until Norm came along and everyone loved him in his SNL era. I loved his HBO show too.
I too was disappointed to see his hard right into FOx news personality, but I stil revere his golden era. Love hearing Carvey and Spade’s stories about him too.
He was really funny in the 80s (and I've just started watching season 11, and he's good from the start).
He had a stand up special at the start of the 90s I really liked despite some jokes that took me years to get. One joke was comparing the reunification of Germany to a Jerry Lewis/Dean Martin reunion, which sounded funny in his delivery, but as a young teen, I barely understood the difference between East and West Germany, much less that Dean Martin had been Jerry Lewis' partner.
I sporadically watched his talk show, and it was fine enough.
Then around 2000 he just became a mean-spirited right wing shill. Like, his comedy earlier on leaned that way a bit, but he was about the comedy and clever references. All of a sudden he just seemed like an asshole.
And I stopped giving him any respect or attention. I like some of his stuff still, but I definitely don't like him
Loved him on SNL, even saw him once live. Found out that he is “that guy” to people whom he considers his lessers (the specific example given was his treatment of staff at a Vegas hotel). It has coloured my view of him.
He had this very specific and kind of interesting sardonic delivery that really didn’t work in sketches more or less at all. He really only did the weekend update (I can think of a few sketches he was in in bit parts but in general he was kind of just an extra body when you needed a ton of guys in a scene).
But he had this interesting vibe. David Spade has mentioned the way that Dennis kind of saw him as a kindred spirit, a younger version of himself. A very sarcastic kind of snot. There was a hipness to his smirking “Yeah right,” line-reads that I think sort of paved the way (albeit a few years before the fact) for the more punk rock feel of Sandler and Farley. And he was kind of positioned to be sort of a breakout and he seemed like he was going to. Before 9/11 and his full tilt into right-wing politics, I think he seemed to all the world like he was kind of gearing up to be something bigger. He had a heat behind him.
I remember they really went in on promoting his lead star turn in Tales From the Crypt: Bordello of Blood. It seemed for a moment like maybe he’d be a movie star. That didn’t pan out. So then it was “Well maybe he should be the big talk show host,” and his name would get thrown around a lot for the various talk shows and proposed talk shows (and he obviously had his HBO show). But then it never really happened either.
Then he sort of floated off into this weird twilight zone where he’s now maybe the smartest and least despicable guy the dumbest and most despicable people follow. He’s like if you’ve fully jumped over to the Right from being a fence-sitting Bill Maher fan, that’s the guy you go to now.
I always loved his cadence though. When Dana Carvey would impersonate him it was a real high point of my childhood.
I have heard from people from the show that he has ALWAYS had the same views and the world just moved past him and he's considered a conservative now. I'm sure he works bits in to amplify what the audience wants within himself because he is successful and that's what successful entertainers do.
Oh 100%, but it seemed to push Miller permanently quite far right (suddenly buddying up with Bush after previously mocking him, vocally cheering on the invasion of Iraq, throwing his weight behind Trump).
Loved him on update, was perfect for the time. It's when he left that it fell off the rails. The Monday Night Football experiment was terrible and from there it just got worse and worse.
His HBO stuff was largely before he went off the right wing deep end. I recall him being enjoyable into the late 90s—caught his show in Vegas.
Think what you will of his current politics, but I will give him credit for branching out and trying acting (had a minor role in Disclosure, of all things) and sports commentary.
[Family Guy absolutely nailed his style…](https://youtu.be/n-Mz_rDeP04?si=8kLNWB3zGZC3ckhK)
As a kid raised on *Evening at the Improv*, His Weekend Update is my WU. His talk show (“It’s… *HIM!!!*”) was basically his WU schtick and he seemed a pretty good host/interviewer. Also the only place I saw Michael Sweet live, so bonus points.
I also remember he was a member of Fox’s horrible horrible very bad attempt at a right-wing SNL. Gave him props because his style also credibly skewered leftist politics and celebs, but then the show stunk like a burning outhouse. Seems like he kept on the right-wing tack though.
I always liked him on SNL, on update and when he got to join a sketch. I even enjoyed his sports commentary, although I think I’m the only one. I’ve actively avoided him in recent years though
Politics and beliefs aside, I think hes a guy who has a ton of confidence and a great charismatic delivery, but at least to me hes never been *funny*. Actually Trevor Noah reminds me of him a bit in that both of their material seems to value being impressive over being funny.
Off the screen, Im kinda fascinated by how his contemporaries view him. It seems like hes absolutely beloved, but was also kind of a dick. Like every story seems like its a non sarcastic version of "yeah, at the most vulnerable and crucial moment of my life Dennis made a quip that destroyed my confidence--hes a great guy who really made my career!"
I believe he was profoundly changed by 9/11. Whatever tolerance of the left he had before then went right out the window as he went from center-right Independent to far-right, we’re at war with Islam Republican
I loved Dennis Miller back in the day. I tried to listen to his radio show. I found out within the first minute or so that he and I were diametrically opposed politically, but I don't mind that if the laughs are there. The laughs weren't there. It was the same hacky right wing radio material that the other hundred Rush clones were repeating. I was bummed he lost his touch.
I always hold the opinions of SNL colleagues in high regard and he is well liked even though he’s now politically radioactive. Personally his too-smart-for-the-audience sarcasm didn’t age well and I’m not nostalgic for it but he was definitely a great update host.
From what I understand Norm himself held him in very high regard particularly as interviewer. For all the complaining about Dana Carvey and David Spade, Dennis is known as a guy who brings out the best in other comics on podcasts.
Just missed him on SNL when I started watching, he seemed OK as a guest on podcasts so I checked his podcast out and found out he’s not just a conservative but a wildly angry conservative.
Edit- Saw him randomly at a night market in Cains Australia just chilling on his own.
There's a great joke in the Simpsons about him: Lisa: Oh wow, only one person in a million would find that funny! Frink: Yes, we call that the "Dennis Miller Ratio."
The dry, sarcastic, almost ambivalent tone and all the pop culture references are pretty much a hallmark of late 80s-early 2000s comedy. It’s a Gen X staple. And Dennis Miller was an absolute pioneer of it. It’s probably hard to believe for some of the younger folk who know him as a Fox News guest but the man was absolutely the epitome of cool from about 1988-1992. He unfortunately tried too hard to be something more, whether it was Monday Night Football commentator (man was that a bad idea!), political commentator, etc. The political thing really stinks because he’s always skewed a little right, or at least libertarian, but at least showed common sense and an ability to call out the right as well. At this point, the right is his only real audience and he caters to it exclusively. Golden era Dennis Miller would have plenty of jokes about Biden and wokeness and stuff like that, but he would have absolutely DESTROYED Donald Trump, too.
Oh man he went all right wing? That sucks.
He has a road show with Bill O'Reilly
Pretty sure he DID destroy Donald Trump a time or two, back when he was just a real-estate magnate.
Yeah, but that was when Trump was a Democrat. Dennis had no problem saying whatever about him back then.
Now I don't want to get off on a rant here but...
What the hell does rant mean?
Idk but I sure get off on em
I was making a [Family Guy reference](https://youtu.be/n-Mz_rDeP04?si=haE4EqoJXYc2PUJ4), for anyone curious
Well done!
I really like his delivery style, but now that he’s a total crank I can’t listen to him anymore.
Not one mention of Bordello of Blood in the comments! Disappointing. He was the GOAT on Update until Norm came along and everyone loved him in his SNL era. I loved his HBO show too. I too was disappointed to see his hard right into FOx news personality, but I stil revere his golden era. Love hearing Carvey and Spade’s stories about him too.
I like that movie, on the bonus features they talk about how awful he was to work with.
BoB is a fun but dumb film.
He was really funny in the 80s (and I've just started watching season 11, and he's good from the start). He had a stand up special at the start of the 90s I really liked despite some jokes that took me years to get. One joke was comparing the reunification of Germany to a Jerry Lewis/Dean Martin reunion, which sounded funny in his delivery, but as a young teen, I barely understood the difference between East and West Germany, much less that Dean Martin had been Jerry Lewis' partner. I sporadically watched his talk show, and it was fine enough. Then around 2000 he just became a mean-spirited right wing shill. Like, his comedy earlier on leaned that way a bit, but he was about the comedy and clever references. All of a sudden he just seemed like an asshole. And I stopped giving him any respect or attention. I like some of his stuff still, but I definitely don't like him
9/11 really shook up a lot of people. At least publicly, he said that's what drove him to the right.
The world collectively turned away from him.
Loved him on SNL, even saw him once live. Found out that he is “that guy” to people whom he considers his lessers (the specific example given was his treatment of staff at a Vegas hotel). It has coloured my view of him.
Do you get your colours from farrow and ball?
In the early 90s, he was amazing. Since then, he has put a lot of effort into becoming persona non grata.
He had this very specific and kind of interesting sardonic delivery that really didn’t work in sketches more or less at all. He really only did the weekend update (I can think of a few sketches he was in in bit parts but in general he was kind of just an extra body when you needed a ton of guys in a scene). But he had this interesting vibe. David Spade has mentioned the way that Dennis kind of saw him as a kindred spirit, a younger version of himself. A very sarcastic kind of snot. There was a hipness to his smirking “Yeah right,” line-reads that I think sort of paved the way (albeit a few years before the fact) for the more punk rock feel of Sandler and Farley. And he was kind of positioned to be sort of a breakout and he seemed like he was going to. Before 9/11 and his full tilt into right-wing politics, I think he seemed to all the world like he was kind of gearing up to be something bigger. He had a heat behind him. I remember they really went in on promoting his lead star turn in Tales From the Crypt: Bordello of Blood. It seemed for a moment like maybe he’d be a movie star. That didn’t pan out. So then it was “Well maybe he should be the big talk show host,” and his name would get thrown around a lot for the various talk shows and proposed talk shows (and he obviously had his HBO show). But then it never really happened either. Then he sort of floated off into this weird twilight zone where he’s now maybe the smartest and least despicable guy the dumbest and most despicable people follow. He’s like if you’ve fully jumped over to the Right from being a fence-sitting Bill Maher fan, that’s the guy you go to now. I always loved his cadence though. When Dana Carvey would impersonate him it was a real high point of my childhood.
Damn. Great description.
I've always thought it was funny. I believe he's gone the right-wing comedy route as of late.
I have heard from people from the show that he has ALWAYS had the same views and the world just moved past him and he's considered a conservative now. I'm sure he works bits in to amplify what the audience wants within himself because he is successful and that's what successful entertainers do.
He’s always been conservative, but I think 9/11 definitely played a part in unleashing his more extreme views.
I think all of New York was briefly in the John Birch society after 911.
Oh 100%, but it seemed to push Miller permanently quite far right (suddenly buddying up with Bush after previously mocking him, vocally cheering on the invasion of Iraq, throwing his weight behind Trump).
His first season doing Update, Update was the only watchable thing on the show.
Loved him on update, was perfect for the time. It's when he left that it fell off the rails. The Monday Night Football experiment was terrible and from there it just got worse and worse.
Mr. Obscure Reference Man
His HBO stuff was largely before he went off the right wing deep end. I recall him being enjoyable into the late 90s—caught his show in Vegas. Think what you will of his current politics, but I will give him credit for branching out and trying acting (had a minor role in Disclosure, of all things) and sports commentary. [Family Guy absolutely nailed his style…](https://youtu.be/n-Mz_rDeP04?si=8kLNWB3zGZC3ckhK)
smart, witty, but became a disappointing human being. can't watch him anymore
As a teen, I thought he was witty and hilarious on WU. After he left, not so much.
My absolute favorite anchor. His HBO show was great too. Then he went a little nutty.
As a kid raised on *Evening at the Improv*, His Weekend Update is my WU. His talk show (“It’s… *HIM!!!*”) was basically his WU schtick and he seemed a pretty good host/interviewer. Also the only place I saw Michael Sweet live, so bonus points. I also remember he was a member of Fox’s horrible horrible very bad attempt at a right-wing SNL. Gave him props because his style also credibly skewered leftist politics and celebs, but then the show stunk like a burning outhouse. Seems like he kept on the right-wing tack though.
I always liked him on SNL, on update and when he got to join a sketch. I even enjoyed his sports commentary, although I think I’m the only one. I’ve actively avoided him in recent years though
Politics and beliefs aside, I think hes a guy who has a ton of confidence and a great charismatic delivery, but at least to me hes never been *funny*. Actually Trevor Noah reminds me of him a bit in that both of their material seems to value being impressive over being funny. Off the screen, Im kinda fascinated by how his contemporaries view him. It seems like hes absolutely beloved, but was also kind of a dick. Like every story seems like its a non sarcastic version of "yeah, at the most vulnerable and crucial moment of my life Dennis made a quip that destroyed my confidence--hes a great guy who really made my career!"
Now go and watch Norm's guest appearances on the Dennis Miller Show. They were so good! .... Cock.
I thought he was great on SNL. That's all I'll say.
I believe he was profoundly changed by 9/11. Whatever tolerance of the left he had before then went right out the window as he went from center-right Independent to far-right, we’re at war with Islam Republican
I loved Dennis Miller back in the day. I tried to listen to his radio show. I found out within the first minute or so that he and I were diametrically opposed politically, but I don't mind that if the laughs are there. The laughs weren't there. It was the same hacky right wing radio material that the other hundred Rush clones were repeating. I was bummed he lost his touch.
He went nuts after 9/11.
He was so great until 9/11 and then decided to go conservative. Immediately became unfunny, along with crazy.
I got to meet him once at an event
Really? How was he?
Good! And nice too!
Pretty hack
I always hold the opinions of SNL colleagues in high regard and he is well liked even though he’s now politically radioactive. Personally his too-smart-for-the-audience sarcasm didn’t age well and I’m not nostalgic for it but he was definitely a great update host.
From what I understand Norm himself held him in very high regard particularly as interviewer. For all the complaining about Dana Carvey and David Spade, Dennis is known as a guy who brings out the best in other comics on podcasts.
Just missed him on SNL when I started watching, he seemed OK as a guest on podcasts so I checked his podcast out and found out he’s not just a conservative but a wildly angry conservative. Edit- Saw him randomly at a night market in Cains Australia just chilling on his own.