MetaChat - Settle an argument

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26 July 2008

Settle an argument Who's better: Laurel And Hardy or The Marx Brothers? thx!

post by: TheDonF at: 04:51 | 17 comments

You're comparing apples and oranges here, the Marx boys were more tart but Stan and Ollie have their own a-peel. Both are head-and-shoulders above Abbott & Costello and miles above the Three Stooges. Yes, I said it, I must now forfeit my masculinity because I think the Stooges aren't very funny.

Anyway, L&H were nearly perfect for silent movies, but Groucho and the boys got word power from some of the best comedy writers of their era. Yet, Harpo worked wordless, and L&H's voices were a solid asset when the talkies hit, unlike most other stars of the silents. So... I have no idea.

posted by wendell 26 July | 05:18

Je suis Marxist, tendence Groucho.

Both are good at slapstick, but I think the Marx brothers quickfire repartee has held up a lot better. Laurel and Hardy dialogue seems a bit lugubrious by modern standards. And the surreal stuff was ahead of its time.

posted by TheophileEscargot 26 July | 05:21

I agree about the Three Stooges... but I have a slightly soft spot for Abbot and Costello (in fruit, that's known as "bruising").

Ima hafta go with The Marx Brothers, TheDonF, (insofar as given a choice to watch a film from one or the other, I'd more often choose the Marx boys).

posted by taz 26 July | 05:23

Stan Laurel was behind it all, so it's him against Harpo and Karl.
In a fight? Marxist will play dirty.

i vote Stan.

posted by ethylene 26 July | 06:25

Marx Brothers. A lot wittier and more urbane, and faster paced.

posted by Miko 26 July | 09:42

Here's another vote for the Marx Bros, as they were far more subversive with their humour, which appeals to me more. "We took some pictures of the native girls, but they weren't developed. But we're going back again in a couple of weeks!" Hell, you couldn't get away with a line like that today. I still watched all the L & H shows that they put on the TV on Sundays when I was growing up, and liked 'em.

posted by Zack_Replica 26 July | 10:06

Heh, I actually thought that you'd written: Who's funnier--Laurel and Hardy or The Matrix Brothers, and I was like--what the fuck??? What kind of a comparison is that!?

I didn't even realize who the Matrix brothers were until I remembered the two albino twins and then I considered your comparison to be a stroke of genius.

Now, those guys were Hilarious!

posted by hadjiboy 26 July | 10:26

The Marx Brothers. I'm not even going to dignify the inquiry with an explanation. It's just, the answer is, The Marx Brothers.

posted by rainbaby 26 July | 11:10

Yes, yes, but what of my love for Stan Laurel? He was adorable.

posted by ethylene 26 July | 11:13

Harpo and Chico Marx at the Lemonade Stand.

posted by TheophileEscargot 26 July | 11:39

I've disliked Harpo Marx ever since I was 10 years old, when I saw him on I Love Lucy. Just not that funny.

posted by HotPatatta 26 July | 11:56

Marx Bros, unless Richard (GHAAAAH!) Marx is any relation to them.

posted by shane 26 July | 12:55

Who's funnier--Laurel and Hardy or The Matrix Brothers..?

Who's funnier--the Coen Bros or the Wachowski Bros?

posted by shane 26 July | 12:57

I rarely laugh at Marx Brothers bits, but they do entertain me and they quite often make me think. Laurel and Hardy just make me laugh. So who is better depends on the mood I am in.

posted by Ardiril 26 July | 15:12

If you have to ask... Maybe it has something to do with the unlimited B&W Saturday TV marathons of Laurel and Hardy of my childhood, compared to the admission-paid Marx Brother's midnight movies of my teenage years.

posted by StickyCarpet 26 July | 15:21

What rainbaby said.

posted by Jaltcoh 27 July | 15:12

Thank you! Ha! I win! Marx Brothers rule!

posted by Specklet 27 July | 17:43

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