Norm Macdonald Dies: Influential Comedian & Former ‘SNL’ Weekend Update Anchor Was 61

[neurosis]

Damn.

Didn't expect to see that in the news today.  Kind of a quirky weird comedian but he was oddly funny.

[YoDoug]

My favorite character of his was Little Chubby, on the show My Name Is Earl.

[MIL-TFP-41]

Norm MacDonald on battles with cancer: "I'm pretty sure, I'm not a doctor, but I'm pretty sure if you die, the cancer dies at the same time. That's not a loss. That's a draw."

[mowens]

I liked him as Turd Ferguson.

[gcode]

I had to look him up.
I've never seen him perform, never heard of him and have no idea who he was

[HTM01]

never heard of him

don't steal Del's line

[Jeff]

He was quite possibly the smartest comedian ever,pure genius. His sense of humor is unmatched.
Maybe the funniest thing he did was when Conan got the news that Jay Leno was kicking him from the Tonight Show:

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And then there is the classic moth joke:

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[neurosis]

I had to look him up.
I've never seen him perform, never heard of him and have no idea who he was

He's one of those comedians that you will either love passionately, or just flat hate. His comedy is very off balance and dry.  I think his best work was on SNL when he was doing the weekend update.  It was hilarious.

He's pretty highly regarded by other comedians and though of as a comedy genius. I've never thought so but then I'm not a professional comedian.

[gcode]

During the heyday of SNL ( early 80') I didn't own a TV
Once I did own a TV I didn't find it funny so the only SNL stars I know are the ones who broke out
into the mainstream.
I read that Norm was fired from SNL for making jokes about OJ who was a good friend of the network boss
The more things change, the more they stay the same.

[neurosis]

He was brutal on OJ.  It seemed like the more they tried to get Norm to lighten up on OJ the worse he got.  

[Jeff]

He was brutal on OJ.  It seemed like the more they tried to get Norm to lighten up on OJ the worse he got.  

Yep, it was awesome. And that was ultimately what got him fired. The NBC pres was friends with OJ and told him to stop, of course telling Norm not to do something makes him do it 110% more.  

[Dan_AKA_ROY23]

I had to look him up.
I've never seen him perform, never heard of him and have no idea who he was

Norm MacDonald was unique. He had a style different than anyone else. As Jeff said, pure genius. One of those naturally funny guys. Dry wit humor... which worked so well with him.

[mowens]

"During the heyday of SNL ( early 80') I didn't own a TV"
I hate to disagree with you gcode but the heyday was 1975 to 1980 when the last original cast member left. Lorne Michael's also left. I thought the 80s were a waste land on that show with some exceptions. Not nearly as bad as now, though.

[ghuns]

Best SnL weekend update anchor by a wide margin. His standup could be weird, but when he was "on", nobody has ever been funnier.

Just listened to a replay of an old Adam Carolla Show podcast where Adam and Norm break down the Kenny Rodgers song, Coward of the County.

[neurosis]

There is a clip out there of him on 'The View' around 2000.  He was just annoying the crap out the everyone on that show.     They looked like they were ready to throw him off.