Can someone explain Steve Carell to me?

[Jeff Wrangler]

I just don't get him. I've now seen several episodes of The Office. I don't get the popularity of the show, either. For me it's just filling in the dead half hour between My Name is Earl and C.S.I. Anyway, I find the show dull and unamusing, and Steve Carell's Michael annoying and unlikeable. So can someone explain the popularity of either Steve Carell or the show? 

Much obliged! 

[Amber]

I think it all comes down to someone's particular sense of humor.  I happen to really like "The Office" and "The 40 Year Old Virgin" and loved his stint on "The Daily Show"  I can't tell you exactly why though *lol*  I just like his sense of humor and he seems like a quality person with a good attitude in real life and interviews.

I think everyone connects with things differently.  A LOT of people happen to love David Letterman, I can't stand him.  I just don't get his sense of humor and I don't like the guy.  Nothing more particular than that for me.

Maybe someone will have a more analytical stance on the subject - in the meantime, there are my two cents 

[Jeff Wrangler]

Much obliged, Amber! 

The 40-Year-Old Virgin was a big success, so obviously a lot of people do get Steve Carell. I guess I just happen to be a minority who doesn't.

It's not the first time. I don't care for Woody Allen, either. 

I think it all comes down to someone's particular sense of humor.  I happen to really like "The Office" and "The 40 Year Old Virgin" and loved his stint on "The Daily Show"  I can't tell you exactly why though *lol*  I just like his sense of humor and he seems like a quality person with a good attitude in real life and interviews.

I think everyone connects with things differently.  A LOT of people happen to love David Letterman, I can't stand him.  I just don't get his sense of humor and I don't like the guy.  Nothing more particular than that for me.

Maybe someone will have a more analytical stance on the subject - in the meantime, there are my two cents 

[David]

I hear ya Jeff!  I tried watching him too,  I just don't think he is funny.   

I just just can't put my finger on it.  Maybe he just comes across as being too smug?

[ednbarby]

I hear ya Jeff!  I tried watching him too,  I just don't think he is funny.   

I just just can't put my finger on it.  Maybe he just comes across as being too smug?

I don't think he's funny, either.  And I think you hit the nail on the head, there, David - it's because he's smug.  I don't think Ben Stiller is funny for the same reason.  And I'm one of the few people who can't stand Stephen Colbert, either.  I just don't like that brand of mugging-type humor, I guess.

For my money, I prefer the Corrdry brothers on The Daily Show.  I like Ed Helms, too.  They just don't seem to take themselves as seriously or something, I think.

[serious crayons]

It's just a matter of your particular sense of humor, I guess. The Office brings out extremes -- people either love it or hate it. I'm one of the former; it's probably my favorite TV show these days.

I call it cringe humor. It makes you cringe in embarrassment for the characters, yet that's exactly what's funny. Everybody on the show is hilarious, often in a really subtle deadpan way. Steve Carell's character is so annoying and buffoonish and insensitive and clueless and self-centered and un-PC and unwittingly sexist and racist and cowardly and obnoxious and, yes, smug that you laugh at him. Not with him, at him.

Unlike, say, Earl and Randy, who are buffoonish and clueless but are also cute and loveable, Carell's character is basically repulsive. Yet there's also this tiny little grain of dorky vulnerability and well-meaningness that makes you not entirely hate him.

In last night's show, for example, I loved when he was giving the filmmakers (for those who haven't seen it, the premise of the show is that it's a documentary being filmed by an unseen camera guy and interviewer) a know-it-allish tour around Manhattan, boasting about what a great city it is and how at home he feels there, and every single thing he said about the city was incorrect.

Or I keep repeating the line from a couple of weeks ago, when he was asked who his heroes are, and his reply (after a long perplexed pause) was, "Well, first of course there's Bob Hope. And then, well ... Abraham Lincoln. And, let's see ... oh, OK, Bono. And then, um, God, God would be fourth. They've all done so much for the world."

I just love that show. I laugh at almost every line. I like all the other characters, too. I'm always sad when it's over. (I like Earl, too -- the two shows complement each other really well.)

I didn't see "The 40-Year-Old Virgin." But the new movie that he's in, "Little Miss Sunshine," is getting great reviews.

As for the Daily Show, I like everybody on that, too, and Jon Stewart is one of my favorite people alive.

OK, now it's somebody's turn to explain to me the appeal of Adam Sandler. (And, true confessions: I'm not even a huge fan of Will Ferrell, though his new movie is supposed to be good, too.)

[David]

Adam Sandler and Will Ferrell?   UGH!   Two more idiots.    I have sat thru some of Sandlers stuff, but Ferrell is too much to take.   He is trying to be the next Chevy Chase.   Which in itself is a bad thing.  But at least Chevy Chase could get our sympathy in some of his characters.

Randy Quaid may have played a dufuss in those Vacation movies, but he has shown that he can be serious in movies like Hard Rain and BBM.

None of these guys will achieve the "Lovable Goofball" status of the likes of Don Knotts or Jerry Lewis.

[ednbarby]

Adam Sandler and Will Ferrell?   UGH!   Two more idiots.    I have sat thru some of Sandlers stuff, but Ferrell is too much to take.   He is trying to be the next Chevy Chase.   Which in itself is a bad thing.  But at least Chevy Chase could get our sympathy in some of his characters.

Randy Quaid may have played a dufuss in those Vacation movies, but he has shown that he can be serious in movies like Hard Rain and BBM.

None of these guys will achieve the "Lovable Goofball" status of the likes of Don Knotts or Jerry Lewis.

Hey, you, get outta my head!  I *cannot* stand Will Ferrell lately.  I've never thought he was very funny, and now he's just everywhere.  This interview they did of him on "Extra" last night actually pissed me off - all this B.S. about how he's really gay.  God.  Please.  I reckon you guys would throw him back (as in into the lake) if that were really true.  But to *joke* about it like they did - Jesus Christ.  Can I please watch the Espys again?  And to make it extra painful, can you please black out Jake's beautiful face every time it's shown?  Might as well give me a big paper cut and pour lemon juice in it.

I am *so* not watching "Talladega Nights" or anything else Will Ferrell is even within the same time zone of ever again.

Adam Sandler used to irk the bejesus out of me, too.  But he hasn't been bashing the crap out of the limelight lately, so I'm not nearly as disgruntled.

[serious crayons]

Adam Sandler used to irk the bejesus out of me, too.  But he hasn't been bashing the crap out of the limelight lately, so I'm not nearly as disgruntled.

That's only because you don't have two tween-age boys whom you needed to keep busy for an afternoon and therefore made the mistake of taking them to "Click." YUCK.

I actually thought Adam Sandler was pretty good in Spanglish. Unfortunately, Spanglish was probably my most hated film of 2005. I found it very offensive. But admittedly, Adam Sandler wasn't bad.

[Jeff Wrangler]

Among the legion of movies I haven't seen is The Wedding Singer. How was Adam Sandler in that, I'm wonderin'?

Will Ferrell looks to me like he's trying too hard, even when he's not even moving.