Julia Louis-Dreyfus, as Elaine Benes, funniest female character on television ever?

[Roo Returns]

She was like a really good bass player for that show/group/role;

She added a lot of layers and elevated the cast, but she herself isn't the funniest all time female character.

 

[x Tame Impala]

didn't you start this thread a couple of years ago?

I don’t think so? Check my thread history

 

[PANARIN BREAD FAN]

bertha and evelyn from 2 and a half men

 

[HanSolo]

Better as Selina Meyer.

Except in the last season where they kind of turned her into a cartoon until the last episode

So, for me, JDL as Selina Meyer
Jessica Walter as Lucille Bluth and as a bonus Mallory Archer who's basically a more exaggerated Lucille Bluth
Debra Jo Rupp as Kitty Forman
Tina Fey as Liz Lemon

 

[Mike C]

Feebi and peg bundy

Jean Stapleton says a hearty hello

 

[mrmovies779]

Audrey Meadows

 

[x Tame Impala]

Jessica Walter as Lucille Bluth really gets me.

She’s one of my all time favorites but Arrested Development didn’t have as long of a runtime. Criminally cut short.

If you counted Lucile Bluth and Mallory Archer together I think that’d be a great rival to Elaine.

 

[Mike C]

To be honest, I've never really found Elaine funny. Of course, I'm one of those weirdos who doesn't find the show all that funny, either.

For me, the funniest female TV character may be Betty White's Rose Nylund on The Golden Girls. Everything that came out of her mouth was a riot.

I like another Betty, her neighbor Wilma too!

 

[Shareefruck]

She’s one of my all time favorites but Arrested Development didn’t have as long of a runtime. Criminally cut short.

If you counted Lucile Bluth and Mallory Archer together I think that’d be a great rival to Elaine.

I don't see how number of seasons is relevant to the question, personally. Great is great.

 

[mrmovies779]

Marcy from MWC was great too.the fights her and Al had are legendary

 

[HeisenBaez]

Can't stand her. She is up there as one of the most annoying characters on TV.



Roz from Frasier.

Truer words were spoken, my friend.

I think Seinfield in general is vastly overrated as a show. I've always thought MASH, Cheers, Frazer, Wings, Bob Newhart, Night Court, were all better shows than Seinfield.

As for JLD, Christine Campbell > Elaine Benes.

Funniest female character: Phoebe from Friends. I don't like the show itself but Phoebe is hilarious.

 

[Primary Assist]

Christina Applegate from Married with Children isn't #1 but I think she deserves a shout-out in this thread

 

[TheAngryHank]

Truer words were spoken, my friend.

I think Seinfield in general is vastly overrated as a show. I've always thought MASH, Cheers, Frazer, Wings, Bob Newhart, Night Court, were all better shows than Seinfield.

As for JLD, Christine Campbell > Elaine Benes.

Funniest female character: Phoebe from Friends. I don't like the show itself but Phoebe is hilarious.

Phoebe was also the hottest.

 

[DaaaaB's]

Kaitlin Olson on It's Always Sunny for me. Her physique really helps selling it too.

I watched season 1 of Its Always Sunny quite a few years ago, enjoyed it and have long planned on watching more as I also have a few friends who love the show. However, after watching that best of Dee video I'm not sure I'll bother. I'm sure a lot of those clips are taken out of context but wow talk about annoying and unfunny. I don't remember her being annoying like that in season 1.

 

[Shareefruck]

I watched season 1 of Its Always Sunny quite a few years ago, enjoyed it and have long planned on watching more as I also have a few friends who love the show. However, after watching that best of Dee video I'm not sure I'll bother. I'm sure a lot of those clips are taken out of context but wow talk about annoying and unfunny. I don't remember her being annoying like that in season 1.

Ehh... I'd encourage you not to be so quick to judge the entirety of the show on those two videos, most of which are from episodes long after the show started to decline (and arguably jumped the shark), in my opinion, on top of being out of context. It's like judging The Simpsons based on the vibe of clips from after season 8.

It starts to get progressively more hit or miss from season 5 onwards and sometimes becomes really obnoxious, IMO (lots of people still love 5-7, but the first clip is from all the way in season 9). You'll want to at least watch until the season 4 finale, "The Nightman Cometh", IMO.

It does get significantly more unhinged after season 1, however, but in a good way that still feels organic and natural, I'd say.

 

[Spring in Fialta]

I always wonder if shows like that just get worse because of simply how rich/famous the talent involved gets. I have zero care about things being relatable (for me, it's got to be the most overrated artistic concept ever brought up) but just in terms of the life being led and how busy these things can get if it just depresses the brain from being able to maintain a certain creativity. I guess someone like Larry David seems to have a pretty good hold on that but still.

I'm really not familiar with the recent seasons at all but I did get a nice laugh out of this clip so maybe they still have a bit of juice:

 

[DaaaaB's]

Ehh... I'd encourage you not to be so quick to judge the entirety of the show on those two videos, most of which are from episodes long after the show started to decline (and arguably jumped the shark), in my opinion, on top of being out of context. It's like judging The Simpsons based on the vibe of clips from after season 8.

It starts to get progressively more hit or miss from season 5 onwards and sometimes becomes really obnoxious, IMO (lots of people still love 5-7, but the first clip is from all the way in season 9). You'll want to at least watch until the season 4 finale, "The Nightman Cometh", IMO.

It does get significantly more unhinged after season 1, however, but in a good way that still feels organic and natural, I'd say.

Ok, that's good to know and yeah kind of silly to judge it off those videos. I'm sure I'd appreciate some of those clips more if I saw the whole episode too. I did enjoy what I've seen so far particularly the characters Charlie and Mac.

 

[SJSharksfan39]

I'm a little bummed I'm the only one who has mentioned The Good Place. Maybe it's just too new, but I thought it was one of the more original network sitcoms to come out. I don't really know if it was more funny or dramatic, but I mentioned Eleanor up thread and I was thinking maybe even Janet could get a mention. D'arcy Carden was incredible in that role.

 

[WetcoastOrca]

I’ll go Jean Stapleton as well.
The whole cast of All in the Family was top notch.

 

[Spring in Fialta]

Not on TV but I think the greatest female comedic performance of all-time in Sandra Bernhard in The King of Comedy. I know it'd be easy to argue that it's not fully comic but goddamn. The peak of DeNiro's talent as well. He's got more famous roles but if there's one that justifies him, it's that one. Casino also gets underrated because he's essentially a straight man/everyman in that one as opposed to the other major characters.

 

[zombie kopitar]

most of which are from episodes long after the show started to decline (and arguably jumped the shark)

Just curious, when do you think IASIP jumped the shark, and when do you think they started to decline?

 

[Shareefruck]

Just curious, when do you think IASIP jumped the shark, and when do you think they started to decline?

Depends on how strict the definition of those are-- I'm using them pretty loosely.

A lot of people would disagree, but I think it starts to decline as early as season 5, personally (as in I start to have more and more skepticism of at least parts of it, not that it's not still a ton of fun/still has great episodes/peak moments). Jumps the shark maybe around season 8 (as in it becomes pretty mediocre overall, parts of it outright bad, but still occasional good moments-- Maybe not irredeemably terrible).

I definitely didn't continue to enjoy the show as deep into its run as lots of other people here seem to, though (though I also seem to like season 1 way more than other people do).

 

[Roo Returns]

Susie Essman from Curb Your Enthusiasm deserves a mention here. She is legit hilarious.

As for Friends, never got it at all. I was in a car getting ready for a friend's wedding and a friend's g/f put on the Phoebe has a cold voice scene. The three women in the car were in tears, barely a chuckle from a guy.

 

[Spring in Fialta]

Yeah, I'm not even indifferent to Friends. I find it actively awful.

 

[DaaaaB's]

Susie Essman from Curb Your Enthusiasm deserves a mention here. She is legit hilarious.

As for Friends, never got it at all. I was in a car getting ready for a friend's wedding and a friend's g/f put on the Phoebe has a cold voice scene. The three women in the car were in tears, barely a chuckle from a guy.

Friends along with The Big Bang Theory are the most overrated sitcoms of all-time imo. Both of them are painful to watch.