When I look at YouTube or the television and see stand-up comedians from decades gone by, am I right in thinking they became better looking as time went by?

On TV today, most of the top comedy faces are at least averagely attractive and totally unsexy people seem to be a minority. In the past, most of the top TV comedy names were people who would not be thought even slightly sexy by most viewers.

It seems that, in the past, beauty was a drawback to success in the performance of comedy but that today it is not a drawback and might even be an asset.

Is this true?

And if so, why has it happened?

Hi Jasmine, have you introduced yourself on that thread?, Welcome!.

I'm not sure that your premise is true, Frankie Boyle, Peter Kay, and Sarah Millican?, who do you believe is good looking?.

There seems to be a youth and beauty craze in all professions these days. Even politicians look better than they did in the past...at least the most succesful ones; they have to appear young(-ish) and energetic not fat, bald with ugly glasses. In banks or in offices they give the clerk or secretary jobs to the good looking dynamic persons more as to fat people. Same on telly. And as a comedian (stand up for example) there is no need to write your own material. The producers give the material to the "young and sexy" performers. But of course, there are exceptions...fortunately.

There does seem to be an influx of attractive stand ups - Russell Brand, Jack Whitehall, Noel Fielding, Tim Minchin etc. and those male comics who weren't that attractive to begin with have gone all Hollywood with their grooming, fashions and work outs - Ricky Gervais, Eddie Izzard and Jimmy Carr spring to mind.

Sometimes these acts are genuinely funny and it doesn't matter how handsome / ugly they are, or in the case of Russell Howard, having no comedy skills whatsover hasn't been a bar to appearing on television. However, I'm not sure if this is a new trend, I remember girls going bonkers for Rob Newman, Stewart Lee, Billy Conolly, Reeves and Mortimer, etc. back in ye olden days.

Have female stand ups become better looking? Nope.

Quote: Renegade Carpark @ September 4 2012, 1:16 PM BST

I remember girls going bonkers for Rob Newman, Stewart Lee, Billy Conolly, Reeves and Mortimer, etc. back in ye olden days.

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Was Billy Conolly handsome? I thought he looked like a scottish Frank Zappa.

I totally fancied Newman, Lee, Reeves and Mortimer when I was a kid.
And Herring and Baddiel, actually.

(Billy Connolly has always looked like a mad old OAP to me. So, no.)

Quote: Gordon Bennett @ September 4 2012, 1:33 PM BST

Was Billy Conolly handsome?

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Apparently so, he got his fair share of poon-tang. Maybe it was a height thing because John Cleese and Peter Cook were also highly desirable based on the women they went out with.

Quote: Renegade Carpark @ September 4 2012, 1:16 PM BST

There does seem to be an influx of attractive stand ups - Russell Brand, Jack Whitehall, Noel Fielding, Tim Minchin..

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If not tongue-in-cheek, then get help, RC.. asap.

Quote: Renegade Carpark @ September 4 2012, 1:43 PM BST

Maybe it was a height thing because John Cleese and Peter Cook were also highly desirable based on the women they went out with.

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Yes. Their fame and money had nothing to do with it.

Sarah Millican is a cuddly size and although that is not ideal for a woman wanting to work on TV these days, she has a pretty face and very nice skin.

She is most certainly a beauteous vision compared with Hylda Baker from long ago.

But she has what I would call a "boy-ish" (laddish?) behaviour...she's like a buddy "Let's all have a pint and fart!". She doesn't represent beauty and ladylike behaviour in the conventional way (as "requested" by the society). So personally I wouldn't count her as one of the "new style"(if there is something like that).
Julia Davis has that boyish behaviour too but let's face it...she's much better looking. *expecting an anti-chauvinist shit storm*

Quote: Gordon Bennett @ September 4 2012, 9:45 AM BST

There seems to be a youth and beauty craze in all professions these days.

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I agree, youth and beauty do seem to be essential to anyone hoping to 'be a celebrity' these days. Get your teeth whitened and a spray tan and you could be on TOWIE next week.

The Funny Women competition takes it to another level though, one of their prizes is a basket full of makeup, and entry to the comp requires only a photograph, they're not even interested in seeing a video of you performing. It's hard to argue they are looking for Funny Women if they only seem to be interested in how photogenic you are.

I think most of us will agree that the funnier we find someone the more attractive they become, it can be hard to tell if you're actually peeing yourself laughing, or just getting moist.

Quote: Renegade Carpark @ September 4 2012, 1:16 PM BST

I remember girls going bonkers for Rob Newman, Stewart Lee, Billy Conolly, Reeves and Mortimer, etc. back in ye olden days.

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Going back a generation Les Dawson, Frank Carson, Bernard Manning and Freddie "parrot-face" Davies had groupies throwing themselves at their feet.

As for female comedians needing to be attractive to be successful, I give you just two words: Jo Brand.

Quote: Tursiops @ September 5 2012, 10:21 PM BST

Going back a generation Les Dawson, Frank Carson, Bernard Manning and Freddie "parrot-face" Davies had groupies throwing themselves at their feet.

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No they didn't.

I did love Les Dawson repeats when I was little (still do!). But I've never loved him 'that way'...

I should hope not, I always hoped you never behaved liked you do in certain books!