Emo Philips

[Clownbaby]

I feel like someone's bound to have mentioned him before on here. I was obsessed a couple of years ago, forgot about him a bit, then the other day I had a mad Emo session on Youtube. He's a bit of an outlier next to my usual taste in comedians because I usually can't be fucked with character comedians who exclusively do one linery jokes in a special voice and a special costume but this lad's the only exception for me because Emo feels like such a specific and tragically sinister boy-man specimen of a creature. Can't take my eyes off him when he's performing. Especially in the early to mid 80s videos of him he's oddly pathetic in a beautiful thin Tim Burton puppet kind of way that makes the actually very sharp jokes hit in a way that is organically odd rather than gimmicky. He's one of them though where I absolutely understand why people hate him as well. Even if most people generally agree the jokes are on point and extremely clever, the look and the voice with it turns a lot of people off eh. I do get that.

He's a perfect example of the magic of persona-meets-look-meets-content as well because I think in about 2001, and for a couple of years, he must have fancied a different look or worried he wouldnt be able to do the classic look forever and briefly dropped it, and although the jokes were still great the whole Emo Philips vibe fell apart because this strangeness was all coming out of a very ordinary looking bloke on stage. He must have decided that wasn't for him because the haircut and the upsettingly tatty clothes came back fairly quickly and the natural balance was restored. It's not just about the jokes, it's the whole package.

This joke hasn't left my mind since I first heard it

"I had a great laugh at the expense of the car wash attendant the other day, I watched him trying to scrape all the bird droppings off my windscreen for hours and I never let on that they were on the inside"

Beautiful

[Jockice]

He's great. I'm a big fan. I did a face to face interview with him in the early 90s and he kept up the act all the way through it.  My mum was one of those people who couldn't stand him, in fact if he was on television she had to leave the room. Mind you, I was exactly the same with someone she used to watch. Cilla Black.

If you haven't already seen it, I'd recommend this. Prime Emo. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oh-15dBEvvY

[Clownbaby]

I did a face to face interview with him in the early 90s and he kept up the act all the way through it.

Aw cool! Everyone who says they've met him or spent time around him says he keeps up the thing the whole time, seamlessly. Surely that would be exhausting but I guess it's something he can comfortably slip into to keep it up for a long time like that

[DrGreggles]

Another fan here. Finally got to see him live a few years ago, after owning a couple of his albums since my teens.
Love his cameo in 'UHF' too. https://youtu.be/GYYuyvyr2HY

[Small Man Big Horse]

I'm very fond of him as well, like you say in the OP I can completely understand why some might hate him, but the whole package just works for me. If you haven't seen the two Hunky Boys Go Ding-Dong shorts I'd recommend them, he's on great form there: https://vimeo.com/rohal

[Dr Rock]

I did a face to face interview with him in the early 90s and he kept up the act all the way through it. 

SNAP!

[evilcommiedictator]

He's very good, there's been a number of comedians who have careers purely by stealing his work.

There's the whole question of doing his schtick in the "woke" era, but he's still damn funny

[Bazooka]

One of the best pound for pound gag deliverers.

"When I die, I want to go quietly in my sleep, like my grandfather - not screaming, like the passengers in his car "

[Neomod]

Saw him at the Brighton Dome in 88/89 supported by Judie Tenuta (who was basically the female Emo). Funny.

[BeardFaceMan]

Saw him at the Brighton Dome in 88/89 supported by Judie Tenuta (who was basically the female Emo). Funny.

Weren't they married too?

Anyway, fucking love me some Emo. With those kinds of character comedians it usually feels like they have the wacky voice and silly clothes to make up for a lack of material but Emo was an excellent joke writer, a lot of his stuff works written down.

[studpuppet]

Saw him at the Brighton Dome in 88/89 supported by Judie Tenuta (who was basically the female Emo). Funny.

She's the reason for my screen name! Emo always had more cleverness with words, though:

My math teacher asked us, 'What's five-nineteenths plus four-fifteenths?'
My brain started to bleed. She said 'Take it easy--what's our common denominator?' I said, 'A fondness for little girls?'
(laughter)
She was bi and large...

[Shit Good Nose]

There used to be quite a long interview with him on YouTube that featured him speaking in his "normal" voice, but I can't find it now so I don't know if he got it removed.

He occasionally starts to slip into it in this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWTMLdMBa0c but quickly reverts back to the Emo voice.  Also a couple of skits he did in the early 00s when he dropped the wig and the odd clothes had him partially using his normal voice.

Anyway, I don't mind him, but I can only take him in relatively short chunks.  Not sure I could go a whole set.

[spaghetamine]

"You don't appreciate a lot of stuff in school until you get older. Little things like being spanked every day by a middle aged woman: Stuff you pay good money for in later life."

a true legend, used to love when he'd spending ages struggling to assemble a trombone that would never be played

[Satchmo Distel]

The necrophilia and paedophilia jokes might get him canceled today. The joke above is surely homophobic?

[BeardFaceMan]

How is a joke about a boy/man getting spanked by a woman homophobic?

[McChesney Duntz]

This bit alone made me an Emohead for life (I like how this particular upload was shared by an actual Christian group, too):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDWJDQMsHuQ

[Hand Solo]

I was walking home, and a man hammering on a roof called me a paranoid little weirdo. In morse code.

When I went off to college, my father said, "I'm going to miss you." I said, "Sure you will, now that I broke the sight off your rifle."

[H-O-W-L]

Know nothing about him other than he starred opposite Phil Collins (Yes!) in an episode Miami Vice, but he had great comic timing in that. Wonder if I should check his work out?

[neveragain]

One of the best pound for pound gag deliverers.

"When I die, I want to go quietly in my sleep, like my grandfather - not screaming, like the passengers in his car "

I can't discern sarcasm online anymore so forgive me if you already know that that's Bob Monkhouse's gag.

[Hand Solo]

I can't discern sarcasm online anymore but this isn't his joke, it's Bob's.

I thought it was one of those anonymous old pub jokes? Except I've always heard it as 'passengers on his bus', which is a better punchline.

[Satchmo Distel]

How is a joke about a boy/man getting spanked by a woman homophobic?

Not that one, this one:

She said 'Take it easy--what's our common denominator?' I said, 'A fondness for little girls?'
(laughter)
She was bi and large...

[Jockice]

I've always taken that gag as by (ie past her best) and large...

[Ptolemy Ptarmigan]

I can't discern sarcasm online anymore so forgive me if you already know that that's Bob Monkhouse's gag.

I thought it was one of those anonymous old pub jokes? Except I've always heard it as 'passengers on his bus', which is a better punchline.

I had a vague memory of one of us claiming he'd told Monkhouse that gag when he was one of the contestants on Bob's Full House and it got used on the show. Found it here: https://www.cookdandbombd.co.uk/forums/index.php/topic,59669.msg3338178.html#msg3338178

[Clownbaby]

Know nothing about him other than he starred opposite Phil Collins (Yes!) in an episode Miami Vice, but he had great comic timing in that. Wonder if I should check his work out?

Yes do it

[Rizla]

He had a great one about his pet monkey that used to do a funny dance "when I held his leash up real high" which still makes me giggle.

Or was it a dog? Fuck it. Funny either way.

[Catalogue Trousers]

'Then he called me into his study. He looked at me sadly, shook his head, and said, "Emo, Emo, Emo..." I said "I'm the one in the middle, you drunken twit"...'

[Jockice]

Weren't they married too?

My ex-wife, who shall remain nameless. If I ever get near her gravestone with a flamethrower.

[Clownbaby]

Just thought I'd whack this in thread. Emo and Screamin' Jay Hawkins on Arsenio Hall

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3S7a4Uj2yME

There's so much going on in this clip, I love it

[Phoenix Lazarus]

My mother had five children.  I was the only vertebrate.

I saw my old pal from school in the park.  I ran up to him and slapped him on the back.  He fell on the ground then ran off screaming 'Mummy!  Mummy!'  and I suddenly realised if that had been my friend, HE would have grown up too!

[Neomod]

Weren't they married too?

I think they were, yes.