Is Rupert Pupkin supposed to be funny?

I liked his stand up. But then, I do like mean humor. I even laughed at "pride and joy."

I think he's supposed to be funny and yet not funny. This whole movie is. It messes with your mind.

I thought that Rupert's act wasn't terrible. It wasn't brilliant, but it wasn't any worse than a lot of people who make it in stand-up comedy.

In other words, he wasn't nearly as good as he believed himself to be, but Scorcese decided not to make his act a complete failure and caricature either. Perhaps Rupert is somebody who may have had some moderate talent, but the point was that he was so obsessed with celebrity that he decided to bypass the necessary school of "starting at the lowest rung of the ladder" that might have honed his material and presentation into something better.

I thought the characterisation was fairly clear. Pupkin was a talentless hack with delusions of grandeur. His act was terrible. Intentionally so, for the purposes of the movie. I mean, superficially it was competent. He didn't look fazed by being on stage and his delivery was OK. He didn't look totally out of place. But the actual gags were awful. The studio audience laughed, but they're primed to do that with the auto-cues anyway. It's not genuine.

Considering the guy spent his entire life working up that one (really bad) act, he could hardly be considered a natural comedian. I think the suggestion is there that if Pupkin had been willing to bust his balls on the bottom rung comedy circuit, repeatedly honing his act and gradually building up a reputation, he might have made it to a decent level. He could at least have been a passable comedian. What was suggested by the studio talent agent was actually fairly sound advice (once you get past her polite, thinly veiled comtempt for its subject).

But Pupkin just wasn't interested in doing that. He felt that stardom was simply his by natural right, and he was willing to go to any lengths to get it. He didn't feel that he had to work for it. He just wanted to be a celebrity by default. He wasn't of sound mind, obviously. You can see that in his totally inappropriate behaviour throughout the movie, and in his utter detachment from reality, his total absence of realistic self appraisal.

In the final scene, Pupkin is introduced on stage, and he's soaking up all this applause, but he's not actually doing anything. And that's because he has literally nothing to offer. It's not his talent that has made him famous. Just his lust for fame, and what he was willing to do to get it. He's merely famous for being famous. In the age of Paris Hilton and Kevin Federline, that's a sharper comment now than it ever was back in the early eighties. But what probably hasn't penetrated Pupkin's haze of self delusion, is that the people are really laughing at him, rather than with him. He's destined to become a figure of ridicule who will quickly be discarded to the dustbin of public interest.

MEANS STREETS REVIEW: http://robertod.wordpress.com/2009/10/01/blood-and-redemption-mean-streets-review

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I think it's important to remember that Jerry's secretary listened to the tape and, as politely as possible, rejected it because she didn't think it was any good.

I think that's how we're supposed to view his routine as well. Amateurish and not worthy of a spot on national TV.

He didn't get on the show as a result of his talent, after all.





"I've got six black Cordelias. Isn't that lovely?"

He definitely isnt superstar funny. ie he does not have the potential for his career to take off in the huge way that he imagines.

He's not the absolute worst comedian that anyone has ever seen. But on any professional bill in any mediocre comedy club, he would be outshone. He'd never have got a shot at a TV spot in normal circs.

[deleted]

Rupert is an overly obsessed fame seeker with limited comedic talent - that's the best way I could described him.

Whether he was funny or not, that's left to each individual viewer. From the very beginning of the film, we DID see him make jokes, e.g., when he gets into Jerry's car, Pupkin attempts to leave an impression on him by giving it his best; I for one laugh at the pride and joy joke each time. Or how about when Rupert is in Jerry's home: he's sarcastically responding to the furious Jerry pretending Jerry is mad at Rita and not him. There were many scenes that were awkwardly funny too, most notably Rupert's attempt to get into touch with Jerry by nagging the beautiful blonde, along with the fantasy scenes. As for his final routine on television, I'd call it average, but far from unfunny. Funny situations occurred whenever Pupkin was around, but his own comedic talents were not half bad... for an amateur. The problem with Pupkin was he had a lot of aspiration, but he lacked the dedication and experience to reach the top. He wanted everything to happen for him overnight, and it was implied he had never performed in front of a live audience, so he had much work to do.





The prostitution rests. - Kelly Bundy

I thought it was funny that he was unfunny but he thought he was funny..

if that made sense.

Rupert acts like hes god's gift to comedy and its hilarious how delusional some people can be..Take a look at modern reality shows like X factor etc