Martin Short defended by thousands after he's labeled 'desperately unfunny' in savage attack
Claire Reid
Featured Image Credit: Roy Rochlin/Getty Images / Morgan Lieberman/FilmMagic
Thousands of people - including a slew of famous faces - have hit out after an op-ed branded Martin Short ‘unfunny’.
Short, who is currently appearing in the hit series Only Murders in the Building, has had a lengthy and impressive career since finding fame as a sketch writer back in the 1970s.
He joined Saturday Night Live in 1984 and has had memorable roles in The Three Amigos, Arrested Development, Modern Family and How I Met Your Mother.
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But not everyone is a fan of the long-standing star and on Friday (September 8) the 73-year-old actor and comedian became the subject of an article titled Why We Keep Putting Up With Martin Short, published in Slate magazine, which hardly painted Short in glowing terms.
Writer Dan Kois pulled no punches, when he wrote in the piece: “I find Martin Short’s whole schtick exhausting, sweaty, and desperately unfunny.
“Throughout his evolution from sketch-comedy standout to uneasy movie star to twice-failed talk-show host to enthusiastic song-and-dance man, I’ve wrinkled my nose.”
Kois went on to describe Short of creating ‘over-the-top characters’ that are ‘unbelievably annoying’. Ouch.
But following the publication of the article, a near-galaxy of stars, including Mark Hamill and Ben Stiller, and his army of fans were quick to show their support of Short.
Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, Stiller said: “Martin Short is a comedic genius. End o story.”
Star Wars legend Hamill posted: “Hard to believe people are actually debating whether or not Martin Short is funny. Newsflash: He is HILARIOUS. #ComicGenius”.
Con Air star John Cusack wrote: “I don’t know what people are on about re Martin short - But his Mr Rodgers boxing Match is my fav.”
Succession actor J Smith Cameron added: “The infamous Martin Short article is filled with clips or references to characters that the writer finds annoying somehow, but are so entertaining that the article is a valentine in spite of itself.”
While a fan took to the platform to say: “That article going around about Martin Short not being funny is insane to me, he is genuinely one of, if not THE funniest comedian of all time.”
Another said: “He was funny 50 years ago and he's still funny today. In fact, funnier. No one on the planet has ever made me laugh more than Martin Short.”
While a third joked: “You're entitled to your own opinion. Unless you think Martin Short isn't funny, then in that case, no, you are absolutely not entitled to your own opinion.”