Richard Jeni has died...by his own hand. He was one of the most underrated comedians of the past decade and (along with Eddie Izzard and George Carlin) one of my all-time faves. To read these news stories, though, Jeni was just some washed up comic who appeared frequently on Leno.
Umm...no.
The guy was the perfect blend of intellectual and physical comedy. His timing was perfect. His wording and delivery were unmatched. The jokes were extraordinarily well-developed, moreso than any I've ever heard, and would build to ridiculous proportions, always going a little further than expected. It was overstatement; Richard Jeni was a master of overstatement. The characters and voices just made it that much better.
Jeni on religious wars:
"You're basically killing each other to see who's got the better imaginary friend."
He was brilliant and hilarious. And with North Americans growing fatter than ever, we truly
need the Joey Falco Diet Plan.
