Mark Twain Prize for American Humor 2021

[Chris Beachum Joined: May 22nd, 2011 Topics: 639 Posts: 869 View Predictions]

#1204288886

The Mark Twain Prize for American Humor will probably be announced in the next few weeks. There was no 2020 recipient. They generally have the ceremony in October. Who are the primary people under consideration this time?

Here is a list I have assembled. They are all over age 50 (knowing they have chosen a small number younger than that, but it really shouldn’t be an option to go under a certain age).

They’ve got to be willing and able to attend. I think some of these older ones might have been approached in other years but declined.

Alan Alda

Tim Allen

Judd Apatow

Candice Bergen

James L. Brooks

Mel Brooks

James Burrows

Steve Carell

Ted Danson

Kelsey Grammer

Goldie Hawn

Michael Keaton

Norman Lear

Bette Midler

Chris Rock

Jerry Seinfeld

Will Smith

Smothers Brothers

Jon Stewart

Ben Stiller

Betty White

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[Chris Beachum Joined: May 22nd, 2011 Topics: 639 Posts: 869 View Predictions]

#1204288919

Previous recipients:

Richard Pror (1998)

Jonathan Winters (1999)

Carl Reiner (2000)

Whoopi Goldberg (2001)

Bob Newhart (2002)

Lily Tomlin (2003)

Lorne Michaels (2004) — only non-American born person

Steve Martin (2005)

Neil Simon (2006)

Billy Crystal (2007)

George Carlin (2008)

Bill Cosby (2009)

Tina Fey (2010)

Will Ferrell (2011)

Ellen DeGeneres (2012)

Carol Burnett (2013)

Jay Leno (2014)

Eddie Murphy (2015)

Bill Murray (2016)

David Letterman (2017)

Julia Louis-Dreyfus (2018)

Dave Chappelle (2019)

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[vinny Joined: May 20th, 2011 Topics: 21 Posts: 20577 View Predictions]

#1204288939

God please be Betty white

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[Chris Beachum Joined: May 22nd, 2011 Topics: 639 Posts: 869 View Predictions]

#1204288947

She’s on this list, but there’s no way they’re going to get her to attend in Washington. She should have been chosen years ago.

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[String Cheese Theory Joined: Aug 16th, 2020 Topics: 8 Posts: 1756 View Predictions]

#1204289026

MEL BROOKS OR BETTE MIDLER

Failing that, Jerry Seinfeld

Jewish survivalist comedy representation

Bill Hader and Barry in everything (2 babka)
The Great - Elle Fanning, Nicholas Hoult and comedy writing and directing

Severance in drama series, writing, Adam Scott for best actor, Ben Stiller for drama directing, and the whole cast in supporting.

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[zkrons Joined: Apr 25th, 2015 Topics: 0 Posts: 86 View Predictions]

#1204289494

It really is a shame that Mel Brooks, Norman Lear, and Betty White have not won already.

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[vinny Joined: May 20th, 2011 Topics: 21 Posts: 20577 View Predictions]

#1204290057

Chris Beachum wrote:

She’s on this list, but there’s no way they’re going to get her to attend in Washington. She should have been chosen years ago.

Honestly, I’m cool with her Zooming it in. Just as long as she gets it.

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[Atypical Joined: Dec 1st, 2011 Topics: 73 Posts: 5006 View Predictions]

#1204290250

It looks like they’re leaning toward more contemporary choices lately, and it seems like a sticking point is that the recipient has to be there in person to accept. I’d go with Chris Rock. He’s getting this honor sooner or later anyways.

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[rantinanton Joined: Jun 22nd, 2017 Topics: 6 Posts: 383 View Predictions]

#1204290685

I’d go for Mel Brooks. Why he hasn’t gotten it before baffles me. Not that I feel too bad for him, since he’s already an EGOT winner.

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[Chris Beachum Joined: May 22nd, 2011 Topics: 639 Posts: 869 View Predictions]

#1204290712

Mel Brooks has likely turned it down several times. It took a few efforts to get him on the Kennedy Center Honors.

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[vinny Joined: May 20th, 2011 Topics: 21 Posts: 20577 View Predictions]

#1204291630

Another youngerperson that could be a possibility could be Bill Hader or Tony Shalhoub

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[24Emmy Joined: Nov 4th, 2010 Topics: 4 Posts: 98 View Predictions]

#1204292180

Chris Beachum wrote:

Here is a list I have assembled. They are all over age 50 (knowing they have chosen a small number younger than that, but it really shouldn’t be an option to go under a certain age).

More names to consider:

Jim Carrey
Stephen Colbert
Larry David
Conan O’Brien
Tracey Ullman

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[Chris Beachum Joined: May 22nd, 2011 Topics: 639 Posts: 869 View Predictions]

#1204292218

Since it says American Humor in the title, they might not be inclined to go with Carrey or Ullman. They’ve only gone with one person born outside of the U.S. so far (Lorne Michaels).

I wondered for a while why they hadn’t chosen the men from Monty Python or some SCTV-type people (O’Hara, Levy, Short), but that is probably the reason.

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[Rich Landry Joined: May 22nd, 2011 Topics: 4 Posts: 52 View Predictions]

#1204292923

I wouldn’t be surprised if they selected Conan O’Brien who is ending his talk show this year. They awarded Jay Leno the year he stepped down. I know they delayed Letterman a bit but I believe he received the Kennedy Center Honor so they may have wanted more time in between the two.

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[rantinanton Joined: Jun 22nd, 2017 Topics: 6 Posts: 383 View Predictions]

#1204298556

Why has Mel Brooks turned down the Mark Twain prize?

Also, Cosby’s got rescinded. And though I understand why I still don’t think it was entirely justified. Face it, he’s a great comedian but not a great person.

How about “Weird Al” Yankovic?

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