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Sickboy Syndrome: Five Great Comedians Who've Lost It

By CRACKED Staff September 13, 2006 115,274 views
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There's a scene in 1996's Trainspotting where Renton (Ewan McGregor) and Sickboy (Jonny Lee Miller) sit on a grassy knoll shooting BBs at a dog's rectum and discussing the slow decline in quality of the James Bond films. By way of explanation, Sickboy offers the following platitude:

Sick Boy: It's certainly a phenomenon in all walks of life.
Renton: What do you mean?
Sick Boy: Well, at one time, you've got it... and then you lose it... and it's gone forever. All walks of life: George Best, for example. Had it, lost it. Or David Bowie, or Lou Reed...
Renton: Some of his solo stuff's not bad.
Sick Boy: No, it's not bad, but it's not great either. And in your heart you kind of know that although it sounds all right, it's actually just... shite.
Renton: So who else?
Sick Boy: Charlie Nicholas, David Niven, Malcolm McLaren, Elvis Presley...
Renton: OK, OK, so what's the point you're trying to make?
Sick Boy: All I'm trying to do is help you understand that The Name of The Rose is merely a blip on an otherwise uninterrupted downward trajectory.
Renton: What about The Untouchables?
Sick Boy: I don't rate that at all.
Renton: Despite the Academy Award?
Sick Boy: That means fuck all. It's a sympathy vote.
Renton: Right. So we all get old and then we can't hack it anymore. Is that it?
Sick Boy: Yeah.
Renton: That's your theory?
Sick Boy: Yeah. Beautifully fucking illustrated.

Well, actually, it was more like "Sowae allgit old an' cannoe hackitaymoe," thanks to the pair's impenetrable Scottish brogues. And sure, the philosophy's been expressed elsewhere-probably by philosophers, I can't be bothered to check; and most definitely by Neil Young ("It's better to burn out than to fade away"). But I can't think of anyone who's put it as succinctly or as cruelly:

You get older. You can't hack it anymore.

In the pages that follow, we've put forward five comedians who, at one point in their otherwise stellar careers, started to age, as tends to happen. There was a time when their names were spoken in hushed, revered tones. Then, at some point, they became That Old Guy Who Voices The Groundhog in That Shitty Kid's Movie.

Tragically, it's doomed to happen to us all, at some point (getting older, not voicing cartoon groundhogs). Read on to find out when it happened to them.

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15 Comments

what about Hook?

2/2/2009 4:31:45 PM
PalinIsNotAMILF

wtf is this --> �
And why the f**k does it keep appearing in this, and may other articles?!
Not to mention the lack of the "s" after almost every apostrophe.
Still funny s**t, but there must be some formatting issues somewhere.

12/2/2008 6:43:08 AM
Darkmage

what about adam sandler?? his original movies were hilarious, and the s**t hes making now are compared to them.

8/24/2008 1:53:06 PM
Winkelstein21

It's funny that the article is called "Five GREAT Comedians Who've Lost It" and then you make it clear that you think Robin Williams, the #1 spot holder, was never funny to begin with.

8/22/2008 9:15:14 PM
Yarp

The number 23 was HORRIBLE!!!!

7/26/2008 3:22:56 PM
rawrosaurus_rex

What in hell is the "die of Robin Williams"? I'd better get off this internet before it makes me stupid...

6/27/2008 11:15:12 PM
winston

Why do Cracked writers all seem to be about twelve years old and / or in complete disregard of anything that happened before they were born? Jim Carrey didn't "first appear on TV in 1993". He starred in the series The Duck Factory in 1984 and had smaller TV roles before that.

6/27/2008 11:13:57 PM
winston

Yeah, actually I agree with the first dude. Chevy Chase was by far a much better actor than Meyers, although there was always a soft spot in my heart for that Scottish accent he did.

I, too, am sad to hear about the die of Robin Williams. And, coincidentally, I also heard while talking to my sugardaddy.

3/6/2008 7:51:05 PM
SO NOT A VIAGRA AD

I am terrible sorry to hear that.. while talking with my sugar daddy on SugarCupid.com, he told me the news about the die of Robin Williams. i respect the man and you never know how i am shocked at that moment!

2/21/2008 11:54:09 PM
Mary

I am terrible sorry to hear that.. while talking with my sugar daddy on sugarcupid.com, he told me the news about the die of Robin Williams. i respect the man and you never know how i am shocked at that moment!

2/21/2008 11:53:33 PM
Mary

I think it's a pretty good list. When I watch movies with these guys now it feels like they are trying to force the comedy that once came so naturally.

2/10/2008 9:09:54 AM
jramundson

Robin rocks. Everyone has their prime but he still rocks.

1/30/2008 6:38:42 PM
Rockman

Kinda funny; you got all the turning points wrong. Good Morning Vietnam is, without a doubt, one of Robin's most popular movies, much like Roxanne and Austin Powers 2. Meanwhile, the Truman Show was almost a chick-flik and convinced Jim that he could, y'know, ACT. The only salvation for all of these guys is, frankly, to go back to doing stand-up for two years; if they can manage to compete with Chris Rock, they will have rediscovered why people liked them. Robin's Live on Broadway was good, it just needs repeating.

12/27/2007 1:25:00 AM
BWM

Whover decided to put Mike Myers on the list should be shot

12/10/2007 1:42:46 AM
TheR3dMenace

Pretty good list, but I'd remove Mike Myers cause he was always kinda mediocre and put Chevy Chase there. This man made Fletch, Caddy Shack and The Vacation movies and now he's the guy you get if you can't find Charles Grodin.

12/8/2007 1:30:01 PM
Andrew D. Lacelle

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