The End of Will Ferrell?

Like a lot of you, I have been a staunch Will Ferrell supporter for many years, from his days as prodigious cowbell maven Gene Frenkle on Saturday Night Live, to his legendary performance as the excitable Frank "the Tank" in Old School, to the seminal moment in AnchorMan when his character Ron Burgundy reveals to the world that San Diego actually means whale vagina. However, I think that Will is starting to brush up against the wall many comedians face when their shtick goes from fresh and hilarious to tired and antiquated. Part of this transformation is actually a sign of distinction, that one's style of comedy has been so successful, and consequently imitated, that its no longer original.

To me, Ferrell's problem stems from over exposure and formulaic movie choices. Usually a comedian has only so much funny in him, or in extreme circumstances, none at all, ie Jimmy Fallon/Dane Cook. He can either stretch the funny out over several years, or work incessantly to produce as much content as possible over a relatively short period of time. Will has obviously taken the latter approach, and I think it was his lackluster Super Bowl commercial that finally broke me.

In case you didn't see it, Will was hawking Bud Light using the character Jackie Moon from his latest film, Semi-Pro. Jackie is a basketball player from the 70s, and for this role Ferrell really stretches, playing a guy with bad hair and a huge gut, who blurts out random, disjointed phrases with an assured glare that is quickly betrayed when his features reveal him contemplating a final moment of self-actualization as to his own absurdity!

This latest offering means that in only a few short years Ferrell's covered NASCAR, soccer, figure skating, and basketball. God Will, just because a sport exists doesn't mean you need to make a movie about it. Is jai-alai next on the agenda? What about pinochle? Nobody has done anything of note lately in the elderly women card game genre.

I realize that I'm doing quite a bit of hating here, but I'm hating because I care. As a fan, I don't want to watch Will Ferrell descend into the murky depths of safe, predictable comedy. Hopefully, if enough of us speak up the message will get through, and come next Super Bowl we'll be spared the sight of Will in full jockey regalia, selling Bud Light from atop a racing camel.

[Will Ferrell] [Jackie Moon] [Gene Frenkle] [Saturday Night Live] [Ron Burgundy] [Cowbell] [Whale Vagina] [Old School] [Jimmy Fallon] [Dane Cook] [Jai-Alai] [Pinochle] [Semi-Pro] [Anchorman] [Camel Racing]