Delusions of humour of the week: Tim Mollen

2 July 2004

Tim Mollen reminds us of Bruno Kirby's character in Good Morning Vietnam. The polka-loving lieutenant jealous of Robin Williams' popularity and convinced that he is in fact far funnier.

After being told not only that is he not funny, but that he actually sucks the sweat off a dead man's balls, he asserts, with all of the stomach-churning dignity of the truly deluded: "Sir, in my heart, I know I'm funny." Similarly, there is no doubt that in his heart, Tim Mollen knows he is funny. Similarly, he isn't. Not by a long chalk.

Look at him.

...

OK, he may *look* funny But Yasser Arafat *looks* funny. Cilla Black *looks* funny. Zeppo Marx *looked* funny if you caught him in the right light. But looks, like Jewish Mormons, can be deceptive.

As well as Tim Mollen's website, 'a funny little corner of the web' as he calls it, he also runs improv comedy workshops. Here, hover over the photos and you have a perfect example of the Mollen Effect.

As you can see, he is able to totally transform ordinary not particularly-humorous-looking people into embarrassing gurning clowns you'd quite happily go at with an axe. Look at the woman in the green t-shirt third from your right. She is standing right next to Tim. Look what she does. She holds up two fingers behind the head of the man in front with the amusing cast on his arm. Tim told her to do that. He said, "Trust me. That's funny. I know funny, and that's funny."

Tim Mollen also acts. Remember?

He played 'The Cleric' in a film called 'Divine Intervention'. It was made by a friend of his. It never got finished. But here's Tim's entry in the Internet Movie Database.

How cool is that?

Tim Mollen has a brother called Dan. Dan Mollen also hasdelusions of humour. He even has a humorous online magazine, which is not humorous. The magazine is called Mollen. Apart from Dan Mollen, one of the main contributors is Tim Mollen. Mollen Mollen Mollen. Mollen Mollen Mollen Mollen Mollen Mollen. The more you say it, the less funny it gets. Here is an article by Tim Mollen about Dan Mollen.

Here is an article by Dan Mollen about Tim Mollen.

On his CV, which is also on his site, Tim Mollen lists his 'Special Skills' as follows:

'Dialects, including: British, Irish, Southern, Indian, New York

Offbeat impersonations: Don Knotts, Senator Strom Thurmond, Julia Childs, Hair Club President Cy Sperling, King Friday from Mr. Roger's Neighborhood, the Pillsbury Doughboy, and many more.......'

We bet his Indian is a hoot.