Martin Short Defended by Fans and Celebrities After Critic Calls Him ‘Desperately Unfunny'

Support flooded for Martin Short on social media after the actor was the subject of a hit piece on Friday that criticized his 'exhausting' and 'sweaty' comedy style.

September 9, 2023

Martin Short is receiving an outpouring of love and support after a critic penned a hit piece against him.

The 73-year-old Canadian actor and comedian was the subject of an article titled "Why We Keep Putting Up With Martin Short" published by Slate Magazine on Friday. In the piece, author Dan Kois describes Short with an "eager-to-please flamboyance" that "would do anything, anything, for a laugh."

Kois continued to twist the knife, adding "I find Martin Short’s whole schtick exhausting, sweaty, and desperately unfunny. Throughout his evolution from sketch-comedy standout to uneasy movie star to twice-failed talk-show host to enthusiastic song-and-dance man, I’ve wrinkled my nose."

Fans and celebrities did not take Kois' words lightly and the article led to a strong backlash on social media, with fans and fellow actors defending Short.

"Martin Short is a comedic genius. End o [sic] story," wrote Ben Stiller.

Succession actress J. Smith-Cameron also weighed in, "The infamous Martin Short article is filled with clips or references to characters that the writer finds annoying somehow, but are so entertaining that the article is a valentine in spite of itself."

"I don't know what people are on about re Martin short - But his mr rodgers boxing Match is my fave," wrote actor John Cusack in reference to Short's Second City sketch.

"I mean, this clip is as funny as anything I've ever seen, so I don't know how anyone could ever deny the greatness of Martin Short," wrote on Twitter user with a clip of Short, as his character Jiminy Glick, interviewing Nathan Lane.

"I'm going to ignore the Martin Short hit piece & just enjoy him, John Candy & Eugene Levy performing hilariously as a punk band again," wrote another Short defender.

"'[M]artin short isn't funny' doesn't need argument because it's not even a thing, it's like someone saying 'the sun isn't hot!' You just smile at the person and hope they get the help they need," wrote another Twitter user with a more clinical approach to the matter.

Short, who currently co-stars with Steve Martin and Selena Gomez in Only Murders in the Building, rose to fame as a sketch comedian in the late 1970s. He joined Saturday Night Live in 1984 and created iconic characters like Jiminy Glick and Ed Grimley. In the early 90's, Short starred in the remake of Father of the Bride and shortly after made his Broadway debut with The Goodbye Girl opposite Bernadette Peters. He won a Tony Award in 1999 for his multiple roles in the Broadway musical Little Me.

Short has been honored with two Emmy Awards including one for his portrayal of Leonard Winstone in the series Damages. He earned an Emmy nomination in the Outstanding Lead Actor category for his portrayal of Oliver Putnam, a Broadway director and ocassional amateur detective, in Only Murders in the Building.