Manning is 80% racist, anti-gay, anti-immigrant "humor." I was surprised at the number of Brits who I later found defending this guy, including most mainstream news outlets. Even The Guardian, a liberal (?) paper, complained in its obituary about Manning's "middle class critics." I asked Brits why no paper in England could say the guy was a racist asshole? Instead what I got was what Russell Ginker posted below -- about how Manning was a real rebel, a true punk rocker who didn't care what people thought, and a surprising number of folks who seemed to feel like they were being victimized for liking him by jackbooted PC fascists.
I don't think David Cross is the funniest guy in the world but there is this at Cross's Wikipedia entry, and it reminds me of Manning:
"In April 2005, Cross criticized stand-up comedian Larry the Cable Guy in a Rolling Stone interview, saying 'It's a lot of anti-gay, racist humor — which people like in America — all couched in "I'm telling it like it is." He's in the right place at the right time for that gee-shucks, proud-to-be-a-redneck, I'm-just-a-straight-shooter-multimillionaire-in-cutoff-flannel-selling-ring-tones act. That's where we are as a nation now. We're in a state of vague American values and anti-intellectual pride.' This caused Larry to devote a chapter to Cross and the 'P.C. left' in his book GIT-R-DONE, claiming that Cross had 'screwed with my fans, it was time for me to say something.' Cross responded with an Open Letter to Larry the Cable Guy posted on his website. He continues to mock Larry in his stand-up, and satirized Blue Collar TV during a guest appearance on Wonder Showzen. In December 2005, he ended his performance on Comedy Central's 'Last Laugh '05' by yelling 'GIT-R-DONE!,' Larry the Cable Guy's catch phrase, mockingly to the audience as he left the stage. He also pokes fun at Larry the Cable Guy's comedy in Freakshow, with a character called 'Danny the Plumber Guy.'"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Cross
-B.
Russell Grinker wrote:
"Ed Barrett / Bernard Manning: the oldest and truest punk in town
Some brief thoughts penned in sorrow upon hearing of the death of the foul-mouthed comedian."