Skip to main content

Twist: Ben, an actor?

I started a thread similar to this.....confused about Ben.
looks like he could possibly be a stand-up, a friend on the fb page said he should get back into stand-up then someone posted a link in the thread to a story with a stand-up comedian with the same name....
Could be coincidence but I'm convinced
 
babyblueeyes said:
I started a thread similar to this.....confused about Ben.
looks like he could possibly be a stand-up, a friend on the fb page said he should get back into stand-up then someone posted a link in the thread to a story with a stand-up comedian with the same name....
Could be coincidence but I'm convinced
Click to expand...

It does sound like him. Exactly like him!

http://www.samesame.com.au/reviews/379/Comedy--the-heLp-word.htm

What happens when three lesbians and a poof get together?
You get one of the funniest nights of stand-up comedy in the land.

SameSame columnist Jody Ekert was the producer of this Midsumma hit, featuring herself, Toby Sullivan, Ben Zabel, Vanessa Hill and Hannah Gadsby. It was the follow up to her solo White Trash Lesbian show.
...

Ben Zabel was the first stand-up and instantly had the crowd loving him. He’s a kinda unusual looking guy and this is his comic strength, with a gently self-depreciating streak bringing everyone on side.
Click to expand...

Stand up comedy is not the same as acting though.
 
I think it gets to the core. He's a performer.

Here's the thing, Ben is very good at performing when he has to in the house. He's like a completely different person. People are deluded if they think that's just a natural quirk that comes out of no where. With no practice, no experience doing such things.

Comedians for instance don't just get up on stage and because they are funny people, instantly be able to perform and kill. It takes many a long time to hone their skill and learn how to do it. Ben clearly has learnt these performance skills. The problem is, this completely is out of the character he portrays on the show. Stand up is cut throat. If he was as super sensitive as he portrays on the show. He could never ever of done it.
 
I have no doubt whatsoever that the Ben we are seeing on our screens...the poor me, oh woe me, I'm so sensitive, I can't cope, I don't like these mean people nana....that Ben is an act., and on evidence a very VERY effective act. It's quite astonishing how many people have fallen for it.
 
phatbeats33 said:
I have no doubt whatsoever that the Ben we are seeing on our screens...the poor me, oh woe me, I'm so sensitive, I can't cope, I don't like these mean people nana....that Ben is an act., and on evidence a very VERY effective act. It's quite astonishing how many people have fallen for it.
Click to expand...

Well Tim Brunero was able to do it on Big Brother effectively getting him into the final. So it wouldnt be the first time.
 
I am seriously undecided and I don't know what to think. The only thing that makes me question it being an act is that no one who has crossed him in real life is able to back this up. Its possible this is an act, but he maintains it all the time in his personal interactions (in which case it kinda would be "him" anyway), but someone would've spoken up if they knew a different side to Ben, I think.

Its especially hard to know without live feed.
 
white_tulips said:
Well Tim Brunero was able to do it on Big Brother effectively getting him into the final. So it wouldnt be the first time.
Click to expand...

Yes, I keep thinking this too. Ben in the gym was verrrry Tim in the gym on the 1kg weights.

But, to be fair, Tim's act didn't involve creating a persona. It was about embellishing aspects of his personality combined with understanding how the show works and playing on the psychology of it. He was still essentially being himself, stating his own opinions and telling his own stories & acting in a way that still came naturally to him.
 
I said a long time ago Ben is a genuinely funny guy, we just don't often see it. I think Tully alluded to it too when she was evicted. I'm not sure his fish out of water thing is an act though. I think he's both a funny and smart guy and a guy struggling with his mental health. I don't think one precludes the other. A lot of people go into show business or stand up precisely because it's a way to help overcome their anxieties.

That said, I still think the monologues to himself and his photos are put on.
 
jessy_girl said:
I am seriously undecided and I don't know what to think. The only thing that makes me question it being an act is that no one who has crossed him in real life is able to back this up. Its possible this is an act, but he maintains it all the time in his personal interactions (in which case it kinda would be "him" anyway), but someone would've spoken up if they knew a different side to Ben, I think.

Its especially hard to know without live feed.
Click to expand...
Tim was able to to it and we had live feed, I was tricked into thinking this was his personality, he then came out later and said it was all an act that he and the Chaser people staged. I was so disappointed as I really liked Tim. No one came out before and said thats not the real Tim.
 
jessy_girl said:
Yes, I keep thinking this too. Ben in the gym was verrrry Tim in the gym on the 1kg weights.

But, to be fair, Tim's act didn't involve creating a persona. It was about embellishing aspects of his personality combined with understanding how the show works and playing on the psychology of it. He was still essentially being himself, stating his own opinions and telling his own stories & acting in a way that still came naturally to him.
Click to expand...

I think Ben is being himself to though, he is a nice sweet guy i don't doubt that but he is no way as 'innocent' as he makes out
Like most comedians he exaggerates his own traits to get a laugh....it's no different to say rebel Wilson who uses her weight to her advantage
 
white_tulips said:
Tim was able to to it and we had live feed, I was tricked into thinking this was his personality, he then came out later and said it was all an act that he and the Chaser people staged. I was so disappointed as I really liked Tim. No one came out before and said thats not the real Tim.
Click to expand...

Yes, but, to be fair.. Tim didn't create a fake persona to the degree people are accusing Ben of doing. He just went in with a game plan. He was very smart and went in with a game plan which involved going against the archetype of typical Big Brother "bogans" and being perceptive to what Gretel said, as she was their link to the real world. A lot of his dialouge was rehearsed and choreographed, and he observed and became involved in "plot lines" so to speak, and changed his image (physically, but more in terms of character).
 
What ever he is doing, its seems to be working with the help of Channel 9. So I take my hat of to him, but Im not a fan.
 
Maybe we shouldn't be so alarmed at his ability to change into a character. Perhaps he learnt this by watching so much TV.
 
Shackles said:
So I was close.

He is a comedian after all.
Click to expand...

No he's not. Two gigs six years ago does not not make someone a comedian. It means they have dabbled in the performing arts.

Think about it if you had acted in a couple of amateur plays six years ago would you tell people that you were an actor? Real professional actors would laugh at you.

If he really were a proper comedian there would be more than two minor mentions of him on the internet from six years ago.

2+2 does not equal 5
 
I agree that photo looks nothing like he does today. I think he has done a great job of entertaining us which is what this show is all about. Let's face it compared to previous seasons there really is no reality anymore. I haven't voted all season but plan on voting for Ben to win. I love Tim also but if you ask me he is more fake than Ben especially when talking in the diary room....
 
seneca said:
No he's not. Two gigs six years ago does not not make someone a comedian. It means they have dabbled in the performing arts.

Think about it if you had acted in a couple of amateur plays six years ago would you tell people that you were an actor? Real professional actors would laugh at you.

If he really were a proper comedian there would be more than two minor mentions of him on the internet from six years ago.

2+2 does not equal 5
Click to expand...



It's not people claiming he's a working stand up. It just shows a lot more about his real personality. A lot of people right from the start have been very suss about Ben. There appears to be a constant act. Certain parts of his personality at times doesn't gel with each other.

A factoid such as this is interesting because it further points to him putting on an act.

Fundamentally someone who is crying at the drop of a hat pleading for house mates not to hate him over something mundane which is part of being in the big brother house, is pretty much incompatible with someone who used to do and tried to be a stand up. Unless he tried to get up once and ran off the stage crying.

Also it's a little beyond as if he was in an amateur play. People don't just put first time stand ups on a bill. So he would have had to have been working at it for a while, doing open mics for a while to get to that point. The review seemed to suggest he was good. No one is naturally instantly good at stand up.
 
I must say I love the front page story picture.

Picture of Ben laughing, looks like a fun, love living life guy. Ben up on stage, performing. Then Ben as a despressed man baby.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top