Watch Norm Macdonald's beloved, infamous 'moth joke'

Comedian Norm Macdonald, who died on Tuesday at 61 after a private battle with cancer, was known for many things: his bizarre, deadpan tenure as Saturday Night Live's Weekend Update anchor, his career-damaging feud with NBC's Don Ohlmeyer, and his cult movie Dirty Work. But he was most revered as a pure comedian, an inimitable standup whose seemingly random constructions worked almost in spite of themselves.
The best example of this is undoubtedly "the moth joke," a Dostoyevskian tragedy about a troubled moth's visit to a podiatrist. It's an epic, four-minute-long mess that GQ once admiringly described as a "groaner" that "shouldn't work." But it did work, beautifully, on a Macdonald appearance on The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien. When the punchline finally came, O'Brien, after a spell of relieved laughter, offered "congratulations to anyone who stuck it through to the end." See if you can make it to the absurdist kicker in the video below.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Jacob Lambert is the art director of TheWeek.com. He was previously an editor at MAD magazine, and has written and illustrated for The Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia Weekly, and The Millions.
-
Pet cloning booms in China
Under The Radar As Chinese pet ownership surges, more people are paying to replicate their beloved dead cat or dog
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
The EPA: Let’s forget about climate change
Feature You’ll miss the EPA when it’s been gutted, said former EPA heads
By The Week US Published
-
Schumer: Did he betray the Democrats?
Feature 'Schumer had only bad political options'
By The Week US Published
-
New Mexico to investigate death of Gene Hackman, wife
speed read The Oscar-winning actor and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead in their home with no signs of foul play
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Giant schnauzer wins top prize at Westminster show
Speed Read Monty won best in show at the 149th Westminster Kennel Club dog show
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar take top Grammys
Speed Read Beyoncé took home album of the year for 'Cowboy Carter' and Kendrick Lamar's diss track 'Not Like Us' won five awards
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The Louvre is giving 'Mona Lisa' her own room
Speed Read The world's most-visited art museum is getting a major renovation
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Honda and Nissan in merger talks
Speed Read The companies are currently Japan's second and third-biggest automakers, respectively
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Taylor Swift wraps up record-shattering Eras tour
Speed Read The pop star finally ended her long-running tour in Vancouver, Canada
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Drake claims illegal boosting, defamation
Speed Read The rapper accused Universal Music of boosting Kendrick Lamar's diss track and said UMG allowed him to be falsely accused of pedophilia
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
'Wicked' and 'Gladiator II' ignite holiday box office
Speed Read The combination of the two movies revitalized a struggling box office
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published