Joel Hodgson vs. Mike Nelson on MST3K

Joel was funnier - Mike had thick dick face.

Great poll.

Joel. Funnier AND hotter.

Couldn't stand the replacement, and quit watching when he took over.

I’d say Joel for both, but considering Mike Nelson is a Trumper, that kind of factors in.

Mike. Mike wrote the show from the beginning. He was head writer. What came out of Joel’s mouth he was writing.

Mike was clearly hotter, but Joel seems much more the right host for the show, much more nerd appeal.

Joel created the show. When it debuted in 1988 he was head writer with Trace Beaulieu, Jim Mallon, and Elvis Weinstock. Mike was hired in 1990.

Joel was like your gentle, perpetually stoned, gentle friend who makes you laugh in private and lets you suck his dick.

Mike was the bitchy queen who can fuck you like a jackhammer when he's in the right mood, but who makes fun of you behind your back to everyone else.

You'd dump Joel for Mike, but then you'd quickly regret it.

Maybe I'm biased because I met Mike and we had nice interactions on more than one occasion, but he's my choice for both. Joel's passive more gentle approach to the comedy just didn't suit me as well (though I give him due credit for originating the concept).

Nelson for sure

Ha! I'm watching it now.

I love them both, but Mike was clearly hotter.

Joel reminds one of Girth Brooks

I am more attracted to Joel.

R8, that fucking rings so true, ha ha.

While there are many hysterical episodes from the Mike years, I'll always prefer Joel, partly because of the shady way Mike and others teamed up to force Joel out.

Shout Factory has been streaming continuous episodes of Cinematic Titanic for the last week, and I've been watching quite a bit of that. I think those shows were the funniest things they've ever done.

Joel for both

Knowing that Mike is a Trurmper forces me to completely reevaluate him, and not in a good way.

Joel's humor was wittier and smarter. I don't dislike Mike's humor or the less sophisticated humor of Rifftrax, but Joel was the damn man.

I met Joel and an event and he was so sweet. His eyes are pretty bedroomy too and he didn't get fat like Mike

Prefer Joel. Mike was actually too conventionally good-looking for the comedy to work 100%

Joel looked like the kind of doofy guy who would invent random shit.

Team Joel

Joel all the way

The first couple of years with Mike as host were more enjoyable than the Joel years, but primarily it was because overall the episodes were funnier - or maybe the movies they showed were easier targets of ridicule. Plus Mike (at the time) was more attractive than Joel. Even prior to that, when Joel was host, I enjoyed Mike's segments (like the Morrissey one I linked below) because they were so enjoyably silly.

On the other hand, Mike is really, REALLY Christian. And he got fat - or at least he has a case of fat face.

Several years ago I saw Cinematic Titanic live with Joel (who's aged a whole lot better than Mike) and I found it thoroughly enjoyable.

In the words of R8, "You'd dump Joel for Mike, but then you'd quickly regret it."

Good? He's THE BEST!

I've heard that Joel is one of those people who are a great friend but a terrible boss.

Joel ruined the show in the end.

[quote] Joel ruined the show in the end.

Why do you say that? The show was funny during all of Joel’s run, with his last episode, Mitchell, an all time best.

Hearts pounding, veins clogging.......MITCHELL!!!!

I'm always surprised it's not Joel who is the one who is now super-Christian, since he had an Evangelical upbringing in Wisconsin and went to Bethel College in the Twin Cities, which is basically a Bible college.

I always wanted to suck Mike off in his jumpsuit.

Joel, without a second thought. Mike was so bland-looking -- like he should be hosting the weather on a local Minnesota newscast. And the Joel years were much funnier. Don't even get me started on the Pearl Years.