If you're going to argue about the legalities of a case that you know very little about, you're probably not going to fare too well against a Harvard educated lawyer. Greg Giraldo's frustration with the stupid claims and inane premises of the discussion bring him just to the edge of standing up and yelling "You're all out of order! This whole show is out of order!"
Not only was Giraldo well-educated, he was a hardworking comedian who believed in writing and crafting material. He didn't imagine his unpolished take on issues was enough to merit a spot on the panel. He worked to show the platform respect. And when a bigger name tries to shit on you because you refuse to coast, you have every right to put that ego in its place. Point Giraldo.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Comedians React to Greg Giraldo's Death
Greg Giraldo died earlier today after having suffered what was reported to be an accidental overdose of prescription drugs.
The early report of Giraldo's death came thru a post by Jim Norton on Twitter. Michael Ian Black posted a reaction, a few websites started posting the news, and eventually Punchline Magazine posted confirmation and a statement from Giraldo's management.
Reactions to the news have been a pretty tight mix of sadness and shock. For a while Giraldo occupied both the first and second slots of trending topics on Twitter, where a very sincere and gentle tone has taken over the typically harsh and ironic exchanges.
Some of the reactions went more easily, and just as sincerely, to anger.
And Giraldo's history with substance abuse reminded a few people to show concern for friends dealing with similar issues. It's no secret that drugs are a tool for a lot of comedians. Humor definitely asks for a certain brightness, and that heat can burn.
Two especially moving posts came from Patton Oswalt. His anger confronting the senselessness, and his vulnerability pushing thru:
It's no mean poetic detail that Giraldo's last two tweets rhyme so bluntly with the news. His final tweet was an announcement of his shows at the Stress Factory, an engagement he wasn't able to finish; the tweet just before that, a reaction to the news of Robert Schimmel's death.
Gilbert Gottfried got right to work trying to earn the groans for a joke told too soon:
I can't imagine Giraldo would mind one bit.
The early report of Giraldo's death came thru a post by Jim Norton on Twitter. Michael Ian Black posted a reaction, a few websites started posting the news, and eventually Punchline Magazine posted confirmation and a statement from Giraldo's management.
Reactions to the news have been a pretty tight mix of sadness and shock. For a while Giraldo occupied both the first and second slots of trending topics on Twitter, where a very sincere and gentle tone has taken over the typically harsh and ironic exchanges.
- There are no words 2 express what a shame it is 2 lose Greg Giraldo. His smart humor was unparalleled & he will be missed for yrs to come. ‑Lisa Lampanelli
- RIP Greg Giraldo. Belly-laugh hilarious, prolific, good & kind. A thousand oys can't express ‑Sarah Silverman
- I spent an afternoon with Greg Giraldo this summer and he gave me so much life perspective and humor in one long conversation. RIP. Fuck. ‑Joe Randazzo
- W/ Greg Giraldo's passing we lose one of the funniest smartest men there ever was, we should all be as good. Thoughts are w/his family. ‑Al Madrigal
- Dammit, Greg Giraldo - Our pain… should be from laughing with you like usual, NOT this. Goodbye, my brilliant friend. ‑Paul Provenza
- Greg Giraldo is the reason Comedy Central gave me a special. One of the nicest funniest dudes of all time. Just awful. RIP and thanks sir. ‑Josh Sneed
- I lost one of my best friends today. @greggiraldo. ‑Tom Papa
- Crying today at the loss of Greg Giraldo. Rest in peace. ‑Wendy Liebman
- Rest In Peace, my sweet friend, Greg Giraldo. So brilliant. My thoughts and prayers go out to his friends and family. Love all the people. ‑Andy Kindler
- Goodbye, Greggy. RIP. So sad. Really sad. Giraldo was a great guy, a great comic, a loving dad. It's just awful. My heart hurts. ‑Marc Maron
- Greg giraldo was a good guy. The kind of you're always glad to see. Also a funny comic and person. He died today. Goodbye friend. ‑Louis C.K.
Some of the reactions went more easily, and just as sincerely, to anger.
And Giraldo's history with substance abuse reminded a few people to show concern for friends dealing with similar issues. It's no secret that drugs are a tool for a lot of comedians. Humor definitely asks for a certain brightness, and that heat can burn.
- Greg Giraldo RIP. Be careful with scripts, don't mix with alcohol and fully research pills online before you take anything. ‑Andy Milonakis
- So sad about Greg Giraldo. He was nice and funny. A rare combination in comedy. Hope this helps comics sober up. ‑Jamie Kilstein
Two especially moving posts came from Patton Oswalt. His anger confronting the senselessness, and his vulnerability pushing thru:
- Really, Universe? Greg Giraldo? Fuck off.
- Just went way out of my way not to drive past Laugh Factory. If I see Giraldo's name on that marquee, gonna lose it.
Greg Giraldo Dead at 44
(Updated below: confirmed)
About an hour ago Jim Norton posted on Twitter that Greg Giraldo has died.
Here's the picture he posted with the tweet.
TMZ has offered confirmation of the claim, and several other comedians have posted either reactions or statements of the same sentiment. No one wants to be unnecessarily skeptical, and it's hard to direct emotions towards such a cold and unfeeling task as skepticism. All reports and outlets (including the Washington Post) are currently pointing to TMZ and twitter as the sources of the news. It would be nice to find that the sources are unreliable. But, sadly, it's looking like the news is accurate.
[Update]
Giraldo's own website has been simplified to include a link to his Facebook page, directing visitors there to leave "Notes of condolence."
Dylan Gadino at Punchline Magazine has received confirmation from Giraldo's management, The Collective, that the reports are accurate.
About an hour ago Jim Norton posted on Twitter that Greg Giraldo has died.
Here's the picture he posted with the tweet.
TMZ has offered confirmation of the claim, and several other comedians have posted either reactions or statements of the same sentiment. No one wants to be unnecessarily skeptical, and it's hard to direct emotions towards such a cold and unfeeling task as skepticism. All reports and outlets (including the Washington Post) are currently pointing to TMZ and twitter as the sources of the news. It would be nice to find that the sources are unreliable. But, sadly, it's looking like the news is accurate.
[Update]
Giraldo's own website has been simplified to include a link to his Facebook page, directing visitors there to leave "Notes of condolence."
Dylan Gadino at Punchline Magazine has received confirmation from Giraldo's management, The Collective, that the reports are accurate.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Twitterer of the Week: Andy Kindler
Andy Kindler first got my attention when he was a young comic sitting next to Conan O'Brien looking slightly nervous about the light laughs he was getting from the studio crowd, while I was cracking-up at home. I know that's a compliment comedians hate getting: 'Well, I thought you were hilarious even tho the audience didn't get it.' Thanks, they're thinking. The whole point of my act is to please just a couple people who think they're smarter than everyone else.His fame clicked up a couple levels when he got a recurring role on Everybody Loves Raymond, and started doing regular remotes for Letterman.
Kindler has to know that he's got respect from all levels. From his peers, from the fans, from the boardroom. How else did he get that plum job pretending to choose which comedians made it to the finals on Last Comic Standing?
Most Recent Tweet:
Four Older Tweets:
- Don Imus and Fox Business Channel. A marriage made in the boring part of Hell.
- Maureen Dowd writes horrible books and depressing columns. On the bright side, she tries to be funny and fails, which I find entertaining.
- I think therefore am I right ladies?
- I hope they don't water down the Marmaduke story.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Netflix Instant Nudge: Steven Wright - When the Leaves Blow Away
I ended up really liking the show. And it was surprising how much Wright reacted to his own material. Not laughing, but pausing and showing moments of amusement, confusion, and even pride. He was a little goofier than I had seen him up to then. But it's true, Wright doesn't switch up the pacing of his material as much as some comedians do. Another friend, Jay, who also saw the show made a similar observation as Gary: 'He's style is so dry. It's hard to keep the energy up.' But Jay didn't shrug his shoulders dismissively. He was still excited about a lot of the jokes, and he kept reciting them with admiration.
When the Leaves Blow Away is worth watching if you think a full hour of stand-up at Wright's pace is too much for you. The stage time is just over 40 minutes. It's a good performance, recorded over two days in 2006 in Toronto's Elgin & Winter Garden Theatre Centre.
The stand-up is followed by a half-hour film called One Soldier (1999), written and directed by Wright. It's the story of a Union soldier in the civil war, thinking back on his experiences and thoughts. The narration comes from the soldier and also from his wife, Becky, who sees him beginning to reel in his mind:
"There came a point where he told me sometimes he didn't know if things were happening, or if they just seemed to be happening. Then he said he realized it didn't really matter if it was one or the other because they were both experiences."
The black and white film is rich both visually and emotionally. Wright uses some of the lines from his stand-up in this story, revealing how tragic a lot of his humor is. Also showing how maddening it must be to be trapped in such a surreal skull.
Don't give up on the credits. Watch all the way to the end.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
This Week On The Shows: Sept 27-October 1
Greg Giraldo Hospitalized in New Jersey
(Updated below)
The Comic's Comic, Sean L. McCarthy, has reported that Greg Giraldo is in a Critical Care Unit in New Jersey.
The internet rumors about Giraldo started Saturday evening soon after he missed his show at the Stress Factory in New Brunswick, NJ. Around 9PM, a fan, Sarah Costello, posted on twitter:
According to Ava Gacser, who was at the show, Vinnie Brand—owner of the Stress Factory—"came on stage [and] … announced that Greg had been taken to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital"
Around that time, fans online from everywhere were wondering and asking about the comedian's condition, filling in the details with claims that he had OD'd, died, committed suicide, and even that he had been murdered in his hotel room by a drug dealer.
The full story has not yet been made public, neither the cause of his hospitalization, nor the specifics of his condition. McCarthy, who considers himself "both a fan and a friend of Giraldo," is sure to be on top of the story. Stay tuned.
[UPDATE — 3:45PM]
TMZ is reporting that "sources close to" Giraldo are saying he did not attempt suicide, but he did overdose on prescription medication. They also report he is in stable condition.
[…6:25PM]
The New York Post reports that someone at The Collective, Giraldo's management company, has confirmed that it was an overdose, also asserting it was accidental.
Giraldo has been open about his struggles with substance abuse, and on Saturday he had joined several other performers to take part in the New York Recovery Rally, as part of national Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month.
The Comic's Comic, Sean L. McCarthy, has reported that Greg Giraldo is in a Critical Care Unit in New Jersey.
The internet rumors about Giraldo started Saturday evening soon after he missed his show at the Stress Factory in New Brunswick, NJ. Around 9PM, a fan, Sarah Costello, posted on twitter:
Drove all the way to New Brunswick, suffered thru the worst opener ever only to find out greg giraldo got rushed to the ER & isn't coming.
According to Ava Gacser, who was at the show, Vinnie Brand—owner of the Stress Factory—"came on stage [and] … announced that Greg had been taken to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital"
Around that time, fans online from everywhere were wondering and asking about the comedian's condition, filling in the details with claims that he had OD'd, died, committed suicide, and even that he had been murdered in his hotel room by a drug dealer.
The full story has not yet been made public, neither the cause of his hospitalization, nor the specifics of his condition. McCarthy, who considers himself "both a fan and a friend of Giraldo," is sure to be on top of the story. Stay tuned.
[UPDATE — 3:45PM]
TMZ is reporting that "sources close to" Giraldo are saying he did not attempt suicide, but he did overdose on prescription medication. They also report he is in stable condition.
[…6:25PM]
The New York Post reports that someone at The Collective, Giraldo's management company, has confirmed that it was an overdose, also asserting it was accidental.
Giraldo has been open about his struggles with substance abuse, and on Saturday he had joined several other performers to take part in the New York Recovery Rally, as part of national Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month.
Friday, September 24, 2010
He's Known for His Monologue #51
According to a study, listen to this, women. Men! Men waste $3000 a year in gasoline as a result of not asking directions. (laughter, approval and light applause) In a related story, women waste $3000 a year on shoes they only wear once! (boisterous approval and applause) Thank you very much. Thank you guys. Thank you. Thank you guys. Thank you. Thank you gentlemen. (band fanfare)-September 7, 2010
Podcast of the Week: Bill Burr—The Monday Morning Podcast
Actually, he does dedicate a lot of time to feedback from listeners, often reading entire emails and responding pretty fairly to the concerns and criticism.
He holds very little back. Says whatever he's thinking, and uses whatever words it takes. Don't listen if salty language raises your blood pressure.
In recent podcasts he has defended Laura Schlessinger in her recent controversy, then he's taken the defense right back. His August 17 podcast mentions her, and dismisses her language as nothing more than a direct description of how some people talk.
"All she was really guilty of… [was] being an old white person making a fucken old reference to Def Comedy Jam… on HBO like the last 2 seasons."
He recalls some of his own older material about Def Comedy Jam.
My joke of the Def Jam impression was 'White people. Pussy. Peace!' That was every set that I- that's all it was. 'You ever see a white guy lay in a bed?' you know? 'Mother fucken black people, when we lay in a bed, we lay in the mother fucken bed!' Like, it was ridiculous. All right? And then it was peppered with the fucken n-word, all the way throughout. Fucken ridiculous. So, you can't expect some 60 year old white lady to be able to fucking process that.
A week later, on his August 23 podcast, Burr starts right off tearing himself down. Within the first minute he calls himself a douchebag for having defended Schlessinger.
I didn't know that she was like… Rush Limbaugh with a cunt. I had no idea. I just—you know—I didn't know who the fuck she was. I thought she was some soccer mom with a podcast.
And he promises to be more informed in the future when dealing with race issues.
I've alway appreciated Burr's take on everything. Including race. And gender. And class. And media. And bigotry. Not necessarily because I agree with his character (he's one of those comedians whose character has fuzzy borders) but because he talks as if he's being honest and that's all he needs of himself. His Opie & Anthony set in front of a hostile Philly crowd is like the theme from Rocky for comedy workouts. But less retarded. Watch that set to see Burr fight against thousands of drunk fans, finally convincing enough of them that all his insults are perfectly placed.
There's a a companion site, providing the videos and links that Burr mentions and discusses on the podcast. The site also provides links to recent episodes.
The main criticism I have has nothing to do with the content or delivery. It's that he's switched hosts a few times and the archives are tricky to find. His Libsyn site is outdated. If you want to do some grunt sleuthing, this page has all the links listed in paragraph text form. In a browser it shows up as text, but in an RSS reader, it does work as a feed. That's also the URI iTunes provides for the podcast.
The iTunes link doesn't work for me, reporting that the podcast "is not currently available in the U.S. Store" (even tho I'm currently subscribed).
And if you search for the podcast in the iTunes store, you'll get some old O&A remote pieces and random bits.
Another way to go is to use the podcast's Facebook page for guidance.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
He's Known for His Monologue #50
A candidate for governor of Nevada is proposing that motorists who pay an extra 25 dollars be allowed to drive in Nevada at speeds of up to 90 miles an hour. Finally, a politician making sense! Yes! (applause, cheers, and band fanfare) Yes! Thank you! Yes!-September 7, 2010
About those monologues…
You might have noticed we're right up to our 50th monologue joke. I think I can choose a doozy. I've had a policy of not talking about the jokes. Just presenting them and letting them speak for themselves. It's been so difficult. So. Difficult. I might break my vow of silence soon.
I'm thinking of changing the format. Maybe saving them up for a once a week post. It'll be a less intrusive feature, and the posts will be less heavy a visual presence. I'm still deciding on all that. In the meantime, thank's for checking in on the feature.
I'm thinking of changing the format. Maybe saving them up for a once a week post. It'll be a less intrusive feature, and the posts will be less heavy a visual presence. I'm still deciding on all that. In the meantime, thank's for checking in on the feature.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
He's Known for His Monologue #49
US commanders in Afghanistan are now ending their policy of zero tolerance on corruption. They're ending the zero-tolerance on corruption policy and allowing local government officials who are on our side to be moderately corrupt. (light laughter). Well it's the same policy we have here in Congress. It's the exact same thing. We're just taking it over. It didn't really get a laugh or anything. (curt laughter)-September 7, 2010
Video Bit of the Week: English Teachers — The Series
Tony Gilmore has pretty much set up shop in Japan, directing films, mostly documentaries. In one of his current projects, English Teachers, he's stepping away from documentaries, and into comedy. The web series follows Tom Kellerman through his days teaching alongside a jerk, a martinet, a wannabe ninja, and the new girl.
Jonathan Sherr plays Kellerman as a bumbly curious naif. Kinda like Zach Braff in Tom Cavanagh's body. After only one episode the characters have just barely been introduced, but there's plenty of potential in the characters as they're set up. It'll be worth following, especially if you have any experience teaching English overseas.
My wife taught English in Korea before she started graduate school. She remembers that as one of the best and most pixelated years of her life. She laughs about her mostly frustrating experience with the English program, and the sweethearts she taught. She still talks about going back. "You could eat sushi for sooo cheap!" she coaxes.
English Teachers is on Facebook and Twitter.
Jonathan Sherr plays Kellerman as a bumbly curious naif. Kinda like Zach Braff in Tom Cavanagh's body. After only one episode the characters have just barely been introduced, but there's plenty of potential in the characters as they're set up. It'll be worth following, especially if you have any experience teaching English overseas.
My wife taught English in Korea before she started graduate school. She remembers that as one of the best and most pixelated years of her life. She laughs about her mostly frustrating experience with the English program, and the sweethearts she taught. She still talks about going back. "You could eat sushi for sooo cheap!" she coaxes.
English Teachers is on Facebook and Twitter.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
He's Known for His Monologue #48
Police were forced to escort three fans out of the US Open after a fight broke out in the stands during a tennis match. Did you see that on the news? Imagine, a brawl at the US Open? When is this wealthy white guy on wealthy white guy violence going to end? (laughter) When are we going to see an end to this? Why can't– (extended applause)-September 7, 2010
Twitterer of the Week: Eddie Pepitone
I have a twitter list of "ranty ravy" comedians. You can probably predict who several of them are. But no list of ranting stand-ups would be complete without Eddie Pepitone. I'm not a big fan of most ranters (for the record, no matter what Dennis Miller called them, those were not rants), but Pepitone is hilarious, and his rants don't feel gratuitous. For me, his appeal is in not sounding like he's ranting out of anger, so much as fear and confusion. Instead of saying 'If you don't see things like I do, I will ridicule you' his message seems to be 'If you don't see things like I do, please, take me with you.'If you don't know his name, you might still recognize him from his work on so many other people's shows: The Sarah Silverman Program, King of Queens, Monk, Flight of the Concords, Weeds, Malcom in the Middle and much more. He's a regular on Marc Maron's live WTF episodes.
Usually, if the comedian's Twitter avatar doesn't make for a good profile image on these posts, I'll go find one that works better. When I saw that Pepitone's actual image file was so tiny, I laughed out loud, and almost went to look for a bigger image, but decided to leave it. I think that's what Eddie would want.
Most Recent Tweet:
Four Older Tweets:
- This new car better be the answer to all my sorrows and regrets.
- signs that things aren't going well- 1) your grandmother was killed by people you owe money to. 2) you refer to "wine country" a lot.
- Tweets of Nietzche's wife- God isn't as dead as our sex life!
- When I look at people's DVD collections I always think they are assholes.
Monday, September 20, 2010
He's Known for His Monologue #47
Hope you all had a nice Labor Day weekend.… (Cheers) As you know, yesterday all the banks were closed. But today several of them reopened. (laughter)-September 7, 2010
Netflix Instant Nudge: Comedy Central Presents
Let's go back to the well for this one. Go watch Big Jay Oakerson (#14 on the list) do a solid 20 minute set.His delivery is calm, indifferent, confident, sarcastic, and consistent. It's a little bit Dave Attell, a smidgen Ron White, a splash of Robert Schimmel. And he's putting out good stuff. He throws a lot of very quick jabs into his material getting laughs along the way without breaking rhythm.
Oakerson has a following, and it's gotta be growing. He did some writing for Chappelle's Show, he has toured with Korn, performed at the Just For Laughs festival in Montreal, and in the last few weeks he's been jumping across the country headlining. A New York comedian, he's headed out west for some shows on that coast. He'll be at Punchline, this week in San Francisco, next week in Sacramento.
There's an interesting moment in his CC set, towards the end, where he makes a claim and someone in the audience disagrees with it unnecessarily, simply saying "No" while Oakerson's in the middle of the bit. And it's one of those ridiculous Nos that's obviously false, and not intended as an actual belief, but put out only for the sake of making a stubborn little joke. It's barely a heckle.
Oakerson brushes the comment aside, unfazed, and plows thru the bit as if the opinion didn't matter at all. He doesn't argue, pursue, or acknowledge any minimal value of the dissent. He stays in charge and does his act from his perspective. He moves so forcefully and smoothly thru it, that I probably wouldn't have noticed it if my OCD for marking each line hadn't been kicked up a notch by a pot of coffee. The word to hold on to: unfazed. That's how I'd describe his act. With all the benefits it implies.
Still. They should spray that type of audience member with a permanent dye to mark them and keep them out of any more shows.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Advocating Satire: Purdue and the Prestige [Updated]
(Updated below)
In the circles I roam, this cartoon has gotten a lot of attention the last couple of days:
(Click to see the bigger image.)
It was published in The Exponent, the paper run by Purdue students.
There are a few things we can react to here: 1) an incidence of rape 2) a plan to commit rape 3) a joke about rape 4) indifference about rape 5) indifference about a joke about rape.
The people around me who are mad about this haven't said #1 occurred (well they believe it has, but they're not saying that this cartoon is an incidence of rape). They're also apparently not saying that #3 occurred. So they're mad about #s 2 and 4. And if they read this and believe what I say here and they get mad at me, we can add #5.
Mxrk writes:
So we can assume that he is either OK with all jokes about rape, or OK with jokes about rape when he figures the victims deserve it. What's the golden rule there? Do unto others what you think you can make a pretty good argument they deserve? No. It's irony. Mxrk isn't OK with rape. And because it's a joke, I'm not mad that he said it.*
And a cowboy without a cause writes "I tend to enjoy a raunchy joke" but explains that this one is not OK because "There doesn't seem to be a trace of irony to be found" and if you look around the paper's website for other cartoons, looking for misogyny, "there's plenty of other evidence."
This is an interesting claim: If someone hasn't earned the right to make a joke, we can take the joke literally.
So "earned the right" probably isn't quite it. Our wrangler friend is looking for irony, and I'm assuming evidence of that irony could be apparent in the joke itself, even if it's not found in the newspaper's archives or in the life of the writer/cartoonist/editor.
Well how about the fact that it's a fucking cartoon and it's referencing an overrated melodramatic movie about magic tricks and murder. Oh Shit! I knew it! Michael Caine is a psychopath! All those accents should have been a clue.
It seems to me very obvious–and so I really don't think it needs much more argument–that this isn't a literal statement of belief. Then next step, and this one does deserve more discussion, is how the joke might affect the values of the readers. And in the context of a Big Ten school with a population full of drunk frat boys that were weened on moonshine and grew up eyeing their cousins and goats, this cartoon could sound like tame round of truth or dare. So we can't trust this population to hear this kind of joke no matter what the writer's intention.
Thank god we don't base policy on that sort of well-intention distrust.
But the angry reaction to the joke can lead in a few directions that do make perfect sense. The newspaper can hear from the readers that this joke made them angry. And if the editors don't atone for it, pissed-off readers will go somewhere else for dumb jokes and typo-riddled stories about local pizza.
Or the complaints will escalate and move to the advertisers, and the power of money will lean on them. Repent and sin no more, or you'll have to find advertisers that don't care.
That's fair.
Both of these skip over the argument of "is my anger justified." Because really, who cares of your anger is justified? That's a self-evident belief. When Jerry Falwell claimed his emotional distress was worth some of Larry Flynt's money, part of his claim was obviously justified–if all we're looking for is evidence that some emotional distress occurred. But is that where we are? 'Don't make a joke that I have a problem with'?
Do we have to cross ourselves and kneel before every mention of rape too?
There's nothing inaccurate about taking offense. There's nothing silly about being very sensitive about rape.
Disagreements about this joke have to be very precisely set. So I have to make a few things clear:
Here's the trump card that can get thrown at me for not being upset by this cartoon: What if one kid sees this cartoon and thinks it sounds like an awesome idea and plans it with his friend and a girl ends up a train victim?
Yeah. That's always there. It's the same argument my youth pastor made about Ozzy and Marilyn Manson. And you could nudge a lot of comics away from satire if you got them to be afraid that any joke might be taken seriously and acted-on by idiots. But even if you're going to make that argument, what you're really saying is 'Make a joke, as long as you make sure to spell it out for the audience that you're just kidding, so that if anyone thinks you're serious, you and I will know you did your part.' Because there are always idiots out there that don't understand things. And our job is to make sure we've been reasonably clear.
So we're arguing about "reasonably." Fine. Because if that's not good enough, then you're forced to argue that all satire is dangerous. Either that, or that your sense of jokes that get 'too close' is good enough to measure the morality of a piece of satire. And if we're outraged because a joke doesn't work well enough, where's our petition to get all Geico ads banned?
Well, I guess I've been working on an important jump here: that the cartoon was satire. So let's start back there. Convince me that this cartoonist or editor is advocating rape. Convince me that they'd be ok with this little switcheroo on their sister, and I'll sign your petition telling them it's not OK.
And I'll probably start a bunch of others too.
UPDATE:
The Exponent has published an apology by EIC Zoe Hayes. It sounds sincere. I believe she too is anti-rape and respects people's sensitivity about it. And she makes an interesting admission.
So that adds a whole new wrinkle to the situation. Is is possible that this trick would work if all three were consenting? Not unless we create a backstory and the girls says 'Hey, if you ever want to do that Farinelli flipflop on me I'll be cool with it. But don't tell me, because I want to be surprised.' And that hardly ever happens. It almost sounds like I have to eat my words here and bail on my argument, because I did say "Convince me that they'd be ok with this little switcheroo on their sister and I'll sign your petition."
I'm not sure what Zoe means by "meet our criteria" or even "everyone involved." I doubt she means only the two guys. At any rate, it's a boneheaded explanation for the decision to run the joke. If it's all consensual then sure, an orgie isn't rape. But then the surprise falls apart. I stand by my assertion that the people who wrote and published this would not be OK with the prank as an actual surprise.
Hayes adds:
Of course I agree. And I never said anything like that. Defending this joke doesn't mean you think the girl was asking for it. And besides, if she actually did ask for it, it wouldn't be rape, would it?
Look, they stumbled on this joke. It failed miserably. And my point here is that if I'm going to attack a joke for being in poor taste, I'm not going to say it's the subject matter that made it fail. It's the delivery. And these kids are hacks.
UPDATE #2
* Let me unpack the reason I don't call Mxrk a hypocrite. He's obviously OK with jokes about rape, as long as he believes that the person telling the joke isn't advocating rape. His complaint about the cartoon is not that it's a joke, but that it's advocating rape. Now he might not even believe it's a joke. That makes his anger even more understandable. Even if I don't share that anger. Even if I poke some fun at it. Because I'm willing to be an insensitive prick. And he's told me he likes that.
In the circles I roam, this cartoon has gotten a lot of attention the last couple of days:
(Click to see the bigger image.)
It was published in The Exponent, the paper run by Purdue students.
There are a few things we can react to here: 1) an incidence of rape 2) a plan to commit rape 3) a joke about rape 4) indifference about rape 5) indifference about a joke about rape.
The people around me who are mad about this haven't said #1 occurred (well they believe it has, but they're not saying that this cartoon is an incidence of rape). They're also apparently not saying that #3 occurred. So they're mad about #s 2 and 4. And if they read this and believe what I say here and they get mad at me, we can add #5.
Mxrk writes:
To me, the only thing funny about this comic is that once dudes 1 and 2 are convicted of felony sexual assault and sent to big boy prison, their cellmates are going to have a high old time pulling “The Prestige” on them.
So we can assume that he is either OK with all jokes about rape, or OK with jokes about rape when he figures the victims deserve it. What's the golden rule there? Do unto others what you think you can make a pretty good argument they deserve? No. It's irony. Mxrk isn't OK with rape. And because it's a joke, I'm not mad that he said it.*
And a cowboy without a cause writes "I tend to enjoy a raunchy joke" but explains that this one is not OK because "There doesn't seem to be a trace of irony to be found" and if you look around the paper's website for other cartoons, looking for misogyny, "there's plenty of other evidence."
This is an interesting claim: If someone hasn't earned the right to make a joke, we can take the joke literally.
So "earned the right" probably isn't quite it. Our wrangler friend is looking for irony, and I'm assuming evidence of that irony could be apparent in the joke itself, even if it's not found in the newspaper's archives or in the life of the writer/cartoonist/editor.
Well how about the fact that it's a fucking cartoon and it's referencing an overrated melodramatic movie about magic tricks and murder. Oh Shit! I knew it! Michael Caine is a psychopath! All those accents should have been a clue.
It seems to me very obvious–and so I really don't think it needs much more argument–that this isn't a literal statement of belief. Then next step, and this one does deserve more discussion, is how the joke might affect the values of the readers. And in the context of a Big Ten school with a population full of drunk frat boys that were weened on moonshine and grew up eyeing their cousins and goats, this cartoon could sound like tame round of truth or dare. So we can't trust this population to hear this kind of joke no matter what the writer's intention.
Thank god we don't base policy on that sort of well-intention distrust.
But the angry reaction to the joke can lead in a few directions that do make perfect sense. The newspaper can hear from the readers that this joke made them angry. And if the editors don't atone for it, pissed-off readers will go somewhere else for dumb jokes and typo-riddled stories about local pizza.
Or the complaints will escalate and move to the advertisers, and the power of money will lean on them. Repent and sin no more, or you'll have to find advertisers that don't care.
That's fair.
Both of these skip over the argument of "is my anger justified." Because really, who cares of your anger is justified? That's a self-evident belief. When Jerry Falwell claimed his emotional distress was worth some of Larry Flynt's money, part of his claim was obviously justified–if all we're looking for is evidence that some emotional distress occurred. But is that where we are? 'Don't make a joke that I have a problem with'?
Do we have to cross ourselves and kneel before every mention of rape too?
There's nothing inaccurate about taking offense. There's nothing silly about being very sensitive about rape.
Disagreements about this joke have to be very precisely set. So I have to make a few things clear:
- I'm against rape.
- I think rape should not happen
- I believe date rape is "rape rape."
- If I saw a rape occurring, I might go so far as to disembowel the rapist to stop it. Definitely if I've had my coffee.
- If I heard someone actually planning a rape, I would say "Don't try it." If necessary, I would follow them and stop them forcefully. It could get messy.
- I believe the cartoon is meant ironically.
- I don't think the joke is all that funny.
- I believe those who are complaining should say everything just as they've said it if it's what they believe.
- I believe if the paper wants to make absolutely sure that every meathead realizes this trick would be prosecutable as rape, a simple statement to that effect would help a little bit.
- I believe if the student paper cares about these petitioners feelings, an apology and a promise to be more sensitive in the future is a good way to make that clear.
- I don't really care if the paper cares about those feelings.
Here's the trump card that can get thrown at me for not being upset by this cartoon: What if one kid sees this cartoon and thinks it sounds like an awesome idea and plans it with his friend and a girl ends up a train victim?
Yeah. That's always there. It's the same argument my youth pastor made about Ozzy and Marilyn Manson. And you could nudge a lot of comics away from satire if you got them to be afraid that any joke might be taken seriously and acted-on by idiots. But even if you're going to make that argument, what you're really saying is 'Make a joke, as long as you make sure to spell it out for the audience that you're just kidding, so that if anyone thinks you're serious, you and I will know you did your part.' Because there are always idiots out there that don't understand things. And our job is to make sure we've been reasonably clear.
So we're arguing about "reasonably." Fine. Because if that's not good enough, then you're forced to argue that all satire is dangerous. Either that, or that your sense of jokes that get 'too close' is good enough to measure the morality of a piece of satire. And if we're outraged because a joke doesn't work well enough, where's our petition to get all Geico ads banned?
Well, I guess I've been working on an important jump here: that the cartoon was satire. So let's start back there. Convince me that this cartoonist or editor is advocating rape. Convince me that they'd be ok with this little switcheroo on their sister, and I'll sign your petition telling them it's not OK.
And I'll probably start a bunch of others too.
UPDATE:
The Exponent has published an apology by EIC Zoe Hayes. It sounds sincere. I believe she too is anti-rape and respects people's sensitivity about it. And she makes an interesting admission.
When we conceived of the position, we assumed that everyone involved would meet our criteria for consent, which are conscious, coherent, and into it. When we saw the graphic, that’s what we, in retrospect mistakenly, assumed was taking place – consensual, albeit kinky, sex between three adults.
So that adds a whole new wrinkle to the situation. Is is possible that this trick would work if all three were consenting? Not unless we create a backstory and the girls says 'Hey, if you ever want to do that Farinelli flipflop on me I'll be cool with it. But don't tell me, because I want to be surprised.' And that hardly ever happens. It almost sounds like I have to eat my words here and bail on my argument, because I did say "Convince me that they'd be ok with this little switcheroo on their sister and I'll sign your petition."
I'm not sure what Zoe means by "meet our criteria" or even "everyone involved." I doubt she means only the two guys. At any rate, it's a boneheaded explanation for the decision to run the joke. If it's all consensual then sure, an orgie isn't rape. But then the surprise falls apart. I stand by my assertion that the people who wrote and published this would not be OK with the prank as an actual surprise.
Hayes adds:
And to those defending us: While we appreciate some of your arguments on our behalf, ladies and gentlemen, suggesting that someone was “asking for” rape is misguided and precisely the problem here.
Of course I agree. And I never said anything like that. Defending this joke doesn't mean you think the girl was asking for it. And besides, if she actually did ask for it, it wouldn't be rape, would it?
Look, they stumbled on this joke. It failed miserably. And my point here is that if I'm going to attack a joke for being in poor taste, I'm not going to say it's the subject matter that made it fail. It's the delivery. And these kids are hacks.
UPDATE #2
* Let me unpack the reason I don't call Mxrk a hypocrite. He's obviously OK with jokes about rape, as long as he believes that the person telling the joke isn't advocating rape. His complaint about the cartoon is not that it's a joke, but that it's advocating rape. Now he might not even believe it's a joke. That makes his anger even more understandable. Even if I don't share that anger. Even if I poke some fun at it. Because I'm willing to be an insensitive prick. And he's told me he likes that.
This Week On The Shows: Sept 20-24
Thursday, September 16, 2010
He's Known for His Monologue #46
The economy is so bad, Glenn Beck had to speak to a hundred thousand people today about Herbalife! That's how bad— that's how bad it is! (applause)-August 31, 2010
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
He's Known for His Monologue #45
-August 12, 2010
Video Bit of the Week: Kyle Cease Talks Feelings
Kyle Cease is determined to sound driven, confident, positive, and stable. The more I hear him talk about his boot camp, the more it sounds like a support group. It's a community that reminds you to avoid "stinking thinking" and tells you to "Keep It Simple Stupid" and warns that "expectations are premeditated resentments." Kinda like a Comics Anonymous meeting.
Some notable quotes from this half-hour piece:
It looks like Cease is primarily interested in making comics feel good about their work and themselves. I guess that's nice.
Some notable quotes from this half-hour piece:
And if you look at Richard Pryor, you look at George Carlin, you look at— They were thinking about making the crowd realize something.
When you realize you get to do this, it naturally shifts you back into excitement. And you're appreciative of that you're doing it. And you're excited about it and you're passionate about it. And you naturally lose fear. You naturally lose…stage fright. It just goes away.
When you're in the future, the crowd is in the future. So they can't laugh at the setup. So you'll be like 'So I'm driving down the street' and right there you're saying 'Hold on—' versus giving the street its own story. What kind of of street was it?
Do you need alcohol to be happy? Do you need smoking to be happy? Then you're saying I'm not complete enough without these things.
You should be talking to the audience the way you talk to one friend in a bar.
It looks like Cease is primarily interested in making comics feel good about their work and themselves. I guess that's nice.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
He's Known for His Monologue #44
And one of the most popular foods at county fairs all around the country, heard about this? Deep fried butter! (groans) A stick of butter covered in cinnamon and then fried in batter. (groans) … Now that's how you know we have gotten too fat in this country. Remember when butter used to be an ingredient. Now it's the main course. What is that? (laughter) Ugh … How horrible is that?-August 10, 2010
Twitterer of the Week: Jen Kirkman
Writer and comedian Jen Kirkman is a regular on Chelsea Lately's roundtable. She's also known for drinking a bottle and half of wine, or two, and narrating two of the award winning "Drunk History" short films. In my opinion, she's the best narrator of the bunch.Reading her twitter feed leads me to think she doesn't suffer fools. She will criticize politicians and unknown tweeters with the same energy if she doesn't like what they say. And why shouldn't she? She blocks followers and lets the world know it. She's been accused of being mean because of her responses. I'd say it's really just that she writes out the thoughts that lead a lot of other people to ignore stupid statements.
Many of her tweets come in the evening, so because of my usual hours, hers is a familiar avatar on my twitter alert window.
So far, she's been on every single episode of Paul F. Tompkins' Pod F. Tompkast.
Most Recent Tweet:
Four Older Tweets:
- Bill Maher says he'll never win Emmy cuz he's atheist. How 'bout cuz he does 22 shows a year unlike Conan/Dailyshow who do almost 22/month?
- So I can RT cuz it makes me laugh. Must I explain EVERYTHING 2 U PEOPLE? RT @maviskitty @JenKirkman Why would you follow that twit (Paris)?
- Creative way of calling me fat. Awesome. Love u too. RT @Kevin_Lately @JenKirkman and by "Nana" you mean... Your Skinny Evil Twin Tweeter
- Poor Tyler Perry. Must be so cramped in that closet. Come on, Baptist Conservative moms...let him out! #downlowisso2000andlate
Monday, September 13, 2010
He's Known for His Monologue #43
And lawmakers in the Catalonia…region of Spain have outlawed bullfighting. Uh, they say the bulls should be treated humanely. …Yeah, I agree. Bullfighting is a terrible sport. But you know who I feel sorry for? The matadors? I mean, what are you supposed to do with that outfit? You know, it's- (laughter) It's not like you wear it to your next job. (laughter) You know, the- "Burrito supreme?" (laughter) You know, what- I mean, what are you gonna do with it? (pretends to doff his cap) Ho ho! (pretends to wave cape) Yeah exactly. (applause)-July 29, 2010
Netflix Instant Nudge: The Kids in the Hall - The Pilot Episode
Years ago these Canucks started making me laugh and I had no idea why. I've often said that the best thing about The Kids in the Hall was that they often let the sketch end without telling you what the joke was. They didn't care if you didn't get it. There was no "ratcheting up" of the joke to make sure every possible iteration was as exhausted as the audience. Half the skits, I assumed were referring to something I didn't understand. And still I laughed.The pilot episode is 22 years old. The kids—Bruce McCulloch, Dave Foley, Kevin McDonald, Mark McKinney, and Scott Thompson—look barely pubescent. Not one with a goatee. Not one with a gut. They introduce a few of the characters that we've since grown to love, and some that we still don't understand. Cabbage Head?
The episode isn't bleeped, and there are no frustrating black bars or blurred boxes over the butts that grace the screen. You know. Art and all that.
Who was your favorite? Who has done the best work away from TKitH? What was your favorite recurring character? What was your favourite one-off sketch? Who was the hottest in drag?
47 minutes
If you already know you like the show, and you have some patience, consider waiting for the DVD to be sent, so you can listen to the commentary track.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
This Week On The Shows: Sept 13-17
Friday, September 10, 2010
He's Known for His Monologue #42
Hey, did you see Naomi Campbell testifying at the war-crimes trial of the former Liberian president Charles Taylor? You know the story? Apparently he gave her some diamonds. They were blood diamonds or something. Well the court has declared her a hostile witness. Well duh. There's a surprise, huh? (laughter) She was a hostile boss, a hostile girlfriend, a hostile limo passenger. Duh! Of course she's gonna be a hostile witness. (laughter) Is that hard for anybody to understand? I'm surprised you didn't get bonked with a cellphone. (laughter)-August 9, 2010
Podcast of the Week: The Joe Rogan Experience w/guest Dane Cook
Joe Rogan is known as a martial artist, as Joe Garrelli, and as a UFC commentator and fan, and as the guy who interrupted Carlos Mencia's act to accuse him (convincingly) of stealing jokes, and as an advocate of legalized marijuana, and as a host of The Man Show, and as host of Fear Factor, and as a proponent of vision quests induced by DMT and isolation tanks, and as a stand-up comedian. He's got the energy of a riptide.
On August 3 he chatted with Dane Cook for an episode of The Joe Rogan Experience. Dane Cook has been on what seems a bit like a redemption tour, perhaps starting back in November of 2009 when he did Howard Stern's show, which went well. He visited both Marc Maron's and Greg Fitzsimmons's podcasts in June. The latter was a bit smoother. The chemistry was better, the conversation more relaxed, with no undercurrent throwing Cook off-balance. There were some moments on Maron's show when Cook didn't roll so easily with the nudges and jabs that Maron sometimes throws.
Rogan's interviews are typically friendly and comfortable, tho he is known for speaking his mind. On this episode, he and Cook get along well, speak easily, and stay away from accusations and heavy controversy. No fireworks or blowouts, but it sustains 150 minutes of conversation on getting famous, being famous, working the Boston circuit, leaving the Boston circuit, getting rich, dropping 7K on a pool cue, 250K on a car, and looking up to superstars and unknown giants.
Cook might be doing these shows at the perfect time. He's past his peak of popularity; the controversy surrounding him is dying down; his act is moving (just perceptibly) away from the manic physical performances that got him his early attentions; his early self-promotion online is now so standard in the industry that he really can't be accused of anything but being way ahead of the game when he vaulted using MySpace; and even if he's still not your favorite comic, his longevity is more and more an indication of his respect for stand-up.
Some horrible difficulties with finances (the story is about an $11 million loss) and family (his step-brother burned the money; both Cook's parents died in a short period of time) have given him the scars and texture that can go far in comedy.
But most importantly, comedy has a new whipping boy. Cook probably suffered some for his palpably optimistic persona, coming across as a disingenuous crowd-pleaser. But the Tony-Robbins-style approach of Kyle Cease's bootcamp, combined with many accusations focusing on the bootcamp price-tag, have made Cease the new Guy Smiley that no-one wants to trust and everybody wants to see fail.
If the backlash against Cook lets-up enough, this might be his chance to reset his role in comedy. Whatever you say about his jokes, you can't say he hasn't worked at it.
Subscribe to The Joe Rogan Experience on iTunes.
On August 3 he chatted with Dane Cook for an episode of The Joe Rogan Experience. Dane Cook has been on what seems a bit like a redemption tour, perhaps starting back in November of 2009 when he did Howard Stern's show, which went well. He visited both Marc Maron's and Greg Fitzsimmons's podcasts in June. The latter was a bit smoother. The chemistry was better, the conversation more relaxed, with no undercurrent throwing Cook off-balance. There were some moments on Maron's show when Cook didn't roll so easily with the nudges and jabs that Maron sometimes throws.Rogan's interviews are typically friendly and comfortable, tho he is known for speaking his mind. On this episode, he and Cook get along well, speak easily, and stay away from accusations and heavy controversy. No fireworks or blowouts, but it sustains 150 minutes of conversation on getting famous, being famous, working the Boston circuit, leaving the Boston circuit, getting rich, dropping 7K on a pool cue, 250K on a car, and looking up to superstars and unknown giants.
Cook might be doing these shows at the perfect time. He's past his peak of popularity; the controversy surrounding him is dying down; his act is moving (just perceptibly) away from the manic physical performances that got him his early attentions; his early self-promotion online is now so standard in the industry that he really can't be accused of anything but being way ahead of the game when he vaulted using MySpace; and even if he's still not your favorite comic, his longevity is more and more an indication of his respect for stand-up.
Some horrible difficulties with finances (the story is about an $11 million loss) and family (his step-brother burned the money; both Cook's parents died in a short period of time) have given him the scars and texture that can go far in comedy.
But most importantly, comedy has a new whipping boy. Cook probably suffered some for his palpably optimistic persona, coming across as a disingenuous crowd-pleaser. But the Tony-Robbins-style approach of Kyle Cease's bootcamp, combined with many accusations focusing on the bootcamp price-tag, have made Cease the new Guy Smiley that no-one wants to trust and everybody wants to see fail.
If the backlash against Cook lets-up enough, this might be his chance to reset his role in comedy. Whatever you say about his jokes, you can't say he hasn't worked at it.
Subscribe to The Joe Rogan Experience on iTunes.
Thursday, September 09, 2010
He's Known for His Monologue #41
Actually you know who else is on [Dancing with the Stars] this season? Sarah Palin's daughter Bristol Palin is on. Not to be outdone, her former boyfriend Levi Johnston, he's got a new reality show on ABC called The Slimiest Bachelor. You don't want to miss that. (laughter and applause)- September 1, 2010
Twitterer of the Week: Sean L. McCarthy
Sean L. McCarthy, writer of the comedy blog, the comic's comic, claims to be "The world's only embedded comedy journalist."Based in New York, he's typically on top of comedy news because of his connections. He knows what's about to happen, and often gets news out before official announcements. He was among the first (if not the first) to report several recent hires for the new season of SNL, and he reports well on what has happened, getting exit reactions from LCS contestants and winners, and posting a very sharp tribute to Robert Schimmel.
McCarthy is a good reporter of events. But beyond information, he's got insight.
His subheading "From the back of the room to your room," refers to the fact that while one comedian is performing on stage, several more are likely to be standing behind the audience, watching the performance and sizing up the crowd. Finding the trouble spots. Noting which pieces are killing with which groups. The back of the room is where the mind of a comic, in reaction to peers and and audience, both sympathetic and antagonistic, is likely to show itself.
Most Recent Tweet:
Four Older Tweets:
- Wikipedia keeps flipping the edits back and forth regarding Schimmel. I'm looking into it, will let you know what I find out.
- Traffic on my site is slow today because the Post and the NYC blog clique copied my scoop without attribution, but I've been told to relax.
- I'm heading out to get my trophy at the New York's Funniest Reporter thing at Gotham. Yes, it was three years ago, but who's counting?
- I know who won.
Wednesday, September 08, 2010
He's Known for His Monologue #40
Well last night was TV big night. the Emmy awards were last night. (cheers and applause) And of course, the big surprise: Jersey Shore, shut out again! I couldn't believe it! (laughter) In all categories: writing, directing— It was so unfair. (light laughter)-August 30, 2010
Video Bits of the Week: Conan O'Brien on 60 Minutes
This is from a few months ago. I include two links to Conan O'Brien's interview with Steve Kroft as the segment was presented on 60 Minutes. The first video posted here is a summary presented by Funny Or Die of the interview with Conan's thoughts spelled out for us. It's stands on its own.
The second video is Conan's refreshing admission that tweeting is not so easy.
Interview Part 1
Interview Part 2
I'm almost done reading ¡Satiristas!, by Paul Provenza and Dan Dion. For now, I shall merely quote from the interview with Jay Leno.
The second video is Conan's refreshing admission that tweeting is not so easy.
Interview Part 1
Interview Part 2
I'm almost done reading ¡Satiristas!, by Paul Provenza and Dan Dion. For now, I shall merely quote from the interview with Jay Leno.
I just write jokes and try not to hurt anybody. It's like the Hippocratic oath to me: "Do no harm." Other people have different agendas.
Tuesday, September 07, 2010
He's Known for His Monologue #39
Congratulations to Brian Cranston. He won "Best Actor" third year in a row for Breaking Bad. You ever watch Breaking B—? It's a great show. (applause) It's about— you know what it's about? Terrific show. It's about a science teacher—a high school science teacher who cooks crystal meth. And he attributed his success to working 'round the clock, 24 hours a day without a moment's sleep. That's how he accredit— (laughter) See he was making— (percussion/rattle from band) That's how he was able to do the role— Never mind. (light chuckles)-August 30, 2010
Monday, September 06, 2010
He's Known for His Monologue #38
And I love this. How sleazy is this? A hundred nuns are suing Morgan Stanley for mismanaging their investments. (light laughter) I mean, you're screwing nuns. What is that? (laughter) I mean, how many whacks on the back of the hand with a ruler is that worth? (laughter)-August 13, 2010
Netflix Instant Nudge: David Cross - Let America Laugh
David Cross starts off this video tour diary calling himself "an alternative, thinking man's Carrot Top." And the the documentary follows him on a tour across the country that wishes that were true. It's filmed on a handheld camera and the video and audio are often grainy and muted. Watch it with your headphones in.The documentary is framed by a contrived story in which an angry boss, having found a DVD of road footage under his son's bed, calls Cross into the office to berate him for the shocking and inappropriate material. It's a wee bit of a distraction, but it provides a couple more jokes.
Judging by the reviews on Netflix, viewers should be aware of one thing about this film: it's not a concert video. It's not about his stage act. The content is mostly the mundane chores, annoying obstacles, thin rewards, and baffling fans that accompany a stand-up tour.
It could be compared to watching home movies. And if you're interested enough, the most artless and pointless videos can be fascinating.
Some comments from the Netflix gallery (all comments: sic):
Boring K: Simply not good. Anyone looking for actual David Cross stand-up will be disappointed; most of the running time is devoted to hecklers and drunks.I think Cross fell asleep each night muttering the same thing.
joda5150: Watch him on Arrested Development and dont bother with this crap.It's a great show. Really. But let's open it up, people.
RexGard: this was one of those behind-the-scenes things that belongs as a crappy bonus disc to the real thing.This is precisely what I liked about it. If those crappy bonus discs are what you find most interesting, you'll appreciate this video. If you never search thru the Extra Features on a DVD, there's very little here for you.
cjg 1198301: You should be happy its not just stand-up in this film hes such an interesting and quirky character and its a joy to watch him be on the road!A joy? well…
Mr. Mumbles: As far as the entertainment factor goes, I'd give this a 4-star rating. However, as a film I'd rate it 3-stars largely due to the horrible quality of the video footage.I kept it at 4 stars, but Mumbles offers a fair assessment.
ush 347472: Theres maybe 5 minutes worth of actual comedyInterestingly, ush had the same complaint about Battleship Potemkin.
92 minutes
Uncut Schimmel Interview at Punchline Magazine
Over at Punchline Magazine, Dylan Gadino has posted an uncircumcised video of an interview with Robert Schimmel. It was shot in January of 2009, and presented as one of the Tight Five interviews. The video as posted contains an extra, never-seen, 20 minutes.Schimmel talks about ignoring the advice he got early on to not be so sexually graphic. He talks about ignoring the advice he got later on to not talk about his cancer. He talks about his kids, his appreciation of Dane Cook, and he explains what a strawberry shortcake is. It's not sweet.
Gadino writes a nice tribute to accompany the video, remembering Schimmel as "frail-looking and diminutive" but with a calming and "Zen-like" presence.
Sunday, September 05, 2010
This Week On The Shows: Sept 6-10
- Monday
- Tuesday
- Fallon: Margaret Cho
- Wednesday
- Thursday
- Ø
- Friday
All guests as listed on shows' web sites at time of posting. Changes in schedule may be reflected in updates.
Kyle Cease Mulls a Podcast.
His fans are all for it: @DaceofBase and @Sylarsgirl23 are begging him to do it; @CarolineLStern offers her encouragement; and @SammyBabygirl and @rugratnat14 promise they'll listen.
His audience will assuredly be a lot bigger than that tho. He's not quite a household name, but he does have enough fans to have won Comedy Central's 2009 Stand-up Showdown, beating out defending champion Jeff Dunham.
So while waiting to see if his idea takes off, I'll be thinking of horrible and annoying puns that he can use if he needs a title:
- Cease Fires Back!
- Cease to Amaze You!
- Hail Cease, or King of the Podcast!
- Re: Cease Pieces.
Each of those has it's own reasons for being a horrible title and a worse joke.
Saturday, September 04, 2010
Robert Schimmel Dies of Injuries from Car Accident
Schimmel was a cancer survivor, having undergone chemotherapy for Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma. The cancer went into remission. Earlier this year he revealed that a hepatitis-C infection had led to cirrhosis. On his Facebook page and on Twitter, Schimmel provided his fans with regular news about his treatment. On August 26th he announced that he had just received news that a "living donor didn't work out."
Later that day he posted on his facebook wall,
"they're going to have to knock out my immune system so i don't reject the donor organ. there goes that fantasy with two hookers at the chicken ranch."
His humor was typically at least that irreverent and focused on sex. One of the first jokes I remember hearing of his was about having a string of beads shoved up his ass which he was promised would make him "come like a wildcat." It worked. Sorta.
But it wasn't all sex. He also told a story about shitting in his cat's litter box. The guy had class. From most accounts, the kind that matters.
Friday, September 03, 2010
He's Known for His Monologue #37
And in a wildlife preserve down in Georgia, a rare zedonk was born. You know what that is? A zedonk? Part zebra. Part donkey. … Odd name, zedonk. Doesn't that sound like a name that Arnold Schwarzenegger would give something? (does impression) "Yah, iss a part zebra, the donkey, the— (laughter) they call it the zedonk! zedonk is what they called it when they get together." (smattering of applause)-July 29, 2010
Podcast of the Week: The Harland Highway
I'm torn on Harland Williams. There aren't many comedians still meeting the needs of the rubber chicken crowd. He's one of the last. His blend of deadpan and manic delivery is very recognizable and obviously successful. And he has made me laugh. I believe it was his line: "Hey, hey, hey, hey— HEYheyhey!" I don't even remember the joke. I could have been something about pack of wild chihuahuas pulling a Thanksgiving turkey into your grandma's parlor, or a mustache made of cheez whiz and pinecones.It's a style of comedy that usually earns a quick judgement either for or against. If you know his act, his podcast is often what you'd expect. If you don't know him (really?) you might as well check it out. Episode 156 is all Harland, talking alone about inflatable gorillas, Activia, hair coloring, and other timely topics.
If jokes about deadly diarrhea make you giggle, The Harland Highway might be your path.
Subscribe with iTunes
Thursday, September 02, 2010
He's Known for His Monologue #36
You gotta admit, it's crazy—it's crazy how things change. I mean, remember a year ago the president's numbers were above 70, and Tiger's numbers were below 70? (laughter) Now they've changed. Now they've totally gone the other way. (applause)-August 11, 2010
Comedy Structuralism: i.e. Stealing Jokes
Stealing jokes isn't as cut and dry as we sometimes make it out to be. A lot of people joke about giving their kid a crazy name. Everyone knows how horrible an itchy butthole is. And often the only way we talk about it is to fit it into a story that makes us laugh.
My recent post about Dana Gould's show left out some very relevant observations that the comic's comic made a while back, specifically about the parallels between Gould's and Louis C.K.'s act.
Who hasn't wondered what really happens when you're under for a root canal. Jerry wondered about it when he went to see Tim Whatley and Sheryl the hot hygienist. And Louie has his suspicions too.
The image of a patient coming up from the gas, and getting a glimpse of the dentist buttoning and zipping up, is familiar.
But they're different jokes. Sure, they're very similar, but you can't deny that the hallucination and the banana and Stephen Root's amazing delivery make this a very different experience.
Cranston creates a slick, confident, unnerved swinger; tag-teaming with his cooperating colleague's hygienist. It's a joke about 'Welcome to our club.'
Root gives us a soothing, tender, 'relax-I-won't-hurt-you' dentist, hiding from everyone. Showing shame. It's a joke about pedophilia.
My belief that Louis C.K. knew about and probably remembered the Seinfeld scene, is not an accusation. It's the opposite. It's a defense of him as a comic who knows and respects and references other comedians. Louie is about a comic living in New York. The show has almost no traditional plot, and it's structured around a stand-up act that is tangentially, thematically related to the action. He's using Seinfeld's structure very differently. And the irreverence that Seinfeld introduced with his show, C.K. has taken further. Knowingly.
C.K. doesn't need this defense, because he's trusted, and I haven't heard anyone accuse him. But there are comedians who are accused too easily. And a lot of fans, eager to show how much they know about their favourite comics, try to prove some worth by pointing and barking at every similarity like a terrier at a doorbell. Go do a word-search if that's how you want to spend your time.
Or write a post like I just did.
My recent post about Dana Gould's show left out some very relevant observations that the comic's comic made a while back, specifically about the parallels between Gould's and Louis C.K.'s act.
I couldn't help but begin making instant comparisons (Boston-area heritage? check! In their 40s? check! No game with the ladies? check! Problems interacting with two young daughters? check!). So I turned off my TV and waited a bit to give Gould a fairer shake. After all, the two men may have more than a few things in common, but they approach their lives and their comedy differently.Yep, there are lot of very common pieces in both acts. But remember, the pieces are very common. A good comedian can find something new to notice. But even the best will say something that we've thought about. And will complain about something that we too already hate. And will admit something we're all ashamed of. Comedy is part seeing something different, and part seeing something differently.
Who hasn't wondered what really happens when you're under for a root canal. Jerry wondered about it when he went to see Tim Whatley and Sheryl the hot hygienist. And Louie has his suspicions too.
The image of a patient coming up from the gas, and getting a glimpse of the dentist buttoning and zipping up, is familiar.
But they're different jokes. Sure, they're very similar, but you can't deny that the hallucination and the banana and Stephen Root's amazing delivery make this a very different experience.
Cranston creates a slick, confident, unnerved swinger; tag-teaming with his cooperating colleague's hygienist. It's a joke about 'Welcome to our club.'
Root gives us a soothing, tender, 'relax-I-won't-hurt-you' dentist, hiding from everyone. Showing shame. It's a joke about pedophilia.
My belief that Louis C.K. knew about and probably remembered the Seinfeld scene, is not an accusation. It's the opposite. It's a defense of him as a comic who knows and respects and references other comedians. Louie is about a comic living in New York. The show has almost no traditional plot, and it's structured around a stand-up act that is tangentially, thematically related to the action. He's using Seinfeld's structure very differently. And the irreverence that Seinfeld introduced with his show, C.K. has taken further. Knowingly.
C.K. doesn't need this defense, because he's trusted, and I haven't heard anyone accuse him. But there are comedians who are accused too easily. And a lot of fans, eager to show how much they know about their favourite comics, try to prove some worth by pointing and barking at every similarity like a terrier at a doorbell. Go do a word-search if that's how you want to spend your time.
Or write a post like I just did.
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