Aflac Fires Gilbert Gottfried for Jokes about Japan

Gilbert Gottfried is taking some of the attention away from Alec Sulkin for tweets about Japan that offended people. And he's one-upping the story: Gottfried's jokes got him fired from his quacking gig.

Aflac released a statement, saying

Gilbert’s recent comments about the crisis in Japan were lacking in humor and certainly do not represent the thoughts and feelings of anyone at Aflac.

Some of the jokes:

Japan called me. They said ‘maybe those jokes are a hit in the U.S., but over here, they’re all sinking.

I was talking to my Japanese real estate agent. I said ‘is there a school in this area.’ She said ‘not now, but just wait.

Japan is really advanced. They don't go to the beach. The beach comes to them.

Gottfried made jokes about 9/11 just a few weeks after the attack. It was at the Friars Club roast of Hugh Hefner. He started to lose the crowd, but he won them back by telling a joke about sodomy, incest, pedophilia, scat, and showbusiness. And the punchline wasn't even that great. But the crowd loved it.

link to a story about the firing.

another link to a story about the firing.

another link to yet another story about the firing.

The Sulk vs Your Feelings. And Japan, Too.

The second biggest meltdown to come from the Japan earthquake was the reaction to Alec Sulkin's joke on twitter.

Some people, of course, were offended. If you look over his history of tweets and the stuff he's written for Family Guy, it's a pretty safe bet that people are offended by his stuff all the time. The criticism of this tweet can't just be that it's the "most" offensive thing he's written, because who cares if it's his most offensive work? Think about it: do we make a big deal when anyone does something worse than anything they've ever done before? No. We only care when people do things worse than anyone has done before.

So is this the most offensive joke every told? The most offensive tweet ever tweeted? No. Is it the earliest joke about Japan that got this much attention? Yes. And that reaction—whether you defend it or dismiss^† it—is the doing of the people who were offended. Offended by this joke being too early. And probably more specifically, offended that Sulkin said he was willing to laugh in their temple. The temple of feeling bad.

Some of Sulkin's critics have been calm, and tried to analyze humor. Like this thought from The Comedy Bureau:

Lesson: don’t make jokes in the “never too early” spirit of trying to be as controversial as possible just for the sake of being as controversial as possible, thinking the shock itself is what’s funny. Make jokes because the accepted inconsistency or overlooked false assumption is legitimately funny.

Decent advice, but unnecessary if you're OK with offending people. And sure, the shock is part of what's funny, but that's not the only way Sulkin's joke works.

Some responses have been less analytical and have just tried to express judgement. Like this contribution from from Kasey Anderson:

Always good when stuff like this weeds out the assholes of the world.

Using Anderson's comment as a springboard, Danforth France mixes some analysis with some judgement:

It fails as a joke because it doesn’t say anything true. It makes no point. It shines a light on nothing. If it’s meant to be taken humorously, it reveals a basic ignorance of the subject he’s joking about and THAT is offensive all by itself.

France makes some key claims that—for me—explain the difference in our reactions. He doesn't believe Sulkin said anything true. I disagree. I don't want to get too heavy into an analysis of the nature and structure of humor, but I do see that Sulkin's quote makes a statement about national memory, the history of nations, the nature of pity, the sins of the father, and the size of the world. Yes. Seriously. I'm not saying whether or not he thought all that, but at the very least his instinctual comic ear was picking up those tones.

France also wonders if the tweet was "meant to be taken humorously." Really? Does he think it's at all likely that Sulkin was serious? His argument continues with an attempt at statistical proof that the premise of the joke is flawed and he tries to take down Sulkin based on a logical claim about what numbers should make us feel bad for who.

Let's back up and repeat: It's ridiculous to believe that Sulkin is really claiming that this tragedy is payback for Pearl Harbor, or that the number of people killed in the attack 70 years ago is actually a mitigation on the toll of the earthquake. France is putting a lot of energy into making a point that nobody has actually disputed, unless you take the joke as a straightforward claim, meant to be taken seriously.^†

He claims not to be interested in a discussion of "offensiveness or sensitivity or free speech or comedy theory," and he says he disregards the humor simply because "it’s a piece of shit joke." That's disingenuous. Is he out there calling out every joke he thinks is poorly written? It's no coincidence that the joke he's judging most harshly is also being called offensive.^† And his very next post he claims a position of "Moral rectitude." He clearly believes this is more than just about the quality of a joke. Unless he believes the quality of a joke is a moral issue.^†

Nobody has brought up the issue of harm done by Sulkin's joke, because nobody would be stupid enough to claim there is any. This isn't an issue that society is struggling with more urgently than all other evils. There's no current campaign of bigotry directed at the Japanese that this humor is making worse. There's no tinderbox of Japanese relations that inflammatory speech might set ablaze. There's no risk that jokes like this will make people afraid to help. There's really no risk.

Sulkin has made jokes about child abduction, D-Day, AIDS, rape, rape, incest (of the rape kind)… And people have laughed at them like they're meant to. The only stance that can claim this is now a moral issue, or that this simple joke is more contemptible than any other joke Sulkin has made, is one born almost entirely of the audience's demand that he not make light of their current emotional state. That's a fair (if silly) request. But it's no basis for a claim about his character or humor that you were never driven to make before.

Update:
Sulkin has apologized for the tweet and deleted it from his timeline, posting

Yesterday death toll = 200. Today = 10 thousand. I am sorry for my insensitive tweet. It's gone.

---

†I have done some minor editing of this post to make some claims more precise and specific. The emended passages are marked.

Gallagher Collapses During MN Show

Comedian Leo Anthony Gallagher collapsed on stage and was taken to a hospital Thursday night, according to the Associated Press.

Chris Blade, who was at the show, told a local reporter that Gallagher was complaining of pain and shortness of breath. Others in attendance confirm the appearance of a stroke or heart attack. No confirmations have come from doctors or the hospital.

No one reported hearing "Aw C'mon Gallagher!" as he was wheeled away.

Marc Maron tweeted: "I heard about Gallagher. I hope he is all right"

Steven Wright Joins Twitter.

Steven Wright, the master of one-liners, is now on twitter. The 140 character limit is a good test of someone's ability to whittle the elements of a joke down to the tightest form. And if a good one-liner is like a molecule of funny, Wright is the Enrico Fermi of jokes.

But the master of the short joke has been telling a story for about a week, with a series of to-be-continued tweets including one (so far) that is goes beyond 140 characters. He's being surreal and unpredictable as usual.

Comedy Central: "Give It Up for Greg Giraldo" to Air March 18

Comedy Central has announced "Give It Up for Greg Giraldo," a tribute that will feature "never-before-aired, behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with the late comedian himself." Also featured will be interviews with several guests, including Jon Stewart, Conan O’Brien, Dave Attell, Sarah Silverman, Colin Quinn and more. The special airs March 18 at 11:30PM ET/PT.

Giraldo, who died last September of a drug overdose, was an important part of Comedy Central's voice, doing stand-up specials, appearing on panel programs, killing at roasts, and providing much of the most reliably intelligent and funny comedy on the network. His death was deeply felt in the comedy community.

Giraldo's absence was noted more than once at the very recently filmed Roast of Donald Trump. Before the event, his writing partner and friend Jesse Joyce reportedly had a joke so "evil" that he believed only Giraldo could have made it work.

Mike DeStefano: "It's a Laugh That's Riddled With Shame."

Reflecting now on the work Cringe Humor did with Mike DeStefano, Patrick Milligan writes:

You were the epitome of Cringe Humor. The definiton of this brand of entertainment that I have dedicated myself to.

I will never forget how honest you were.

DeStefano did an interview with Cringe Humor in 2006. He says early in the conversation "One of the things that is important to me is to make comedy out of shit that's not funny already." It's a good mission they shared. And that's one of the best definitions of not being a hack.

The half-hour phone conversation is posted on YouTube.

David Koechner's New Series Premieres on College Humor

David Koechner's new series “Always Open with David Koechner” is now open, with David Koechner. A series of short interview/interactions with what looks like a promising list of guests: Sarah Silverman, Will Forte, Amy Poehler, and more (watch the trailer). The first episode is out, and Jason Bateman joins in with his usual charm and amazing timing. Thank goodness Silver Spoons didn't break him.

Mike DeStefano Dies

(mikedestefano.com)

Mike DeStefano died March 6 from a heart attack. His management confirmed the news with a statement sent to Punchline Magazine.

We are indeed incredibly saddened by the loss of this amazing man. He had touched the lives of many with his unique brand of comedy and was looking forward to sharing the same with so many more. Mostly, we will all miss his huge heart and incredibly loving and selfless passion for people.

At Cringe Humor, Chris Italia writes

Mike had become a brother to us, the shock and the sadness that comes from this will be felt forever. Mike was the epitome of what Cringe Humor stands for. Always real. Always True. Always Funny. We’ll be updating the site with any information.

The bulk of DeStefano's fame came just last year after his exposure on Last Comic Standing. His act was dark, blunt, and hilarious. Much of his material came from his experience of dealing drug addiction, losing his wife, and living with HIV. He recently finished a successful run of his show Drugs, Disease and Death: A Comedy.

Alien Fudge Hits the Airwaves

Joff Thompson, whom I wrote about a while ago, shares the first episode of Alien Fudge, broadcast on BBC Radio Oxford.

It's a nice mix of short pieces of radio theatre. Some good low-key absurdist bits. I hope to hear a lot more.

How great is it that the radio broadcast radius is no longer a barrier to hearing the programming? I think this internet thing has a future.



Link to Part 2 of 3

Link to Part 3 of 3

MC Mr Napkins: The Trouble with Bees.

MC Mr. Napkins, known to his cousins as Zach Sherwin, released The Album last November, eliciting critical acclaim for his rap-style music-songs. (Available on iTunes)

He's gaining a lot of good attention lately, and the college circuit seems to be treating him well. A little over a week ago I caught his show at a small college halfway between Chicago and Indianapolis: right at the center of nowhere. The tiny Catholic school of maybe a thousand students struggled to eke together an audience for the remote ballroom on the edge of campus. But when Sherwin hopped up on stage, he showed not only full enthusiasm and dedication to doing a good show, but an added specific interest in the people who came.

And he did hop. He's got the energy to show commitment and confidence. He's goofy with skills. Animated but calm. There's a meek aggression in his material. He's created a character that is at one point scared by a stinging bee, and at another, driven to a violent madness by a spelling bee. He's self-deprecating with the assurance that it works for him. And that translates well both on stage and off.

It takes a tiny bit of nudging to get him to admit that he's a musician. When asked about his musical background he says he had none, then he deflects the question by telling me that the music tracks are all layed down by Upryz (or as his cousins call him, Dan Fox). But when pushed to acknowledge that his rapping is a musical ability, Sherwin admits having taken some mediocre guitar lessons: "He just showed me the shape of the blues scale then said, 'Now play a solo.'" And he adds "But I guess I've just always loved hip-hop." He obviously respects the form and does good job pushing a lot of internal rhyme, consonance, off-rhyme, slant rhyme, and other free rhyme types combined with lots of ambitious syncopation.

In his interview with Lucas Lewis of Punchline Magazine (link above), he explains

You can take on weird topics and my hope is that the flow and rhyme schemes will be really rewarding to listen to and will establish, I hope, my bonafides as not just a guy who figured out how to do like, “buh-buh-buh, cat / buh-buh-buh, hat” — and then wrote songs about dicks.

From what I know about Zach Napkins, I'm guessing he pronounced bonafides with the traditional 4 syllables. And if he reads this, even tho it's pretty obvious, I kinda hope he uses it someday in a rhyme with with "on a fetus."

Language play is a big part of his act, and it should be no surprise to learn that he's a good friend of Myq Kaplan, the two of them even collaborating on a "twofer" twitter-account/joke-structure/word-puzzle. Kaplan got his masters in Linguistics, and I can't help but wonder if he's the one that introduced Sherwin to the word "Antepenultimate." Linguists use that word all the time. That's just how we roll. Word-stress to your mother.

More than anything tho, the quality of Sherwin's comedy comes from the likelihood that if you listen to it repeatedly, you'll keep noticing something new. He puts a lot of comedy of different styles in there, so you can't predict what angle he'll attack from. Kinda like that bee.

Here's his video for Krav Maga. Directed by Jay Karas.

Bob Saget Live at Seminole Hard Rock in Tampa

Hey Florida friends, Bob Saget's gonna be at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Tampa, Sunday March 13. The show starts at 8PM, but you can get in at 7.*

Saget's well past the stage where people who see his act are surprised that he says dirty words. To a lot of people, he's still the guy that was on that show, but his audiences all pretty much expect him to swear and tell filthy stories and be the type of comic that doesn't belong on ABC Family.

If you want to see the depths of his depravity, go rent The Aristocrats. If you don't know the joke, google it first, then decide if you can put up with an hour and a half of "that." If you decide you're into it, Saget's contribution won't disappoint. And to hear one of my favorite stories about him, listen to the commentary track with Paul Provenza and Penn Jillette.

Of the three Comedy Central Roasts currently available on Netflix instant, Saget's is probably the best. He's a very good sport about it, and the jokes push all sorts of boundaries. The best set of the roast is Norm MacDonald's, and in my mind, Saget earns a lot of points for being one of the few people who apparently genuinely enjoyed it from the start.

Tickets for the Tampa show are $40 for general admission (plus a fee, you know… for the sake of convenience) and are available from Ticketmaster. No one under 18 allowed. Saget can't be trusted with them.

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*Having trouble reading the small print on the poster? Well here's the important stuff:

Player’s Club Members who have been banned by the Seminole Tribe of Florida or opted into the self-exclusion program are prohibited from attending.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, please call 1.888.ADMIT.IT.

…but maybe not until after the show.

Craig Ferguson Swears Off Sheen Jokes

I worked hard to avoid watching any coverage of the OJ trial. I know. That's a timely reference. And I haven't worked that hard to avoid any media blitz since then, until the last week or so. Now I'm avoiding the Charlie Sheen thing. So far, I only know that he does a lot of drugs and porn stars (or strippers or hookers). And I guess "winning" is important. I've seen that word all over the place. But that's it. I don't know what "winning" means. I haven't heard or read or seen the quote.

And it's not because Sheen deserves a break. It's not out of respect for him. It's not out of a moral stance. It's not because I'm above that. I'm really not. Instead of watching Charlie Sheen interviews, I'm watching Netflix and Hulu and trying to come up with one-liners for one of my three Twitter accounts. I'm not above anything.

The whole story just looks really boring. Repetitive. Contrived. Irrelevant. It wouldn't be funny. It wouldn't be entertaining. It would feel like wasted of time. So I avoid it. I feel exactly about the story as I do about his sitcom. Except that he gets paid millions to do his sitcom, so I believe that's a far greater sin.

I don't watch Craig Ferguson regularly, but a friend recently mentioned his statement about choosing not to ogle at Sheen's meltdown. I respect Ferguson's take on this because I believe he's avoiding the jokes out of a certain integrity that he has expressed before, regarding Britney Spears' meltdown. He wants his comedy to help. To take-down the powerful. To drill at real problems that affect everyone. To make useful statements.

And as respectable as all that is: what I respect most about his embargo is that he's emptying his quiver of an exploding-tip arrow. That doesn't make him a good marksman (not while he's using those hand-puppets to open the show) but it is a move in the right direction.



But I don't feel sorry for Sheen. He's a big boy and he's going after what he wants right now. And he's getting it. Easily. In large amounts.

Some people might want to argue that he's not really happy. Like that means anything. Is this sustainable? Nothing is. Is he going to burn out? Everyone does. Will he make it to heaven? Only Oprah knows.

Kyle Cease Wants to Give You a Ring

Kyle Cease broke up with his fiancee, and now he's giving away her diamond ring. Why? Who cares? He says it's worth 10K.

Here's how it works: Watch the first video of his stand up. You'll see what he means about "the worst way" to leave Catalina Island. Then in the comments, make your own suggestion about the worst way. If you get the most comments saying they vote for you, the ring is all yours.

[I made a suggestion, so look for ThirdGuyDucks' comment and vote for me! Unless you have your own suggestion to make.]


Go to page to comment.

Here's a link to the video announcing the contest.

Here's a link to a video in which he updates the rules and explains the new voting system.

Kyle Kinane on Ruining the Medieval Times Experience

Kyle Kinane is a storytelling comedian. But he doesn't sacrifice anything for it. In the balance between storytelling and joke telling, the typical performer leans either towards development, setting and character, or the number of laughs and the strength of the payoff. Some raconteurs, like Kinane, know how to crank up all at the same time.

He was included in a "Best of 2011" Comedy Central Presents special, and was given Episode 10 of Season 15 all to himself. It's a good one. But maybe I'm biased, because I have a special place in my heart for balding guys with big beards. My wife is fine with this, because she does too.

3rd Rock from the Sun on Netflix Streaming

When 3rd Rock from the Sun first came out, John Lithgow disagreed with critics who said that the aliens-on-earth premise was too narrow and would wear thin. He argued it was wide open. That a show about humans as a foreign species was really a show about everything. The show was a success, running for 6 seasons and earning dozens of awards for the creators and the performers.

If you care to, you can watch all 6 seasons streaming on Netflix.

Even if you want to complain that it's just a recycled version of Mork & Mindy, (subtract the improv savant; add the veteran of classical theatre) the show held up with a consistent absurdity and more Dick jokes than any other show on network television. It's easy when your main character takes that name. Here are a few of the titles of episodes from the 1st season:

• Post-Nasal Dick
  
• Dick, Smoker
  
• Body & Soul & Dick
  
• Frozen Dick
  
• The Dicks, They Are a Changin'
  
• Assault with a Deadly Dick
  
• Father Knows Dick

The second season added Gobble, Gobble, Dick, Dick, Fifteen Minutes of Dick, and a few more, then the episode titles calmed down. A bit.

But as is true of many shows, you won't see these titles on the screen. I wonder why.

Chris Elliott's Eagleheart debuts on Adult Swim

Chris Elliot deserves none of the inattention that some people have given him. Ick… hat's a horrible compliment. What I should say, and what is true, is that Elliott has made me laugh in everything he's done, no matter how weird it was. His writing and performing on Letterman, his sitcom Get a Life, his movie Cabin Boy, his recurring character on Everybody Loves Raymond, his season on SNL, his small but crucial role in There's Something About Mary… always weird. Always funny.

And his new weird project is Eagleheart, Adult Swim's new 'shorts' series on Cartoon Network. In it, Elliot plays Chris Monsanto, a Marshall who is driven partly by his need to avenge each of his dead partners, and partly by his desire "to punch people so hard that they explode."

Elliott is flanked by Maria Thayer and Brett Gelman, who play his partners. Why two partners? So it doesn't hurt him as much when one of them dies. At least that's the argument offered by Chief, played by Michael Gladis (you'll know him from Mad Men).

The characters are not believable. The plots are simple and contrived. They humor is ridiculous and the violence is graphic. It's wonderful. Really.

Watch it Thursdays at midnight. (So 'technically' Friday, but nobody really thinks that way. It's "Thursday night" for normal people.)

"I Was Gonna Save the World" - Gallagher on WTF

I have 30 years of experience, and you think I don't know what the hell I'm talking about!

After listening to the Gallagher interview on WTF with Marc Maron, I must say I heard more of a resigned abandonment than a storming-off.

More 'This is dumb,' than 'Well—I—Never!'

And I disagree with Gallagher. It wasn't dumb. Maron deserved a response to his questions, and the harshest part of the interview was already over. Here's where I thought Gallagher was going to leave:

Gallagher: You can't tell a lesbian joke in Boston, Minneapolis, Portland, and Seattle.

Maron: Why?

Gallagher: 'Cause they'll boo you.

Maron: Because… why?

Gallagher: Their politics is different.

Maron: Their politics? Or their sensitivity to people who are a specific group of people that are being made fun of at the brunt of a joke to release the aggression of narrow-minded people as some form of entertainment, is offensive to them. That's why. So my question is: If by releasing aggression in an audience is by saying like "The Arabs stink. They're all evil" or… "Gays are fucked," and that releases aggression, how is it not just reaffirming fucking prejudice and intolerance in that group of people?

Gallagher: You think I have the power, by telling a joke, to rally people—

Maron: —to laugh.

Gallagher: —around—

Maron: —to laugh. You rally people to laugh at what? Because they identify with your prejudice. That's why they're laughing. "I get that. I hate fags too." Is that releasing aggression in a healthy way?

Gallagher: (pause) Hate—

Maron: Sure.

Gallagher: There's not hate involved here. We're telling jokes.

Maron: O, there's a lot of hate in jokes. Come on…

Gallagher rolls with this challenge and claims not to hate or wish to oppress any group. Maron's claim—that Gallagher is reaffirming intolerance—starts to merge with his broader challenge that the humor isn't helping society's problems.

Because, of course, we know that comedy is all about problem solving.

But that's a fair push. It's fair of Maron to pursue it. And at this point in the interview, the tone starts to calm down. They even go on to chuckle a few times. Yeah, Gallagher probably should admit that his comedy isn't fixing things. I have no problem (as if that matters) with Maron hoping his own comedy heals and doesn't just distract. His humor has always had more the sting of antiseptic than the ease of anaesthetic. But that's why I wasn't sure what precise point he was making when he asked about Gallagher's act

What if it hurts people's feelings? And…what if people see it as as isolating and vicious? Does that bother you?

The strength of Maron's act has always been that even if he cares that he hurts people, he keeps going with it. Because people—even when they're in groups—can handle being ridiculed. But is he going to insist that unless you're trying to help, an act that "hurts" is contributing to intolerance? Maron doesn't give much space when Gallagher claims that he's showing society its hangups.

And that's because when you try to talk about the moral responsibility of comedy, you either have to draw some completely arbitrary lines; or you start a horrible discussion of aesthetics; or you have to admit that there is no morality as long as you're OK with who your audience is.

In this interview, Gallagher comes across a comic that thinks he has a lot to teach. He doesn't value the trend away from histrionic comedy. He believes every comic should want to sell out State Fairs. He believes even the greatest comedians who focus their material on their own fears and problems are doing it wrong. He sees himself as a blend between historian and mentor. And he's sad that his audience is literally dying. The thing that drives him away from the interview is that he doesn't realize that Maron is already important, and doesn't need a teacher, teaching those things. Right before he gives up, Gallagher complains "Why did you want me to do this interview if you don't think I dont know anything about what you're asking me about."* I can't imagine he would ask that if he understood how well WTF has done, and will continue to do, without him.

WTF on iTunes
WTF on Libsyn

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* It's important to keep in mind how this all started. Maron explains in his weekly email update: "My manager got a call from a guy who said he was Gallagher’s manager. He wanted to know if Gallagher could do a spot on my show and maybe do the podcast."

Run, Gallagher Run: Maron Loses his First Guest Mid-interview

This just in: Halfway thru being interviewed by Marc Maron earlier today, Gallagher threw a tantrum and ditched the room. Here's how it went down according to Maron's recent tweets. In the order Maron posted:

• Looks like I'm going to interview Gallagher today. WTF. (9:34 AM PST)
• Going to find Gallagher. Talk later. I hope[....] (10:41 AM PST)
• Gallagher just threw the mic down and stormed out of my hotel room. (11:33 AM PST)
• I got about a half hour. Very defensive. I guess if you call bullshit on him there is no debate. He just storms off like a child. (11:36 AM PST)
• I was being very diplomatic but I guess its either his way or[....]he throws the mic down and storms off. (11:37 AM PST)
• I wouldn't put it past Gallagher to come and heckle me tnite. He was pissed. Doesn't like comics who talk about themselves. (11:41 AM PST)
• I knew what I was getting into. He snapped when I disagreed with his assessment of good and bad comedy. Not politics. (12:02 PM PST)

@lowmoralfiber asks: "Did you feel physically threatened?"

• Not at all. I was sad he left. It was just getting good.

@smassing asks: "First guest to walk out on you?"

• Yes.

@SonicReducer09 asks: "were you really being that hard on him?"

• No, I was trying to logically understand where he was coming from. My bad.

And it looks like we'll get to hear the buildup.

• I plan to air the half hour. No reason not to if the sound is good.

Anyone who follows Marc Maron or listens to WTF knows that he readily admits to occasionally being aggressive and confrontational. But not really in his WTF interviews. There he just has honest and revealing conversations with comedians just begging to be understood and loved. There are tense moments, sure, but Gallagher is apparently the first to shut down walk away.

And don't worry; Maron assures us that the mic was not harmed.

Comedy Central Keeps Presenting

A reminder and update: The Netflix stash of Comedy Central Presents is growing. They're not yet posting the 2010 season, but they are pretty much caught up to the 2009 season, which is about 24 more episodes since I last counted a few months ago.

Daniel asks where he can watch or get the first two new episodes. The Tom Segura and Michael Kosta episodes are available for $2.99 each on iTunes. For $34.99 you can buy all of season 15. Or you can get the whole series for only $477.60.

And there's a free season 15 "Sneak Peek" that I haven't seen yet, on iTunes. I'll update once I've taken a look at it.

[UPDATE]
And of course, it's exactly what you'd expect. Short clips that sell a few pretty successful bits. None of these names should be new to you, but here's a list of the sampled acts just in case there are a few in here you haven't seen and would like to take a quick look at:

Michael Kosta
Chelsea Peretti
Chris D'Elia
Sheng Wang
Tom Segura
Matt Fulchiron
Hari Kondabolu
Al Jackson
Jay Larson
Kyle Kinane
Jessi Klein
Louis Katz
Nate Bargatze
Natasha Leggero
Mike Vecchione
Jack Whitehall

Comedy Central's Stand-Up Showdown

Tomorrow (Thursday) at noon, the voting closes for Comedy Central's Stand-Up Showdown. I've been tempted to write about this all month, but something kept telling me it wasn't important. "Why isn't it," you ask?

Well how about the fact that Jeff Dunham finished 1st in 2008 and 2nd in 2009?

But it's not a useless campaign. The top twenty placers are a pretty good mix of styles. And it's not only the current sweethearts and trending comics that get all the attention. There are a lot of consistent performers on there. But ultimately, yeah, it's popularity contest. As most of these contests are.

But it's a good way to get a look at influential and rising comedians. A bunch of them stacked together and put up on a single page for you to watch.

In related news: January has been stand-up comedy month on Comedy Central. Which means they've been showing almost enough stand-up comedy.