Good News!

Okay, so it's been a while since I posted, but it's only because I'm supposed to be devoting all my (medium) insight about comedy to my thesis. But some news re: comedy central-

Michael Ian Black, Demetri Martin, and Lewis Black are all getting their own shows on Comedy Central. The one I'm most looking forward to is Demetri Martin's, which is being produced by Jon Stewart. Martin has been a fixture of The Daily Show since 2005, and his Trendspotting segments always seem very popular with the audience. The show will premiere in late 2008, which seems very far away, considering I will be a grown-up at that point (i.e. not a college student).

I remember being very nervous about Stephen Colbert having his own show, wondering whether he'd be able to sustain the character four nights a week, but he pulled it off tremendously and now has a lovely Vanity Fair article written about him. I recommend the article immensely, as it actually gives you a perspective into what he might be like as a real person. And also, what he was like in previous incarnations (which apparently include a bearded poet).

A Demetri martin-related anecdote: This one time, I got interviewed for something called facebook diaries, which might be porn... unclear. The hot blonde interviewer asked me what I thought was sexy and I said comedians. So she said what comedians do you like, and I said (among others) Demetri Martin, which she kind of scoffed at. I asked her why she made a face and she said "Oh, um, he's my ex-boyfriend... I mean, a friend of mine." Unfortunately, she was also in charge of distributing the prizes for interviews, which means I got a t-shirt instead of the grand prize, a digital camera.

Belated Review: UCB at SummerStage

I had a really great time at this free outdoor show, despite the fact that it was disgustingly wet. Which was fine at first because I had a "waterproof" blanket to sit on. Less fine when I discovered the blanket was not actually waterproof and when Slovin & Allen described in great detail just how gross sitting on wet astroturf was. We were sitting in the front row, though, which was amazing-- so close to the action.

The show was hosted by The Daily Show's Rob Riggle and SNL's Horatio Sanz, who got progressively sillier (read: drunker) as the show progressed. Their repartee and MC-ing was really the best part of the show. I think this is partly because theirs was some of the only real improv done during the show. As one of my friends pointed out to me, the show seemed to suffer a bit from trying too hard to incorporate music into each segment and not doing what the UCB does best: long-form improv. Also, they should have saved way more time for the "headliner": Demetri Martin, who seemed extremely rushed by the time he got onstage.

Some of the highlights of the show were Sanz and Riggle singing a Simon & Garfunkel-inspired ditty and Reggie Watts' incredibly original vocal work. I've seen Watts on video, but never live before, and seeing him live is SO COOL. He is talented in an extremely hard-to-describe way, and I could watch him for hours. Rebecca Drysdale's how-to-improv rap was pretty cool too, but maybe a bit too in-joke-y. Aside from her line, "I get more pussy than Flight of the Conchords," she didn't seem to get that many laughs. Not sure of the demographics of the crowd, but perhaps there weren't a whole lot of UCBT regulars, or else not a lot of improv students. Unclear...

For more pictures, check out The Apiary. In the sixth photo down, you can see a couple of my friends in the background and in the ninth, if you look very carefully, you can see me!

emmy noms and the frat pack

Austin 360 has one of the better breakdowns of the Frat Pack that I've seen, managing to fit movies and actors into three distinct categories: "The Boys Will be Boys Goof-Offs," "The Realists with Heart," and "The Arty Parodists" with Paul Rudd as the golden boy who manages to work well with any of the three. I enjoy this far better than a previous article I read in which they tried to play Judd Apatow's crew off as "the new Frat pack." What's odd about all this categorizing is that Will Ferrell has stated very clearly that he hates the term "Frat Pack" and doesn't want anyone thinking that there's a clique or team of key players who aren't giving new talent their chance to shine. Easy enough for him to say.

Meanwhile, Emmy nods are out today. Some commentary:
Outstanding Comedy Series
I do not understand the appeal of Ugly Betty, but thank God for 30 Rock getting nominated. The Office and Entourage are both top contenders, but neither has had a particularly outstanding season.

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
I'm pulling for Ricky Gervais, who paved the way for Steve Carell to make you feel so awkward you don't know how to laugh.

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Tina Fey, as Liz Lemon, gives smart and sassy working women a role model and savior.

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Rainn Wilson, all the way. Dwight Schrute is a god among nerds.

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
I'm very excited that Jenna Fischer got a nomination for her sidelong glances and wistful demeanor, but I know a lot of people are pulling for Vanessa Williams.

Finally, has this "Outstanding original music and lyrics" category always existed? Here are the nominees:
Family Guy • Peter's Two Dads • Fox
MADtv • 1209 • Fox • Girl Group Co.
Saturday Night Live • Host: Justin Timberlake - Song title: ÒDick In A BoxÓ Scrubs • My Musical: Song Title: ÒEveryting Comes Down to PooÓ
Scrubs • My Musical - Song Title: ÒGuy LoveÓ
Ridonkulous. I really hope that each of these is performed at the Emmys by their original performers. It would rock my world.

Sweet 'n' sketchy

I tried to write something witty and insightful about this article, but the Onion AV Club does a pretty good job of explaining themselves. At the very least, they're snarky, which if I've learned anything from reading blogs 24-7 for the last six years, is extremely important. So if you want a way to waste an hour, check out their list of the 9 "TV Sketch comedy bits that should have inspired recurring characters." The list is phenomenal and inspired a great deal of nostalgia within my loins... (loins?), but the premise seems a bit wanting. Because there's nothing like having a character show up in just a slight variation of their previous situation to turn a well thought-out skit into way overdone. Even a sketch that runs on a little too long can leave a bad taste in my mouth. So yeah, these sketches are phenom, but maybe once was enough.

What's New in the World of Mainstream People Writing About Alterna-Comedy

The Comedy Central Insider has an oh-so-snarky and to-the-point breakdown of Esquire's infuriating list of up-and-coming comedians, those they say are just destined to ride in on the coattails of Dane Cook. Anyways, I don't have much more to add to CC Insider, since they did a pretty good job of explaining exactly why the article makes comedy fans want to vom, so just go there and check it out.

And in other news of people who shouldn't be writing about comedy, number ten on The New York Post's Hot List is their (medium) excitement over the movie "The Ten."

While "Evan Almighty" looks about as laugh-out-loud funny as a Biblically themed movie can possibly get, "The Ten" might give it a run for its funny money, judging by the flick's newly posted trailer. It sure helps that Adam Brody, Paul Rudd, Winona Ryder, Rob Corddry and Jessica Alba star in it.


Really? Evan Almighty looks laugh-out-loud funny? You could have fooled me. And The Ten might give it a run for its money??? Please. The Ten does not need your help, NY Post. Go back to photoshopping pictures of Paris Hilton onto stills from World War II.

Okay, so maybe not as bad as the latter, but still... The Ten will conquer all!

anticipation. and some thoughts.

I have been waiting for The Ten to come out since word first came of the team behind Wet Hot American Summer casting such hotties as Adam Brody, Jessica Alba, Winona Ryder, and too-hot-to-be-as-funny-as-he-is fratpack movie mainstay Paul Rudd. And finally, after months with a teaser that highlighted its star-packed ensemble, but told us little about the film itself, the real trailer arrived on YouTube. Honestly, they could have thrown the words up on the screen for two minutes and fifteen seconds and I'd still be excited, but the trailer does look good and now it's just a matter of waiting until August 3rd. A mere 53 days.

And if you just can't wait until then to see (or at least read about) your favorite members of the State, IFC has a great article describing each cast member's best sketch and what they've been up to since the show wrapped in 1995.


Also, I finally got around to seeing Knocked Up, which is, in fact, all everyone's been saying it is-- charming, hilarious, realistic, heartfelt, and wicked awesome. And its box office success should really motivate those in the industry to strive for greatness, not churn out the same formulaic movies. Case in point, the previews that preceded Knocked Up included The Game Plan, The Heartbreak Kid, and License to Wed, all of which honestly look kind of terrible. It confuses me, especially, when the same cast, writing team, etc. behind a fabulous comedy will get together and create something that seems to be created by a machine. But what makes me happy is that extremely talented comedy writers and actors who were getting cancellations out the wazoo in the '90s have become extremely successful now: Judd Apatow, Steve Carell, Stephen Colbert, all the people from the State. Are network executives and studio heads taking more chances now? And if everything's really getting better, then shouldn't Arrested Development still be on?

nytimes = wicked formal

This is what I've been trying to explain to my sociology professor and thesis advisor... Or I guess not specifically this, but something along these lines. The hardest thing about sociology is that just when you think you've devised a topic and are ready to start a year's worth of research on it, someone writes a trend piece on it which requires a far shorter period of research, less statistics, only 2-3 examples, but then again, such is social science...

The above is also an article from the NY Times, which always amuses me when they talk about the downtown comedy scene or the creators of College Humor and refer to everyone as Mr. ___. Which I guess is normal, but feels so formal (ooh rhymes). I'm glad that these groups are getting the recognition they deserve. Does our generation value comedy more than earlier ones when they were in their twenties? I guess the best evidence of this would be if these shows (human giant, whitest kids..., etc.) last longer or gain a more mainstream audience than their equivalent ten years ago (The Ben Stiller Show, dana carvey show, mr. show, etc.).