comedy
You are viewing stuff tagged with comedy.
You are viewing stuff tagged with comedy.
Few articles I read, only about one a year, get saved on my computer. These are articles describing an invaluable overarching idea, a critique of our modern world so potent that I want to reference it so I don’t forget it and can incorporate it into my own life planning. The following is one of those articles.
Just got done reading Steve Martin’s autobiography Born Standing Up. Given his immense success (45,000+ attendance at his concerts at the height of his career), his look back was remarkably down-to-earth. His descriptions of his early career, is humorously self-effacing—just like his stand-up. You don’t get the sense that he is writing to brag about what happened — it’s a lucid, funny, reasonable description of exactly what it takes to become a really really popular entertainer. There’s a picture toward the end of the book (at the height of his stand-up success), showing him from behind, walking toward a massive audience and wearing his King Tut headpiece. It’s perfect because (1) it’s a fantastic photograph capturing a moment in time and (2) the text surrounding the photograph describes how Martin felt, essentially, trapped in a wildly successful act whose contractual agreements he felt compelled to fulfill. His phrase “professional ennui” was perfect.
Louis C.K.: “Is the speed of light too slow for you?”
Eddie Izzard, the best comedian I’d never heard of until Chris introduced me, is running about 1,000 miles to raise money for a charity:
Izzard, 47, together with a tour manager, a sports therapist and the ice-cream van, left Trafalgar Square on July 26 after a snap decision — “all decisions are snap, aren’t they? You can’t have a bendy decision” — to run 30 miles a day in as many days around the country. The effort is for Sport Relief, the fundraising initiative by Comic Relief and BBC Sport.
Now he pulls the needle out. Puts this thing in your mouth.
This will suck up your face.
This dentist goes outside to laugh at you. And you sit, grown up, intelligent human being, arguing with this thing.
The vicissitudes of life dictate that one is single at some point. Jim Gaffigan, with some observations:
I like being married, I hated being single. The worst is when you would ask someone out and then they would shoot you down, yeah. ‘Cause really what they’re saying is, “You know what, I don’t even feel like eating a free meal around you. You make me want to go on a diet.”
I’ve tried to reproduce the inflection present in this actual performance by comedian Mitch Hedberg:
I eat a lot of sandwiches, who doesn’t man, sandwiches are easy to eat. But I hate sandwiches at New York deli’s, too much fuckin’ meat on the sandwich. It’s like a cow with a cracker on either side.
“What would you like sir?” “A pastrami sandwich.” “Anything else?” “Yeah, a loaf of bread and some other people.”
“What kind of bread?” “Rye… no, fuck, banana… you got banana bread?” “What kind of cheese?” “Cottage.” “Get the fuck out! I’m not makin’ a banana bread, pastrami, cottage cheese sandwich. That will severely ruin my reputation.”
The premise behind this upcoming film isn’t too hard to summarize, but since I haven’t seen the preview more than once, I’ll leave it up to Cinematical.
Superbad’s poster does a good job of summing up what the film is about—two awkward kids who are “superbad,” or more accurately, co-dependent and full of separation anxiety when they get accepted to different colleges. With badass 70’s fonts and a trailer that pipes out Van Halen’s Panama, it’s pretty obvious who this flick is meant for.
Chappelle pulls all-nighter - This Dave Chappelle guy, I think there’s more than meets the eye.
Anyone who bought a ticket to the Laugh Factory on Sunday night ended up getting two surprises.
The first came when Dave Chappelle appeared onstage at 10:36 p.m. for an unannounced set. The second shocker: Chappelle kept telling jokes until 4:43 the next morning—making his entire set a whopping six hours and seven minutes.
That’s the longest performance by any comedian in the the 28-year history of the Laugh Factory, according to founder Jamie Masada.
Colbert Report’s hilarious take on the AT&T merger - The accompanying diagram is great.
Genius opening skit - Goodness this is brilliant. As a fan of House, I especially like Hugh Laurie’s cameo in the skit.
Best line: “No, I did not have Conan O’Brien fall through the ceiling.”
Colbert Roasts President Bush - Supposed to be overly harsh or something - it all seemed to be simply humor, appropriate for an event of this type. I especially liked the chase scene at the end.
Also … this is old news. See Colbert interviewed on Letterman about the dinner.
The Four Yorkshiremen - This classic sketch is the root of a common joke you’ve probably heard before. You’ll know what I mean when you read it.
Or, you can watch it.
Taco Town - “it gets even awesomer” - I may have linked this great SNL skit before, but this merits a re-link. The blueberry pancake is one of the best parts.
Will Ferrell as the devil - I said the GUITAR is out of TUNE!
Visiting the vet - A comedy sketch featuring Hugh Laurie of House, M.D.! Thank you for the link, Ryan. Where have I seen the other guy in the scene? Somebody has to know this.
Time without updating the website sure flies when you are busy with school. That said, I am indeed busy with school. I have to hand it to mother nature, though - today is a perfect winter day. Big fluffy flakes have been gently falling all day, the air is cold but not too windy, Christmas music from the little cafe in the science building can be heard echoing off the concrete floors, spreading cheer to floors above and below. I will be doing homework between now and the beginning of Christmas break, but nevertheless I am sure something exciting will happen to me that I will be able to write about. In the meantime, here’s a quick Dane Cook bit I had to type. (My favorite is the part about the exhaust.)