Mo!

FINALLY!!! I Have An Online Video of My Comedy Jokes!!!!

2011-12-10T12:34:00.002-05:00

I've done comedy in the standing up style for six years now - pretty much as long as YouTube has been around - and still no online recording has been available...till now!

This was recorded on December 3 at Free Stand-Up Comedy Show at Karma, a great show produced by Eric I and Craig Hillelson. The line-up included Greg Johnson, Mike Recine, Pat Dixon, Susan Prekel, Chris Laker, Jaqueline Novak and Dave Rosinsky. Scott Schendlinger deserves praise for the great editing of this video.

In these six minutes I talk about bar jokes, Mussolini, being Egyptian and the dangers of smoking pot with a pimp. Bon apetit!

Drinking and Drugging Dream Journal

2011-06-18T10:15:00.002-04:00

This is my first blog post in almost a year! New post, new segment! Exclamation point! I've been sober for seven months. As a result, I have dreams of drinking and drugging.

I figured I'd catalog these dreams in a journal, which is like my Mundane Dream Journal, but sadder.

I dreamt that I was drinking at a hotel bar in England. There was this tradition where everyone drank on Sunday morning the way Americans drink on Saturday night. I had noodles and walked around the hotel drunk.

What I find most disturbing about this dream is that fifteen years ago I would have dreamed that I was kissing Alicia Silverstone in a space shuttle. Nowadays the space shuttle is a hotel lounge and instead of Alicia Silverstone on my lips I have Jack Daniels. That is a fantasy of mine now, to drink in the daytime at a hotel bar. Hopefully in seven months I'll dream that I'm drinking a whiskey flask at a roadside grave.

See you next year!

I'm Coming To Your Borough (Probably)

2010-07-30T15:07:00.003-04:00

If you live in downstate New York that is.

On August 10th, I hit Manhattan at the UG! Comedy Show for comic/producer Justin Murray's birthday show!

Then on August 19th, I'm headed to Queens to do a set at Waltz-Astoria.

Brace yourself Nassau; you're next. I'm gonna bring some thunder to the Wyld Chyld tattoo parlor in Merrick on August 21.

At the end of the month, Brooklyn feels the heat at World's Greatest Grandson in Greenpoint.

For more details check out the Upcoming Shows tab on the sidebar. Come watch me-isn't it about time you made a bold choice?

See My Stand Up Comedy Show TONIGHT!!!

2010-03-24T12:10:00.002-04:00

This is one of the best lineups in a long time! Join host Tim Warner (opened for Doug Stanhope) as he presents some of the very best up and coming comedians in New York City including:

* Dan Goodman (opened for Drew Carey, BEST stand-up comedy writer in NYC)

* Adrienne Iapalucci (Winner of the People’s Choice Opening Act
Competition @ New York Comedy Festival)

* Jeff Wesselschmidt (Aspen Rooftop Comedy Festival)

* Jessie Richardson (writer for Witstream [check out her quips here
http://www.witstream.com/Public/Page...px?Lister=161])

* Harry Terjanian (MTV U)

* Maddog Mattern (Sirius XM)

* Mo Diggs (Time Out New York.com, MTV.com)

* Pat Rigby

Wednesday March 24

Intermission

When: Wed, March 24, 7:30pm – 9pm
Where: Ochi's Lounge, 353 W. 14th Street New York, NY
NO COVER!!! ONE ITEM MINIMUM!!

World's Greatest Grandson TONIGHT!

2010-03-02T11:15:00.003-05:00

I'm gonna be doing a Greenpoint comedy show tonight. Very exciting because Greenpoint really is a very interesting place for comedy. Coco 66 has some great shows. But tonight's show that I'm doing (World's Greatest Grandson) is at Van Gogh's Radio Lounge. How exciting is that name? Sounds like a steampunk comedy club.

Here's what comic/producer of the show Bill Chambers has to say:

Tonight! World's Greatest Grandson
World's Greatest Grandson returns in March with shit loads of fuck-all! This month we have: Dan Goodman! Adrienne Iapalucci! Dan Mahoney! Mo Diggs! Tim Warner! Fraser Young! and sketch comedy by...World's Greatest Grandson returns in March with shit loads of fuck-all!

This month we have:

Dan Goodman!
Adrienne Iapalucci!
Dan Mahoney!
Mo Diggs!
Tim Warner!
Fraser Young!
and sketch comedy by Skinny Bitch Jesus Meeting!

Hosted by Bill Chambers!

Tuesday, 3/2/2010
Van Gogh's Radio Lounge
147 Franklin St (btwn India & Java)
Greenpoint, Brooklyn
G Train to Greenpoint Ave

In addition to the great selection of comedians we have scheduled for tomorrow night, I'm very happy to announce a rare special appearance by The Dare To Be Stupid Dancers.

If you aren't already aware of TDTBSD, it's essentially a bunch of fat kids in Hawaiian shirts, dancing around to "Weird Al" Yankovic songs.

They really have a lot of fun, laughing and dancing to "I Love Rocky Road" and other Weird Al songs, just laughing their fat asses off, doing the "Monkey" and the "Funky Chicken" and so forth, until they're all on the floor, rolling around, giggling hysterically.

It's pretty much the best thing ever; you really have to see it.

Weird Al dancers. WEIRD AL DANCERS!!!! C'mon you can DVR Lost (I am). Come watch me and the Weird Al Yankovich dancers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Remembrance Of Video Past #66: Billy Joel, "You're Only Human (Second Wind)"

2010-02-25T14:21:00.004-05:00

This song doesn't have much retro kitsch value. When people remember the good ole days, they wanna remember Duran Duran's "Rio" or Michael Jackson's "Thriller." They don't want to remember this midtempo adult-contemporary blue eyed soul hit from 1985 about suicide. "You're Only Human" was written by Billy Joel in order to prevent teens from killing themselves. Might as well fix a drum by cutting it open and doing surgery.

I don't know what's sadder; that this existed or that when I was nine and I saw this at the end of "Entertainment Tonight" I was moved. The metal guys were "mean" in my opinion back then because the news said they sang about suicide as a good thing but Billy Joel wanted people to NOT do that, so he joined Mr. T and Punky Brewster in my League of '80s Good Guys.

The video is about this kid who wants to jump off a bridge (presumably because he's wearing a denim vest) but Billy Joel swoops in and shows him what life would be like without him like in "It's a Wonderful Life." The drowning teen is Adam Savage, host of MythBusters. Ironic moment: at one point Billy Joel is sipping champagne while sitting on a car.

Despite the depressing lyrics, the music is upbeat and peppy. Even ABBA knew better than to write a song about suicide with...

Oh yeah, at one point, Billy Joel flubs a verse, and laughs. Glad to see you're having fun Piano Man. If it's OK with you, I'm going to choke myself on the vomit you've so graciously induced from me. One of the lines in the song is "You're supposed to make mistakes." Ah, but you're not supposed to record them.

VIDEO NOT AVAILABLE FOR EMBEDDING (SURPRISE SURPRISE)

No 4th Anniversary For Blog?

2010-02-01T13:00:00.002-05:00

Well truthfully I've gotten out of the habit of blogging on this site. This site has become more of a one-stop-shop for all thing Mo Diggs. Indeed, your best bet will be to check the Twitter feed to the right. THAT'S where the action is?

Why not so much blogging? Short of it is I work at a place where I don't have time to blog and I do stand-up at night. Of course, there will ALWAYS be exceptions. For instance, I love doing my year-end lists. Plus every now and then I have some long-winded fluff I wanna write about the nature of comedy.

But instead of seeing this site as a "blog" consider it a place to see what's up with Mo. With Mo's tweets, Facebooks, upcoming shows, etc.

And rest assured, if there is ever any SUBSTANTIAL news I want to share (getting interviewed by Gothamist, etc) I will post it here first.

Set Your DVRs

2010-01-07T15:58:00.002-05:00

John Oliver's new stand-up show, "John Oliver's New York Stand-Up Show" premieres tomorrow at 11 pm with Maria Bamford, Nick Kroll, Greg Fitzsimmons and Eugene Mirman. Future guests will include Paul F. Tompkins, Janeane Garofalo, Marc Maron, Brian Posehn, Kristen Schaal, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Matt Braunger, Hannibal Buress, Pete Holmes, Amy Schumer, Chris Hardwick, Matt McCarthy and Hari Kondabolu.

Here's a clip:

Jokes.com

Stand-Up: John Oliver - Don't Ask, Don't Tell

comedians.comedycentral.com

Joke of the Day

Stand-Up Comedy

Free Online Games

Funniest Things Of 2009

2009-12-29T14:45:00.008-05:00

Funniest Song of 2009: "Jammie Shuffle"

Lonely Island has always hit it out the park with their demented raps. But this glorious paean to pajamas and drugged up knife fights is a bona fide grand slam.

"The pills take hold of your mind and flesh/You're brave and strong; you don't fear death!" Line of the year, bumper sticker of tomorrow.

Funniest Viral Video of 2009: Keyboard Cat

A video shot in the '80s in which a cat plays a keyboard became more than another novelty cat video; it became the all-purpose punchline, used to play off blotto starlets, dunder-headed senators -- any bonehead that drew a blogger's ire. Play us off!

Funniest Movie of 2009: The Hangover

FINALLY! A winner in this category that people have actually seen. Ed Helms, Brad Cooper and Ken Jeong were fine but make no mistake: it was the improvisational dexterity of Zach Galifianakis (he of the best web series, "Between Two Ferns") that led to classic moments like "reTARD" and the baby jackoff scene.

Funniest Television Show Of 2009: "Curb Your Enthusiasm"

Heir apparent to the HBO throne of LA asshole comedies (spawned by "The Larry Sanders Show", natch), "Curb Your Enthusiasm" steered clear of the sitcom cliches of CBS sitcoms and the overwritten excesses of NBC sitcoms at their worst, focusing on the only thing that matters: character. A hapless schlemiel of a character that gave us the comedy event of the year: the "Seinfeld" reunion.

Funniest Stand-Up Comedian of 2009: Paul F. Tompkins

The first two-time winner in this category was the funniest because:

a) he was the best podcast guest of the year

b) he had the funniest album of the year, Freak Wharf

c) all of the above.

"C" is the answer. Apologies to Tompkins for not making "street smart" an option.

Funniest Comedy Double Album Of 2009: Final Engagement, Marc Maron

True this is an arbitrary distinction since there were hardly any other comedy double albums this year, but Marc Maron deserves recognition this year as well. Between this ferociously funny album and his WTF podcast, expect Maron to spearhead the trend in sincere, personal comedy in the upcoming decade along with Louis CK.

Funniest Sketch Group: Derrick

The Mystery Team trailer speaks for itself.

Funniest Website Of 2009: Witstream

So many hilarious quips on Twitter and Facebook. How do you cut through the garbage and find the funny? Enter Witstream, a site founded by Michael Ian Black and Lisa Cohen. Now Paul F. Tompkins, Moshe Kasher and Doug Benson are on the same page along with other great comedians giving you their minute to minute thoughts on everything from movies to bad gigs. It's like Twitter distilled into a new art form: jokes.

Funniest Podcast Of 2009: Best Show On WFMU

Funniest things ever: Paul F. Tompkins and Tom Scharpling riffing on the juggalos as well as Jon Wurster calling up and requesting a song called "Jazz Fart" by Frank Zappa. Don't know if this is a real song; don't care. The winner now and forever is The Best Show. Everything else is soft serve!

Funniest Blog Post I've Written This Year:

Hey Burger King

Previous:

2008
2007
2006

The Ten Most Influential Comedians of the Decade

2009-11-27T12:11:00.019-05:00

Though the prevailing doxa seems to be that alternative comedy was the biggest movement of the past ten years, the truth is future history books will mark this decade as the one in which stand-up got fragmented. The red states had blue-collar comedy; the ghettos had The Kings of Comedy; the suburban mooks yukked it up listening to Rich Vos and Jim Norton; and, yes, the hipsters were slapping their tightly-jeaned knees watching Comedians of Comedy DVDs.

It is thus keeping in mind all these disparate comedy movements that I present the most influential comedians of the decade. These are not necessarily my favorite comedians of the decade. If that were the case, you would see Paul F. Tompkins, Marc Maron and Maria Bamford on this list. For better or worse though, these ten comics were the ones that open mikers sheepishly aped this decade while trying to find their voice. These are the ten comics that shaped people's expectations of stand-up over the past ten years. Some of the comics on this list even helped introduce stand-up to markets that no one would have previously thought of (blogs, indie rock festivals). Here, then, are the ten most important comics of the nascent millenium.

10) Louis CK

No comedian has more respect uptown and downtown than Louis CK. True, sincerity was not as popular as irony in this decade and if this were a list of beloved comics, CK would be ranked much higher. But it is only recently that comics have begun to talk about break-ups and childhood trauma with the same soulful, gut-wrenching intensity that he is known for. Whether Dane Cook did indeed steal those jokes from him or not, we can at least count that incident as evidence that CK's lowbrow/highbrow/anything-but-middlebrow style had a significant impact in arenas as well as in faux-dives nationwide.

9) Mitch Hedberg

Of course Mitch Hedberg helped open the floodgates for one-liner comics worldwide. But his most lasting contribution would be his laid-back, stoner delivery. You'd be hard-pressed to find a comic who sounded like they had more fun onstage than he did. More cynical readers may point out that heroin would make anyone happy, but therein lies the rub: heroin addicts often end up taking heroin not to get high; after a certain point users never feel high on smack again. They simply take it to ease the pain in their stomachs.

This is the exact opposite of Hedberg's comedy. There are moments on Strategic Grill Locations when he flubs the delivery to his jokes or tells undeveloped zingers. Those moments aren't only acceptable; they leave indelible impressions on the listener's mind. Many comedians have since tried to recreate the loose, goofy, comedic vibe that Hedberg brought to rooms nationwide; none have come close.

8) Aziz Ansari

Before you click the "Publish Your Comment" button, angry readers, consider this: Aziz Ansari was the first comic to use blog buzz to advance his career the way stand-ups used The Tonight Show or Dangerfield specials 20 years ago. Before YouTube, Ansari was making viral online videos with Human Giant ("Shutterbugs") and without them ("Aziz's Shitty Mixtape"). Anybody who has made the comics in the back laugh with jokes about shitty action movies and dumb R&B songs owes him at least another listen. And yes, in an age where Arabs, Sikhs, Indians, Pakistanis and Turks were indiscriminately called "towelheads," there he was, crossing over to white audiences and paving the way for great brown comics like Hari Kondabolu.

7) Jeff Foxworthy

According to a New York Times article, Comedy Central largely overlooked Jeff Dunham until the suits saw that The Blue Collar Comedy Tour was such a success. Though Larry the Cable Guy was the breakaway star, Jeff Foxworthy initially attracted attention to one of the most lucrative movements of the decade.

Before you shit on Foxworthy, check out this clip from Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? His quick wit and good-natured delivery help save this from turning into a mean-spirited humiliation of a grown woman who should have paid more attention in math class as well as chemistry class.

6) Bernie Mac

One of the great lessons of ethnic comedy in this decade: it wouldn't be enough to talk about your race. An audience raised on Def Comedy Jam and hip-hop skits knew everything about the difference between black people and white people. While Bernie Mac would remind us of the similarities between blacks and whites, he did not resort to Bill Cosby's gentle delivery. Indeed, Mac's rapid-fire cadences hearkened back to the fire-and-brimstone Pentecostal preacher style of Sam Kinison. His personal material, where he mostly aired his family's dirty laundry, was a precursor to Louis CK's shockingly confessional bits on wiping shit from his daughter's vagina.

The Bernie Mac Show was also a revelation. This decade's answer to The Cosby Show, the Emmy Award-winning program would get shuffled around the TV schedule like every other show on Fox that should never have been canceled. In truth, it's amazing that a show about a borderline abusive father even got greenlit to begin with. A closer look reveals that, like his blustery stand-up act, there was a redolent sweetness reminding us that he acted this way because he loved the kids -- and he respected the audience.

5) Dave Attell

To a certain extent, Dave Attell almost ruined comedy clubs. Thousands of up-and-comers have flooded bringer shows with lesser jokes about sex with trannies and midgets. Truth be told, it is not easy to say what makes Attell better than these wannabe cool jerks. Delivery comes to mind. Every word that leaves his mouth is marked "Important." There is nothing casual about this man; every breath seems to have smoke behind it.

Or perhaps it's his laser-like focus on nightlife. No comic books or rug rats here: every joke he has told has been about alcohol, weed, sex, cocaine -- anything that we indulge in between 5 pm and 4 am to help us escape our humdrum existences (and to help us forget his legions of humdrum imitators).

4) Sarah Silverman

You mean to tell me that attractive female comics spontaneously decided in this decade to tell off-color jokes about black men, anorexia and child abuse? Truth is, Sarah Silverman had the same impact on many comediennes this decade that Eddie Vedder had on "alternative" rock singers in the '90s: everyone sounded like them.

What the imitators lack is her silliness. Most of the clones would make fun of Martin Luther King for shock value; few have the imagination and verve Silverman had to tell a hilariously preposterous lie about MLK farting in a car with the windows up and the heat on full blast.

3) Todd Barry

True, few comics were dumb enough to try to affect Todd Barry's low -energy style. But Barry's snarky quips about shitty rock musicians would permeate alternative comedy scenes nationwide, spawning imitators left and right. Comics were also drawn to his detached, wry take on urban life, taking jabs at conversations overheard at restaurants as well as knee-jerk ineffectual liberals that bring a bad name to the left.

Lest you think that Barry is a boutique act that only has hipster cachet, watch this Letterman clip, where each joke has laughs and an applause break.

2) David Cross

David Cross would have been number one, but it seems his influence started to wane as the decade wore on. Less comics -- both indie and mainstream -- would do topical material. Even the angry, insolent tone would become less and less popular.

But it was Cross who ultimately attracted attention to alternative comedy in the first place. Simply listen to Aziz Ansari's self-effacing quip on the Invite Them Up compilation CD, where he imagines a listener skipping his track: "Fuck Aziz Ansari; David Cross, where is he at?" For a long time, Cross was the biggest indie comic out there. His stint on Arrested Development certainly didn't hurt. Neither did his cult following from his Mr. Show days.

The most important legacy Cross gave us, however, was taking comedy out of the comedy clubs and into the rock clubs. In 2000, Cross went on a rock tour with Ultrababyfat, helping fuel the Comedians of Comedy tour as well as giving impetus to the deluge of comedy tents at indie rock festivals.

1) Patton Oswalt

Sure David Cross attracted audiences to indie comedy, but Patton Oswalt would keep them coming back for more. It is because of Oswalt that every geek with a comic book collection thought they could tell jokes. It is because of Oswalt that Zach Galifianakis, Brian Posehn and Maria Bamford got the attention they deserved through the Comedians of Comedy tour.

But when scholars hundreds of years from now discuss the significance of Patton Oswalt, they will all point to his tone. Granted, very few comics can stray from cynicism for long and his screed against KFC bowls is served with a big helping of bile. But before Oswalt, almost no comics talked about their passions. Love was almost always out of the equation.

Yet there he was, recounting his hilariously detailed obsessions with giant women, Alvin and the Chipmunk records, celebrity chefs and film producer Robert Evans. The reason Oswalt was the obvious choice to star in films like Big Fan and Ratatouille was because the two lead characters in those films needed his infectious zeal to come to life. It is this lust for life that had as many comics joking about the things they love in this decade as The Beatles had musicians singing about love in the '60s.

Lesser Jokes

2009-11-17T14:33:00.003-05:00

Great comedians tell greater jokes. Lesser comics either tell lesser jokes or tell greater jokes in lesser form.

Lesser jokes? Lesser jokes are jokes that are either hackneyed, obvious or generic. If you are a comedian who really cares about comedy or who reads blogs about comedy, you probably know better than to write hacky or obvious jokes. But generic jokes? Not so easy to avoid. You could start off with a joke that's very original but end up adding a generic tag. Or you can write a purely generic joke.

A generic joke? Wow, you know nothing! A generic joke is more or less a joke that ANYONE can make. Comics may know better than to avoid the trap of airplane jokes, but how many do you think are making jokes about the movie 2012? A lot. I'm sure some great comics have jokes about 2012. But the lesser comics are the ones who are, say, calling the movie a disaster. The greater comics are the ones who managed to write 2012 jokes that fit their persona -- or at least jokes that not simply any idiot can write.

Because the joke that any dummy can write is the stand-up equivalent of buying a rubber chicken at a novelty store. Neither gag has a pulse.

Creepy Cats From Barbie Cartoon Sing "Unbelievable"

2009-11-10T09:09:00.006-05:00

WARNING: Do not watch unless you have never taken psychedelic drugs before.

Flipping through the channels, I found The Barbie Channel. Why not? Maybe it was a bunch of Barbie dolls in videos, like a Todd Haynes film. I found this video entitled "Unbelievable" Barbie and the Three Musketeers Music Video.

The first thing you notice in this video is the creepy kitten faces. The lead singer has this creepy smile that makes her look more like Richard James than a cat. And why are the back-up kitties trying to pull off all these salacious moves? It's like you're watching a little girl's beauty pageant for furries. The lyrics aren't even the same. It's like an unfunny song parody of EMF's "Unbelievable" with half-baked lyrics about girl power.

I feel like the dog at 2:24. Jump to 0:38 to skip to the beginning of the "song."

Comedian-To-Watch Dan Goodman Has A Hot Website!

2009-11-06T13:44:00.004-05:00

It's been said before: politically incorrect jokes don't work unless they're funny. Well all jokes don't work unless they are funny. But some jokes challenge the prevailing social mores of race, religion etc. and yet-

GAAAH! This is why I more or less quit comedy journalism. Just know this: comedian Dan Goodman is the real thing. Comedy sites like The Apiary and The Comic's Comic have been profiling hot up-and-coming alt comics. They are great, but when it comes to great up-and-comers who get respect downtown and uptown like Louis CK and Bill Burr, the number one name that comes to mind is Dan Goodman.

Well he's got a new website that you should check out.

Here are some cool-sounding features from his website:

Ghetto Myspace Pic of the Week

30 seconds of Hell

Bookmark this ASAP!

BURRRRN!

2009-11-02T13:32:00.003-05:00

from the NY Times:
J. P. Williams is the Hollywood producer behind the Blue Collar Comedy Tour, which first demonstrated that there was an overlooked and hugely profitable audience for comedy in Middle America, and even he told me he doesn’t think Dunham’s act is that funny. “His material is pretty soft,” Williams said. “If you take away the puppets and close your eyes, there’s not really that many jokes there. He’s not a comic. He’s a ventriloquist. He’s got a great gift, and his gift is that he makes stuff talk and he keeps his mouth pretty much closed when he does it.”

Oof. That's gotta hurt! It's one thing for David Cross or Chris Rock to say this. But when the producer for your target demographic has stuff to say-when Biloxi Danny Rose-gives you a bitchslap, that's gotta chafe. Guess even Cletus stopped drinking the Kool-Aid!

I'm On A Podcast With Claudia Cogan

2009-10-27T14:20:00.002-04:00

The Check Spot is a news and comedy podcast run by Dave Greek (comedian), Dan Cartwright (comedian) and Arthur Carlson. Comedian Sue Funke fills in for Carlson on this episode, where we talk about Balloon Boy (two days after the story broke), gay rights, Tracy Morgan and Ice-T.

Check out the episode here. While you're at it, check out the other episodes. This is more or less a who's who of up-and-coming comics.

The All-Purpose Alterna-Hack Joke

2009-09-21T14:15:00.002-04:00

It's no secret the industry has its eye on alt-comedy now. So why be yourself? Just get yourself on the display rack at Urban Outfitters on the cover of Paste magazine with The All-Purpose Alterna-Hack Joke and you will be elbow-patch deep in alterna-snatch and drink tickets! [Ed. note: if you think I'm making fun of you in this blog post I probably am you soulless, opportunistic clone]Pay close attention to the key words in bold-I swear to your pagan warlike god these words automatically get laughs from trust-fund brats in faux-dives without fail.

So I was riding my unicorn when I saw a pirate fighting a ninja. The fight was refereed by a robot listening to Nickelback with an Ed Hardy t-shirt. I dropped my Dunston Checks In DVD and felt like my soul got raped. Am I right? I was being ironic with that last question.

News Brief Comic vs. Feature Writer Comic

2009-09-01T14:32:00.006-04:00

The word "hack" gets thrown around in comedy circles like the word "communist" gets thrown around Beltway conservative pundit conversations about Obama: its overuse builds to a sort of glossolalia to the point where one almost forgets what either word means.

Perhaps journalism can show us the way.

Most cub reporters start off picking up faxes/e-mails and writing brief stories about charity bake sales, Halloween safety tips, etc. Then they graduate to real local news briefs about robberies, murders, etc. Eventually, they graduate to in-depth features, a cover story, maybe even their own column.

The same can be said for comedians. Many comedians start off with "news brief" jokes ("This is in the news..."). At the very least, they start off with brief jokes that anyone can write. News wire stories from the AP or Reuters have very little personality. Similarly, hacks are more concerned with content and timeliness than style.

Great comedians, then, are like feature writers: very thorough, thought-provoking writers with their own personal flair. Richard Pryor; Maria Bamford; Andy Kaufman; Bill Burr-all very different comedians and yet they can all be considered "feature writer" comics.

The best a "news brief" comic can hope for is a monologue writing job for Conan or Letterman. For a "feature writer" comic the sky's the limit.

As unremarkable as news brief comics can get, they are also well-versed in the fundamentals that a feature writer comic knows cold and builds on: strong punchlines, timing, clarity. Feature writers have difficulty at first bringing clarity and focus to difficult issues like whether public health is socialist, much like feature writer comedians might initially experience frustration trying to make their personal bits accessible.

There is overlap of course. Great comedians likes Andres DuBouchet and A.D. Miles write monologue jokes for Conan and Fallon. Similarly, a feature writer can probably write a news brief in her sleep. But news brief writers and news brief comics who only do briefs have difficulty making the feature leap; some may be so happy with the money and/or travel that brief guys get to experience that they never want to write features.

Although the majority of news brief writer comedians are hacks, there are exceptions -- comedians who write their brief jokes with a certain panache. Steven Wright and Mitch Hedberg come to mind. They have relatively simple jokes but the delivery and mannerisms make all the difference. So if you do find yourself more comfortable talking about Sarah Palin's latest gaffe, make sure to include your own personal stamp or else you will end up being yesterday's news before you know it.

This Is Sad

2009-08-27T17:09:00.003-04:00

When you type in "worst comedians" Google suggests "worst comedians Dane Cook" as an autocomplete. I guess college crowds can be SuFickle.

Upcoming Gigs

2009-08-05T14:31:00.003-04:00

Yes I do stand-up. Come watch me tell jokes at any one of these fine venues.

Inconvenient Truth: Al Gore's Kinda Funny

2009-07-27T12:12:00.003-04:00

At least that's what this Un-Cabaret blog post seems to imply:

Once Al Gore stopped pretending to be a 'serious' politician and started making fun of himself, he suddenly became a lot more likeable and trustworthy - even when he was delivering an inconvenient truth.

Scoff all you want, Al Gore's daughter wrote for Futurama. This may explain Obama's appeal too, making self-deprecating jokes about being from Krypton.

Wasn't Bush self-deprecating? Yeah - WAY after the fact. When he made his flubs, he never addressed them immediately. He just said them with such a serious face one couldn't help but laugh at him.

So politicians; be more Jon Stewart, less Stephen Colbert.

Remembrance Of Video Past #65: Duran Duran, "All She Wants Is"

2009-07-14T10:42:00.004-04:00

When I was 13, nothing was funnier than an orgasm in a pop song. Twenty years later, you would think I would stop howling with laughter at the ecstatic moans toward the end of this song. Trouble is, these moans are sequenced with synthesizers, making it sound like a sex piano (or sex keytar).

What's makes it even funnier is as these moans creep up on the soundtrack, the female protagonist faints in front of an open fridge. You're welcome.

NSFW

Patton Oswalt Vid EVERY BUDDING COMIC MUST WATCH

2009-07-06T11:30:00.002-04:00

Taken from Beth Lapides' page (more on her significance here) is this annotated video of Patton Oswalt at Un-Cabaret. The annotations dissect how, when asked questions about his anecdote, Oswalt's responses are not only funny but truthful and within his character. It's not so much that he's on. It's more like he's really present onstage.

In this sense comedy is like reporting: Patton Oswalt is giving the story while Lapides (the hostess who asks questions to elicit further information) is like the editor, demanding even a seasoned vet like Oswalt to give more detail and to answer any lingering questions.

A Perfect YouTube Moment

2009-06-30T13:06:00.005-04:00

I got the following comment on this video (NSFW):

This is the only comment by someone other than me. It's a very flattering, supportive comment. I am enjoying this unspoiled moment before I start receiving negative "faggot" comments. Or, even worse, before I realize that I will never get another comment on my videos ever again.

(Thanks Abbi for the heads-up and the video!)

Best Viral Video Of The Year (About MJ Media Hypocrisy)

2009-06-29T10:23:00.002-04:00

I've seen Jon Lajoie's work and I've always thought it was OK but nothing could prepare me for this scathing rebuke of the hypocritical media's reaction to Michael Jackson's death. Before Jackson's death he was demonized as a child-touching pariah. Now he's been crowned the King of Pop by everybody carbon-based life form. Which is it? Lajoie seems to lean towards the "kid-diddling sicko" view, but he keeps his unwavering focus on the media circus that interviewed vapid talking head after vapid talking head.

There have been plenty of hilarious viral vids this year but this is one of the precious few that challenges the status quo. Indeed I can't think of another viral video produced exclusively for the web that does.

NSFH (Not Safe For Hypocrites)

(via)

Upcoming Stand-Up Comedy Gigs For Mo Diggs

2009-06-11T14:22:00.000-04:00

The Hangover Wins Over Angry Meatheads

2009-06-08T12:53:00.004-04:00

First of all, this is the most perfect film ever realized. It is at least the best comedy I've seen in a very long time. I don't think a better comedy will come out this year but I hope I'm wrong.

It was especially awesome considering the conditions. I saw it in a sold-out theater full of angry douchey bros who were waiting 15 minutes past the scheduled time for the movie to start.

This movie better have roofies!

A theater employee announced that the movie would start in five minutes. As we were watching the trailers, the projector went out and everyone booed. They started the movie a few minutes past the very beginning which pissed everybody off. Some audience members were booing the projectionist. One guy behind me said "This movie is doomed."

At the end of the film, there was rapturous applause. Hangover with the win!

Is There Such A Thing As A Bad Audience At A Comedy Show?

2009-05-26T14:13:00.005-04:00

Absolutely. Some audiences are dumb and want Chinese jokes. I'll take it one step further - sometimes the HOST is terrible. Sometimes the Feng Shui is out of whack. Sometimes the comic before you killed by making fun of convenience store clerks from Southeast Asia.

This only means it is our job as comics to rectify the situation. More often than not this entails being "loose" which means either:

a) crowdwork
b) articulating your stream-of-consciousness as it happens
c) commenting on a joke from the previous comedian/host

What this does is it gives the audience and comedian common ground without the comedian selling out. The best way I can describe it is to be your own host because if the host did their job right the crowd would be pumped. So YOU have to get them psyched (Rob Lathan steez).

Speaking of getting psyched COME TO MY SHOW TOMORROW AT OCHI'S.

Here are the details:

Mo Diggs presents Claudia Cogan (featured in Time Out New York), Jamie Lee (one of the winners of NYUCF Emerging Comics Contest), Nick Turner (DC Comedy Festival), David Angelo (David Angelo Radio Show), Todd Montesi (Howard Stern) and Matt Nagin (New York Post). Musical guest Joe Yoga.

Date: Wednesday, May 27th
Time: 7:30pm - 9:00pm
Location: Ochi's Lounge (basement of Comix; 353 W. 14th St)
NO COVER/One Item Minimum

I Was Interviewed In Stand-Up Comedy 101

2009-05-11T10:24:00.002-04:00

Comedian/open-mike expert Bad Slava interviewed me for his blog. Here's an excerpt:

Why did you start doing stand-up comedy?

I was sleeping with hookers and strippers, thinking, "What job can I have where this lifestyle is common to the point of cliche?"

Remembrance Of Video Past #64: Richard Marx, "Hazard"

2009-05-01T11:24:00.004-04:00

We've all heard lite rock before but how about lite rock with A MURDER MYSTERY?! I saw ads for this song in 1992 asking the cryptic question "Who killed Mary?" I first heard this song in my parent's rental car in Florida. It has an ominous sound, like a bad police procedural with spooky synth noises.

Richard Marx plays this guy accused of murder but he maintains is innocence. In the beginning he is shown being teased as a child. Later he finds out his mom is an adulterer and burns a random person's house as a little kid. He eventually dates Mary, who is found dead in the river. It is up to the listener to decide if Marx's character killed Mary or not.

I'd like to think he did it because an easy listening song by a murderer is funnier than a power ballad sung by a cold blooded killer.

If You're In New York And You Want To See Me...

2009-04-20T11:16:00.003-04:00

I usually don't promote upcoming shows on this blog but I am REALLY excited about these next two shows.

TONIGHT: I am doing Monday Night Stand-Up at Pete's Candy Store. The show is hosted and produced by the lovely and high-larious (especially on 4/20)Jennifer Dzuria. Also featuring:

Tim Ellis has a one-man show called, "An Inquiry Into Human Understanding." I went to go see it to make sure it didn't have too much in common with my own philosophy-oriented one-woman show. Fortunately, Tim had never donated his eggs to a gay man.

Cody Hess is from Texas. According to his MySpace page, his heroes include his parents, and "cowboys."

Jeff Kreisler is a winner of the Bill Hicks Spirit Award for Thought Provoking Comedy and was a writer for Comedy Central's Indecision2008.

Becky Yamamoto has a really awesome-looking website.

****************************************************8

Don't forget Intermission-the show I produce with Matt Nagin-this Wednesday (4/22) 7:30-9 at Ochi's Lounge in the basement of Comix (14th and 9th). I am hosting and man do we have a line-up that will leave laugh scars-let alone laugh lines-on your face.

HILLARY SCHWARTZ (MTV)
IAN JENSEN (Botanica, Joe Franklin's)
GABE PACHECO (Haiku Show)
MIKE KRAMER (featured Daily News, NYC Underground Fest., Dutch TV)
MATT NAGIN (featured NY Post, host Intermission)
EL BOB (clubs, colleges)
TODD MONTESSI (Ug!)
CHESLEY CALLOWAY (Kabin Show)
Musical guest Michelle Leona!

NO COVER! 1 ITEM MINIMUM!

The Absolutes Of Mo

2009-04-16T14:40:00.003-04:00

One of the most difficult things in any artistic endeavor is finding your voice: what makes you you? I came up with a list of absolutes-of things that are immutable, that have been true practically all my life-as an exercise to see what makes Mo Diggs Mo than just Diggs.

- I hate mayonnaise: Since I was eight years old, I have been repulsed by the idea of mayonnaise. How much? If my girlfriend started to eat mayonnaise I would break up with her. If you covered all my cash with mayonnaise I would throw it in the vicinity of a homeless person. If you told me my brain had mayonnaise in it, I would learn how to give myself a lobotomy on YouTube.

- I love Queen and Led Zeppelin Folks, I've been through many musical phases: metal; indie rock; electroclash; intelligent dance music; conscious backpacker hip-hop; soundtrack music. Through it all I've never changed the station/pressed "next" on the iPod when a Queen or Led Zeppelin song comes on. This doesn't exactly make me look cool: both bands were the alpha and omega of overproduced hi-fi stadium rock.

Fuck electroclash

- I will always love the feeling of getting out of work This does not mean I do not like work. The downside of unemployment is that the whole day becomes relatively uneventful. At 5 pm on a workday I get out of work. Joy! At 5 pm on a weekend I check my e-mail for the billionth time.

What are YOUR absolutes?

MySpace: Most Ghetto Website Eva

2009-03-31T13:28:00.002-04:00

If the Internet is like a highway of information, then the MySpace exit is one huge web ghetto.

- Every other girl is a cyber ho propositioning you for her cyber services.

- No matter where you look you see a shirtless thug.

- Shitty music is blasting out of shitty speakers.

- Everything is all dilapidated with ghastly MySpace graffiti.

There's even Tom, the cranky MySpace landlord. "OK we know there are problems-STOP WITH THE EMAILS! You get what you pay for!"

What's the crack of MySpace? MySpace. No matter how hard I try, I can't get out of the ghetto.

Joke Junkie #3:

2009-03-24T16:26:00.003-04:00

Today's headlines, tomorrow's jokes

Industry experts say digital 3D is the future of cinema. Which means viewers may be literally blinded by Dr. Manhattan's giblets.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A prison officer was fired after befriending inmates on Facebook. No word on whether he will face charges for poking the inmates.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
A scientific study shows that semen makes women happier. In other news, Monica Lewinsky says her blue dress brings back happy memories.

______________________________________________________________________________________
STREET JOKE OF THE DAY: An ad man walks into a bar. He rolled his eyes at the patrons and told his friend "This place sold out. It's way too commercial."
Call the bowler's union and tell them there's a STRIKE!

Today's Topic: Topical Jokes

2009-03-18T13:45:00.002-04:00

Here's Louis CK's take on topical jokes (Boston Comedy via Sandpaper Suit):

"I just don't do that. It has a shelf life, and… I don't care about current events. They're hit so hard by comedians. That whole thing of, 'Hey, what the hell…' you know, 'And the eight babies lady…' You know, Jesus. And fucking enough. It's the most boring part of our national conversation, is the five headlines. You can't tell the news from Entertainment Tonight anymore. It's just a bummer. And I think it's one of the most boring aspects of stand-up, and it's just me being really harsh, is just the feeding on that shit. And taking the, 'Here's my take on it.' Oh, okay, that's about three degrees different from what Conan said, and Leno said, and Letterman said, and Jon Stewart, and Dennis Miller, and Spike Feresten, and Jimmy Kimmel, and Jimmy Fallon. And the columnist, and the Onion. And a bunch of bloggers...Your take on the Octomom, you somehow found a little territory in there that was just yours. And I really wish you had thought about something about yourself instead."

Now here's MY TAKE:

I don't know if you've noticed but the past few days I've been writing topical jokes. Why on earth would I do this? Two reasons:

a) As a joke-writing exercise
b) It's amazing practice for television writing

The truth is, there is ZERO money in alternative comedy. You either make money as an actor or a writer. I don't have a Johnny Hollywood Good Time Charlie face, so I may as well hone my writing chops.

That said, I would stay away from telling topical jokes onstage. Stand-up, more than any other form of comedy, is about honing and sharpening the same material. Granted, I don't feel you need to tell the same five jokes at EVERY show (I just realized this recently, so apologies to my fellow comedy colleagues) but it really is hard to let go of jokes that have the shelf life of one loopy afternoon at work.

RECAP:

Topical jokes: great for blogs/Twitter, but a waste of time onstage.

Joke Junkie #2

2009-03-17T15:44:00.002-04:00

Today's headlines, tomorrow's jokes
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Today is St Patrick's Day, a magical day in which all the streets are sprinkled with golden showers.
______________________________________________________________________________________
A German company courts controversy with Obama Fingers, which are fried chicken tenders. The company halted production of Sanjay Gupta Dots.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
The latest Details issue has Yankee Alex Rodriguez kissing his mirror image. He was reportedly frustrated that he only got to first base.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
A man on the lam posed as his dead brother for 20 years. Police became suspicious when the man told police "I am my dead brother. BAH!"
_____________________________________________________________________________________
iPhone now has copy and paste function. No word yet on whether iPhone will have "save money and stop buying trendy gadgets" function.
_____________________________________________________________________________________

STREET JOKE OF THE DAY: A 9/11 conspiracy theorist walks into a bar. He says "Let me get a hot toddy-make sure it's Farenheit 9/11."
Tell the short-order cook at Denny's that's a grand slam!

Joke Junkie #1

2009-03-16T17:25:00.003-04:00

Here are today's jokes from today's headlines:

Guantanamo inmates no longer "enemy combatants." They are now being called "livestock."

_____________________________________________

MacGyver is being made into a movie. In the spirit of MacGyver, the filmmakers plan on using rudimentary materials to make a certified bomb.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

iPhone is the big hit at SXSW. Like most of the concertgoers, the iPhone was both sleek and unwashed

____________________________________________________________________________________________-

HBO greenlit a series about history of film by David Chase, maker of The Sopranos. When asked who will star in it, David Chase abruptly turned into a black screen.

________________________________________________________________________

Josef Fritzl, accused of imprisoning his daughter and fathering her children, has pleaded guilty to rape and incest but not guilty to murder. "I'm not a monster," Fritzl added.
_______________________________________________________________________________

STREET JOKE OF THE DAY:

A 9/11 conspiracy theorist walks into a bar. He orders a rum and coke. The bartender says, "It comes out to 12 dollars." The conspiracy theorist said, "Sorry, I only have loose change."

CHERRY, CHERRY, CHERRY, JACKPOT!

LCS, Gotham Non-Renewals=No One Cares About Stand-Up

2009-03-13T14:40:00.004-04:00

According to The Comic's Comic (please donate), Last Comic Standing and Live At Gotham appear to be headed toward the out door.

Startling coincidence: last night, Chris Laker said that before he was a comic, no one would talk to him about Premium Blend because only comics watch that show. So is stand-up comedy really becoming incestuous? A vanity press for the most fragile egos?

If so, then I embrace this trend in cancellations. As Jeff Kreisler rightfully said in the comments for the blog post, "This could be good thing. Maybe without the TV outlets for 'younger'/'greener' comics, these comics can focus less on developing a TV set, and more on developing themselves."

The short of it: we may have avoided a COMEDY BUST!

Comedy Bust

Two Things About The Watchmen

2009-03-09T13:35:00.003-04:00

It was very good but lemme say two things:

1) Awful soundtrack from start to finish. The extended remix of Bob Dylan's "The Times They Are A Changin'" was terrible. And My Chemical Romance at the end? NERD RAGE! (/sarcasm)

2) Now that the movie is out, douchebags have opinions about Watchmen. When Watchmen was a graphic novel only smart people had opinions of the film. Criticisms were well thought out. When I went to see this film, at the end I overheard some hapless fucktard say, "Why did they show the blue guy's junk?"

I can imagine the conversation with his friends on the way home:

"If I stopped bangin' the Silk Spectre my balls would be blue too!"

"IMAX doesn't make everything bigger!"

Dr. Manhattan making a house call for Smurfette

My Twitter Listed As One Of Funniest

2009-03-02T18:41:00.002-05:00

By whom? Kevin Tor, an up-and-coming comic whose video was listed in Apiary's New Video Wednesday.

My Twitter is up there with Pete Holmes, Mike Drucker and Sara Benincasa. Look at the sidebar for my Twitter.

Better yet:

Me

Kevin Tor

Fuck You Your Blog Sucks Too

2009-02-27T16:48:00.001-05:00

Mark My Blog Words: Eddie Murphy To Come Back In Major Fucking Way

2009-02-27T14:32:00.002-05:00

First this news: Eddie Murphy returns to stand up

Now Eddie Murphy plays Richard Pryor in upcoming biopic!

Hopefully Eddie won't wear a fat suit and white pancake makeup to play Louie Anderson.

And The Name Of The Band Is...

2009-02-24T15:08:00.002-05:00

from Buzzfeed: New meme: here's a totally random way to make your new random band's new random album cover. Post one! Go to “Wikipedia.” Hit “random” and the first article you get is the name of your band. Then go to “Random Quotations” and the last four or five words of the very last quote of the page is the title of your first album. Then, go to Flickr and click on “Explore the Last Seven Days” and the third picture, no matter what it is, will be your album cover.

BAND: The Further Adventures Of Lord Quas

FIRST ALBUM: "Grasping, Uncooperative, Egotistic, And Calculating"

Album Cover:

I Am Totally Amazing In This Slumdog Millionaire Parody

2009-02-17T12:30:00.002-05:00

Unfortunately I did not write it. That honor belongs to the wonderful Abbi Crutchfield.

Oh and her fiancee/comedian pal Luke Thayer has a really funny wig.

ACTION!

I Post; You Decide

2009-02-09T11:35:00.001-05:00

Is this good? I'm at work and can't watch videos. So I leave it up to you the reader: IS THIS FUNNY?

Funny McSweeney's Piece From Ed Murray

2009-02-04T13:00:00.003-05:00

My comedy friend Ed Murray is leaving for Seattle on Friday. Read his hilarious piece on why he'll never be a comic here and come to Soundfix tonight to send him off!

Comedy Free Williamsburg
@ Sound Fix 8pm

FEATURING
DC Benny (Comedy Central's Premium Blend)
Chris Laker (Gettin' Some)
Jamie Lee (NYUCF Emerging Comics Contest Runner-Up)
Lee Camp (Huffington Post, 23/6)
Pete Holmes (Live at Gotham)
Sean O'Conner (This American Life)

Hosted by Ed Murray (McSweeney's, Sirius Radio)
w/Mo Diggs (The Apiary)

110 Bedford Ave/N 11th
L to Bedford, G to Nassau

I've Seen The Future Of TV Show Adverts And It Is....

2009-02-03T23:32:00.003-05:00

...previews for sketches. Important Things With Demetri Martin looks AMAZING. If Tim And Eric is what an Andy Kaufman sketch show would look like, this is like a Steve Martin Chappelle Show. Unlike most promos which show whole sketches (Human Giant) or whole episodes (Flight of the Conchords), Comedy Central is showing trailers for individual sketches. Since this one made laugh out loud, I'm showing this one. Bad acting=good times.

Important Things with Demetri MartinWed 10:30pm / 9:30c

Preview - Anger Management

My Stand-Up Comedy Hero

2009-02-02T14:40:00.001-05:00

As an Arab-American, I can relate to Sayid from Lost bombing as a stand-up

Hey Burger King...

2009-02-02T12:01:00.008-05:00

Look, I love your foodstuffs. It's obvious from this picture. But must you go out of your way to try to be edgy? You're like the MILF that plays Nickelback in the sack because you think all the young dudes like that kind of postgrunge ballyhoo.

Let me take you on a stroll down memory lane-

Subservient Chicken: It's like a porno webcam, except it's a man in a chicken suit. Har-har d'ourves. The chicken does whatever you type in the message box. I typed "Run away from the factory farm and die."

Sean John Bags:

A few years ago the Burger Monarch asked Puff Daddy AKA Sean John to design their paper bags.

"Hey Diddles, we got a real sitch here. No matter how beautiful we make these bags, people wanna throw them out."

"You called the right one, fam. I am the master of disposable waste."

Whopper Virgins:

In one of their latest ad campaigns, foreigners from fourth world countries are given Whoppers for the first time. These novices to flame broiled greatness are called Whopper Virgins. Is it because of the ensuing flow of tears tinged with a bottomless sense of regret?

Angry Whopper:

Most comedians stop at three. I go beyond what is asked of me in the line of fire. Now there's this Angry Whopper pablum. That's right America, eat your emotions. This whopper comes with Angry Sauce. Angry Sauce. You know, because at the end of a drunken bender, there's nothing I want more than for a Whopper to hatefuck my mouth. [no image available]

KNOCK IT OFF BURGER KING!

RIP John Updike

2009-01-27T15:02:00.005-05:00

Pulitzer-prize winning writer John Updike, 76, died of lung cancer. Known best for his "Rabbit" series (Rabbit, Run as well as Rabbit Redux) as well as his New Yorker short stories, the man has written some hilarious works. Pick up Fierce Pajamas for some classic parodies, essays and comic verse.

In June of '06, I wrote a blog post linking to his philippic against the dense, scattered verbiage of the Internet. Most intersting line:

The electronic marvels that abound around us serve, surprisingly, to inflame what is most informally and noncritically human about us — our computer screens stare back at us with a kind of giant, instant "Aw, shucks," disarming in its modesty, disquieting in its diffidence.

But is it the Internet's fault or does most writing seem bland compared to Updike's muscular, poignant prose?

Great Comedy Show Catches Me In "What's Up With That" Pose

2009-01-26T16:14:00.004-05:00

Living Room is one of the best produced comedy shows in NYC. Produced by Abbi Crutchfield and Luke Thayer, the show runs every other Friday at Postmark Cafe in Park Slope. I hosted this past Friday and had a blast.

Wait for it.

What's up with that?

Confessions of a Teen Idol Invents New Professions

2009-01-26T04:15:00.003-05:00

On the VH-1 Celebreality show, Cooper Lawrence is a fame therapist who helps the washed-up hopefuls get back on track to fame.

I never knew fame therapists existed. Does that mean when a fame therapist says "your time is up," she's talking about your career?

Thank you, I'll be at Ochi's Lounge this Wednesday at 7:30 in the basement of Comix.

Third Anniversary Of This Blog (One Day Off)

2009-01-13T12:30:00.003-05:00

Three years ago (January 12, 2006) I started this blog. Now, in addition to my Apiary and Dead Frog writings, I have since appeared on MTV.Com, had an open mike at Rififi, done WAY MORE SHOWS than I have before (please check upcoming shows), got a write-up in The Comic's Comic, become the announcer for a hot show at Soundfix Records in Williamsburg called Comedy Free Williamsburg and produced a monthly show at Ochi's called Intermission.

In short, I've done everything but blog.

Here are some highlights from the past three annual cycles:

2006

First Blog Post Ever

Kidz Bop Trend

New Hip Hop Subcultures

2007

The Rudest Pan-Asian Cuisine Menu

Worst Funk Awards

1990: Worst Year In Pop Music History?

2008

Not Only Is It Super Tuesday

Mo Diggs As Guy Ernest

Hug Orgy

Notice how everything's in threes (third anniversary)? Happy birthday to blog!

Remembrance of Videos Past #63: Diamond Shell Featuring Biz Markie, "Oh What A Night"

2009-01-13T12:28:00.002-05:00

Nothing like Biz Markie singin' some off-key Franki Valli.

Top Ten Emerging Comics (Besides Myself Of Course)

2009-01-06T12:49:00.004-05:00

Yes, I am like Lenny Bruce meets Trout Mask Replica-era Captain Beefheart but enough about me; AskMen.com has a list of the Top Ten Emerging Comics. Side note: one of them is Sean Patton, a funny guy who was kind enough to put me up on his show, Comedy As A Second Language, at Kabin back in August. Congrats to Sean and everyone else. Let's hope these guys succeed, not Christian racist puppeteers.

I McNugget Love This Video

2009-01-02T12:00:00.002-05:00

I don't know what this says about me,but no R&B song speaks my language than this torrid, epic torch song about secret, selfish McNugget love. Try not to have liquid shoot out your nose during that "Girl you got a ten piece now don't be stingy" line.

Happy Holidays!

2008-12-25T23:16:00.001-05:00

I'll be back 1/2/09!

Reason For Medicare Crisis

2008-12-23T13:29:00.003-05:00

Sorry miss, we can't pay for that double mastectomy-hold on, got another call. Penis pump? Just say the word GO! and we totes have that covered. Wait hold on, another call: yes we do cover hookers that taste like pink lemonade but that might go towards your deductible-wait hold on, another call; no I did not know that my tax payer dollars are being used to subsidize the sex lives of gullible blue hairs."

The Third Annual Jim Belushi Unfunny Awards

2008-12-14T15:52:00.002-05:00

Belushi For Least Funny Song: "Lying (The Barack Hussein Obama Song)"

There have been so few unfunny songs this year I had to search "Obama parody" on YouTube to find this stinker. I could have searched "Palin Eats An Ugly Singing Baby" and topped this but I could not endure further research. This is sung to the tune of "Crying" by Roy Orbison. Enjoy the epithets in the comments!

Belushi For Least Funny Viral Video: "Macy's Thankgiving Parade Day Rick Roll"

Rick Rolls in general make me Rick Roll my eyes but this one, in which Astley actually humiliates himself on a float, is too miserable for words. "Ha, I'm hip with the joke. I get the opposite effect of the RickRoll in the mirror; I expect to see myself and instead I am shocked by the spectral image of the Ghost Of Blue Eyed Soul Past."

Belushi For Least Funny Movie: Beverly Hills Chihuaha

Didn't see it. Maybe would have if it were at least called Beverly Chills Chillhuaha and it were directed by Greg Johnson.

The Belushi For Least Funny Show: Two And A Half Men

Whenever I visit my mom and my stepfather, they watch this and get mad at me for going to the computer room because I do not spend enough time with them. When I recently bashed this show at an open mike, some people were upset that I didn't like it. Not only does this three-camera monstrosity suck, but it is driving a wedge between me and the people I love.

The Belushi For Least Funny Stand-Up: Jeff Dunham

And he is the worst comic yet. At least Dane Cook and Carlos Mencia use words. Not since Carrot Top has stand-up been so brazenly travestied.

Belushi For Least Funny Sketch Comedy: Frank TV

Second year in a row. TBS, you have a lot of explaining to do. Can't you do an UnLeno and move him to late night? Or eaaarly morning.Or Turn Off Your TV Day.

Belushi For Least Funny Website: Ebaum's World

The only three time winner on this blog for best AND worst comedy.

The Big Belushi For '08: Jeff Dunham

Jeff Dunham's Christmas special this year got more viewers than a South Park episode that was inexplicably popular as well. The most viewers Comedy Central has ever had.

Stella and Dog Bites Man got canceled but this makes CC history.
Jack Bauer, You've Let Us Down

Funniest Things Of 2008

2008-12-09T20:17:00.005-05:00

Funniest Song Of '08: "Nutmeg," by John Legend on A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All

For the past two years rap was the genre to mine for guaranteed laughs. This year, it was a silky, sexy R&B song about one of the most universally tantalizing spices that made me bust my ~~nut~~ gut.

Funniest Viral Video Of '08: "Keeping Your Refrigerator Stocked Will Get You Many Women"

Not only was this year's funniest viral made by an amateur (not a professional like last year's "Landlord"), but it was made by a genuine revolutionary. For nearly a century it was assumed that the funny happened on-camera not behind the camera. Not from an exuberant cameraman. Not from an overexcited auteur who teaches you how to get laid with a well-stocked fridge. Fun fact: black people don't like bleu cheese.

Funniest Movie Of '08: Role Models
David Wain has directed the funniest film for the second year in a row (last year he directed The Ten). Try these lines out for size: "I didn't know Jews can sing;" "Fuck you, Miss Daisy;" "Suck it, 'Reindeer Games'!"

Funniest Show of '08: 30 Rock

The first two-time winner in this blog's history: "I wish I had a Princeton reunion now, wipe that smug smile off Michelle Obama's face."

Funniest Comedian 0f '08: THREE-WAY-TIE-Paul F. Tompkins, Todd Barry, Brian Regan

Check out Best Week Ever With Paul F. Tompkins, Todd Barry's From Heaven and Brian Regan's The Epitome Of Hyperbole and try to choose which one is the best. I'd rather not do the work. Here's the best bit of the year from Brian Regan's special:

Funniest Sketch Group Of '08: Stella

The reunion of the decade

Funniest Website Of '08: College Humor

Between Hardly Working and their live stand-up videos from their NYC show, College Humor has become the NBC of the web.

Funniest Blog Post I've Written This Year:
Not Only Is It Super Tuesday

PREVIOUSLY:
'07

'06

Thanksgiving With The Obamas

2008-11-27T18:56:00.002-05:00

Imagine your mom slapping President-Elect Barack Obama's hand when he reaches for the check, insisting that she pay for a Thanksgiving dinner at the Waldorf Astoria with the Obamas, the Bidens, Obama's Cabinet picks and their respective families, the Secret Service agents, your family and your live-in partner only to find out from a mousy waitress that all three of your mom's credit cards are maxed out.

And that's not even the most awkward part of the dinner.

Barack's BlackBerry Gossip

2008-11-26T16:07:00.000-05:00

HOT!

Hangin with Barack and will.i.am

2008-11-25T16:39:00.002-05:00

NOTE: will.i.am NOT cool

My Day With Obama

2008-11-24T15:32:00.003-05:00

Here's the first post for my new blog, My Day With Obama. We TOTALLY hung out today.

Remembrance Of Videos Past #62: Sagat, "Funk Dat"

2008-11-20T16:22:00.001-05:00

Eddie Murphy, Chris Rock and Rodney Dangerfield have all released songs. Yet none of them are funnier or more emblematic of stand-up comedy than this left-field early '90s lost gem of hip-hop silly. Dropped in 1994, Beavis and Butthead roasted this video, comparing the rapper to 60 Minutes curmudgeon Andy Rooney.

The format of the song:

Sagat says "Question"
Then he bemoans a daily nuisance (getting flyered in the street, pointless phone conversations) in question form.
Then he screams "Funk Dat!" as a nameless little boy with an eyepatch dances and kicks things.

I would love to see some comic update this song.

Question:
Why is it that when you get a gift on FaceBook it's all virtual and shit?
Man FUNK DAT!

If only hip-hop-or any "indie" artist-were this creative and unpretentious today.

Celebrity Knock Knock Jokes

2008-11-17T15:23:00.004-05:00

I wouldn't want to do these onstage but I don't want to throw them away either. Give me any celebrity/famous person/famous fictional character and I will make a knock-knock joke for you!

Knock knock.
Who's there?
Joe the Plumber.
Joe the Plumber who?
Funny, that's what John McCain said earlier.

I'll never sell those chocolates now!

Knock knock.
Who's there?
Sarah Palin.
Sarah Palin who?
Sarah Palin, the grandmother of your illegitimate child.

Knock knock.
Who's there?
Justin Timberlake.
Justin Timberlake who?
C'mon Dad! It's Thanksgiving!

Knock knock.
Who's there?
Mark Wahlberg.
Mark Wahlberg who?
I didn't mean to knock on the door. Just wearing "Dirk's Diggler" again.

This Is Why You Love Me

2008-11-12T00:31:00.002-05:00

via Chuckle Dumper

An Obama Anthem From The '80s

2008-11-11T22:07:00.002-05:00

Get ready to laugh and barf (larf).

Video Of Me Starting A Group Hug During News Of Obama's Victory

2008-11-07T13:41:00.001-05:00

AMAZING Yankee Pot Roast Piece

2008-11-06T11:46:00.001-05:00

Lucas Held holds it down with "Book Treatment to Publishers A.S.A.P.!"

How I Feel About Stand-Up Post-Obama

2008-11-05T15:00:00.006-05:00

As revelers from the street party last night celebrating Obama's victory filled the theater watching The Big O give his historic address on the screen, I asked myself: how on God's green globe can I follow this speech? Yes, at the open mike, Obama was opening for me.

I told jokes; jokes about Islamophobia against Obama which did OK, but, buffeted with hooting and hollering from the streets, seemed like a brief, awkward lull bringing history to a grinding halt.

Tim Warner, an amazing comedian, admitted during his set that he could not do his routine and spent seven minutes talking about how happy he was. Who wouldn't - no one was a stranger in the village last night. Hugs abounded like lichens on a mountainside.

More than once, it was said that the election hysteria was like 9/11 in that everyone felt patriotic and connected. One more similarity: a palpable sense that the death of irony was encroaching.

Since at least 2005, the downtown alternative comedy scene was virtually devoid of any polemical, anti-Bush material. Liberal rants seemed hackneyed and pious. But there was enough irony and silliness to make McSweeney's read like n+1. After the teeming masses of hopeful, joyful and euphoric youths blocked every intersection west of Long Island, jokes and non-sequiturs seem lame. (Even Gawker recently experienced a snark shortage).

That is to say nothing of the politically incorrect mike jockeys that play at clubs in the West Village and Times Square. Now is not the time to say "I love Obama, but..." or "If I vote for Obama, black people will have nothing to complain about."

This latter, sweaty, hoary type of comedy will probably see its stocks plummet, but the zany zingers will probably resurface as the much-needed panacea to an Obama hangover. But do not be surprised to see more comedians doing what is described on message board A Special Thing as "lecture comedy." The comedy of Hicks, Carlin and Pryor, where there is as much applause as laughter; as much oratory as oral sex jokes; as much silliness as sincerity.

New Flavorwire Post

2008-11-04T16:17:00.001-05:00

Regarding: How To Mock Barack (If He Wins)

Woody Allen's Back!

2008-11-03T15:41:00.002-05:00

A Woody Allen piece in The New Yorker? This week is off to a great start!

Why McCain Nominated Palin

2008-11-03T10:39:00.000-05:00

Funny and NSFW

Remembrance Of Videos Past #61: Soul Asylum, "Black Gold"

2008-11-03T10:07:00.005-05:00

When Bill Clinton clinched the election in 1992, I was livid. Imagine a 16-year-old Republican North African American grunge afficionado drinking coffee and thinking he's having a heart attack. Is your brain broken yet?

MTV had an Inaugural Ball for Clinton's victory in January of '93. The country seemed energized by this, particularly the youth vote, which came out in droves.

Acts like REM, 10,000 Maniacs and Soul Asylum performed at this show. Before Dave Pirner became Kevin Smith's go-to soundtrack session man, he was the face of a youth movement free from the shackles of Bush Sr.

This inaugural insanity was contagious: I was actually interested to see what Clinton would do. It was the Motor Voter bill that facilated my voter registration a year later.

I hope everyone feels the same rapture and catharsis tomorrow when Obama wins that I felt when I heard this in January of '93.

Soul Asylum |MTV Music

My First Paid Blog Post

2008-10-30T15:04:00.004-04:00

After blogging for two and a half years for free, I am finally getting paid to blog as a contributor for FlavorWire! Here's my first post! What a week it's been in my the blogosphere. Special thanks to Matt Ruby!

Schtick Or Treat

2008-10-27T17:00:00.003-04:00

This show was awesome! I'd like to thank Matt Ruby and Mark Normand for having me on and I'd like to thank The Comic's Comic for giving me my first write-up:

Other highlights: Jared Logan as Kevin Meaney, Mara Herron as Janeane Garofalo, Chelsea White as a female version of Mitch Hedberg, Mo Diggs as Carlos Mencia telling the bit he stole from Cosby, Becky Ciletti as Sarah Silverman, Jamie Lee doing Maria Bamford's voices in a bit we'd both seen Bamford do live just a week earlier, and there were inspired takes on Steven Wright, Gallagher (with mini sledge-o-matic and slice of watermelon), Larry the Cable Guy, Yakoff Smirnoff

I hope to do this again next year!

Laughs On Mars

2008-10-24T15:22:00.010-04:00

Dear reader! This seemingly fabulist anecdote may seem like a cynical cash-in on a spectacular ABC sci-fi police procedural, but please rest assured-the following actually happened.

I woke up next to my girlfriend and kissed her softly on her forehead. The last thing I remember was eating a Snicker's ice cream bar from the freezer and fwoosh! I ended up outside the Improv where Broadway Comedy Club used to be.

Wait, you say, didn't Broadway Comedy Club replace the Improv? I had a similar thought till the wind pressed a newspaper against my glasses with the date: October 24, 1973. Seems like I had become unstuck in time. What was I to do? One of the first things I noticed was that things were so much cheaper back then, I did not have to work. This gave me time to ply my craft of comedy in the style of standing up.

I overheard some comics mention an open mike at Father Demo Square. After following them on the A for five stops, I eventually shoved my way past the increasingly vexed Chinese food patrons and signed up. It was my turn to get onstage. I started by mentioning I was an Arab-American. I had plunged into a maelstrom of deafening boos. Realizing too late that Arabophobia was worse back then, a drunkard with a wispy mustache screamed "Lower our gas prices towelhead."

That's right; 1973 was the year of the oil embargo.

I tried finding another open mike. One thing: there was no BadSlava because there was NO INTERNET! What? No Apiary, YouTube, MySpace? No Facebook invites? What to do?

What anyone else would do: befriend Steve Martin.

Steve Martin was by all accounts a distant, aloof kind of guy. So what if I shared my interests in art, King Tut and rabbit ears with the then-struggling comic? What if I praised his brief appearance on Laugh-In? What if I fed him his own jokes? And if he didn't like one, I would say "Well excuuuuuse me!"

If you had a dog in this race, you would say that I rode Martin's coattails to the stratosphere. Martin talked to the great Carnac and got me a Tonight Show gig.

Had I been more aware I wouldn't have stuck to my own set list. But there I was talking about iPod stereos and YouTube.

I was an overnight smash. Stoners loved my "fake" technology. Cultural theorists who inhaled Adorno liked mountain air appreciated my unpretentious social critique of consumer culture with my fictional consumer gadgets and my send-up of timeworn showbiz cliches.

Then, on a return appearance on Carson, I told my Arab-American joke again. Old habits.

Would you believe, even lefty colleges like Berkeley and Sarah Lawrence refused to book me. Martin ignored my landline phone calls. Even the bookers at Match Game gave me blank stares.

Well bully on those who said my pop culture knowledge was useless--I decided to predate Murray Langston by three years, put a paper bag over my head and become The Unknown Comic.

The bag was not even halfway over my head when my girlfriend nudged me and said "You've never looked sexier!"

I was back in 2008! Which meant I could use Bad Slava again! I awoke from my diabetic coma an unknown comic after all.

Jesse Thorn Is GOD

2008-10-23T17:10:00.002-04:00

This blog post on same sex marriage is articulate, stirring and inteeligent. America's radio sweetheart is now just America's Sweetheart.

One Of The Best Daily Show Segments Ever

2008-10-23T12:55:00.002-04:00

John Hodgman goes meta in ways that make you say "Why didn't I think of that?"

Remembrance of Videos Past #60: Bell Biv DeVoe, "I Thought It Was Me"

2008-10-23T12:04:00.004-04:00

In the summer of '91 (months before Kurt Cobain would change the guard) I introduced this song to my best friend in high school, Tom. This was the first time I had ever appreciated musical humor. An excellent modern example is a half-assed harmonica toot in the Demetri Martin track "Sames and Opposites" off his 2007 album These Are Jokes. But back then all we had was the BBD chant.

At 2:20 is the chant that kept us laughing in the pool throughout July and August.
The chant begins with a macho BBD chant followed immediately by a mousy, hurried BBD.

Typographically, this is how it goes:

B!
(pause)
B!
(pause)
D!
(pause)
bbd

So enjoy the greatest work of musical humor in R&B history.

The Best Dick Joke Ever

2008-10-23T11:48:00.002-04:00

Whether you are in Duluth, Minnesota or in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, you will hear heaps upon heaps of dick jokes. So a video called "My Best Friend Is My Penis" would stimulate your eye-roll reflex. PLEASE click on this Atom films video featuring Jon Togo, of CSI: Miami, and Will Carlough, of The Red-headed League. Not Safe For Work but it should be lunch right around now anyway. Just don't eat while watching-you WILL choke!

Atom.com: Funny Videos | Funny Animations | Upload Video Clips

Analogy-sus

2008-10-22T16:59:00.002-04:00

If I am Lou Reed

Ed Murray is David Bowie

and Tim Warner is Iggy Pop

Saved By The Bell: Fake Stories

2008-10-22T11:06:00.002-04:00

I got published in this interesting blog by Kevin Tor called Behind The Bell: The Funny, Untrue Stories.

The title: Dustin Diamond Addicted To Doritos

Best Of The Web

2008-10-21T12:49:00.001-04:00

Some web archive has me listed as best of the web.
Check it out!

So SNL Impressions Were MEANT To Suck?

2008-10-21T12:18:00.003-04:00

Well they were:

Political impersonations on “Saturday Night Live” used to be a good deal more impersonal. Dan Aykroyd’s version of President Carter had a half-Southern accent and a whole mustache. Chevy Chase’s version of President Ford was pure whimsy, as if someone had simply said, “Jovial. Clumsy. Go!” They were making fun of Presidents, but they were also making fun of Presidential impersonation, a hoary showbiz tradition that had come to seem unhip.

- The New Yorker

But later the impressions got "better."

In the nineteen-eighties, the impressions grew more precise: there was an avalanche of Reagans, and then there was Dana Carvey, who found a quirky nerd lurking within the seemingly unquirky first President Bush.

Like I said: '80s worst time for comedy.

Hug Orgy

2008-10-20T14:33:00.003-04:00

There there, next year you'll get the Exxon sign

Those of you who know me know I can appear cold, aloof and distant. I am more likely to shake hands than give hugs-and more likely to fist bump than either. But I've run into a lovely collective of artists who hug each other all the time and now that I'm back to giving hugs, I was wondering if there were hug orgies--orgies with hugs instead of sex so one can hug friends, family and lovers.

I looked online--these events exist!

Chocolate News Premieres Tomorrow Night

2008-10-14T12:46:00.001-04:00

I am at work and can't watch this video.

You tell me: is this worth the effort of TiVoing?

Vote in the comments!

Street Numbers As Ages

2008-10-14T10:58:00.003-04:00

The street numbers of Manhattan seem to correspond to human development.

Lower Manhattan is like youth; full of infantile shit-eaters who can't draw or sing living off their parent's money.

Midtown Manhattan is like a financially stable middle-aged man going through a mid-life crisis and trying hard to be hip with the kids, but looking as uncool as ever. The MTV building is that man's pony tail, the Virgin Megastore the Corvette convertible with which he overcompensates.

Upper Manhattan=death.

Change You Can Believe In

2008-10-14T10:09:00.003-04:00

Better than Bamma!

Great New Yorker Story

2008-10-01T10:26:00.001-04:00

Andy Borowitz has an amazing piece on his request for a bailout in Shouts and Murmurs:

Why am I too big to fail? It’s important to grasp the critical role that I play in a wide-ranging but fragile web of economic relationships. If I go belly-up, I will no longer be able to tip my doorman when he gets me a taxi. This is not a hypothetical situation. I have studiously avoided tipping him for a solid month now. Consequently, he no longer has cash to spend at the liquor store after work, and the liquor-store owner no longer has money to spend on Internet porn. Given that Internet porn is the only fundamentally sound engine of the American economy, we’re playing with fire here. If that stalwart industry is allowed to fail, Asian porn companies will rush to fill the void, offering porn that is both cheaper to produce and way hotter than ours.

Stuff Arab People Like

2008-09-26T16:10:00.002-04:00

Nothing. Where's my book deal?

Outside The Scene

2008-09-25T17:39:00.004-04:00

Louis CK:

A comedy club is a place where a completely random group of people come together to see a show. It's not a "scene." So I think, in some ways, the reaction you get from a comedy club is more honest.

I've done two shows recently at alt-rooms where the audience consisted of the producers' friends and family. I struggled a little bit at both. The first show like this I thought "man, these people just don't get it. I really miss performing for comedy nerds."

The second time I embraced it. Especially after watching some other "hot comics" struggle a little bit. The truth is, many of the hottest comics on the scene (let alone not so hot ones like myself) have been spoiled by the nurturing, generous laughs of the McSweeney's-NPR crowd.

But the "friends and family" of the producer - those are "real people." These are the people you will have to win over to really be a great stand-up. If you only care about a movie deal or a viral video, fair enough, you might be able to go above them.

But if you genuinely want to develop your craft and become more than just an underground darling, go with the "friends and family" package whenever you get a chance.

Start The Insanity

2008-09-23T12:26:00.000-04:00

Remember Susan Powter: the '90s diet guru whose catchphrase was stop the insanity?

Well looks like she's getting STARTED with the insanity. Check out her video blogs at Urlesque.

Why I Wanna Shoot My Mouth

2008-09-19T16:37:00.003-04:00

Decent day so far: my Apiary article gets some serious linkage despite some rightfully outraged comments over a half-baked 9/11 comparison. Then URLesque links to my "Twins" post.

But at the very end of my work day, as punishment for being idle when I should be checking on claims, I stumbled across one of the hottest, sexiest funniest actresses in history (Kristen Bell from Heroes and Veronica Mars fame) getting joke raped by Dane Cook and Jay Leno on The Tonight Show. Here's the clip (by clip I mean clip I am putting into my 60 caliber Nitro pistol before I deep throat it and write a wry suicide note saying "Happy Friday.")

Emotional apocalypse starts at 5:05.

Street Joke

2008-09-18T17:00:00.001-04:00

I was walking in this sketchy neighborhood the other night and these two toughs were walking near me looking all thuggish ruggish. Thuggish was telling Ruggish what we call in the industry a "street joke" ("What did the rabbi say to the priest," etc.). But this was a REAL street joke from the mean streets of Astoria Queens.

The guy said "What do you call an Indian with a dot on his forehead?"
"What?"
"A target."

That joke is SOOOOO wrong. What he should have said was "What do you call an Indian with a dot on her forehead?"

I'm pretty sure they shot up the convenience store they were walking into. Not sure-I was too busy running.

Remembrance of Videos Past #59: Philip Bailey & Little Richard, "Twins"

2008-09-15T13:59:00.003-04:00

I can just hear this song and laugh for a fortnight. '80s Little Richard-what an anachronism. That's like a Bluetooth-enabled telegraph.

For those of you too young, this is from the Danny DeVito Arnold Schwarzenneger vehicle Twins. Back when Arnold thought he was funny, once again confirming that, between "airline jokes," sitcoms and this film, the '80s were the worst time for comedy. And for Little Richard. Though the short-lived genre of Little Richard humor was in full swing.

Things To Check Out

2008-09-12T11:23:00.003-04:00

Great musician named Lizzy Grant at Mercury Lounge:

Lizzy Grant
September, 20 2008 at Mercury Lounge: The Little Death
217 E Houston St, New York, New York
Cost : 10

ALSO:

An interesting web miniseries named Sinister Dexterity:

Here's the first episode (two parts):

Tim And Eric Back To Internet Roots

2008-09-11T13:56:00.000-04:00

I usually don't like toilet humor but this video is the series finale of a Tim and Eric Internet series for Atom Films.

You get to see it before I do cos I am at work. Let me know how it is in the comments.

Atom.com: Funny Videos | Funny Cartoons | Comedy Central

LOLCops

2008-09-09T16:36:00.003-04:00

More here from my friend John Knefel with whom I work along with Ed Murray at Comedy Free Williamsburg.

Details:

It's one of the funniest damn shows in NYC.

Ed Murray (McSweeney's) and John Knefel (23/6) host national headliners and New York's best underground comedians ... who are actually funny.
This show erases the memory of all the terrible stand-up comedy you've seen in NYC.
Open Bar from 7-8pm separates the adults from those who lack self-esteem ... don't come and act like it's your first open bar, you'll be shown to the sidewalk.

comedy free williamsburg
@ Sound Fix
110 Bedford/N 11th
(L to Bedford, G to Nassau)
Open Bar 7-8pm, Show @ 8pm

This week featuring
ROB CANTRELL (last comic standing)
PAT DIXON (comedy central presents)
GIULIA ROZZI (jimmy kimmel, mtv)
ARJ BARKER (flight of the conchords)
& sketch from MURDERFIST

Rolling Stone Discovers Alternative Comedy, Internet

2008-09-07T23:08:00.004-04:00

It's 2005 all over again! A good three years after Spin Magazine declared alternative comedy the trend of the year and after YouTube was first publishing videos, Rolling Stone is perking up its ears and heralding a watershed moment.

Here are some of the other articles in the latest issue:

Why Dirigibles Are Inferior To Warplanes

A Future Where Music Is Downloaded

HOT INVENTION: Sliced Bread

No link available for comedy story but check out all their YouTube piece!