Resilient Rabbit

Classic Comedy Clip of the Day: The Smothers Brothers' "Boil that Cabbage Down"

2009-07-13T05:27:00.000-07:00

This even pre-dates The Comedy Hour. The video quality is terrible, but that only adds to its charm. Tip to remember: "puma" is always a funny word.

Return Engagement / Final Engagement

2009-07-02T05:00:00.000-07:00

Final Engagement
Marc Maron
2 Stand-up Comedy CD
Stand Up! Records 2009

Unprofessional though it may be, I'll start with a personal note: Yes, I'm back. Yes, it has been a long time. And no -- I don't feel like talking about it. (Okay fine -- we can talk later. But after this. I'm busy.)

Personal note #2: Maron's latest, "Final Engagement" was taped at Giggles in Seattle -- so I had the pleasure of sitting in the audience for the taping. It has been a long time since I reviewed the CD of a live performance that I attended; but it's always a treat. I love to compare the anticipation and surprise of hearing the material fresh to the more analytical experience of examining it repeatedly on tape. Hearing it again months later, knowing every punch line in advance, I still enjoyed remembering how each one arrives and lands.

But that's enough about me. What's been up with Maron? Quite a good nasty deal, it turns out. As usual.

Marriage number two is over. And in typical fashion, he uses the tale of that gruesome change as an opportunity to make himself look vulnerable -- so we can feel compassion and empathy for his story, even though he willingly admits that he may have driven her away. Even though he confesses that, in the back of his mind, when he reflects on her departure, he thinks only: "Good for her. I've been trying to leave me for years."

I enjoyed this material for many reasons; but I think my strongest connection to it arises from the associations with middle age. Let's be honest: the break up story of an attractive and virile 25 year old is frequently trite and overplayed. But the story of being left again at 40 is a far richer tale. But it takes confidence and skill to find the funny in an experience that is not only painful but which could easily spill over into pathetic if not diced precisely. Thankfully, after 25 years at this, Maron can avoid those traps with artistry.

Instead, it's all handled deftly. By the time of this taping, he had the whole separation defined and summarized by one or two quick jokes. "My wife recently brought it to my attention that I have an anger problem. But she didn't say it like that; she said: 'I'm leaving.'" And everything from that point forward is just exposition. With that simple set up, we maintain enough sympathy to hear out his side of the story.

The non-divorce sections of the performance focus on more classic Maron material. The core of it is reflecting on how to get by in the world as an aging romantic who is constantly at risk of turning [even more] cynical. Who can't relate to this? It's the joy of day to day mental struggle. As in: "[I]f you walk up to someone and say 'Hi, how are you doing?' and they say "Fine", what they really mean is 'Help me! Don't walk away! . . ." But you can't say that because they will only respond 'Don't worry you'll be fine.'" It stays with you throughout the day and makes life's little interactions and annoyances all that much easier to bear.

Recommend. Download immediately.

Crowd Control

2009-06-29T22:45:00.001-07:00

Last year, not long after Bernie Mac passed away, Todd Jackson over at Dead Frog posited that this brief Def Comedy Jam performance -- taped when Mac was quite young -- was, quite possibly, one of the most perfect little bits of stand up on record. The canonical example of how to turn a hostile crowd into a worshipful throng.

Recently I was thinking about this bit again and pondering: was Todd's observation (with which I agreed at the time) just hyperbole born out of our collective grieving? It's an interesting point to debate, especially for me. Because I'm someone who wants to spend hours in scholarly analysis of comedy, dissecting jokes line by line and wondering how each will be remembered -- how each will impact broader society. And there's just no room for that here. This is very simple and base material. As a scholar, it leaves me cold. As a woman, it makes me swoon.

Because what this performance has is power, timing, commitment, raw charisma and audience control at a level I've never seen in a comedy club -- a level reserved for a handful of the greats (and Bernie Mac was most certainly one of those). How does he do it? Can skill that intense be taught or cultivated? I am dubious. Some people are just born with it -- and it's always a joy to behold.

Coulton and Hodgman: Tonight You Belong to Me

2009-05-03T08:41:00.000-07:00

This was just too adorable to pass up. Brings back happy memories of Hodgman's last book tour -- which was a delight. Enjoy.

Ricky Gervais Taunts Elmo - Muppet Fights Back

2009-03-12T14:06:00.000-07:00

As the parent of a preschooler, this brought me great glee:

MaxFunCon -- Sold Out

2008-09-26T11:22:00.000-07:00

For those of you attending -- can't wait to see you there!

For those of you who missed it -- how can you ever hope to become truly awesome?

Lucky for you, the ever generous Jesse has started a wait list. Check www.maximumfun.org for more info.

Letterman Spanks McCain

2008-09-26T11:16:00.000-07:00

It is probably the most popular video on YouTube today, but I wanted to post it here on the Rabbit both to assure a complete historical record and as a public service to those of you who may have been living down a rabbit hole for the past 24 hours. It is a true thing of beauty. God bless David Letterman.

My warmth towards Dave has really grown these past few years. It seems to me that, since his heart attack and the birth of his child, he is a different man. I don't think he particularly seems to care if what he says offends network leadership -- or anyone else. He is old -- he is successful -- and he has proven himself. He has earned to the right to call it exactly like he sees it -- and not too many people in television are in that position.

It must feel great. :-)

Patton Oswalt, Seattle's Moore Theater, Sept. 6, 2008

2008-09-17T10:45:00.000-07:00

I’m really not in the habit of crying tears of laughter five minutes into a comedy show. Especially when the headliner’s performance opens with a fairly straightforward (albeit long form) dick joke (no pun intended). Yet somehow Patton Oswalt managed to bring me to this state during the very first story of his show at Seattle’s Moore Theater. And I am still completely amazed.

It’s a testament to his skill. The very fine specificity of his word choice and delivery can bring even the simplest premise to an unanticipated level of funny – and quickly. I especially enjoy the way his marries that careful attention to detail with his own unique enthusiasm for his subject matter (even when that is not his own penis). The central joy of watching him perform is that it doesn’t matter whether he’s talking about his dick or the Bush Administration – whatever the topic, he engages with it fully and completely.

I don’t necessarily have anything against comics who define themselves by their cool and semi-contemptuous distance from the world around them; but Patton’s warmth and excitement for day-to-day existence is completely enchanting – and it is a big reason why he has become such an engaging performer.

I’m not suggesting, by the way, that his worldview is innocent or childlike. Quite the opposite. The natural and inevitable result of bringing such an upbeat, curious, energetic approach to the real world is, I suspect, repeated disappointment. And that disappointment provides him with more than enough cynicism to produce effective, mature commentary. In fact, he has a great piece in the show where he tells a story that comments on how the two parts of personality -- the upbeat and the cynical -- clashed while on the press tour for Ratatouille.

On the one hand, the exuberance and zeal that Oswalt brought to the role of Remy makes his character endearing to children. (In fact, I’ve heard Patton say in previous interviews that it was his enthusiasm and joie de vive that caused Brad Bird to cast him). Yet, at the same time, he acknowledges that, in his dealings with children during the press tour, he finally recognized how much he actually relies on cynicism as the basis for many of his dealings with the outside world. He encapsulates this with one of the best lines of the night by saying that: “my family coat of arms should just be two rolling eyes, a bag of Cheetos and the work “Fuck!” Crisp – perfect - awesome.

By the end of the evening, what really shone through the entire performance was Patton’s full-hearted passion– for life, and for his art. Frankly, it’s something that I, as an avid comedy follower, just don’t see enough of these days. And it truly sets him apart.

Thanks for stopping by Seattle, Patton!

Edgar Wright on aging alongside your characters

2008-09-16T11:24:00.001-07:00

Great new interview of Edgar Wright on KCRW's "The Treatment."

The interview covers one of the Rabbit's favorite themes in comedic creativity: how to address the fears and challenges of getting older?

During the interview, Wright discusses how the characters that he has created through the years, along with his partners Simon Pegg and Jessica Hynes, have each been age-specific. In other words, when the group was in their 20s, during the creation of "Spaced", they wrote about themes such as finding a career path, exploring new identities, struggling for integrity and understanding their own emotions. As they moved towards 30, with "Shaun of the Dead," they started to address the great questions of that decade: how long one should wait before truly taking action? When should you get on with your life? And do you have to wait until zombies attack your town to answer these questions?

With their third collaboration, "Hot Fuzz", the team started to address the issues that one faces after already excelling in a particular field. The lead character is old enough to actually know who he is and what he is good at -- but he is held back the classic bugaboos of encroaching middle age: small-minded superiors and backwoods boredom.

Happily, Wright says that the team is working on a fourth project which will deal with the biggest threat of middle age and beyond: the gross dangers of attempting to relive the glories of one's youth. That could be the best one yet.

You can hear the interview here.

John Hodgman discusses molemen, revolution and his personal drone battle on Boing Boing TV

2008-09-08T16:35:00.000-07:00

Irresistible chick-magnet John Hodgman grants an interview with Boing Boing TV to discuss his soon-to-be-released "More Information than You Require".

Asssscat Premiere: Andy Daly's "Nine Sweaters"

2008-09-06T08:56:00.000-07:00

Debut CD by the very spiffy Andrew Daly will be available tomorrow!! For those of you who follow LA comedy, it promises to compile the material from his Comic Death Ray performances. For those who haven't had the privilege of seeing Daly live, trust the Rabbit: He is a very creative performer with wonderful characters.

Review to follow as soon as I can get my hands on a copy! (Which, by the way, you can purchase from A Special Thing).

More Hodgman on Politics

2008-09-05T11:03:00.000-07:00

Again, John Hodgman has the twitter you want to follow if you love political humor. From the night of Sarah Palin's speech:

"Also, thanks Sarah Palin. Before tonight, I didn't realize that community service was purely for elite homos."

Perfect. I continue to be amazed.

Kristen Schall and Kurt Braunohler at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival

2008-09-04T15:15:00.000-07:00

Saw this clip and had to share. I haven't seen them work together previously, but hope to see more. Kristen is completely awesome. I've been a fan since "Flight of the Conchords" and truly I just can't get enough of her.

The Maximum Amount of Fun Permitted by Law -- MaxFunCon

2008-09-04T13:11:00.001-07:00

Picture yourself enjoying the maximum amount of fun permitted by law.

Picture your friends maxing out by your side.

Picture comedy, movies, cooking, chatting, hot tubbing and s'mores by a beautiful alpine lake in southern California.

Picture a small rabbit doing cartwheels of delight through a pastoral field of mountain clover.

All of this and John Hodgman, too?! It's true!

THAT, my dear little snuggums, is MaxFunCon. In my mind, anyway. I haven't actually gone yet; but I've purchased a ticket and my bags are packed. Ten months in advance.

More importantly than all of this: I definitely think YOU should go. So that we can hang out, tell stories and discover new ways to be awesome.

Please join us!

xoxo, The Rabbit.

Hodgman on Obama

2008-09-04T12:19:00.000-07:00

Personally, I'm not much of a Twitter-er; but John Hodgman has nearly perfected the form. If you add only one Twitter to your RSS feed this year, it should be his. (Although, I also really enjoy his blog simply written in Twitter form -- concise, direct, to the point).

I'm much delayed in posting links to some of my favorite Hodg-man posts from the past few weeks, but this one, posted in response to Obama's acceptance speech last week, probably tops my list.

Rolling Stone's Ode to the "Big Lebowski"

2008-09-04T12:08:00.000-07:00

For those of you still reveling in your memories of the most recent Dude Fest, Rolling Stone has an amazing article out on the Big Lebowski and its history called "The Decade of the Dude".

Major devotees of the Dude should also check out some of the great graphic art featured on the website for the fest. Perfect for hanging in the home or office -- something to glance at as you sip your next White Russian. Sample below.

Eugene Mirman at the Republican National Convention

2008-09-04T11:50:00.000-07:00

Mirman has a fun series going on 23/6 providing regular coverage from the Republican National Convention. The interactions with Tucker Carlson are my favorite. For reasons I don't understand, I laugh compulsively and somewhat uncontrollably whenever I see Carlson. It's actually more of a guffaw, but I think you know what I'm saying.

This clip covers initial reaction at the convention to the selection of Sarah Palin as VP nominee:

Bumbershoot Wrap Up: Maron, Garofalo, Human Giant, Miller, TSOYA and a Different Type of Labor Day Weekend

2008-09-04T06:59:00.001-07:00

Labor Day weekend has always been magical for me. When I was younger, I would usually spend this warm August holiday at Burning Man. It was a great escape and a unique opportunity to bond with my friends, enjoy the outdoors and experience art on a cellular level. But there is an age, my little chickadees, past which that sort of hippy pagan love-fest behavior becomes unseemly and inappropriate. When you reach this age, you need to find a different way to celebrate the end of summer.

So that's how I ended up spending this past weekend at the Bumbershoot Music and Arts Festival. While walking from the ferry terminal to the Seattle Center on Sunday, I was excited by the potential parallels of Bumbershoot to the Man. There would, after all, be a wide variety of art to explore and experience -- visual, performing and otherwise. There would still be a chance to spend a great deal of time outdoors -- lounging on the lawns and listening to local bands, watching the fountains and talking with friends. Also, on the plus side, very little chance of naked strangers approaching my picnic table to tell me their life story. Yes, I thought, this could be good.

And it was good. In particular, the performances I was lucky enough to experience were excellent. I caught the Sound of Young America which included performances by and interviews with both Human Giant and Rhett Miller. The Human Giant gang opened with a great parody of an inspirational basketball team that promoted cloyingly upbeat "life coach" methodologies ("Put your hopes and dreams into the ball -- and then pass it!"). Very funny stuff -- I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. They stayed behind afterwards to chat with Jesse. The discussion was less of the usual TSOYA style -- they didn't delve much into technique or how they create their work. Instead, the conversation had an improv session feel to it which was relaxed, funny and, surprisingly, very charming. The next TSOYA performer was Rhett Miller who gave a totally exciting, high energy performance of two songs that completely won me over. Apparently, he had literally run to the show from the airport as his plane had been delayed. You would never know it, though -- he was fully engaged and the audience was enthralled. It was a brief but exciting set. It's always a wonderful feeling when someone takes your breath away unexpectedly. And based on the reactions of friends and others in the audience, I wasn't the only one left gasping.

Later in the evening I was lucky enough to catch the Satiristas show with Rep. Richard Martin, Tom Rhodes, Janeane Garofalo and Marc Maron. Martin was a much stronger opener than I had expected. His "Ask a Republican" show -- performed in character as an imagined Republican Congressman from Ohio -- takes questions from the audience about politics, culture and the election. In a way, this has the advantage of somewhat limiting the world of questions likely to arise since I would bet that most audiences focus on the same hot button issues; but that doesn't take away from his mastery of the material or the style and confidence with which he presents it. He uses the stereotypical dress and demeanor of his character (right down to the flag pin on the lapel) to create a sickly sweet faux charm that had me laughing even before he answered his first question. Timely, effective, funny.

Rhodes was second and took a bit of a while to get going, but eventually delivered a solid middle performance that definitely got the crowd on his side. I hadn't seen him perform live before, would definitely seek him out again.

Garofalo followed with her own typical firebrand review of the events of the day -- warming up with a biting hit at Sarah Palin and the RNC's cynical attempt to reach former Hilary supporters. ("Oh look! Another lady! I have to vote for the lady!") I haven't seen her in years, and nearly all of the material was very fresh, current and new to me. The only surprise was in my own mind -- she looked older than I remembered. I suppose that happens eventually when you follow a comedian for nearly 20 years. I felt the same when I saw Maron -- as though he had aged about 10 years since I last saw him perform in the fall. What happened here? Weren't all my heroes supposed to be ageless and timeless? Aren't they all going to live forever? Please?

Maron closed and was pitch perfect as usual. Since I had seen him perform more recently, I had actually heard much of the material before, but that didn't dilute its appeal. Myself and those nearest to me laughed till we were in pain -- the best kind of pain. His material -- despite the name of the show -- wasn't political. And I didn't mind that either. We all exited happy -- just in time to watch the evening sun light up the fountain at the center of the festival and turn it into golden sparkling droplets. It was truly a wonderful evening.

The only downside for me, really, was that it is somewhat tricky to transition one's brain from the atmosphere of no-cash hippy free-for-all to a highly commercial festival with long lines, loud barkers and unbiquitous cell phone advertisements. Bumershoot is a blur of vendors, product giveaways, and long lines. Make no mistake: this isn't art brought to you by the masses; this is art brought to you by Samsung. On the upside: free Starbucks pumpkin spice latte for everybody! And those things are powerful tasty!! Yum.

David Mitchell Interview on TSOYA

2008-08-29T12:45:00.000-07:00

Since I seem to have made an annoying habit of providing you with every tiny speck of "Peep Show" news I come across, I feel I should mention that there is a great interview with David Mitchell buried in the Sound of Young America archives which you should really just listen to immediately.

You can find it here or, if I'm really lucky today, then an audio link will appear below. Here's hoping:

The Sound of Young America: David Mitchell

Yes! Awesome! Enjoy!

Matthews and Olbermann --- the funniest comedy duo on U.S. television

2008-08-29T12:36:00.000-07:00

I have been fairly glued to U.S. political news this week -- not only because Rabbits are good citizens, but also because MSNBC currently hosts its coverage with the most humorous comedy duo currently working on U.S. television -- straight man Chris "Tweety Bird" Matthews and master of the political one-liner, Keith Olbermann.

I'm glad to the see that the Daily Show has finally milked this team's amazing evening banter for its full comedic worth:

Bonus Chris Matthews fun: Check out this great story Mike Birbiglia posted recently about Matthews' attempted heckling at a comedy roast. Once again, Tweety ends up as the straight man; but frankly, he deserves it. Who would throw a bottle at anyone as sweet and cuddly as Birbiglia? Unbelievable.

Robert Popper -- "Look Around You"

2008-08-29T12:11:00.000-07:00

Robert Popper is responsible for many of your best Britcom laughs. He has produced multiple episodes of "Peep Show" (including the amazing "Wedding" episode) -- he appeared in "Shaun of the Dead", "Hot Fuzz" AND "Spaced". That should really be enough, shouldn't it?

Oh, but there's so much more. This week's Sound of Young America podcast features an interview with Robert Popper that discusses his series "Look Around You" -- a brilliant poke at the educational films of our youth -- and his wonderful book "The Timewaster Letters" (written under the nom de plume of Robert Cooper). If you like the lovely "Look Around You" clip from episode one below, then do listen to the podcast of Jesse's interview with him and Popper's interesting analysis of how he developed the show. As Jesse notes, the whole approach is somewhat different from how the same genre has been mocked in the U.S. and I think that's part of what makes it interesting for me. Also: funny.

Soon to Be Classic Quips from Mitch Hedberg's "Do You Believe in Gosh?"

2008-08-26T08:56:00.000-07:00

I had the recent honor of listening to an advance copy of Comedy Central's soon to be released Mitch Hedberg performance CD "Do You Believe in Gosh?"

In my review, though, I didn't have a chance to include some of my favorite jokes from the CD. Here is just a sampling of the many that I think will soon become oft-quoted Herberg classics:

"I'm drinking Nyquil on the rocks -- for when you're feeling sick, but sociable."

"I'm done with the soup of the day. I want to know what the soup will be from now on."

"If I had a dollar for every time I said that, I would be making money in a really weird way."

"Every Improv has the name of the club spelled out on the brick wall behind the stage. If you have a bad set and come back the next night, they add an "e" on to the end."

"I'm working for 50% of the door tonight; and 50% of the door tomorrow night. By Sunday, I will have a complete door."

"The easiest way to collect stamps is to stop mailing shit."

"The sign on the record store said 'Hard to Find Records and Tapes.' Nothing in the store was alphabetized."

If you like these, you will definitely enjoy the dozens of additional gems that grace "Do You Believe in Gosh?" The CD will be released on Sept. 9th by Comedy Central Records.

Classic Clips from the 2008 Comedy.if Champ: David O'Doherty -- Superpowers and FAQ

2008-08-26T06:56:00.000-07:00

For all of us who didn't make it to Edinburgh this year, here are a few clips from this year's comedy.if winner, David O'Doherty (awesome additional funny from Russell Brand in the first clip):

Steve Coogan Developing Pilot for HBO?

2008-08-25T06:24:00.000-07:00

Steve Coogan has told the LA Times that he is in talks with HBO to develop a pilot with Justin Theroux who co-wrote "Tropic Thunder."

Obviously, the Rabbit approves. American television audiences need more Coogan and they need him now. HBO is also the perfect home for his work.

Maron v. Seder EVERY DAY!!

2008-08-24T07:47:00.000-07:00

So Marc Maron and Sam Seder re-launched their video podcast program last week with a Big Announcement: They will be posting a new show every day between now and the election! They have also been offered a new show on Air America -- working as a team -- that Maron has promised will included a number of creative humor elements as well as straight political commentary. Maron may even bring back some of his classic team from the late great Morning Sedition!

Through the end of this coming week, however, watch Sam's site for detailed daily Seder v. Maron coverage of the DNC Convention in Denver. (Well, with Seder in Denver and Marc -- of course -- in his kitchen in L.A. It's just like old times! The comedy of daily life mixed with politics served just the way I like it. Plum pudding perfect [minus a few technical challenges, natch]).

Now if only I could convince Keith Olbermann to broadcast Countdown from his kitchen whilst still wearing his pajamas. No? Please?

I am very, very happy. It's like Christmas, Easter, my birthday and election day all rolled into one easy to download delight!!!

BBC1 Considering A New "Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin"

2008-08-23T19:29:00.000-07:00

Chortle is reporting that BBC1 is planning to make a new version of the Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin.

Reignald Perrin without Leonard Rossiter? Heresy!

To the venerable heads of the Beeb, I must say, "Don't Mess with Perfection."

Okay - yes - I confess -- I'll watch!

But it's still wrong.

Sound of Young America Announces Bumbershoot Guests

2008-08-22T18:40:00.000-07:00

I already know you are going to see The Sound of Young America each day at Bumbershoot. But you're still pondering: Who will Jesse interview on these shows?

Rabbit has the answers!

Lifted from the Maximum Fun forums:

Interview Guests:
Janeane Garofolo
Adrian Tomine
Chip Kidd

Comedy Guests:
Human Giant
Tig Notaro
Greg Behrendt

Music Guests:
Jonathan Coulton
PWRFL Power

Excellent!!

I recommend that you show up early to get seats for these sweet shows.

Also: bring carrots and alfalfa for the Rabbit!

Bookmark this on Delicious

Maron v. Seder Returns Today

2008-08-22T10:52:00.001-07:00

Maron v. Seder will return to the podcast universe today at 3pm Eastern, Noon Pacific.

There are also rumors that they will be podcasting during the DNC convention next week (with Seder in Denver and Marc -- in his kitchen!) They're back, baby!

I can't wait!! You can connect to the SammyCam here during broadcast.

Bookmark this on Delicious

Hear Clips from Mitch Hedberg's "Do You Believe in Gosh?"

2008-08-21T17:06:00.000-07:00

Punchline has posted a link to the site where you can hear some pre-release clips from "Do You Believe in Gosh?" -- the new Mitch Hedberg CD that Comedy Central Records will release on Sept. 9th.

Bookmark this on Delicious

Daily Show Twin Cities Billboard Welcomes the RNC

2008-08-21T15:34:00.000-07:00

Stunning. Very excited to see what they post in Denver for the Dems.

5th Season of Ricky Gervais Show available Sept. 16 at iTunes

2008-08-21T09:56:00.000-07:00

As per Chortle, the fifth season of the Ricky Gervais Show (which is Always Awesome) will be available on iTunes starting Sept. 16 and will run you about £2.99 to download.

With the current exchange rate, I think that's roughly $412.

(Ed. note: Actually, about $6 and Totally Worth It).

Early Review of Mitch Hedberg's "Do You Believe in Gosh?"

2008-08-20T16:42:00.000-07:00

Watching Mitch Hedberg perform was always a creative delight. I loved his pithy beatnik style, the imaginative spin he put on each premise and the unexpected twists he delivered that the audience never saw coming. The heart of his charm, however, was his warm, happy and playful stage presence. No bitterness or anger -- when Mitch was performing, the evening was warm, gleeful and fun.

So, like all of you, I miss him. And I was happy to hear that I might be able to enjoy a few more magical Hedberg moments through the upcoming release of "Do You Believe in Gosh?" on Septemeber 9th. "Gosh" will feature a performance recorded nearly two months before Hedberg passed away in 2005. It includes material that he was developing for what would have been his third CD. When I was offered a chance to give the performance an early listen, I was thrilled; though I'll admit I was also initially a tad bit nervous about peeking at a work that the artist tragically hadn't been able to finalize in every detail.

Those concerns, however, melted away by the end of the first track. I adored "Do You Believe in Gosh?" - and I think other Hedberg fans will too. Everything we all loved is here -- the concise observations, the whimsical digressions, the simple love of fun. The performance is almost entirely new material. (Out of forty minutes, I only counted three brief jokes that I had heard before). Even better, the vast majority of the new material is polished and effective. Yes, a few jokes were still in development; but Hedberg dismisses them quickly with his signature giggle and almost seems to relish labeling them "retarded" and moving on.

Frankly, the mix of new, classic and still-under-development material is a surprising part of the performance's appeal. It's actually a treat to hear someone so creative and professional in the process of developing new gems. The recording feels intimate and even includes some audience work and improvised bits, which add to the cozy nightclub atmosphere.

Yes, if you were a dedicated Mitch fan, there is a small chance that you'll shed a tear by the end (or maybe that was just me), but I also predict that many new bits on this CD will become oft-quoted fan favorites. One of my top choices: "I had a piece of Carefree sugarless gum and I was still worried. It never kicked in." That is classic Mitch.

Maron doing Bumershoot warm up gigs at Comedy Cellar in NYC?

2008-08-20T10:38:00.000-07:00

Lots of posts this morning from folks who were lucky enough to catch Marc Maron recently at the Comedy Cellar in NYC where he seems to be prepping some political material -- perhaps to get ready for his Satiristas gig at Bumbershoot; but also, I suspect, just because it's so much fun to do during an election year. (Hopeful rumors also abound that Maron will be doing some Seder v. Maron shows with Sam during the DNC convention. I would *love* that).

Awesome. Labor Day weekend cannot arrive soon enough for me . . . so excited for the festival, and especially for Satiristas.

Edited to add in a fun recent clip from the Maron/Proops Experiment which -- as I have told you many times before -- is a treat. You should never miss a chance to go -- if only to check out what is happening at this point with their increasingly strange middle-aged hair styles. Seriously -- is that a small porcupine above Proops' forehead? Why does it flutter in the non-existent wind?

The Great Derangement

2008-08-19T20:21:00.000-07:00

I don't usually cover written humor in the Rabbit, but as a diehard fan of politically-focused chuckles, I have to make a small exception to provide a high hop election-year endorsement for Matt Taibbi's most recent work "The Great Derangement: A Terrifying True Story of War, Politics & Religion at the Twilight of the American Empire".

Taibbi is the current national affairs editor at Rolling Stone. The downside to holding this golden post is that readers will always quietly compare him to Hunter S. Thompson and P. J. O'Rourke. On the upside, Taibbi's insight and humor stand up favorably in the comparison. He continues the gonzo tradition of inserting himself directly into stories that exemplify the nation's current political and cultural tableau; but he does so in a manner that is somewhat less snide or superior. He is confident, but certainly more self-effacing than his predecessors. He's also simply a masterful wordsmith who brings a wry perspective to our nation's current state of cultural retardation.

But don't let my reference to his own modesty and general decency lead you to believe that fans of political snark (I count myself amongst them) won't find plenty to love. Taibbi sets out to throw himself into the middle of the country and find out what has gone so terribly wrong that we find growing extremes of ridiculousness on both the left and the right. To find kinship with the Right, he spends time living in Texas with a group of evangelical Christians; and to reach the far left he joins a group of 9/11 conspiracy theorists. His key thesis is that the groups are far too similar in their willingness to disengage from the rest of the nation. "Abandoned by the political center, both groups ascribed unblinkingly to a militant, us-against-them worldview, where only their own could be trusted. What made them distincly American was that, while actually the victims of an obvious, unhidden conspiracy of corrupt political power, they chose to battle bugbears that were completely idiotic, fanciful and imaginary."

My favorite quote in the book comes from when Taibbi first sets out on his quest: "I decided to pick a spot on the map, go there, and get retarded. If the country was going to flip out, I didn't want to be left behind." Certainly you can hear the echos of Rolling Stone editors past in that quote. But Taibbi does maintain his own voice -- particularly when expressing true compassion for the individual Americans he meets during the journey. For that reason, even (especially) long-time Thompson and O'Rourke fans should absolutely give it a read.

Serious blast from your comedy nerd past

2008-08-19T18:24:00.001-07:00

Recent Tony Clifton appearance in Chicago. AV Club has the full story.

Bumbershoot Day 3 -- Human Giant

2008-08-19T13:57:00.000-07:00

Okay -- I've spent hours trying to sort this -- but I think the highest and best use of your third and final Bumbershoot comedy pass would be to see Human Giant & Friends.

I don't know who will be appearing with the MTV gang, but I'm curious to see how a group that usually depends fairly heavily on taped bits will function with an audience. Also, after a serious political evening with the Satiristas, I'm just expecting to feel the need for silly:

mtv.thehumangiant.com

Appearance schedule:

* Saturday, 8:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Charlotte Martin Theatre
* Sunday, 8:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Charlotte Martin Theatre
* Monday, 8:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Charlotte Martin Theatre

Possible Bill Hicks Bio Pic

2008-08-18T17:42:00.000-07:00

Joyful Monday for the Rabbit as I find another item that I can file away in the folder marked "Mixing Two Things I Love." In this case, a truly unlikely combo, but I am deeply excited nevertheless:

Russell Crowe in talks to play Bill Hicks in a possible bio-pic.

Yes please.

The Funniest School in America

2008-08-17T16:18:00.001-07:00

Few experiences shape our mind, character and opinions more than school. Something happened yesterday which caused me to ponder how much my choice of university has influenced my taste in comedy (or perhaps it's the other way around?) I was flipping through some alumni materials recently and found that, much to my extreme delight, Lewis Black, John Hodgman and Dmitri Martin all went to my college! (Okay -- I knew about Hodgman since he mentions it in his book), but the others were a wonderful surprise.

That particular set of comedic talents shares such a strong intelligence and subtle wit that I admire them almost as much or more than the tremendous set of traditional scholars that the place has produced. So thanks to each of them for doing the ol' alma mater proud.

Plans for your Bumbershoot Comedy Pass, Part 2: Satiristas

2008-08-14T13:34:00.000-07:00

Okay -- so let's say that on day two of the festival you grab a comedy pass for Comedy Stage South, the Charlotte Martin Theatre. What's the don't miss show on that stage? Tough call.

Of course I'm a big fan of The Sound of Young America -- but that's the first show each day on that stage -- 2:45 pm. So there may be a chance that you can catch it without need of a priority pass. Risky, but it might be worth a try.

If you can manage it, then my pass pick would be the Satiristas show put together by Janeane Garofalo, Marc Maron, Tom Rhodes and Rep. Richard Martin. Here's the show summary:

"Satiristas target political hypocrisy and media distortion. Satiristas are gladiators who slash with the sword of knowledge, block with the shield of truth, and kill with the stab of humor. Their stand-up spectacle leaves audiences enlightened by spasms of uncontrollable laughter. Stars include Marc Maron, Janeane Garofalo, Rep. Richard (Dick) Martin and Tom Rhodes."

Which has to leave you wondering: Is Congressman Martin going to do stand-up? I'm a serious fan of political comedy, but it is probably best left to the professionals, right? And how does he find the time to get away from managing Ohio Petroleum and Synthetics? I expect that takes most of his time.

More importantly, though, a bit of research on the Satirista moniker makes me ponder how I've missed this project in its prior incarnations. The comedians who have been performing under the Satirista banner apparently include Maron, Garofalo, Greg Proops, Patton Oswalt and Dana Gould -- a fragrant bouquet of long-time favorites. So what rock have I been living under? And why isn't Paul Provenza planning to attend? Didn't he write the book on the subject? He's certainly part of the team:

Janeane Garofalo and the Satiristas - Secret Stand-Up

I have so many questions! Must check it out.

Times:

* Saturday, 6:15 PM - 7:15 PM
Charlotte Martin Theatre
* Sunday, 6:15 PM - 7:15 PM
Charlotte Martin Theatre
* Monday, 6:15 PM - 7:15 PM
Charlotte Martin Theatre

Planning Your Comedy Pass for Bumbershoot

2008-08-14T07:58:00.000-07:00

Okay Puget Sound peeps - just another two weeks til Bumbershoot! With so many comedy shows to catch over three days -- how do you decide? Rabbit can help. Listen up.

The first thing to do each day will be to pick up your Comedy Pass at the Comedy Pass Distribution Booth (northwest corner of Center House) -- 11am sharp. That pass, however, will only get you into one venue for that day -- no stage hopping.

So let's say it's day one and you are starting out with checking the Intiman Theater. When do you want to be there and what don't you want to miss?
My first suggestion would be to catch the joint show put together by Jessi Klein, TJ Miller and Nick Thune.

For those of you who don't know them all, here are some select clips and notes you can use to determine whether they are your cup of tea -- and whether catching their show might be worth waiting on line for hours upon hours in the steamy August sun.

First up: Nick Thune

And then, ladies and gentlemen, TJ Miller:

Note re: Miller: Saw a rumor that he just missed the D.C. Comedy Fest because he is auditioning for SNL. So I suppose there is a small chance that, if he succeeds in said quest, he may not actually visit Seattle. Oh, the excitement and mystery of audition season!

And finally the lovely Jessi Klein.

Nick Thune, TJ Miller and Jessi Klein will be appearing every day at Bumbershoot -- here's the schedule:

Saturday -- 3:45 pm @ Intiman Theater; Sunday -- 5:30 pm @ Intiman; Monday @ 2pm Intiman.

Save a seat for the Rabbit.

Peep Show Contest -- Win Season 1 on Region 1 DVD

2008-08-12T16:31:00.001-07:00

Due to an odd set of bizarre gifting circumstances (see clip below to view a similar situation), I now have multiple copies of "Peep Show" Season 1 on Region 1 DVD.

So I thought I would give away the extras to any blog reader with sufficient interest in the show to merit the postage. I have three copies (yes, I know). So, in case more than three of you are game to check it out, I thought I'd make it interesting with a contest.

Answer this extraordinarily simple Britcom question and email your response to Resilient.Rabbit@gmail.com. And then I will mail the three DVDs to the individual readers I like best. (Just kidding -- first three right answers win. I promise).

Query: The stars of "Peep Show" -- David Mitchell and Robert Webb -- met through the Cambridge University Footlights Dramatic Club. Name the year that club was founded and three other past members.

Told you it was easy. That's because I like you.

Love, Rabbit.

See "The Line" online -- and watch the quality of web video evolve

2008-08-12T11:59:00.000-07:00

Bill Hader and Joe Lo Truglio, backed by much of the SNL crew (including Seth Meyers [directing] and Simon Rich [writing]), have just posted the last episode in a cute web series about the nerdy joys of a goofy summer pastime unique to our generation: waiting on line, for days on end, to see your favorite new sci-fi feature.

The series is called "The Line" and there is a lot to love about these little gems. From battles with costumed uber-fans to the risk of overhearing spoilers, they capture that happy summer feeling of having too much time on your hands (combined, of course, with the two other key secrets to happiness: an all-consuming nerdy passion and a good friend to share it with). The films are also clean and nice looking -- reasonably high caliber for a simple web video. And the high production value and the star power of this series got me thinking about the level of professional comedy currently being created for direct-to-web distribution. Yes, there are lots of other folks out there trying it; but it has been a bumpy road so far. For whatever reason, though, I think that the effort has made a great leap forward over the past year. The writer's strike is certainly partly to credit (this series was started during that time, as was Dr. Horrible), but I wonder whether many writers haven't enjoyed having the opportunity to create these little low cost, low risk side projects which provide them the freedom you just can't get when operating on network (or sometimes even cable) television. And, if they have, does that mean that we can hope to see more inventive future content that provides us an alternative to the more bland material on the tube?

Answer: maybe. This series had the tremendous advantage of being backed by Lorne Michaels' production company, "Broadway Video." As per the NYT profile of the video series: "The ability of “The Line” to attract name-brand talent reflects the increasing number of writers and actors who are showing interest in original Web video. “The Line” was the first straight-to-Internet series to be produced and financed by Broadway Video, the production company founded by the “SNL” executive producer, Lorne Michaels. But it won’t be its last: the company says it will produce other Web series created by and starring “SNL” cast members, and Mr. Michaels also intends to produce Web performances by Jimmy Fallon this fall, as that former “SNL” cast member prepares to replace Conan O’Brien on “Late Night” next year."

There are seven episodes in the series -- and here is number one:

From Crackle: The Line, Ep 1: The FutureSpace Showdown Begins

Bernie Mac, RIP

2008-08-09T07:57:00.000-07:00

I'm very sad to report that Bernie Mac passed away yesterday evening from complications associated with pneumonia. He will be greatly missed in our home.

Perhaps this news has some connection to Cedric the Entertainer's decision to cancel his Seattle show; perhaps not. I realize that Cedric is a professional, but I can't imagine wanting to entertain a crowd so soon after the loss of a friend.

Bob Odenkirk will be your Brother!

2008-08-08T20:25:00.000-07:00

For a price.

How much would you pay?!

Cedric the Entertainer Cancels Upcoming Seattle Show

2008-08-08T15:49:00.000-07:00

Just got an email that Ticketmaster will be refunding me the cost of my tickets to see Cedric the Entertainer. He was going to be at the WaMu Theater in Seattle on August 17th.

Anyone have the word on why? I am majorly, seriously bummed. Would have been my first chance to see him live.

Mike Birbiglia on This American Life

2008-08-08T10:25:00.000-07:00

Mike Birbiglia fans are in for a treat -- he will be heard on this weekend's "This American Life" episode (radio, not television) which is entitled "Fear of Sleep."

Birbiglia and Glass together? If you are turned on by smooth, smart, low-key humor, this show may be the sensual highlight of your weekend.

Updated to add: Birbigs did an excellent job telling a story about the challenges he has faced in dealing with a strange sleep disorder that has left him in some very silly, annoying and downright frightening situations. With his own calming Birbiblia style, though, he makes even the dangerous and disturbing seem understandable and entertaining, rather than overwhelming. Every time I hear or see him, his storytelling powers have increased.

If you were at all curious about his upcoming off-Broadway show and tour -- The Sleeping While Standing Tour -- this performance gives you a taste of it. (You really have to hope that he wears the cute pajamas on stage, right?)

You can download the episode for free all this week at the This American Life website. While you are there, feel free to contribute to support one of the finest shows on American radio. Thanks.

But How Will Gay Marriage Impact My Commute?

2008-08-08T09:01:00.000-07:00

Um, not at all.

Ladies and gentlemen, Geoff Tate:

Michael Ian Black and Rabbit Bites

2008-08-08T08:10:00.000-07:00

"Rabbit Bites" is an internet video show hosted by two live bunnies and techno voiceovers. Buns and Chou Chou interview a variety of internet celebrities and, from time to time, comedians. The interviews are frequently via video conference and very deadpan (um, not terribly funny) -- hence they sport a deliberate "Space Ghost" feel. (Just to be clear, I *love* "Space Ghost Coast to Coast" -- but I think it is rather difficult to emulate effectively).

I'm not necessarily endorsing this; but given that I host a comedy site with a rabbit logo and name, I feel obligated to mention "Rabbit Bites" (though I don't know why).

If you are interested in checking it out, here is a brief interview that the buns did with Micheal Ian Black.

Again: I'm not saying this is right; I just felt you should know.

Lewis Black -- "Anticipation" -- Review

2008-08-08T07:47:00.000-07:00

This may be my favorite Lewis Black CD yet.

I've always admired Black's energetic and angry style. He molds and directs his frustration with daily life in a direct and precise manner that stays well away from personal bitterness and focuses instead on classic "why does the world have to be this way?" bafflement. This isn't Bill Hicks anger -- it's the simple rage of the every man -- but packaged with clear writing and strong timing.

But I will admit that, much as I love his style, I was hoping that he was going to try some variations this time around. (Hey -- I love the finger pointing thing as much as anyone -- I lost my head laughing at it live -- but I always suspected he could do more). And I was not disappointed. "Anticipation" definitely allows Black to recognize that life isn't all frustration and disappointment. There are some really great moments. Unfortunately, most of those flashes of joy and hope occur just before the big events in our life -- not during. (Hence the title).

Black explores how exciting life can feel when you are looking forward to the possibility of happiness -- without dwelling too much on the disappointment that all too frequently ensues. And that leads to some very funny material (which I won't ruin for you by quoting it here. Go buy the thing -- I'm sure Black would like to retire someday).

Above all, I really enjoyed "Anticipation" because it shows Black trying to reach out beyond just seeking laughs from his projected anger. He even ends the show by explicitly saying that he wants his audience to leave laughing and happy -- not laughing but sad about the state of our world. And to facilitate that he ends the show with sincere silliness -- which suits him surprisingly well. Who knew that there was a happy, goofy Lewis Black? It's truly wonderful to see.

Edinburgh Fringe Festival -- Wish-You-Were-There Coverage

2008-08-07T11:00:00.000-07:00

So the Fringe is well underway and you're stuck at home?

No need to fret. There are plenty of great sources for up-to-the-minute coverage and pretend-you-are-on-the-Royal-Mile fun.

Here are are few of my favorites:

Chortle (video updates daily)
The Laughter Track: Provides fairly detailed reports from one or two clubs each night.
Guardian Live at the Gilded Balloon: Comedians, performers and Guardian critics, recorded live every day at the Gilded Balloon.
Daily BBC notes and highlights.

Of course what I would like to see is a daily update on very cool 1st annual "comedy only" section of the fest!

But I haven't found that yet. If you see such a blog or podcast, please send it my way!!

And don't feel too badly about staying home. As ever, many folks think the comedy there is losing its edge anyway.

xoxo, Rabbit

Peep Show Season 5 -- Guardian Review and Interview; Peep Show Contest Coming Soon!

2008-08-07T09:02:00.000-07:00

I know. You're tired of hearing about Peep Show already! But I can't stop. I'm just constantly amazed and impressed by this show. The Guardian has this review of Season 5 which I thought I would share with those of you who are still non-believers. (They describe the show's joys far more effectively and intelligently than I ever could).

How will I convince you - the reader -- that this show is the television masterpiece of the decade? Coming to this space soon: Resilient Rabbit will be hosting a contest and the winners will receive a copy of the first season of Peep Show on Region 1 DVD. You just have to see it for yourself. And if BBC America won't help you out there, then I will.

Born to lose

Fractious flatmates Mark and Jez are back, still going nowhere fast in a fifth series of the darkly hilarious Peep Show. Ben Marshall joins our favourite no-hopers on set, jumping for Jesus...

Saturday April 26, 2008
The Guardian

Oscar Wilde is often misquoted, in reference to his novel The Picture Of Dorian Gray, as saying, "People say I am Lord Henry, I wish to be Dorian but I am Basil."

This is only worth mentioning because standing in a muddy field on the set of the new, fifth series of Peep Show, watching the three main actors chat with one another, something similar occurs to me. It should occur to anyone who has watched the show. Or, at any rate, any man who has watched the show. People in general think men are Jez, Peep Show's shallow self-styled libertine; men themselves wish they were Super Hans - tall, confident, elegantly wasted, utterly amoral; but men are really Mark, a highly moral, but sexually repressed conservative whose idea of a good date movie is the four-hour German submarine epic, Das Boot.

Jesse Armstrong, who together with Sam Bain writes Peep Show, laughs. "We all wanna be Super Hans," he agrees with a mischievous smile, "but the fact is that most of us are, as you point out, just pathetic old Mark." It's depressing little realisations such as these that help to make Peep Show the most immaculately realised, hard-hitting and painfully funny sitcom of the last decade. Not that there is much that is original about the actual premise of the show.
The two main protagonists, Mark (played David Mitchell) and Jeremy, or Jez, (Robert Webb) are locked in a purgatorial, can't-live-with-him-can't-live-without-him, relationship. Mark, a tweedy, fogeyish loans manager shares his Croydon flat with Jez, a self consciously cool, wannabe musician. So far, so normal. This sort of destructive male dynamic has been a staple of sitcoms for the past 50 odd years. But there are several things that distinguish Peep Show from all that has come before it.

To begin with there are the internal monologues, filmed in such a way as to allow the audience to not just see, but hear what the characters are going through. The thoughts of Mark and Jez are often savagely and hilariously at odds with their actions. By the end of series four Mark had abandoned the woman he purported to love after their wedding at a lovely country church, as Jez, full of cheap lager, was forced to piss against the side of the church. "Richard Dawkins can talk the talk, but does he walk the walk?" he pondered triumphantly.

Both characters can look touchingly, almost heartbreakingly, sincere while harbouring the most excruciatingly self-serving of feelings. This may be why Peep Show worries so many women. Girls simply don't want to know what men might really be thinking. "Fucking hell," says Jesse Armstrong, "We think way worse things than that." It's a very Jez moment. There's a perfect example of this in the forthcoming series (which they're filming today) where Mark, Jez and Super Hans, attend a Christian rock festival. Jez is seen wandering through fields while beatific-faced Christians discuss imminent salvation.

"Look at how happy they all are," he muses, smiling back at the youthful believers. "I could be as happy as that if I only believed in a load of old shit." Jez then quickly agrees to a full body submersion in order to become born again. Not, you understand, because he has enjoyed any sort of epiphany. Jez is just a very modern sort of pragmatist. He won't allow his innate atheism to prevent him from screwing a pretty young evangelical. Cynical? Yes. Accurate? Horribly so.

Fruitless genital gratification, the endless consumption of narcotics (mostly by Jez and Super Hans) and ignorance as bliss; these are just some of the very contemporary themes Peep Show explores. Occasionally, at its very best, it comes over like Eliot's The Wasteland rewritten as slapstick.

It is to the enormous credit of writers Armstrong and Bain that the show's contempt for modernity is coupled with a near-forensic understanding of contemporary culture. Otherwise, Peep Show could resemble a particularly bitter Daily Mail editorial. That said, there is plenty in Peep Show that would infuriate Middle England. For example, when I admire Matt King's trainers, the actor who plays Jez's drug buddy, Super Hans, he replies: "Yeah, good aren't they? I think Super Hans won them after giving the Orgazoid (a techno DJ) a blowjob."

There is a good deal of very unpleasant and extremely cynical sex in Peep Show. In one episode Jez asks a desperately shy girl how many men she has slept with. "Six," she replies coyly."Fucking hell," thinks Jez, "I've slept with more than that, and I'm not even gay."

At its heart though Peep Show, despite its extraordinary innovations and its alarming familiarity with modern mores, is a deeply conservative show. Christopher Hitchens once coined the term "reactionary modernism" in order to describe the work of Evelyn Waugh, TS Eliot and Ezra Pound. The phrase might just as well apply to Peep Show. Jesse Armstrong grins, apparently delighted that a show that has incurred some controversy, should be compared to Eliot and the Daily Mail. "I think we get a lot of different views in Peep Show. But if you are talking solely about Mark, then yes he does seem to come from that perspective. He also shares that prurient, but moralising curiosity about what other people are doing with their own lives and particularly about what others might be doing together in bed."

David Mitchell, who plays Mark and who the Mail On Sunday once described as "a posh ex-public schoolboy and a natural-born conservative" agrees that he and his character share a certain well-founded horror of the new. "I do think Mark and I have certain things in common. But hopefully I am a less worried, less angry and less upset person overall. I entirely agree that the show itself exhibits a horror of the modern world. My own personal knee jerk reaction is that novelty, which everyone else seems to embrace unquestioningly, should be at least questioned. One of the all-embracing themes of the show is that Jeremy utterly and unquestioningly embraces novelty. And Mark, perhaps equally as unquestioningly, rejects novelty. Neither is absolutely right, but I certainly feel more affinity with Mark than with Jez. You see, we live in a society where no one is allowed to say that change is bad. Now maybe it's a waste of breath to say that. But I think it's pretty important. For instance, the internet seriously threatens the media. Now there's not really much that can be done about it. No one can actually stop it, no matter how desirable that might be. So the fact that the dross on YouTube may kill off established channels does not make it a good thing simply because it's new."

So is Mark Peep Show's moral centre? David laughs: "When you see what he gets up to in series five, I think you'll seriously doubt that."

"That's the thing about Mark," says Webb. "People assume he is moral because he's always worried about things. But in fact he's just a moral coward, someone who simply doesn't have the courage to behave like Jez and Super Hans."

Matt King concurs: "Both Jez and Mark are cowards to differing degrees. Super Hans is just a nihilist. And when you believe in nothing it's actually very simple to be self-contained, to be at ease with yourself, to be happy in fact. Super Hans is the only character who is pretty much free of moral neurosis, because he doesn't actually give a shit about anything. He is a very, very modern man."

So everyone does want to be Super Hans? David Mitchell shakes his head. "It comes back to what I said about YouTube. There is nothing that really can be done about it. However does that really necessitate all the CEOs in broadcasting gleefully declaring that they are desperately excited by all the new challenges presented?

"What transparent nonsense! Why shouldn't they, and the rest of us, just scream in rage, 'Make it stop, make it stop, make it stop.'" Which, in a sense, brings us back to Lord Henry, Dorian, Basil and Peep Show. Mark it is then. Mark we are.

· Peep Show, Fri, 10.30pm, C4

Please stay exactly as I remember you: David Mitchell edition

2008-08-07T08:02:00.000-07:00

As part of my diligent efforts to follow the national and international comedy news, I recently ran into a random article in the Brit tabloids which noted that charming British comedic performer David Mitchell had lost a great deal of weight. It caught my eye because at the height of my Peep Show obsession, I really fell for Mitchell. Annoyingly so. My husband grew especially bored of it, but he has learned to adapt.

So here's the odd thing: I took a quick peek at the snap of the new, thinner Mitchell and I find him totally unattractive now. How odd is that? I don't think I've ever previously thought that I preferred someone's appearance when they were actually a bit less angular; but apparently, in this case, I'm not alone. As I started poking about a bit more, I found that the British tabloids and TV forums seemed to be chock full of previously adoring female comedy fans who were bemoaning the loss of the old Mitchell with his fuller and clearly sexier stature.

As Mitchell's Peep Show character Marc would say: "Change isn't always for the best."

Ah, well. Here's hoping he's healthier and happier.

More Bob and David?? Yes, please!!

2008-08-06T16:47:00.000-07:00

Bob Odenkirk just posted an update about the sitcom-ish pilot he and David Cross just completed for HBO called "David's Situation". Apparently, it went very, very well -- tremendous energy, awesome audience response. The super sexy duo don't seem thrilled at the idea of pursuing this particular show because they felt that "the sitcom framework really felt like a drag on our energy and sensibility", but the tremendous response has them thinking of continuing to work with HBO to do something that is more "free form."

Free form, huh? Maybe more like -- um -- what was that awesome crazy sketch show from the 90s that I loved? The one that these two guys filmed in that little L.A. cafe? I think they once did a sketch where Jack Black sang the lead in a Jesus Christ Superstar parody. Oh! and then another time everyone sang and ate Hippy Pie -- that was great. Even the ads made me laugh because one time they ran this strange promotion for a cockring warehouse close-out sale . . . oh, darn, it'll come to me . . .

I'm so excited!! If you share my insane joy at this great news, then I suppose that makes all of us "fantastic, amazing, wondrificul comedy nerdles." I couldn't bear a prouder title.

xoxo, Rabbit

Robert Smigel and Triumph the Insult Dog at Comicon

2008-08-06T14:38:00.000-07:00

Dead-Frog has another fun analysis piece today. Through a series of short clips, you can see the process Robert Smigel uses to create a short Triumph the Insult Comic Dog remote for Conan. In this bit, Triumph visits Comicon -- which is a perfect situs for Triumph's shtick. So we are already off to a great start.

Todd's post gives us a rare behind-the-scenes trip through the process. We see Triumph's initial conversations with the convention nerds and get to observe how tidily Smigel prepares ahead for each interaction (I thought Triumph's remotes were too spiffy to be 100% ad lib). We also have an opportunity to compare the initial interaction to the final edited piece and see how well Smigel can remain focused on his true audience -- the Conan viewers -- without worrying at all about the fact that Triumph's line aren't always playing that well to the Comicon folks.

It's totally fun and fascinating.

Stephen Merchant doing stand up

2008-08-05T16:40:00.000-07:00

I'll agree with nearly any random assertion that Ricky Gervais is something of a genius. Until he struck out alone and started doing stand up, however, he bolstered his laughs-per-minute rather hardily by working closely with a few very talented folks -- most notably his long-time writing partner and fellow podcast host, Stephen Merchant.

I've always thought that the towering and very clever Merchant was greatly under-appreciated. Fully half of the best laughs in "Extras" came during the simple seated banter bits in Darren's office. The celebrity scenes were fun; but the audience could never have fully appreciated Andy Millman's frustration and desperation were it not for those golden discussions between "actor" and "agent". And since that very desperation is the key to understanding how confused and misguided Millman's actions become, I actually believe Merchant's character is even more central to the story than Jensen's Maggie.

Merchant provided the same high level of wit and support to the many seasons of "the world's most popular podcast" -- The Ricky Gervais Show. Sure Pilkington is a dream straight man; but you can't beat the power of having two great minds there to tag team his denigration.

So I was especially happy to learn recently that Merchant has started trying his hand at stand up. Yes he is suffering the pain of starting out at small clubs (the "Amused Moose"?! ouch) and I don't think he (yet) has all of the natural stage presence and charisma that Gervais has been nurturing for years, but he certainly has the comedic intelligence and I could see his awkward goofy style working to his favor if he sticks with it. I hope he does.

23/6 wants to Get Your War On

2008-08-04T10:54:00.000-07:00

The good folks over at 23/6 have created original animation of the cartoon strip "Get Your War On." It is not to be missed. I've posted the first two episodes here, just to grab your interest; but definitely check out the whole series. They will be posting new pieces weekly.

Garfield Minus Garfield

2008-08-01T15:44:00.000-07:00

From the inspired site, Garfield Minus Garfield:

"Who would have guessed that when you remove Garfield from the Garfield comic strips, the result is an even better comic about schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and the empty desperation of modern life? Friends, meet Jon Arbuckle. Let’s laugh and learn with him on a journey deep into the tortured mind of an isolated young everyman as he fights a losing battle against loneliness in a quiet American suburb."

Examples:

According to the site, the artist who created the original cartoon is intrigued: "Garfield creator Jim Davis was intrigued by—and pleased with—the concept. “I think it’s an inspired thing to do,” Davis said. “I want to thank Dan for enabling me to see another side of Garfield. Some of the strips he chose were slappers: ‘Oh, I could have left that out.’ It would have been funnier.”

Lewis Black Answers My Question About Anger

2008-08-01T14:18:00.000-07:00

How fun is this? As a promotion for his new live performance CD, Anticipation, Comedy Central asked fans of Lewis Black to write in questions for the comedian on their blog and promised that he would answer a subset of them via video on their website. Surprisingly, he answered mine!

It's a fun idea for a promotion -- I really enjoyed it! Here's the clip -- answer to my question is at around 1:55:

His new CD is out on Tuesday, but you can pre-order it if the anticipation is all too much for you . . .

TV's Frank of Cinematic Titanic on "What Superman Could Have Done if He Really Cared"

2008-08-01T09:22:00.000-07:00

So Comicon is over now and Frank Conniff (TV's Frank) of Cinematic Titanic has been blogging nostalgic about the experience. He noted wryly that it seemed odd to find true comic book fans in the San Diego crowd and talks about the paper comic favorites of his youth.

(Image is of Frank, playing "himself" (?) on Invader Zim).

The best part of the piece, however, is a series of letters that he drafts between Superman and past world leaders. These raise some wonderful questions that I think have occurred to all of us at one time, but only Frank has the skill, humor and style to ask. They are beautiful. I have quoted a few below, but you should go read the whole post as well.

Sometimes I forget that Joel Hodgson could only have become the sexiest man alive because he was backed by genius like this. God bless you, Frank.

***************************************************

"Another thing that I loved, and still love to this day, was the fact that even though Superman was a “strange visitor from another planet who came to Earth with powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men,” and even though he could literally do anything with his superpowers, he spent all of his time pursuing petty, two-bit criminals in the city of Metropolis. I often wondered why the major political figures of that time didn’t write Superman urgent letters, begging him to raise his superhero game just a few notches. So before I sign off, here are a few of those letters, recently unearthed by the Library of Congress:

Dear Superman,

I don’t know if you’re aware of this or not, but our country and the Soviet Union are currently engaged in a dangerous nuclear arms race. Since you profess to stand for “truth, justice, and the American way,” it might behoove you to take a few minutes to fly over to Russia and destroy their nuclear arsenal. It wouldn’t take you no more than a few minutes to accomplish this and it would result in a triumph for democracy and our way of life that would benefit future generations. Please consider this and try and get back to me as soon as you can.

Sincerely,
Dwight David Eisenhower
President of the United States
Washington, DC.

Dear Mr. President,

I received your message and the urgency of the situation was not lost on me. However, there has been a rash of Armored Car Robberies in Metropolis lately, and the gang that pulled off these capers has kidnapped Lois Lane. Therefore, I am afraid I cannot attend to your nuclear arms race thing anytime in the foreseeable future. Thank you for interest and please accept the enclosed eight-by-ten autographed picture of myself as a token of my esteem.

Yours Truly,
Superman
Care of the Daily Planet (But I’m not Clark Kent)
Metropolis, U.S.A.

Dear Superman,

Recently it has come to my attention that if you were so inclined, you could shoot a beam out of your eyes that could burn and destroy every single weapon in the world, and that it wouldn’t take you more than twenty minutes to do this. I don’t know if you are aware of the crusade for world peace that I have embarked upon but the destruction of every weapon in the world would go a long way towards making my goal of a completely non-violent world a reality. I hope you can find a half-hour somewhere in your schedule to help me with this cause.

Sincerely,
Mahatma Gandhi
New Delhi, India

Dear Mr. Gandhi,

I am a great supporter of all your good works, and I would love to be of some assistance to you, but unfortunately I already promised Inspector Henderson that I would help him smash a ring of jewel thieves that have made off with hundreds of dollars in stolen loot. So until I crack this case, and rescue Jimmy Olsen, who has been kidnapped by the gang, I will not be available for any activities that involve the bringing about of world peace. But I am a big fan of your work and I hope that one day we can work on a project together.

Yours Truly,
Superman

Dear Superman,

I am sure that you are aware that because of your x-ray vision, you have the ability to see into the innermost recesses of the human body, as well as all of nature and the entire universe as well. Thus, if you took just a few moments of your time, you could impart to us knowledge and insight that could very well result in the end of all human disease. If it wouldn’t be too much trouble, the scientific community would greatly appreciate your participation in an endeavor that could very well bring mankind to the next evolutionary stage.

Sincerely,
Albert Schweitzer
Lambaréné, Gabon

Dear Dr. Schweitzer,

All I can say is: wow! It would be truly amazing to pull that off. But the thing is, I am currently on the trail of a crooked Wrestling Promoter who has been giving he city of Metropolis a bad name. And on top of that, the thugs who have been behind his crooked scheme have kidnapped both Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen. So I think you can understand why curing all human disease is not something I can focus on right now. But I totally support what you are doing and I’m going to get my good friend Clark Kent to write a paragraph about you in the Sunday Calendar Section of the Daily Planet. Thanks for keeping in touch and keep up the good work!

Yours Truly,
Superman

On my way to where the air is sweet! Can you tell me how to get . . . ?

2008-07-31T08:40:00.000-07:00

The good folks at PBS recently released an advance reel of clips from Sesame Street's upcoming 39th season. For those of us who started a family late in life and who therefore had a 30-year gap between watching the show as a child and listening to it in the background of our daily routine, it is always surprising how much effort the show puts into entertain parents. From parodies of primetime shows that toddlers never watch to cameos by some of the season's hottest stars, the preschool powerhouse never disappoints.

The show's producers have admitted that since an entire generation has grown up watching it and now enjoys it with their kids, it is extremely easy for them to book even the season's hottest stars. (Especially if those stars have kids themselves. What better way to gain cred with your three year old?) In fact, apparently, it is one of the hottest gigs in Hollywood. The show's producers have said that top stars frequently come to them and ask if they can have a cameo on the show. They never run short of big names and usually have more stars than parts to fill. During the height of the "Sopranos" mania James Gandolfini came on and did a very funny piece about being afraid of the dark. It was wonderful how it worked on two levels. To a youngster, it was played straight as a bit of advice about how to use your nightlight and teddy bear to calm yourself to sleep. To an adult, however, there are few ideas funnier than imagining that Tony Soprano is is afraid of the dark.

This year, apparently, will continue the tradition. From cameos by Jack Black and Seth Rogan to a spot on 30 Rock parody, the show is as timely and fun as ever. Check it out:

Why I Love the Peep Show

2008-07-29T08:39:00.000-07:00

The subject of the Rabbit's fascination and adoration for this week is Channel 4's amazing BAFTA award winner, "Peep Show" starring England's popular comedy duo David Mitchell and Robert Webb.

I realize that, relative to my best Britcom buddies, I'm a bit late to the party on this one, but since the show is still on the air in England (Channel 4 has just commissioned season six) and it hasn't had much U.S. exposure yet (only Season One has aired to date on BBC America)I hereby dub this post both "timely" and "relevant."

"Peep" is a sitcom featuring two former college buds, about three years out, sharing a flat in south London. Mark, played to alarming perfection by David Mitchell, is a well-intentioned introverted bumbler who responds to the stress of modern life by "doing what's expected" of him -- which amounts to listening to Radio 4 and working as an office drone loan manager. (Mitchell's naturally unthreatening appearance -- featuring wide-eyed expressions that simultaneously signal naivety and unending fear -- draws an impressive amount of sympathy for Mark's daily trials). Mark's friend and housemate, Jeremy, is a painfully immature and irresponsible musician who has no idea that his desire to avoid a real job will forever outweigh his creative talents. (Robert Webb is so strong in this role that he has apparently been alarmed at how many viewers assume that his portrayal of Jeremy must reflect his own personality. During a post-BAFTA interview a somewhat exasperated Webb blurted "I hope I'm not quite as stupid, dishonourable, deluded, selfish, feckless and thick as Jeremy." I certainly couldn't develop a more apt string of adjectives to describe his character. Webb obviously knows Jeremy well).

Overall, therefore, the premise is certainly nothing new. (The show's producers, for example, have compared the simple "odd couple" setup to "Spaced". In the States, you could just compare it to -- well -- "The Odd Couple."). As in most shows of the genre, Marc and Jeremy superficially have little in common, but they retain a functional friendship that each can fall back on during the inevitable failures that result from their daily interactions with the prickly and overwhelming "real world". So, if based on such an ordinary premise, what makes the show special and what causes it to continually garner such impressive reviews?

One unique twist is that the events of the two main characters' lives are seen almost exclusively from their own points of view and those of other characters they interact with. The camera's viewpoint is generally tightly focused on the face of the character being addressed, giving each scene an uncomfortable intimacy. The show also deepens our connection to the characters and their motives by using voiceovers to share aloud the inner thoughts of the two protagonists. Frequently, the writers use this device highlight how far Mark and Jeremy's thought range from the actions they are actually willing to take. The show's chief writers Jesse Armstrong and Sam Bain explained that their use of first-person perspective was influenced by a Channel 4 documentary series "Being Caprice". "Caprice the model had a camera on her sunglasses and it was like a POV shooting style, which I guess was nicked from Being John Malkovich,’explains Sam. "So it’s a third-hand steal, really. We thought it would be great for comedy, hearing someone else’s thoughts. The voices give you a whole other dimension in terms of jokes".

Even the clever point of view arrangement, however, is in no way sufficient to explain why the show is so charming, magnificent and repeatedly honored. (The Guardian recently referred to it as the best television show of the decade. And yes, they are including "The Office". It's a tough call, but I'm starting to agree). The real strength and joy comes from the quality of the show's writing and it's amazing lead performers. The writing uses such clever phraseology that Peep is the most readily quotable show since Python. (In fact, Channel 4 maintains a web page of favored Peep Quotes from each season and there is even a popular Facebook page called "Peep Show Quotes.") It's fairly rare, however, to find perfect dialouge so lovingly delivered. In the great tradition of John Cleese and Larry David, Mitchell and Webb manage the nearly impossible with ease: they draw sympathy and genuine affection for two otherwise completely unlikeable characters. It's such an impressive feat that I never tire of watching it and, frankly, it has really drawn me in. It took a few episodes, but now I am fully addicted. It's so intimate that it brings back youthful memories of watching my own friends endure the pains of growing up. I absolutely and honestly cannot wait to find out what whether Marc and Jeremy will ever find a way to cope, adapt and find happiness in the world. That is a rare and treasured feeling.

Bitter much? The Maron Episodes on You Tube

2008-07-29T06:51:00.000-07:00

Okay -- you all know I love Marc Maron. But even as an avid fan, I really haven't known what to make of these silly You Tube episodes he has been posting recently. Like most of his work, they range from the funny (I like the cats and political commentary mixture -- clip below) to the rambling and bitter. Recently, though, bitter has definitely been winning out.

Let me know what you think:

Cats and Politics:

Cat Poops, Class and Scones:

Scones Pt. 2:

Dreams to Do Come True

2008-07-29T06:38:00.000-07:00

Very busy at work at the moment, so not much time to write today. Just dropping by to say that a small dream of mine came true today -- found a clip that somehow magically features both Keith Olbermann and Simon Pegg. (Pegg in the U.S. this week to promote the U.S. release of "Spaced" on Region 1 DVD -- so we can all fall in love with it again. Now if only Amazon would deliver *my* copy . . .)

Anyway -- I'll be back soon. Till then, here 'tis:

Louis CK Interview on XM Unmasked

2008-07-25T13:43:00.001-07:00

Thanks to Sean over at Comic's Comic, I found this link to the hour-long interview that Louis CK did with XM's Unmasked last Saturday.

I haven't had a chance to listen yet, but I'm told it's a fairly in-depth discussion of his work and technique. Sean called it an "Inside the Comic's Studio" approach -- so it sounds like a real treat! Enjoy!

ComiCon for non-Comic Book Comedy Nerds, Pt. Deux: MST3K 20th Anniversary Reunion

2008-07-24T13:52:00.001-07:00

From the Comicon website:

Friday, July 25
7:15-8:15 Mystery Science Theater 3000 20th Anniversary Reunion— From 1988 to 1999, the long-suffering captives aboard the Satellite of Love wisecracked their way through hundreds of cinema's problem children—those delirious B-movies of yesteryear created by twisted imaginations and, possibly, the need for a tax shelter. To celebrate the show's 20th Anniversary, join a historic reunion of cast and crew, including creator Joel Hodgson, producer Jim Mallon and fellow writer/performers Mike Nelson, Kevin Murphy, Trace Beaulieu, Frank Conniff, Mary Jo Pehl, Paul Chaplin, J. Elvis Weinstein, Bridget Nelson, and Bill Corbett for a Q&A panel hosted by self-professed "MST3K nerd" and comedian Patton Oswalt (The King of Queens). Room 6B"

Patton Oswalt is hosting as well?!?! Why don't they just name it the "I think I Died and Went to Nerd Heaven" panel? Jesus.

Mind you: some of the pain is dulled by the fact that I already saw most of my favorite folks on this list perform at the Ford Theater earlier this summer. And, frankly, I was always firmly in the Joel camp -- Mike Nelson just doesn't make my knees quiver. But, still: for however many lucky folks can fit in "Room 6B", this will be a once-in-a-lifetime memory.

Laugh Hard, Die Young

2008-07-24T13:18:00.000-07:00

As per Intelligent Life magazine, chortling too hard may shorten your time on the planet:

"One popular field of research is the effect of humour on health, which is widely assumed to be positive. The results so far are inconclusive, and slightly disturbing for anyone who likes to laugh. Rod Martin points out that if humour is good for health, then it should be associated with longevity. Yet it appears that cheerful people live less long than their gloomier peers, perhaps because they are too jolly to worry about their aches and pains. It may be true, as the proverb says, that he who laughs last laughs longest. But it seems that he who laughs longest does not last."

Well, that's as may be. But who are you going to believe -- a bunch of "doctors" or Eric Idle? Because I'll take the less-scientific and more Python-esque approach every time:

"For life is quite absurd
And death's the final word
You must always face the curtain with a bow.
Forget about your sin - give the audience a grin
Enjoy it - it's your last chance anyhow."

So which theory do you accept?

My long-suffering spouse has agreed to play "Always Look on the Bright Side Of Life" at my wake -- so you know where I stand.

Love, Rabbit

"Spaced" Region 1 DVD Release and Simon Pegg at Comicon

2008-07-24T11:41:00.000-07:00

When did Comicon become the place to be if you are a comedy nerd who never reads comic books?

I haven't read a comic book since age 8, but I'm certainly dreaming that I could be there now. For starters, Simon Pegg, Edgar Wright and Jessica Hynes be will be on hand to discuss and screen episodes from the brilliant and charming 1999 series "Spaced". I adore that series and could watch it over and over again. The script is quick and clever and it manages to be a sweet, warm, timeless friendship story while also remaining a perfect period piece -- a memory of happier times for those of who came of age during the 90s. Above all, it does a wonderful job of exploring how difficult it is to find your creative voice in your youth and how tricky it is to sort out the feelings of love and devotion that seem to sneak up on you without warning when you spend time with someone who just "gets" you. It reminds me a bit of the original Office in its exploration of that latter theme (even though the Office explored it from the view of folks who happen to share an job space rather than individuals who are forced, by economic circumstances, to share a flat). As I think about it, it is an especially impressive feat when you consider how many other shows over time have done a horrifyingly corny job of exploring the "mismatched roomies thrown together in wacky circumstances" meme.

In happier news for those Yank Britcom fans who can't be in San Diego this weekend, "Spaced" was just released in Region 1 DVD! Yippee!! You'll have to buy it, of course, because it has new material that your old copy doesn't have including, as per Amazon, " . . . everything Spaced's fervent following would demand. Each episode is complemented by the original commentaries as well as newly-recorded gabfests that also feature American friends of the show, including Kevin Smith, Patton Oswalt, Quentin Taratinto, Matt Stone, Diablo Cody, and Bill Hader. There are deleted scenes and outtakes, and, best of all, an hour-long 2007 Q&A with Wright and the cast, in which Pegg allows that, had there been a third series (and we can still dream), it would have provided viewers hoping that Tim and Daisy would ultimately get together with "a moment to make every hair of your body stand on end." You will see such a moment if you "skip to the end" of the essential near two-hour series retrospective." Oh, really? When can I see this?!?!?

But loyal fans should def hold on to your original Region 2 copy if you want to maintain your Nerd cred.

Note: Demand was apparently grossly underestimated by Amazon staff as they are already sold out and if you order today you'll have to wait a bit before they can send you a copy. But that only builds the sweet anticipation, doesn't it?

Back to Tim and Daisy dream land.

xoxo, Rabbit

Maximum Fun at Bumbershoot

2008-07-22T13:32:00.000-07:00

The demand -- and the lines -- for comedy at Bumbershoot are growing exponentially each year. As a happy result of this trend, the festival now sports three stages of funny stuff with big-name acts performing nightly. So how can a lesser-known show attract a consistent audience in the middle of the afternoon? One will manage simply by promoting its audacious claim to be, alternately, "a public radio show about things that are awesome" and, simply put, "Maximum Fun."

"The Sound of Young America", hosted by Jesse Thorn (who pokes fun at his own relative anonymity by introducing himself weekly as "America's Radio Sweetheart"), is a series of in-depth interviews with artists, musicians, authors and comedians. That sounds painfully ordinary, but TSOYA is definitely a standout in this genre and worth going out of your way to catch for several reasons.

First, as the show's playful title suggests, Thorn has honed a style and content mix that blissfully contrasts TSOYA with the panoply of public radio shows written and developed for the Boomer audience. That counterpoint is regularly evident in the guest list of offbeat artists that Thorn develops, in part, by engaging with the online community of his loyal listeners. "The bookings on the show are an amalgam of my own personal taste and that of my audience," says Thorm. "I'm always hearing from audience members about folks they'd like to hear on the show – I solicit suggestions on the air, on the forums [at the show's website], on Facebook and MySpace, everywhere. When people suggest guests, I always check them out." Over time, the result is a program that makes many of the show's hipster followers feel as though the material was designed particularly to address their tastes and interests.

But a cool guest list – even if it sports all of your quirky favorites – is hardly enough to elevate a show to the level of "Maximum Fun." TYOSA is actually a gem because Thorn's interview style is lively and funny, but also surprisingly respectful and incisive. It offers the type of performers who frequently aren't given a full hour on "Fresh Air" or "The Actor's Studio" the same opportunity for thoughtful discussion of their work and process. "My goal," Thorn told me, "is to give serious consideration to things that others might not take seriously. And have fun doing it, of course." That desire to delve into conversations that reveal the best about the frequently overlooked is especially refreshing and noticeable in Thorn's interviews of comedians. Rather than following the dated late-night formula for interviews of stand-ups which expects them to throw out bits, Thorn (obviously a devotee of the art form) engages them in careful analysis of the craft, reviewing the unique method of each performer in relation to the material and the profession. His singular ability to engage them on this level allows us to learn about these artists and their work from a fresh perspective. His past comedic guests have included Mike Birbiglia, Tim and Eric, Patton Oswald, Bob Odenkirk, Joel Hodgson, Greg Proops and David Mitchell. You can find those past interviews in the show's archives.

Finally, TSOYA is also noteworthy as one of the best examples of how to use the internet to reverse the traditional model for broadcast success. Supported entirely by a set of loyal listeners, TSOYA demonstrates that with sufficient high-quality material and clever self-promotion, one individual can create an intelligent and entertaining show on his own terms, build an audience and only then sign a broadcast agreement. The show has more than 10,000 supporters donating as little as two to five dollars a month to keep it going (all conveniently deducted from one's Paypal account). Only recently, starting in July 2007, did the show gain distribution through Public Radio International. Patiently building the show in this manner has undoubtedly helped Thom retain TSOYA's appealingly fresh and independent flavor. And as any artist or comedian will tell you, maximum freedom yields maximum fun.

No word yet on who Thorn will interview during the Bumbershoot shows.

"The Sound of Young America" is currently scheduled for afternoon performances at 2:45pm on Friday, Saturday and Sunday on Bumbershoot's Comedy Stage South. You can find more information about Thorne and "The Sound of Young America" at www.MaximumFun.org.

Onion Headlines

2008-07-22T12:41:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, The Onion had a job posting for freelance writers on its website. One part of the application required the applicant to come up with 10 proposed Onion headlines. I ran home and hit the computer and quickly came up with my ten and sent them off -- only to be greeted by an auto-reply saying that they had more than enough applications and that they would consider me for the next round, which opens in December. (Apparently they rotate their freelance team every six months).

So, bummer; but I'll try again in December. Regardless, writing the headlines was fun. Here is my submission list (won't be able re-use them again in December in anyway as I tried to keep a number of them timely). Let me know what you think and please feel free to post your own! They are terribly fun to write.

With love, Rabbit

My ten Proposed Onion Headlines:

1. Imminent Government Overthrow Thwarted by Clever, Timely Blogging
2. Area Waterpark Dangerously Below Seasonal Average Levels of Toddler Urine
3. Scientists Determine Furballs are Form of Feline Social, Political Commentary
4. Nation Announces New Democracy by Changing its Status on Facebook.
5. Salmonella Detected in Regional Pop Tart Supply.
6. Congress Promotes Investment in Auto Fuel Derived from Fear, Denial and Caribou Excrement.
7. Area Man Still Yammering about New iPhone
8. God Clarifies, Updates Stance on Bacon; Pigs Issue Blanket Statement in Response
9. Porcine Aviation Breakthrough Signals Possible McCain Victory in November.
10. NBC Retracts Fallon Deal for "Late Night"'; "C'mon -- Just Kidding" says Peacock Network

Bonus: Top Reasons the Baby Still Isn't Asleep:

1. Lullaby about cradle in treetop too scary;

2. Crappy vanilla soy milk in bottle;

3. Some asshole took pacifier and he must pay.

Andrew Maxwell and the Irish Hipster Oxymoron

2008-07-16T17:30:00.000-07:00

So we've already established that Irish funny men leave me weak in the knees. I've never been sure of the real reason; but a certain portion of the charm lies in a relaxed approach that abandons the drive to appear "hip" on stage.

One possible exception, however, is young Irish stand-up Andrew Maxwell. Maxwell comes as close as anyone I've seen to defeating the commonly-held assumption that the phrase "Irish hipster" is an oxymoron. At a still-young 34, Maxwell's on-stage persona is current and fierce (though blissfully not ironic). Proudly Irish, but also a serious hip-hop fan who likes to play African American clubs in the States: put that all in a blender and hit puree -- that's Andrew Maxwell.

It has been a successful mix for him so far. Maxwell was nominated in 2007 for the if.comedy award for the best show at the Edinburgh Fringe (still not quite sure why he didn't win, either, as he seemed to have a loyal following.) He also used to host his own weekly late-night comedy gig Fullmooners (though tickets don't seem to be currently available -- so it may be done now). The show had a cult following and had featured appearances by a number of name comics including Russell Brand and Simon Pegg.

Despite all of this success, however, I frequently had trouble finding much of his stand-up material on the web. The first bit I ever stumbled onto of his was the clever "Who Here's Ever Had Fun with Muslims?" -- included here at 4:33 of his stand up pilot Chief Fullmooner: .

If you watch the rest of the bit you'll see that Maxwell also enjoys poking fun at Americans and American stereotypes. At first I thought that seemed too easy, but now it's growing on me because his approach is playful and focuses more on accent oddities and contrasting the everyday colloquy of American youth with the approach of their Irish counterparts. So he avoids the more common jokes currently in vogue about how American politics are ruining the planet (those are the truly easy applause lines in Europe these days).

Until quite recently, the only other full routine that I'd found of his online is this appearance at the Secret Policeman's Ball in 2006 wherein he starts with a cute jab at his own relative anonymity and then moves into a somewhat timely bit about fear:

Thankfully, over time, I've been able to find more material. I went back yesterday to see what new gems might be available and found this quick piece "Lucky Charms", which I thought you might enjoy. Yes, as the name suggests, it deals with having to face stereotypes of his own people as he travels through America, but as with the "Muslims" piece it brings him back into the long-form story style that suits him so well. He's an engaging storyteller.

This bit is actually even more humorous in the context of Maxwell's most recent work: he has been making a series of travel films for the Guardian and Tourism Ireland. They are actually quite charming -- it's a series of six touring shows covering the best of Dublin, Cork, Belfast, Derry, Kerry and Shannon. So he's obviously proud of his heritage.

Please stay exactly as I remember you

2008-07-16T09:51:00.000-07:00

Falling in love is easy; staying in love through the years can be tricky. Maybe that's the reason why, while perusing trailers for upcoming summer comedy releases, I've realized that I am forever expecting my favorite funny people to stay in the roles that first made me love them (or at least something along the same lines).

I know it's unfair to these performers and their creative need to express themselves in various voices and stlyes; but somehow I can't stop myself. For instance, I love Steve Coogan and nearly everything he's done; but somehow I can't get excited about "Hamlet 2" solely because he appears in it using an American accent. I greatly admire Ricky Gervais' work to date, but I'm not thrilled about "Ghost Town" just yet because my brain can't fathom the former David Brent as a big-screen leading man.

Am I pathetically shallow and narrow-minded? Wait - don't answer that.

But I would be curious to hear whether anyone else is excited about these few remaining big-name summer releases. You can catch the Ghost Town trailer here.

Drunk History, Vol. 1

2008-07-15T08:51:00.001-07:00

Just because I love you.

Volume 1, In re: Aaron Burr v. Alexander Hamilton, featuring Michael Cera

Drunk History Vol. 1 - Featuring Michael Cerafunny videosFunnyOrDie.com

See more funny videos at Funny or Die

Music & Comedy Festivals, Pt 3: Sub Pop 20th Anniversary Festival, July 11-13

2008-07-14T20:26:00.000-07:00

Sub Pop Records is celebrating its twentieth anniversary this year. To celebrate its success, the history of grunge, and, of course, the label's Seattle roots, Sub-Pop hosted an amazing three-day festival here over the weekend. And, in keeping with the growing trend I've been discussing in this blog, the label intertwined the celebration of its top comedy and music acts with great popular success. The festival kicked off with a concert featuring a terrific line-up of Sub-Pop comedy artists at the Moore Theater on Friday night, July 11.

Sub Pop has had its share of success with comedy recordings, but I was still surprised to see them feature this concert as the starting highlight of the weekend-long festival. The concert worked because the label does have a strong line up of comedy artists including David Cross (Sub-Pop released "Shut Up You Fucking Baby!" in 2002 -- first comedy release on the label, for you trivia buffs), Patton Oswalt ("Werewolves and Lollipops" went out on Sub-Pop in 2007) and Eugene Mirman ("En Garde, Society!", Sub-Pop 2006). Todd Barry also performed and Kristen Schaal hosted. (Flight of the Conchords, also signed to Sub Pop, played during the music portion of the festival on Saturday). It was a very fun night. For those who missed out, the good people in Sub-Pop's publicity department have been kind enough to upload a wonderful slideshow of the evening over at Flickr.

P.S. Oh yeah -- then -- over the rest of the weekend -- in Marymoor Park - the festival featured performances by Mudhoney, the Vaselines and Green River. No biggie. It almost seems to perfect to believe, right? Seattle Weekly has the photos to prove it here.

Also: the sun was shining.

I may have dreamt that last bit.

American Comedy, Music & Arts Festivals, Pt 4: Bumbershoot

2008-07-14T19:08:00.000-07:00

The demand for comedy is growing at music & arts festivals around the country and Seattle's own annual Bumbershoot is no exception. In 2007, the festival hosted three stages solely for comedy and even more funny acts are in the works for Labor Day weekend 2008.

In the line up so far are: Human Giant & Friends (Aziz Ansari, Paul Scheer, Rob Huebel and pals), Satiristas (to feature Marc Maron, Janeane Garofalo, Rep. Richard (Dick) Martin and Tom Rhodes), PRI's "The Sound Of Young America!", Tig Nataro, Michelle Buteau, Zach Galifianakis, TJ Miller, Nick Thune, Jessi Kline and two showcases from the People's Republic of Komedy. For starters.

Bumbershoot's comedy shows have become so popular that this year the event has put together a comedy pass that you can collect early in the day in order to assure yourself a seat at the comedy stage of your choice through the afternoon and evening.

Updates to follow.

Hamlet 2 trailer

2008-07-12T10:29:00.001-07:00

Okay -- I'll admit -- the trailer doesn't thrill me; but I'm looking forward to it anyway.

Steve Coogan, Catherine Keener, Elisabeth Shue in cast and Pam Brady writing? I know I won't be able to resist.

For those of you who live further south, Coogan, Brady and others will be at Comicon to promote the film. Lucky you.

Skidoo!!!

2008-07-12T09:55:00.000-07:00

Last night was truly an entertainment jackpot. After the concerts, we came back to find that Turner Classic Movies "Underground" was showing the 1968 Otto Preminger gem "Skiddo"! This was a rare treat because the film isn't available on home video and it's rarely (if ever?) shown on television. So you really have to get lucky to score a viewing.

Of course, mind you, there is a good reason why the thing is so scarce: this star-studded classic is a bouillabaisse of bad. A random jumble of barely connected elements (mobsters! hippies! mobsters on acid! Jackie Gleason!) which tries to portray gangsters as bumbling goofballs who are easily turned away from their life of crime by hippy wisdom (and more acid). The best (?) part is the spot-the-star (is that really him?) cast, including Gleason, Carol Channing, Frankie Avalon, Peter Lawford, Richard Kiel, Burgess Meredith, Frank Gorshin, George Raft, Cesar Romero, Slim Pickens,Austin Pendleton (AWESOME in this!), Kirk Douglas and an older Groucho Marx as God (as per TCM, this was his final film role). Though it's very tough to choose - is the key highlight watching every one of those stars debase themselves in what TCM's own reviewers calls a "garish clusterf*ck"? Or is it the psychedelic hot-air balloon escape from Alcatraz? Or is it the dancing garbage cans? How can I choose?

If you get a chance to catch it in the future, maybe you can help me with this trivia question: I want to figure out whether the role of Gleason's daughter, Darlene, was played by Leigh Taylor-Young, the female lead in my other favorite 1968 hippy comedy, "I Love You Alice B. Toklas!" Does anyone know? The voice is similar; but all hippies sounds alike. IMDB doesn't credit the role and even TCM's very detailed background story of the film doesn't mention who played Darlene.

Edited to add: Oh my word -- how did I miss this? TCM's Underground website has been kind enough to post a series of awesome clips here -- come watch Jackie Gleason's acid trip!! You will *not* regret this and will be thanking me for years to come . . .

Also: found this Wikipedia article which credits the role of Darlene to Alexandra Hay -- remember her? She actually had her first television role in an episode of The Monkees. Yup -- I think that's probably right.

Eddie Izzard, Stripped, Seattle's Paramount Theater, July 11, 2008

2008-07-11T23:51:00.000-07:00

The title of Izzard's current U.S. tour certainly puts one in the mood for a sexy evening. Which of course leaves the average concertgoer wondering -- can he still put out? I can't speak for everyone in the audience, but I certainly left satisfied.

But, then, it's always especially gratifying to see a natural at work and Izzard has that sparkling gift, given to so few comedians or lovers, of making even the spectacular look spontaneous, energizing, fun and -- God forbid -- easy. He hops and skips - literally sometimes -- from topic to topic and readily ponders the escape strategy of a giraffe (where *does* something that big go to hide from a speedy carnivore?) alongside the challenges of speaking Latin to convey time-sensitive information (or to describe an elephant to someone who has never seen one before [a backwards squirrel atop an oversized pig, of course]).

He has continued to perfect his lighthearted spontaneous style and it quickly seems to put the audience at ease. I think that emphasizing this "play along with me" approach more in the first hour (before working up to an impressive rabbit-paced delivery in the second) also makes him seem vulnerable and open in a way that gains our trust. And that trust frees him up to tackle any subject -- including the suggestion that God is either non-existent or blatantly stupid -- without raising hackles.

My favorite part of watching Izzard work, though, is observing how skillfully he uses his amazingly intricate and unique face -- especially his penetrating azure eyes -- to reinforce his favored stage emotions of joy, wonder, thoughtfulness and befuddlement. As a result, I've always thought it somewhat criminal to hide any of his blessed features behind makeup; but I'll freely admit that this evening's bright blue eye liner was, like everything else, spot on.

Seder v Maron, update

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

For reasons that aren't clear to me, Blogger is making it tricky for folks to post comments -- so I will try to fix that.

In the interim, though, kind fellow Maron/Seder fans have written to let me know that Maron called in while Seder was guest hosting for Mike Malloy last night and apparently they are still developing the project and looking for a new technology that will make it run more smoothly.

Yay! Thanks to Nancy Cunningham for the update.

Seder v. Maron -- Gone forever?

2008-07-11T08:43:00.000-07:00

I visited the Sam Seder Show website several times over the past few days in search of an update. It used to sport a large banner about the Seder v. Maron show at the top of the home page along with updates about the scheduled time of the next show. Now, even that banner is gone.

I am officially heartbroken. Does anyone know the full story?

Rain of Madness

2008-07-10T10:47:00.000-07:00

Yes -- I know -- three posts in one day. Too much?

Not when you see what I have. How can I pass up a clip that mixes two of my favorite things -- "Apocalypse Now" and Steve Coogan?

You already know that there is a comedy feature due out this summer called "Tropic Thunder" wherein the actors making a big budget war movie become involved in a real life conflict. Frankly, that didn't interest me terribly until I saw that they had gone to the trouble of making a promotional clip for another movie which is supposedly about the making of "Tropic Thunder", but which in style imitates "Heart of Darkness" -- the film about the making of "Apocalypse Now." It's called "Rain of Madness" and here's the trailer:

And why I am not at all surprised to see Coogan featured? Since it is, as with so much his best work, a parody of a send up twice removed. I can't help but love.

So is this an actual separate movie? Here's hoping it's true since I had no interest in seeing "Tropic Thunder", but would definitely see "Rain of Madness". Seems too good to be true, though, so I am betting against.

Which really only makes it funnier.

Proops Chat Show. Just Go Already.

2008-07-10T08:40:00.000-07:00

An old friend of mine -- a comedy devotee and successful comedy writer -- told me yesterday that he lived two blocks from LA's Largo for years(the old location on Fairfax) and didn't know that Greg Proops regularly hosted a brilliant chat show there. Really? That seems unbelievable to me; but if he doesn't know, then perhaps you don't know. So here we go.

The charming and very smart Greg Proops chat show hosts guests in the cool and cozy Largo space for discussion and performance and whatever else comes to mind. It has now migrated over to the new Largo location on La Cienega, but this great tradition continues and you should catch it while you can. Past guests have included Jack Black, Sarah Silverman, Joe Walsh, Janeane Garofalo, David Cross, Maragaret Cho, Dave Eggers, Joan Rivers, Aidan Quinn, Jeff Goldblum, Kathy Griffin, Lewis Black, Patton Oswalt and John C. Reilly. And guests are really just the icing on the cupcake. I'd go just to check out Greg's suits. A sampling of the beautiful thing here:

Although I haven't had the pleasure of seeing Proops perform live in years, I can highly recommend the show because I have seen some of his most recent video and it is obvious that he has really been kicking ass again lately. Of course, I am somewhat biased because I'm a long-time fan and I especially love it when he is speaking to folks of our generation, as he does with this awesome recent bit about Evil Knievel:

But the Big Chat Show is friendly to all generations -- example: upcoming guests include the Flight of the Conchords, who will be joining him at New Largo on July 26. (Although the challenge of mixing Proops with the New Zealanders is that it is almost too much adorable for one stage to bear -- so one has to hope that the new Largo has undergone stringent seismic reinforcement). But hosting the younger set seems appropriate because the Proopsdog is nothing if not constantly hip and relevant. In my eyes, ageless and timeless.

You may be wondering at this point: why should we believe that a stand up comedian and improv master would necessarily make a solid chat show host? Easy. Proops is one of the most stunningly intelligent comedians alive and he is fastidiously well-informed. His opinions are better formed than his hair, and that is saying something.

Edited to add in a tasty video sampler of the show -- here is a holiday special (probably not typical, but none of these shows are):

I know I've said this before, but if you are stuck in LA anyway for a time, go see him. Just do it. Oh -- and before you go -- call me so I can pop down to join you.

Do You Believe in Gosh?

2008-07-10T06:43:00.000-07:00

Word from Punchline this morning that "Do You Believe in Gosh?" will be the title for the posthumous Mitch Hedberg CD that Comedy Central plans to release on Sept. 9. According the magazine's earlier reporting on the subject, it will contain almost entirely unheard materials.

I always feel odd listening to or looking at any art that isn't released until after the artist is gone. It feels exploitative, even when it is intended to be respectful. I tend to ponder whether the artist was ready to put this stuff out there yet -- but, in this case, since we are talking about a past live performance, it doesn't bother me as much. Presumably, Hedberg was happy with the material at the time he took it on stage, right?

Besides: I can't pretend that I'm not happy at the prospect of adding more Hedberg material to my collection. I adored his relaxed style, puppy-dog looks and innocent musings. I never grew tired of his approach and we lost him way too young. I miss him.

Here's the first bit I ever remember seeing him perform live -- simple enough, but I never forget it and still quote it regularly today -- typical of his sweet style:

American Comedy Festivals, Pt. 2

2008-07-09T07:22:00.000-07:00

Comedy is art. To me, that's an unquestionable truth. But since the relocation and subsequent repackaging of HBO's U.S. Comedy Arts Festival last year, no one has launched (to my knowledge) a new annual event in the U.S. that celebrates the best of the art form -- showcasing a combination of this country's best stand up, sketch, improv and sitcom work. Why?

Yes, there are many fine smaller events which are continuing with varying degrees of success. You can find a fairly comprehensive list of stand up showcases, competitions and sketch festivals, for example, here. In fact, the list actually seems to be growing -- with new ones launching fairly regularly. And, if you are really craving something big, you can always grab your passport and skitter off to Montreal or Edinburgh -- but why should our best and brightest need to go abroad for wider recognition?

There's certainly an argument to be made that the internet provides such an effective and comprehensive showcase of current work that there isn't a need for performers to travel to tiny alpine ski villages to find representation or market themselves to the networks. Fair enough -- maybe this is more efficient -- but what about the fans? What about community? Isn't there a value in bringing everyone together once a year just to celebrate unique achievements and revel in work that we love and admire? The internet is no substitute for the thrill of sharing a live performance or the simple joy of meeting new companions who share your passion.

To support my position, I would point out that the opposite trend is taking hold in music. The music festival was all but gone in the 80s and only started to regain popularity slowly in the 90s with the rise of Lollapalooza and the scattered growth of radio-station-sponsored summer outdoor multi-band concerts. As this decade starts to sunset, though, huge multi-day camping outdoor music fests are thriving. (By the way, what a great time to be a teenager! Our sixteen year-old babysitter goes to Sasquatch every year with her friends. Three days of camping and partying music and art with no parents?! Are you kidding me?!?!? Oh, sweet Lord, to be young again . . .) Bonaroo sailed through its 7th year with a crowd of nearly 70,000; I believe the Coachella Music and Arts Festival topped 150,000. Of course, these events aren't as industry-centric and music will always draw a bigger crowd; but I still believe it is a small indication that there is clearly a need and desire to get out and commune with performers and fellow fans. There must be some effective way for the comedy community to tap into that desire.

One option is the apparent trend towards mixing comedy in with the big summer music and arts festivals. Bonaroo and Sasquatch both had comedy line-ups this year and those performances were apparently well attended. So that's encouraging and if the trend continues, I'll certainly be making the rounds of major festivals next year. (Which will be somewhat hilarious since I haven't been camping in over a decade . . . .) But I still contend that, if done correctly (in the right location, good mix of performers and fair price point) that a truly national comedy event and celebration could be joyful, worthwhile and fiscally successful.

Am I going to have to organize this myself? Do I have to do everything around here? *sigh*

BTW -- side note -- if you want to see a stunning example of how well this can work, check these really beautiful pictures that Louis CK took from backstage at Bonaroo. From his vantage point, we are looking out at a crowd of 65,000 fans screaming for Chris Rock, even though they are stuck in the rain. Awesome.

Seder v. Maron -- Where are you?

2008-07-08T09:14:00.000-07:00

Over the past year, Sam Seder and Marc Maron have been doing a fun and fairly adorable weekly web show. Broadcast jointly from what looks like Sam Seder's basement and Maron's living room (sometimes patio), they discuss subjects ranging from politics to Maron's second divorce (pending and apparently brutal) and why Air America fired both of them (a terrible shame -- no one funny left over there at all now).

It is shaggy (seems to rely too heavily on Maron's laptop webcam) and prone to idiotic technical difficulties as well as oddball rants on the lack of true creativity in our society, but I love it nonetheless. Two wonderful middle-aged comedy talents, seemingly bored and lonely, bitching about the world in the same voice my friends might use -- albeit frequently funnier. I never miss it.

Recently, though, Sam switched over the server for his website (which "hosts" Seder v. Maron) and the show has gone MIA for the past two weeks. I really miss it and am hoping that it will come back soon. In the interim, if you're interested, you can check out re-runs of the show, posted as Video on Demand (VODs) at Sam's website.

Brush yourselves off and get back in the saddle, guys!!

With love, the Rabbit

What Happened to U.S. Comedy Festivals?

2008-07-08T08:47:00.000-07:00

Sharing this old post from Dead Frog today because I've been thinking a great deal about the state of comedy festivals in the U.S. and I really thought this analysis was solid. I'll have more to say on this subject myself in coming days (especially on the growing trend of mixing comedy in with music festivals as we saw this year at Bonaroo and Sasquatch, among others), but for now, I'd be curious to know whether you think that the Frog has this one right.

Lifted in its entirety, but with full credit, from this page of Dead Frog:

TBS and Just For Laughs Team for a Chicago “Very Funny Festival”

In the Summer of 2009, Just For Laughs and TBS will pair up for the “Just For Laughs: A Very Funny Festival” which will be held in Chicago. The only top line talent mentioned right now isEllen Degeneres, but there’s also the obvious tie of working together with Second City. No exact dates have been set for the five-day fest as of yet.

A while back I talked about if we need a new festival after the loss of Aspen’s US Comedy Arts Festival. Although I’ve seen some suggest that this is the replacement for that, but from my read the Very Funny Festival seems far more consumer oriented. Also, considering the likely closeness to the industry heavy 2009 Montreal Festival also produced by Just For Laughs, I don’t see this as an Aspen replacement.

TBS will also be taking “The Comedy Festival” off HBO’s hands. With that fest and this new Chicago festival, TBS is making a big play to be Comedy Central’s main competitor. The “very funny” theme has been a part of TBS for a while and with its concentration on sitcoms, to me it marked itself as the less-edgy competitor for Comedy Central. With both fests under TBS, this could be a big play to become a major player in stand-up on TV, something which Comedy Central has had mostly to itself for quite a while.

Comedy Central, of course, wouldn’t let their territory go easily. They have their own fest now, the South Beach Comedy Festival. It’ll be interesting to see if Comedy Central takes on a second fest as well.

When I questioned the need for an Aspen Comedy Festival, I wondered about the point of holding a fest when the web seems to bring comedy talent out of the woodwork. These latest developments have answered my question: comedy festivals are branding opportunities for networks. They’re to say to the public, particularly in TBS case, “Hey, we’re where you can find the funny!” Hence almost all the big USA fests having a more consumer appeal. They’re not deal making events, they’re a synergistic diversification of a business model.

You might wonder if any city besides Chicago was in the running for this new fest. Well, I have a completely circumstantial hunch that New Orleans was considered. Again, totally circumstantial.

But don’t be disappointed for the Big Easy, one of those old-fashioned homegrown fests is currently in the works. The New Orleans Comedy Arts Festival will be taking place on April 3rd to the 5th at the La Nuit Theater. How quaint!

The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin

2008-07-06T23:25:00.000-07:00

If you grew up in the 70s and your parents were proud Angophiles with an anti-establishment sense of humor, then you need to come to my house for a cup of tea because you and I will become fast friends before the Earl Grey cools. I know this because I feel certain your parents let you stay up to watch Monty Python at age 9 and likely even let you study another BBC counterculture classic The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin. This brilliant piece of Britcom, although lesser-known in the U.S., shaped more of my world view than I would ever care to admit and that's why I feel a need to promote it here, for those of you who haven't yet had the pleasure.

A three-season series launched in 1976, the first season tells the story of 46-year old Reginald Perrin, a senior sale executive with Sunshine Desserts, a company that sells and promotes flavored ices. A normal-enough man with a normal-enough life, Perrin slowly starts to lose his sanity in the face of continuing his solidly uneventful and mind-numbing suburban commuter routine. He rebels against normality -- almost unintentionally at first -- fantasizing quietly inside his own head about breaking free -- and then openly, in front of friends, colleagues and family. Unable to accept another day of inventing new ways to boast about flavored ice, he craves escape, but - like nearly everyone else in his circumstance - he just doesn't quite know how to manage it. He starts with a standard mid-life crisis agenda -- talking back to his boss unexpectedly and having an affair with his secretary -- but even that starts to feel sadly pedestrian. And so, in a fit of desperation, he fakes his own suicide -- leaving his clothes on an abandoned beach -- and starts a new life.

Soon, however, Perrin misses his wife Elizabeth and returns (under a false name, though his wife pretends not to recognize him) and remarries her. In the second series, he starts a new company, Grot, openly selling useless items at obscenely inflated prices. "So much rubbish is sold these days under false pretences", Perrin tells a customer, "that I decided to be honest about it." His goods include square footballs, round dice, silent records, and tins of melted snow -- and so it is, of course, a huge success. Horrified, Perrin makes numerous failed attempts to destroy Grot, and eventually just gives up again -- faking his own suicide once more, though this time accompanied by his wife.

The plot sounds simple enough in its 70's-style morality, but the series was really brought to life by the very tight writing and the performance of an impressive cast -- most especially its leader, Leonard Rossiter, who played Perrin. Rossiter was a natural at portraying the stereotypical English suburbanite; yet also managed to keep that subversive twinkle in his eye as Perrin grew odder and odder.

Personally, my favorite aspect of the show was always the catch phrases. Catch phrases have a terribly bad name in today's comedy; but in Perrin they were used properly -- as a simple device for illustrating the painfully repetitive nature of Perrin's day. Like passive worker bees, Perrin's office colleagues literally used the exact same words to respond to every situation presented to them. For example, two junior "yes men" sale colleagues at Sunshine Desserts, bumblers who quivered in the face of authority, were rarely ever permitted to say anything other than "Great!" and "Super!" respectively, no matter what they were asked. It sounds extreme, but it truly works well -- even today, it reminds me of too many folks that I've worked with in offices through the years. It's an odd little trick that really holds up. Similarly, the boss at Sunshine Desserts, CJ, could never start a sentence without the tired phrase "I didn't get where I am today by . . . " blah blah blah. And even to a 9-year old, it quickly became apparent why Perrin needed to get away. Of all these, the one I always enjoyed most, however, came from Perrin's ne'er-do-well hippy son-in-law, who never quite managed to get a grip on anything. His phrase, as befitted his life, was "bit of a cock up on the XX front." As in, when asked about his new job, "Well, bit of a cock up on the employment front." Where's the food? "Afraid there's been a bit of a cock up on the catering front." Poor Perrin's life never changed; yet, somehow, for the viewer, it never got old. (BTW, you can't imagine the constant temptation, as a grade-schooler, to sidle up to my teachers and announce "Ah, yes, bit of a cock up on the ol' homework front today." Real missed opportunity there.)

There are times, certainly, when the series feels dated -- not just in fashion and setting, but also in its 1970s style of rebellion. I still feel, though, upon a recent reviewing, that there is a timeless quality about Perrin. For as one older review that I found of the show mused: "As long as there is industry, capitalism and a human longing for a life less ordinary, there will always be a Reggie Perrin sentiment present in the world."

The series was based largely off the the 1975 novel "The Death of Reginald Perrin" by David Nobbs. Nobbs was an established comedy writer in Britain in the early 70s. He was a writer for The Two Ronnies when the BBC invited him to submit an idea for a play about social problems in contemporary society. The synopsis he submitted concerned a man slowly going mad from his daily routine and it was rejected as unsuitable. Thankfully, Nobbs he held it and converted it into the Perrin novel.

Sadly, there aren't a great number of clips available online from the original series to show you, though there is this fun show post-show analysis / retrospective:

and this quick couple of bits from a similar retrospective, intro by Ronnie Barker:

Thankfully, you can still buy the entire series from Amazon UK (for the time being), though you will need to have a multi-region DVD player to see them. If you ever get the chance, do see it. And then stop by my house for tea and flavored ices.

Infatuated? Like, Totally -- So What's Next for Dylan Moran?

2008-07-02T08:38:00.000-07:00

If you are tall, Irish and extremely funny, then chances are good that I've already fallen in love with you three or four times over and, at this point, you're just wishing I would lose your phone number so that you could avoid all the hassle and paperwork involved with getting a restraining order (that can take weeks -- who has the time?) And that pattern probably best explains the reason for my ongoing infatuation with comedy's most delicious mophead, Dylan Moran.

If you're an American and already know Moran, that's probably because you were lucky enough to catch one or more seasons of Black Books on BBC America. Created, written and developed for Channel 4 by Moran, it chronicles the struggles of crumedgeonly drunken bookstore owner Bernard Black.

Bernard is a throughly unlikeable inebriate, but Moran relates him to the overwhelmed-by-the-modern-world bookworm inside many of us who just wants to be left alone. With his two long-suffering friends -- equally unmotivated shop owner Fran and painfully underconfident Manny, (played with equal strength by Bill Bailey and Tamsin Greig) -- they seek refuge in the bookstore and hope that the rest of London will just let them be; but it never does. Customers continue to drop in with the unreasonable expectation that they may browse or purchase volumes without being heckled. If that wasn't annoyance enough, soon a bright and cheery chain bookstore (with crass corporate customer service provided by a steely Simon Pegg) moves in next door -- and then the customers *stop* coming. As with all of comedy's greatest characters, it seems that there is no way for poor Bernard to win. The only hope for all three characters is to tolerate each others eccentricities long enough to form a family-style bond and barrier against the outside world.

"Black Books" was well-loved by fans in the UK and abroad -- and even the critics chimed in approvingly -- it won a BAFTA in 2002 for best sitcom. All of the episodes are gems, but I'm especially fond of "Elephants and Hens" (in which Bernard and Manny write a children's book); and the final episode, "Party", in which Bernard tries to explain why he has been so grumpy and misanthropic all these years. Frankly, though, I recommend that you buy all of them.

To date, Dylan has been fairly cautious about maintaining creative control over his work and that has definitely been to his benefit. Much of what he appeared in has been of his own design (although in 1998, prior "Black Books", he did star in another charming but less popular series called "How Do You Want Me?" which was written by Simon Nye, who also wrote "Men Behaving Badly.") The rare movies he has done have been ones written and led by friends with equal talent. For example, he has worked with Simon Pegg (including his key role in "Shaun of the Dead" and his heroic effort as Pegg's friend and trainer Gordon in the most recent [but not quite as funny] "Run, Fat Boy Run"). He also held a great double role in "Tristam Shandy -- a Cock and Bull Story" as Dr. Slop -- the "modern physician" who delivers the lead character. (A key premise of the original novel being that the narrator continually tries to tell the story of his own birth but is constantly distracted by other story threads). He pairs that role, as do all of the actors, with interspersed scenes where he appears as himself -- an actor in the film. (For fuller background on the post-modern nature of the film, see The Resilient Rabbit: Knowing Me, Knowing You) This is best near the end when all of the actors view a screening of the final product and Moran is chatting with Gillian Anderson about why all of her best scenes ended up on the cutting room floor. (Have I mentioned before you that you really must see this film? Seriously. It's an overlooked gem. But once again I digress).

Dylan rarely grants interviews -- he doesn't seem comfortable around reporters (a point that was played up for humorous effect during a short that precedes the opening of his "Monster" stand up DVD). And even when he does talk, he is reticent on the subjects of himself, his family, his history and the creative process. So much of all that remains a bit of mystery, which probably adds to the charm.

Moran is only 37, but the bounce back question still comes to mind for me. "Black Books" wrapped back in 2001 and I've been ever-so-curious to see what he comes up with next. He is apparently still doing stand up in the UK -- check out dates for his "What It Is" tour here -- and if his two performance DVDs, Monster and Like, Totally, are representative, then he is definitely worth checking out on stage. Moran started out in stand up and even won with Perrier award at Edinburgh before he began work in television, so he definitely knows how to work an audience. And though the "Monster" DVD still shows him performing his signature glass of red wine in hand, he says that he has grown bored of the prop -- and of performing while plastered generally -- so I would be even more intrigued to see what his stand up looks like now.

Here's hoping that this Rabbit -- and the rest of his infatuated American audience -- will be lucky enough to find out more soon.

"Raw" Data

2008-07-01T17:47:00.000-07:00

Poor Eddie Murphy makes one off-the-cuff comment about possibly returning to the stand up stage and the rumor mill goes berzerker!

Not that one can blame his fans -- who wouldn't want to see *that*?

Although, I am deeply sad to report, the beautiful red leather suit of "Delirious" fame has apparently been ruined and retired.

Damn.

A Doll of the Dude

2008-07-01T09:39:00.001-07:00

Big Lebowski action figures -- coming soon!

Ricky Gervais Show Podcast, Season 4!

2008-06-30T12:13:00.000-07:00

Just confirmed -- another full season this fall!!

Eddie Izzard on Conan tonight

2008-06-30T08:50:00.000-07:00

No idea whether he will perform for tall one or just sit at the desk (given his stature, probably the latter); but if he does some stand up (rather than just blather on about The Riches), this could be a treat since his current U.S. stand up tour, Stripped, has been getting rave reviews.

It hits Seattle on the 10th -- wahoo!!

Squatting Monkeys Pt. 2

2008-06-30T06:10:00.000-07:00

Finally, a quick review.

First, I have to restate my respect for Dana Carvey for trying to take on a comeback at age 53. At the height of his success, the glory of his work arose largely out of combining the boyish innocence and enthusiasm of his characters with his skill for voices and impersonations. So everyone has to arrive at this show wondering whether the same jokes would play well from a face that is slightly wrinkled and/or whether the impersonations risk pushing him into Rich Little territory (obviously a terrifying possibility for any performer.)

On the first point, I have to give him props. Although he'd obviously had some minor work done to his face (smooth as a baby's bottom it was), he didn't try to pretend that he was still 30. He faced his current stage of his life with humor ("I love getting old -- you can get hurt doing nothing at all!") and addressed himself to his peers under the assumption that they would form the bulk of his audience. I think that was a logical choice and I liked his approach -- it felt honest. His delivery wasn't perfect -- there were times when you could see that he hadn't spent the last year or two of his life on the road perfecting every beat of this material; but he has enough residual skill to pull it off regardless and you can forgive a tiny bit of rustiness to someone whose last HBO special was in 1995.

As to what I call "the Rich Little Challenge" -- this one was always going to be trickier. Dana never specialized in material with a strong viewpoint or heavy insight -- and by the way that's fine with me. I love silly as much as the next person. But if you only do voice with no political or social commentary, you do risk looking more like a harmless old hack. Carvey came close at a few points in this show -- pulling out impersonations of Reagan, Bush 1, Bill Clinton and Ross Perot (Ross Perot??). Maybe he thought the crowd expected it (the same instinct that causes Rick Little to keep trotting out Dick Nixon); but it felt a little forced and dated. I guess that will always be a fine line for him.

All in all, it was comfortable and pleasant -- like an old sweater -- but I only laughed out loud a few times. Check it out on HBO reruns if you are looking to enjoy some relaxed happy memories, but probably not much more.

Spring Break in Slough; Thanksgiving in Torquay? Are you having a laugh?

2008-06-27T08:04:00.000-07:00

VisitBritain has recently launched an effort to promote the locations of past British sitcoms as tourist destinations. According to the Times: "The tourism body, which had success last year with its campaign to encourage “set-jetting” to locations of blockbuster films such as The Da Vinci Code, says that 40 per cent of all visits around Britain are inspired by scenes shown on TV and in films.

The most visited places for comic nostalgia are expected to be Torquay, location for Fawlty Towers, Holmfirth in West Yorkshire, setting for Last of the Summer Wine, Turville in the Chilterns, the parish made famous by The Vicar of Dibley, Norwich, home to Steve Coogan's I'm Alan Partridge, and Cricket St Thomas, Somerset, the village where Peter Bowles and Penelope Keith filmed To the Manor Born."

Look: I'm a ridiculous Britcom nerd. I admit to being over-the-top addicted. If I didn't have a family to raise and a job to hold, I would certainly and happily waste the rest of my days away -- "Spaced" in front of the television -- watching reruns of Fawlty Towers, Give My Head Peace, the Mighty Boosh, the Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin, I'm Alan Partridge and Black Books -- and that would ideally be before breakfast.

But here's the difference between me and the promoters of these tour plans: I was paying attention while watching these shows. I recognized that, in the original Office, a central theme was the characters' flailing inability to escape from the dreary life of Slough. Likewise, Fawlty Towers wouldn't have been quite as brilliant if it were set in an exciting seaside resort so that the inn might occasionally attract fun or interesting guests. (Okay -- "the Germans" would be funny in any setting, but that's just because of the funny walk . . . ) The show is better because Basil is stuck in Torquay. As a proud British citizen, he refuses to admit that it's not exactly the Cote D'Azur -- but that denial only further fuels the premise.

Point being: these spots are not hidden gems of holiday excitement.

I will say, however, that the campaign's website -- although sporting a very goofy design -- is actually chock full of useful info for folks like me, including links to where one can find comedy clubs and festivals around the island. I could have used this last time we were in London and I was whining to my long-suffering spouse that I didn't want to go to the Comedy Store OR Sohoho again. They even reference and link to the Blue Lounge in Thirsk -- which I might actually visit someday if only because I think that Greg Proops' "Back in the UK" was partially recorded there (though mostly taped in Sheffield and Edinburgh). And how about this description: "Giggling Badger Comedy Club, which opened in 2006, is one of the biggest Sunday night comedy clubs in the Midlands." (Please Note: In February 2008, a second Giggling Badger club opened at the Royal British Legion club, Melton Road, in Syston. This venue now hosts a comedy night on the second Wednesday of every month.)

Wow: the biggest of *all* the Sunday night gig venues in the Midlands?? Now you almost have to go, right?

It also has an index of outing spots organized by comedy hero. My favorite part about this index is that it links the reader back to pictures of the places mentioned. These show glowing pictures of the getaways -- all of them sunny, bright and cheery. Here is the picture they show of Torquay:

And, granted, I visited there once and the place certainly has charm. It's cute. Looks like you'd think an English seaside village would look. But, honestly, here is how I remember it:

That picture was lifted from the "boy was this a bad marketing strategy" Torquay webcam -- visit it and judge for yourself!

Note: no picture posted for Slough. We wonder why? Probably best summarized by the first stanza from the famous John Betjeman poem -- remember when Brent read aloud from it?

Slough
Come friendly bombs and fall on Slough!
It isn't fit for humans now,
There isn't grass to graze a cow.
Swarm over, Death!

Come, bombs and blow to smithereens
Those air -conditioned, bright canteens,
Tinned fruit, tinned meat, tinned milk, tinned beans,
Tinned minds, tinned breath.

Mess up the mess they call a town-
A house for ninety-seven down
And once a week a half a crown
For twenty years.

Zoo Cruelty

2008-06-26T16:41:00.000-07:00

My old friend Mark and I have a long-standing tradition of making regular buddy trips to the L.A. Zoo. It started many years ago when I bought him a zoo membership for his birthday and continued regularly during the rest of the years that I lived in L.A. On average, we'd visit a couple of times a year to see the new exhibits, eat Kettle Corn, gossip and generally catch up. It's always a fine time; but since Madeline was born and we moved up north, I haven't been good about setting aside time for it. I wanted to remedy that, so this last weekend we set a plan for a zoo visit.

Unfortunately, the temperature in Griffith Park on Saturday topped 110 degrees. More than 98% of the animals were hiding in their enclosures -- completely invisible to the slim hardcore crowd of sweaty tourists. Those few intrepid critters who did venture out looked like this:

Frankly, it just seemed cruel. To be fair, though, I think that photo fairly summarizes how I felt about our trek that day as well. I was wilted and weary about 10 minutes into the first loop; but my not-so-subtle pleas to Mark that we consider packing it in and adjourning to a neighborhood pub were ignored. For reasons that aren't clear to me, he veritably thrived in the swelter. Hours later, he was still like a Gila Monster on holiday at the shore, he was -- well, see for yourself:

It still baffles me.

How to get away with racial slurs

2008-06-26T05:12:00.000-07:00

Vince Morris raises a good point -- modern urban culture is really just making this too easy.

Monkeybicycle

2008-06-26T03:46:00.000-07:00

The fifth issue of Monkeybicycle actually looks promising. Contributor list for this one includes Sarah Silverman, Patton Oswalt and David Cross.

A final resting place for your stuff

2008-06-26T03:01:00.000-07:00

I can't add anything meaningful to the many wonderful tributes already written about George Carlin's passing. (I especially loved this one by the ever-amazing Louis CK which reminded me of something I had forgotten -- that I used to listen to many Carlin bits on the AM radio show classic, Doctor Demento -- remember that? I actually used to hide a transistor radio under my pillow so I could listen on Sunday nights at an hour well after I should have been asleep . . .)

I can only humbly say that Carlin is responsible for many happy giggling hours in my childhood and for that I am especially grateful. I played "Class Clown" until the grooves wore thin and quoted "FM and AM" verbatim far before I had reached an age where I really understood most of it. If there is one Carlin bit that will forever define him in my mind, however, it has to be the great classic "A Place to Put Your Stuff" -- a masterpiece of social commentary wrapped in utter silliness -- I still find it very impressive. Every time I listen, I still laugh -- and it never fails to make me briefly reflect on how I'm living my life. Once, when I asked some friends to help me move out of one house and into another, I overheard my friend Eric, box in hand, walking away from me and mumbling: "Sometimes you gotta move -- why? Too much stuff!" Can't argue with this logic.

Here he is, performing the bit at the 1986 Comic Relief -- years after it had already become a classic. Thanks for everything, George.

Another hot night at the Bowl

2008-06-25T17:32:00.001-07:00

My dear friend Apryl was kind enough to bring me along Sunday evening to see Thievery Corporation play at the Bowl.

Since the show, I've been trying to think of the words to describe their work, but their own bio for the Bowl show actually does it surprisingly well: "“Our deepest source of inspiration comes from our record collections,” says Rob Garza, an apt reference to their collective nom de plume. Always great admirers and curators of dusty grooves and all-but-forgotten music styles, THIEVERY CORPORATION borrows from the classically sensual and blunted sounds of their favorite Brazilian bossa nova, Jamaican dub reggae, vintage film soundtracks, and psychedelic rock to forge into new sonic territory."

"Classically sensual and blunted" are the key words here -- because on an already simmering evening, this was one seriously sexy performance. How else can you describe the mixing of sitar grooves, Perry Farrell, psychedelic projections, belly dancers and Seu Jorge? If you weren't swaying your hips at full speed, then you don't have a pulse. But, thankfully, that didn't seem to be much of a problem for the sold out crowd of young music fans from every ethnic persuasion -- coming together on a warm Bowl night for dancing, swaying and flirting.

Good call, Apryl!!!

Edited to add: Our friend Tano saw their show the previous evening in Vegas, and it sounds as though it was fabulous -- here is his review.

Joel Hodgson: still the sexiest man alive?

2008-06-25T15:37:00.000-07:00

So what's the verdict? Can Mystery Science Theater 3000 work effectively before a live audience sans robots? Whaddaya think, sirs?

I was lucky enough to attend the sold out Cinematic Titanic show at the John Anson Ford amphitheater this past weekend and, for me, it exceeded expectations. Of course, a great setting always helps and the Ford is one of my favorite venues on the planet -- intimate, charming, fine wine list. Cool evening breezes blowing through the tall trees and reflections of the Hollywood Bowl fireworks on the stage. I really can't think of any place where I would rather see a show. The last concert I saw here was in September 2002 when we saw Minus 5 open for Wilco, which was amazing. The Ford is so tiny that I felt as though I was attending a backyard bbq at Jeff Tweedy's house and Peter Buck was going to tap the keg. . . but I digress. My point is simply that the stage itself added to the sweet and simple joys of the evening.

Joel and crew delivered a playful and energetic commentary to the alarmingly annoying "Doomsday Machine". Granted, "Doomsday" was rather easy pickins' for such an adept and accomplished crew -- but that didn't matter because picking the correct film for abuse is actually part of the challenge - much like picking the correct set of symphonies to highlight an orchestra's key talents.

And this is truly a talented crew, obviously coming back to their true calling. They worked from a prepared script propped on music stands which kept the narrative crisp and quick so the performers stayed well ahead of the many more obvious jokes that the movie brings immediately to mind. After all, that was always the triple charm: bad movie + joke I hear in my head + joke I didn't seem coming = spewing giggles. Of course I won't deny the warm feelings of nostalgia and the happy memories of Saturday mornings past; but this really didn't feel like watching an early 90s grunge band touring with just their old material. It truly felt fresh and full of glee. I considered the passing reference to "Manos: The Hands of Fate" to be a personal gift to me, wrapped up with a sparkling pink bow and sprinkled with sugar on top.

I hope that they continue to perform live from time to time. They obviously really enjoyed drinking in the laughter of a live crowd and yet it never seemed to throw their timing. Even the Bowl fireworks didn't cause them to skip a beat.

Tom Servo, RIP.

Miss You, Part 2

2008-06-24T13:48:00.000-07:00

It's wonderful to be home again. Madeline is getting funnier every day. She tells amazing jokes and just learned a new song about killer robots from Venus. The strawberries in our garden are nearly ripe and the blueberries are getting close. It's cool, sunny, peaceful and uncrowded; but I still miss all of you back in LA. Painfully so.

So thanks to the whole gang for a truly wonderful weekend. And just to spark some cozy memories from very long ago (well, for most of you anyway), here's the "Love You" video that I think we all first shared back on Valentine's Day 2001 (has it really been that long?) It always makes me think of you people and it always makes me smile. Anyway -- to everyone who helped to make my weekend special: Love you. See you again soon.