Bits and Skits

Comedy with 100% Juicy Bits

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You Gotta Check out Todd Barry's Crowd Work

Crowd work is one of the most fundamental skills of great stand up, often it bails out a flailing comedian when they're audience is simply funnier than their act. In the age of routines, good crowd work can be the one differing element between each show.

But what if a comedian's routine was just crowd work? Step forth Todd Barry, a comedian who has quietly gone about his business, and won the respect of his peers (Jerry Seinfeld featured him on his Comedian's in Cars Getting Coffee web series recently, the first time the two had actually hung out together).

In a new Special/Documentary, funded and distributed by Louis CK through his website, Todd Barry's 'Crowd Work Tour', a 7 city tour up the West Coast of America, from San Diego, through Canada and into Anchorage, Alaska. 

Of course the under appreciated stars of the show are the crowd, who are suitably unnerved by Barry's dryest of wits, and often launch into hysterical fits that only sends rapturous audiences further into hysterics.

Ultimately it highlights Barry's mastery at crowd work. Its a discipline that can often seem lazy but Barry's appears effortless and flawless.

Its a format not many comedians will be brave enough to try and make a name through, the risks are certainly high. But a man of Barry's experience more than pulls it off, and the special makes for 1 hour 10 minutes of hilarious viewing.

You can purchase Todd Barry: The Crowd Work Tour for a bargain $5 through Louis CK's website

You can also hear Todd's sit down interview with Ron Bennington here 

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Joe Rogan is a controversial figure. Well he's a controversial figure if you don't like him. If you, like me, love him, then you'll know he's one of the most rounded and interesting people in comedy.

From his first big break into the public conscience as part of the cast of the cult hit NewsRadio to now being the voice of the world's fastest growing sport, UFC (Joe himself has dabbled in a bit of MMA fighting), he's always been a guy who does it very much his own way.

Through much of the last decade and a half, he's also been a stand up and now is one of the best placed when it comes to picking out the best in West Coast talent.

 It is why a podcast may be the best way of understanding such a multi-faceted personality. First thing to note, is their frequency. It's not unheard for Rogan to upload 3 podcasts a week, most of which will likely be over 2 hours. Each time, Joe is being joined by a guest. Now some you should have heard of (Jim Jefferies, as attached, Louis Theroux, all very recent examples), but others you will not. In a way, if its the latter it simply doesn't matter. 

Rogan is such a strong personality, that each podcast is very much his agenda and his direction. It's fair to say Rogan dabbles in the odd conspiracy theory or two, he's good friends with Alex Jones after all, but alongside it comes a very perceptive social commentary that many comedians can either not articulate, or even refuse to even attempt to. 

Praise to as well for the visual element of Rogan's show, streamed live on Ustream, and then uploaded to the Joe Rogan Experience Youtube channel immediately after. For the 'pot talk' style radio shows that the JRE podcast ultimately resembles, such a luxury can only be dreamed of.

Not every episode will be worth listening to, but the podcast already has an extensive archive that will keep you entertained, whatever you may be into. Rogan's direction also means it will always stand alone from a lot of podcasts done by comedians out there as well, and ultimately, shine a light on one of comedies most fascinating characters.

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The Open Mic: Daliso Chaponda

In a series that aims to big up the rising names in comedy, Daliso Chaponda is the first to take The Open Mic

Based primarily in the UK, Daliso enjoys somewhat of a exile status from his native Malawi. The son of a senior civil servant, Chaponda has a number of stories of him toeing the line in front of a government that's definitely watching him.

A rising regular at summer comedy festivals expect to see him at showcases as well as headlining his own tour dates.

Keep tabs on him at http://www.daliso.com/

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While It's (Still) Hot: Arena- Whatever Happened to Spitting Image?

The BBC's fantastic Arena series has aired it's first film for 2014, Whatever Happened to Spitting Image?, charting the rise of Peter Fluck and Roger Law's distinctive caricatures from their small studio in Cambridge, to the studios of Central TV and into the homes of 15 million people nationwide, in a golden age for satire.

It's in the the moments that the documentary comments on the importance of satire that it is at it's best, and points to a theory as to why youth apathy may be at such a high point today.

You can watch the doc for the next few days here

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So, as was fairly well speculated about following a sighting of Jerry Seinfeld and Jason Alexander entering Mon...Tom's Restaurant once again, last night the world was treated to another Seinfled 'reunion' tickler in a Superbowl commercial/webisode hybrid

Unfortunately, it's unlikely any fan was majorly gassed by this. The content featured the trademark Costanza bickering, and the appearance of Wayne Knight to reprise the greatest antagonist in the history of TV gives it its moments. However the 6 minute episode of Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee doesn't live up to the hype, nor the quality of previous webisodes from the series, never mind the original sitcom

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The great I'm Alan Partridge featured countless classic moments. This is probably my favourite quote from the show. AIR AIR AIR

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I don't have sex with pretty women for two reasons. 1. I can't. Number 2 they generally wont but at the end of the day it's my decision - Big Jay Oakerson

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Alright. Let's get STAAAAAAARTED with our Podcast Pauses. And who better to kick off with than William 'Billiam' Burr.  

Those into comedy and AMC's smash Breaking Bad particuarly enjoyed the character Patrick Kuby, Saul Goodman's smooth and composed PI. The character certainly marked the point where Bill Burr's traceable growth in success has begun to rapidly accelerate, but don't be mistaken in thinking this isn't deserved.  

Bill Burr may be the best out there right now. His latest special, 2012's 'You People Are All The Same' is out there on Netflix and other reputable sources. Check it out sure. But my god. Do this first.  

Check out his podcast.  

Simply titled Bill's Monday Morning Podcast, it stands as the most consistent hour of comedy every week. While a lot of the proliferation of podcasts from stand ups sees them joined regularly by guests, usually to act as a needed crutch, Billy delievers an hour of solo ramblings, most of which you can guarantee will be edited out for his next act.  

While that process is entertaining, what makes this podcast so phenomenal is the mannerism and charisma of Bill Burr. His observations and opinions are served up without any kind of self-deprication that a lot of comedians are guilty of falling back on when it comes to non-standup situations. His mannerisms, one of which has already been demonstrated in this post provide regular amusement and his email section may be the most vibrant and downright hilarious of its type in the podcasting world. Even his live reads are hysterical.  

Being LA based , he has a regular tap to special guests, usually featured on additional podcast nuggets delivered through the week. The most recent of which, with Jay Mohr is posted.

It had to be Bill Burr to kick off this feature, and great news that Uninformed, a quasi-podcast/radio show with Joe DeRosa looks set to return.

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I looked up my family tree and found out I was the sap - Rodney Dangerfield

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Roger Lloyd-Pack passed away yesterday, one of the most familiar British faces in TV comedy of the 80s and 90s. It's easy to dismiss Only Fools and Horses, its legacy arguably still haunts BBC Comedy's ability to progress beyond dated looking sitcoms for some reason, but it was deliciously quick and offered credible classic TV comedy moments. Lloyd-Pack's dim-witted character Trigger often provided some of the best punch-lines, there have been countless lists of them since his death. So here's one that's less talked about, but sums up this classic character superbly 

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The late great Patrice O'Neal always had erm...interesting theories on women. Here he takes on his problems with women growing old. 

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What kind of jokes are about winning? "Don't you hate when you're winning, and you think you won...and YOU END UP WINNING EVEN MORE THAN YOU THOUGHT" - Brian Regan

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Dave Attell is a phenomenal stand up and porn connoisseur. This was abundantly clear most recently in his surreal show Dave's Old Porn but here's one from the old days of Comedy Central's Insomniac with Dave Attell. Here Dave gives us a little porn voice-over. Probably NSFW

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FX brings in the stars for two new shows

FX, the American basic cable channel, or should that be 'Louis CK's FX, the American basic cable channel, home of Louie and the Charlie Sheen sleeps with 20 years olds show' has announced two new pilots featuring some familiar faces.

One of them of course is Louis CK who will write a pilot with and for The Hangover's star goofball Zach Galifanakis. Fuck knows what it will be about, FX are saying very little.

That can't be said of the second show announced. This show is described as the:

“story of a man who can explain how and why a nuclear reactor works, but is clueless about life.”

Sure, it sounds like the kind of episode of the Simpsons where Homer would take a bang to the head, but with Being John Malkovich's Charlie Kaufman at the helm, its sure to be quirky. 

Michael Cera seems suitable for the lead role of How and Why, although I'm left thinking How and Why Cera's Arrested Development was never given a shot by FX after it got shit canned by its big brother?

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The Big Bad Beast of Bisby, Arizona, Doug Stanhope, sounds off some of his much needed anti-religion rationality

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The great Albert Brooks bowls over Johnny Carson during one of his 19 appearances on the Tonight Show

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I wear my wedding ring on the wrong finger because I married the wrong god damned woman - Robin Harris