We're not sure we agree with the premise, but enjoy the clips. HT to Lauri Moyle
will byers stan first human second
Game of Thrones Daily
Jules of Nature
Stranger Things
h
No title available
tumblr dot com

PR's Tumblrdome
Claire Keane
trying on a metaphor

tannertan36
KIROKAZE
DEAR READER
Sade Olutola

❣ Chile in a Photography ❣
Three Goblin Art
almost home
Monterey Bay Aquarium
2025 on Tumblr: Trends That Defined the Year

Origami Around

seen from Malaysia
seen from United States

seen from United States

seen from United States
seen from Poland

seen from Malaysia
seen from Indonesia
seen from South Korea
seen from Türkiye
seen from United States

seen from Malaysia

seen from Netherlands

seen from United Kingdom
seen from China
seen from United Kingdom

seen from United States
seen from Germany

seen from United States
seen from Ecuador
seen from Ecuador
@funnytown-blog
We're not sure we agree with the premise, but enjoy the clips. HT to Lauri Moyle
Review: Louis C.K at the New York City Center
On October 26, Heidi and I stood outside the New York City Center waiting for the doors to open on the 10pm Louis C.K. standup show, part of his seven night run in NYC. The warm, tropical night foreshadowed Hurricane Sandy a few days later. For now, we wanted some laughs.
A passerby with a companion asked, "What is this place?"
"A theatre," I replied.
"And what's going on tonight?"
"Louis C.K."
His face lit up. "Really!"
"Yeah, he's doing seven nights here."
He turned to his blank-faced companion. "You know Louis C.K.? The comedian?" The companion shrugged, and the guy turned back to me.
"How many shows left?"
"Not sure." Then for some reason I self-righteously added, "Supposedly they're not accepting scalped tickets, though."
He wrinkled his nose. "Like Stubhub? How do they enforce that?"
"I have no idea."
He turned to leave, but with a twinkle in his eye he said, "Thanks for letting me know!"
"No problem."
Louis C.K. is a good secret that is starting to become very well-known. Last year he released his standup show, Louis C.K. Live at the Beacon, online to purchase for $5, with great success. It was an innovative move that cut out the middleman. But as evidenced by our exchange with these two passersby, he is not yet a household name. He probably never will be a Chris Rock or a Jerry Seinfeld, but I think that's ok. Maybe because his humor is too dirty. Maybe it's that he doesn't have a blockbuster TV show or film. What resonates with fans, though, is his strong grasp of human depravity - most of all, his own.
Here are some examples of how he characterized depravity through his new material that night:
He started off with a story about an elderly woman falling down in an airport. He surmised that when someone vulnerable is in trouble, it creates an instant group - total strangers who are now bound together by the incident, crouching down, arms spread apart, saying "are you ok?" and playing a game of "decency chicken" to see who will be the first to help out. In this instance, Louis was the only one who helped. He begrudgingly accepted this role as he helped her to the gate and complained about her incompetence. In the end, though, he stayed with her at the gate until she flew off. They talked for two hours and she became "his precious angel."
"I'm convinced that the only thing keeping people from murdering other people is the law against murder. If there were no law against murder, you would see a lot more murders. The murderers would murder a lot more people. You average person would murder some people. And even the really good people would murder a few people. Point is, no one would murder nobody."
For the encore (yes, comedy shows have encores, as we discovered) he delivered a brilliant setup by stating some of his convictions and widely held beliefs, then offering politically incorrect intuitions contradicting those beliefs, a piece called, "Of course! But maybe...." For example, he mentioned that of course we should all be concerned about kids with peanut allergies and provide the necessary protection for them. "But maybe...if touching a nut makes you die, you're meant to die anyway." Then he would return to,"But of course we should do everything possible to keep that from happening."
A seam of redemption does run through his jokes. In one bit, he exhorted us, "Life is a good deal! You get to walk around in a body for a little while. You get to walk around and look at s---. You get to talk to other people. You get to eat bacon. You get to read To Kill a Mockingbird." He knows we don't deserve this goodness because we are naturally tuned for evil. He's right. What Louis helps us understand, though, is that we can answer our depravity with humor, because we do experience grace in this world.
With a solid 80 minutes of jokes, plus a warmup from Gary Gulman (whom we saw at the Comedy Cellar), Louis made the price of the ticket well worth it.
Aziz Ansari on why marriage is crazy. He has a point. This is what makes marriage both funny and unique.
Best news we've heard in a while!
Um, yes. We wholeheartedly agree. "Maybe there should be a special award—the Emmy for originality under duress."
Hey folks! Two writers of this blog will be (attempting to) attend Stephen Colbert's book release par-tay on Tuesday at the Barnes and Noble in Union Square. Even if we don't get in, we'll be sure to read the book and review it for you right here on FunnyTown. Get yourself a copy!
The Uprightest Citizens of Improv
Improv comedy is intolerable if done poorly. It's ok to watch your kid employ the techniques he learned in improv class. It's fairly miserable to watch grown adults trying to make it in improv and fail.
Therefore, get thee to a weekend show at Upright Citizens Brigade in NYC, and thou shalt not be disappointed.
I did this on Sunday night, July 22, for a measly $10, and though I can't recall the names of everyone who performed with the comedy troupe ASSSSCAT 3000, I do recall being wildly entertained. A club founded by Amy Poehler and Tina Fey has to be great, right?
When I first walked in with some friends, nobody really checked our tickets. A friendly little bar served PBR's and Heinekens to nurse from your seat. The seats were upholstered and a little dingy, but so intimate to the stage I felt I was watching in my living room.
The show began. Our hosts and warmer-uppers Chris Gethard and Shannon O'Neill were quite warm and humorous. But the most notable faces I recognized from The Office and 30 Rock - Zach Woods (Gabe) and John Lutz (Lutz) respectively. Though Woods more than held his own, I was most impressed with Lutz. In 30 Rock, Lutz bumbles about as the token loser quite well, but if you ever get a chance to see the full range of his acting ability, you should. He reminded me of James Spader, if that gives an idea. The best sketch of the night featured Lutz jonesing for some new white summer pants at a shop run by Michael Patrick O'Brien, SNL writer and phenom in his own right. Lutz walks in and says, with a flourish, "I'm looking for some new white summer pants!" To which O'Brien responds, opening the curtains over a concealed section of said pants, "How about...all of THESE?" He proceeds to help Lutz find the perfect pair of white pants by acting out scenarios where certain types of pants would be most appropriate, like riding a whale or asking a lady for a dance.
The beauty and difficulty of improv is that you can't refuse the direction of your partner (s). The monologist told stories about her life, developed from ideas audience members threw at her - "sleepwalking" and "wolverine." The performers then created scenes evolved from these tales, bouncing characters and lines off each other. I never quite knew where they were going to take me, and yet it always made sense. A story about pretending to know about sports to impress a boyfriend turned into a hilarious scene at a Knicks game, where two bros sat on either side of an amorous couple ("we always sit apart so we can make FRIENDS!"). A yarn about old beat up cars became a tale of a couple trying to buy a car and dealing with fastidious, creepy car dealers. Eventually, the actors would tie in themes or characters from previous scenes. My favorite was the "future self" appearing back in time to beg, "Don't do it! You'll regret it!"
I don't remember the subway ride home, my head heavy with post-laughter fatigue.
Perhaps the appeal of improv is that it's the soccer of comedy. You see the play develop, you have the sense that the actors are building on each other, and often they make a good attempt at making you laugh. Sometimes a goal is scored. On Sunday night, a few shots missed the goal, some hit the post, but many found net. Particularly those of John Lutz.
-Laura
Check out this promo for Jerry Seinfeld's new web series, Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee. Looks like it's got a nice jazz soundtrack and several of Funnytown's favorite comedians: Larry David, Alec Baldwin, and of course Seinfeld himself. Also, did anyone ever find out how Ricky Gervais lost so much weight?
Premieres July 19.
UK Monday: Funny BBC sports commentary
The English are some of the most self-effacing people on earth, and nowhere is this better showcased than in their attitude to their beleaguered national football team. Under the new management of Roy Hodgson there were hopes that England would do well in this year's Euro Cup, and they did, winning their group before bowing out to Italy in the quarters on PKs. But that didn't stop the BBC commentators from finding every negative angle they could in each game, believers in fatalism that they are. I live-tweeted some of their comments during the Italy match which I reproduce here for you to enjoy. BBC commentator 1: "It's so tense out there." Commentator 2: "It's England." #britishcynicism BBC comm 1: "Balotelli's onside! Again! How many times?" Comm 2: "Had to guess, I'd say 7." Comm 1: "7 times too many." (NB love that he pulled that number 7 out of his rear) BBC commentator: "10 minutes have passed in this half, it feels like half an hour." #euro2012 #immakeepthesecoming BBC Comm 1: Is it me, or are England not playing as well as the first half? Comm 2, voice shaking: They're not. They are not. BBC commentator: "England are back pedalling. It's in their DNA." BBC commentator: "He's learned the tricks of the stage from his wife. He's married to an Italian ballerina." BBC comm 1: "What's he got up his sleeve?" BBC comm 2: "Probably his shirt." #comedyfactor ~ Anna
Reflections after a night at the Laughing Devil Comedy Club
Last night, to take advantage of an expiring groupon, Heidi and I visited the Laughing Devil Comedy Club in Long Island City (New York City's hottest upstart neighborhood) to see some up-and-coming comedians. 30 Rock's Judah Friedlander is a regular there, so I figured it must be worth something. So I sipped two mediocre cocktails and took it all in, hoping to mine content for the blog. A few good jokes found their way through the din, but overall the humor was as mediocre as the drinks. Mostly the night got my wheels turning, and I ended up with a couple theories about what separates the great comedians from the decent ones.
1) Great comedians tend to talk specifically about what's real.
As with much standup, the best jokes are generated through picking on audience members. These jokes are by default specific and real. But also, great comedians like Louis C.K. can put their finger on what resonates with the human experience. It doesn't have to be something you have personally experienced, but it does have to be something you can understand.
2) Decent comedians tend to talk generically about what's theoretical.
The worst jokes emphasize what might happen in a given situation, rather than confidently talking about what does happen or what has happened. For instance, one comedian cracked, "Can you imagine the reaction of the guy at the gym if I stuck my face in his butt?" Not only is this gross, but it's not funny, and it doesn't allow me to say, "Hey, yeah! That really resonates."
Just a few thoughts to be explored in future posts.
Laura
Always love it when Will Ferrell breaks out the Dubya impression again.
TownMeeting Part Two: with special guest James Cary
I continue my conversation with James Cary as part of FunnyTown's first TownMeeting. Read part one here
Laura: I agree that Will Ferrell movies have more offbeat humour than the big, dumb movies, but I actually thought The Hangover, for instance, was quite funny - and that's part of my point. It was received well by critics and had a broad American audience. Now, these so-called dumb movies never win Oscars, of course, but over time they often develop a legacy of quality. Some of Adam Sandler's earlier movies fall into that category, and, I would argue, several of Judd Apatow's movies. And circling back to TV, I thought this article in the New Yorker about the rise of dirtbag sitcoms was interesting and worth reading. So it seems that Americans have a taste for this kind of entertainment, and there is now precedent for critical acclaim as well.
That's a good question about the lack of British movies. I am not sure of the reasons. On a side note, what do you make of the evolution of Ricky Gervais? Do you think fame has gone to his head a bit? Or is he as edgy as ever?
James: "Dirtbag sitcoms" is a good term! Never heard that one before. I just read that New Yorker article and it was interesting - although I haven't seen most of the shows it's referring to. Certainly there is shifting sand. The fact is we can categorize sitcoms in a number of ways but at the end of the day, there's only one thing that counts - money. Even the BBC, immune to market forces, cannot justify spending money on a show that only has a very limited appeal. If the show can cover its costs and make money somehow, it can survive. In a sense, the diversification of the comedy is interesting and exciting. A show in the UK called Peep Show wins lots of awards for Channel 4, but the audience figures are fairly small. But it sells a lot of DVDs and is adored by its devoted fans.
With regard to Ricky Gervais, I'm in awe of his work on The Office, which was such a wonderful piece of work and is a really 'important' show. Modern Family couldn't exist in its current format without The Office, because of the way it made 'mockumentary' look so easy. Modern Family cheats with this format horrendously - with looks to camera mid-scene - but it turns out the audience simply doesn't care.
I'm not such a fan of Gervais's more recent work, though - much of which is about 'the business'. Both Extras and Life's Too Short delve into showbiz in a way that doesn't interest or excite me. Ultimately, I think comedy has to be based on truth. Even the most fantastical and absurd comedies must have some kernel of truth or husk of humanity at the centre of them. I just didn't see that in Extras or Life's Too Short. Lots of funny set piece scenes and great jokes. But the characters didn't seem real to me - even the real characters who were playing parodies of themselves. All that said, Gervais has a ton of money and enough awards to melt down into a brass yacht, so he probably knows a little more about this that me.
Laura: I actually thought Gervais's demise began when he got into movies and went all Hollywood (although his movies were pretty good), but it's interesting that you noticed these signs with Extras. I can see that now. The Office unquestionably belongs in the pantheon of greatest sitcoms ever, largely because of its massive influence. But even that style was rooted in the work of Christopher Guest, another genius Brit.
I heard that you wrote for the show Miranda. A friend once compared Miranda to Liz Lemon on 30 Rock, noting that Miranda is more of a failure than Liz, because Liz, despite her schleppy appearance and lazy habits, is actually quite successful in her career and even, currently, in her love life. This friend remarked that Americans are less accepting of failure than Brits, and this shows up a lot in our comedy. Do you agree? Why do you think this might be the case?
James: I think you've put your finger on something there. British sitcom heroes are generally losers because the British are quite snarky about success and wealth. The word 'likeable' gets thrown around a lot, and it seems fairly well established that a British audience is not going to like a character who is successful and wealthy - regardless of how funny his or her flaws are.
There's no doubt that the British are suspicious of 'winners'. Our current Prime Minster is endlessly mocked for his Eton/Oxford background and our Chancellor of the Exchequer for his private wealth. "These guys don't understand what it's like to deal with normal life" is the constant accusation thrown at them. Americans, on the other hand, tend to be pleased for people who have done well for themselves and don't find it annoying to the same extent that Brits do, and that's reflected in our comedy.
Our 'great' comedy shows are normally about the people in the middle or the bottom. A rag and bone man (Steptoe and Son - which became Sandford and Son in USA). A wheeler-dealer (Only Fools and Horses). A Vicar (The Vicar of Dibley). A prisoner (Porridge). Perhaps it's because, as a rule, most British comedy over the last fifty years has been about class. Basil Fawlty (a hotelier played by John Cleese) owns and runs a hotel - but he's firmly middle class and can't seem to attract the upper class customers he so craves. When one does arrive, he fawns over them.
One problem with 'successful' characters is that there's not much in the way of comedy tension if your main comedy character is at the top and has many resources at his or her disposal. Sitcom characters need challenges to overcome. The reality is that you can buy your way out of many situations. But not always. One of the greatest comedy characters of the last ten years is Jack Donaghy - and for him, he's playing a game of influence and politics with people who aren't impressed by money. So it can work, obviously.
There is undoubtedly an overlap between Liz Lemon and Miranda. And yes, Liz Lemon is undoubtedly more successful as the head writer of a network NBC show (even though we get a strong sense that TGS with Tracey Jordan is pretty dreadful). But in a way, that makes it funnier, because her private life is such a mess compared to the fact that her career is going okay. Tina Fey undoubtedly gives the part real humanity - and the script reinforces the fact that Lemon has severely plateaued. And that's funny too.
Laura: Great points. Although there is a certain section of American society that tends to thumb noses at so-called elitists and winners, there is still an overall aversion to failure. It seems we could continue this discussion endlessly, but we need to wrap up somewhere! Any final thoughts you'd like to share?
James: Yes, I could likewise discuss this ad infinitum - oops, just used a Latin elitist term that has established me as 'unlikeable'. It's been a pleasure to talk comedy with you.
FunnyTown's first TownMeeting, featuring special guest comedy writer James Cary - Part One
If you are familiar with the New York Times Opinionator discussions between David Brooks and Gail Collins (otherwise known as The Conversation), behold FunnyTown's own version of this style, we're calling TownMeeting. We are excited to welcome James Cary, a British comedy writer well-versed in a wide range of comedy, especially sitcoms, as the inaugural contributor to this series.
James Cary is a comedy writer for BBC TV and Radio. His most recent work on TV was with Miranda Hart on BBC2's hit sitcom, Miranda (nominated for RTS Award and BAFTA). He also co-wrote Miranda Hart's Radio 2 sitcom, Miranda Hart's Jokeshop (nominated for a Sony Award). He is developing various new shows which are in the pilot script stage. He has written three series of BBC Radio 4's sitcom Hut 33. Before that, he wrote four series of Think the Unthinkable, starring Marcus Brigstocke and David Mitchell. It won a Silver Sony with its first episode. He also was the lead writer on Radio 4 sketch show, Concrete Cow with Robert Webb and Olivia Colman. James has also written episodes of My Hero and My Family for BBC1. He is just written his fourth series of Another Case of Milton Jones with, er, Milton Jones for BBC Radio 4. His script editing work includes Recorded For Training Purposes (BBC Radio 4), Gigglebiz (CBeebies) and Mr Bloom's Nursery (CBeebies). He has also written a thoroughly readable yet highly unsuccessful novel, Crossword Ends in Violence (5) about D-Day, codes, crosswords and chess. You can read James' blog on comedy here. He is represented by David Higham Associates. For more info, go here.
Laura "sat down" with James from across the ocean to talk British vs. American comedy.
Laura: First I want to thank you, on behalf of FunnyTown, for humoring me by participating in this conversation about British vs. American comedy. I'm hoping this turns into a meaningful and fun discussion. I'd like to kick things off with one simple question: if you could describe the average American sense of humor in 50 words or less, what would it be? Feel free to expound on it. I'll return with how I would describe the average British sense of humor.
James: I just couldn't. Sorry. America's a big country of 300 million people and has produced Lenny Bruce and Jay Leno. The British like to comfort themselves that the Americans have no sense of irony, and like simple, sentimental comedy (e.g. Friends). And yet this just doesn't chime with the reality since the biggest American shows like The Simpsons and Seinfeld are riddled with irony. And now there's the Daily Show, The Onion and 30 Rock. And let's not forget one of the greatest shows of all time was M*A*S*H. A sitcom set in a mobile field hospital during the Korean war. What's that all about? 50 words? 5000 wouldn't be enough.
Laura: I'm not surprised you find it difficult to pin down the American sense of humor. The fact is that our senses of humor have always varied, but only with the recent diversification of media consumption has this become more apparent. Did you know that The Cosby Show was actually the last sitcom to achieve a blockbuster audience in the U.S.? At its peak it averaged 33.7 in Nielsen ratings, while Seinfeld's best was 21.7. Every popular show since the '90's hasn't really come close. There are so many shows to watch, so many ways to watch them, and so many different kinds of people to laugh at them. I will say that shows like 30 Rock and The Daily Show don't exactly get stellar ratings and are still considered niche shows, compared to The Big Bang Theory, the most popular sitcom right now. I think you can argue that The Big Bang Theory does appeal to the average American viewer, who likes corny jokes, goofy characters, maybe a little irony but not much subtlety. Same with Two and a Half Men.
Perhaps I am wrong to think I can describe the average British sense of humor in 50 words or less, but here goes: a mix of dry irony and biting wit with dabs of sarcasm, satire and dignified playfulness, best characterized by shows like The Office, Blackadder, and Yes Minister. What do you think? Am I wrong? Do we need to dispel any myths about the British sense of humor as well?
James: The shows that are watched by the biggest audiences are rarely the shows that are deemed to be truly 'great'. I guess the biggest recent example in U.S. is Arrested Development which was a monumental hit for a small audience (myself included). Good comedy can be like a fine wine. Most people could take it or leave it. Those who've tried a lot of wines tend to gravitate to the good stuff. Either way, most people are not prepared to pay for it. Hence Arrested Development didn't make it to the end of a third season, which was a crying shame.
Sometimes, there is an overlap between the big ratings and being a big hit with the critics. In Britain, the show Only Fools and Horses delighted audiences and critics alike - which is why it was it was deemed to be Britain's Best Sitcom in a poll a few years ago. In terms of finding a British sense of humour, there is a dryness and a hopelessness about all of the great British shows - like Blackadder, Yes Minister, The Office, Porridge, Hancock, Steptoe and Son. In that way, it's always annoyed me that Seinfeld was never truly given a chance in the UK because it's so British - the characters are selfish and unsympathetic. There's 'no hugging and no learning'. The Brits have an aversion to schmaltz, so it's always annoyed me that Friends was a gigantic hit in UK and Seinfeld was never given a chance.
Laura: That is very true. Shame about Arrested Development, one of the greatest shows to ever grace the tube. I've never heard of Only Fools and Horses, so I'll have to check it out. I know we're focusing on television, but allow me to get off track a little. Is there a market in Great Britain for what I call "Will Ferrell" comedies? That is, the opposite of dry humor? Do those types of movies have a large audience over there? I'm thinking of Anchorman, Talladega Nights, Wedding Crashers, etc. Do you think they resonate with Brits the way they do with Americans?
James: I wish there were a market for Will Ferrell comedies. Ferrell's an interesting case because he's making big mainstream comedy movies, but they all have a much more off-beat sense of humour than the big, dumb blockbuster comedies (I'm thinking American Pie and The Hangover-type movies). The British movie industry just isn't producing hits. The ones they are producing are hardly even being screened and making it into the box office top ten. A recent mainstream comedy made by Brits is a The Decoy Bride starring the much loved British actor David Tennant- and it's barely been screened and stands no chance of making its money at the box office. The critical reception to the movie has been mixed - but that's the case with plenty of American movies that makes tons of money.
Some of my favourite movies of all time have been British. I've always had a soft spot for Nuns on the Run, starring Robbie Coltrane and Eric Idle. I also loved Staggered, starring Martin Clunes. But these are old movies, now. It's not as if the British are cranking out five movies a year like this. I have no idea why that is. It can't be lack of talent, because Hollywood is crawling with successful British comedy writers, directors, producers and actors.
Stay tuned for part deux tomorrow...
UK Monday: Derek
Playing someone with learning difficulties is hard enough, but pulling that off in an old folks' home presents an even greater challenge. In his new comedy drama Derek, Ricky Gervais plays the touching character of Derek Snoakes, an intellectually disabled worker in a nursing home. Unlike his previous characters, Derek is unfailingly kind with "no irony" according to Gervais. His supporting actors of Karl Pilkington (caretaker Dougie) and Kerry Godliman (co-worker Hannah) are excellent. This is Pilkington's first stab at acting and he plays a convincing counterpoint to Gervais as the cynical guy who hates his life and job and expresses it through criticizing others, not least the old people he serves. But everyone else seems happy with their lot in life.
That is what is so different about this show as compared to previous Gervais creations - and why it is superior to the cringeworthy, ultimately depressing failure that was Life's Too Short. There is so much to like and love about these characters. It's not terribly funny, although there are a few laugh out loud moments, such as when Hannah headbutts a girl in the pub - a very out of character moment for her. It's mostly just touching, and the soundtrack, writing, acting and filming are meant to make the characters endearing rather than hilarious.
It is strange to have Gervais in the main role, however, and some may find that distracting. I didn't mind it so much - the writing went a long way in helping to overcome the "baggage" that he brings to the role. However, Sitcomgeek makes a good point that the character reminds him too much of Andy Milman from Extras. You can read his full "boringly technical" (his words) review on his blog.
Viewers in the UK can watch the pilot of Derek on 4OD, but others can watch clips here.