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Comedy
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q&a
in memoriam
George Carlin's Last Interview
Nine days before comedian George Carlin's death, he gave a wide-ranging, two-hour interview to Jay Dixit of Psychology Today. It was originally intended as a 350-word Q&A for the back page of the magazine but today, in the aftermath of Carlin's passing, was published online at much greater length. In the interview, Carlin talks about how he collects and sifts through potential material, the advantages of being an older comedian, how hallucinogenic drugs enhanced his work and life, his extensive use of computers and whether his act is "angry." But most interesting, perhaps, are the parts of the conversation where the rough-and-tumble performer opens up about how his career is tied to his relationship with his Mom, who raised Carlin and his brother alone amid the Great Depression: More »
funny
Family Guy's Top Ten Newscasts
The folks at Adult Swim have compiled another one of their handy little collections. This time, it's the news, as it exists in the twisted cartoon universe of Family Guy. Of course, they won't let me embed them, so you can watch them here. Meanwhile, perfect excuse to post a Family Guy clip of my own! After the jump. More »
marketing
Hooters To Sponsor Star Horse 'Big Brown'; Comedians Celebrate
Tit-and-chicken-wing purveyor Hooters has signed on as the exclusive sponsor of Big Brown, the star racehorse that has already won two legs of the Triple Crown, and will try to complete the feat this weekend at the Belmont Stakes. UPS, the brown-themed shipping company that was was originally the sole sponsor of the horse, inexplicably allowed Hooters to slide in just before Big Brown is set to achieve the pinnacle of its publicity. In addition to being a bad PR decision, UPS' move has now subjected us all to the prospect of Jay Leno (and, less painfully, Tracy Morgan) chuckling about Hooters' upcoming "Big Brown Day": More »
advertising
We Interrupt Family Guy To Bring You This Annoying Message
Ads! Everything is ads! They're creeping into the borders of the shows we actually like now. Check out what TBS is doing: allowing Bill Engvall (a comedian who is not funny, plugging a show that is not funny) to stride in from the bottom of the screen and pause Family Guy (a show that is funny). Stop that! Click to watch the madness. But do not watch the Bill Engvall Show. [via Kottke]
clip
Harvey Korman Tribute!
So I was gonna do a "Best of Harvey Korman" clip thread to close out that day yesterday, but Gawker Media went all fooey just when I was all ready to get it started. So here it is now. Below is an example of my favorite kind of Harvey Korman moment—namely, him losing his shit. What's yours? More »
clip
Ricky Gervais and John Hodgeman Explore Superpowers, Breasticles
Would you rather be able to fly or be invisible? The Office and Extras creator Ricky Gervais explains the pitfalls of flight to The Daily Show's John Hodgman. Also? Penis nipples and breast testicles. More »
New Classic
One More Thing: Adult Swim's Greatest Moments
What's your favorite Adult Swim cartoon? Lately, I'm favoring Shin Chan over the rest, but they're still all pretty great. After the jump, 35 classic "Shinisms." If you're actually still at your computer on this glorious summer Sunday, go ahead and post some Adult Swim goodness of your own. More »
rip
Dick Martin, TV Genius
"Dick Martin, a veteran nightclub comic who with his partner, Dan Rowan, turned a midseason replacement slot at NBC in 1968 into a hit that redefined what could be done on television, died Saturday night of respiratory complications at a hospital in Santa Monica, Calif., according to The Associated Press. He was 86. Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In, the hyperactive, joke-packed show that Mr. Martin and Mr. Rowan rode to fame, made conventional television variety programs seem instantly passé and the sitcom brand of humor seem too meek for the times." [NYT] A clip from the classic show after the jump. More »
meltdowns
More Sue Simmons Cursing Via Letterman
Sue Simmons is the WNBC personality who famously swore at her co-anchor during a live promo last week, scandalizing New York viewers of NBC drama Medium and prompting sympathy from network colleagues on the Today show, who said anyone could slip up like that. But CBS' Late Show host David Letterman isn't about to let the scandal drop; he's milked the incident for all it's worth, airing a new clip of Simmons swearing every night this week. It looks like Letterman plans to make his "Local News Highlight Of The Night" feature a going concern, but making Simmons the butt of his joke every night would get pretty repetitive, wouldn't it? Yes, and actually, knowing Letterman, he can keep up this sort of drumbeat for weeks. After the jump, the four WNBC segments the Late Show has run thus far. More »
comedy
Are These The 25 Funniest People in America?
EW.com lists their picks for the 25 funniest people in America today. They make some great choices (Kristen Wiig, Amy and David Sedaris) and some not so good ones (Diablo Cody and Augusten Burroughs? Really?) Some of the ordering is off, too. Diablo is funnier than Dave Chappelle? Amy Poehler and Will Arnett in Blades of Glory are funnier than Conan? I think not! We're glad that David Cross made it on, but what about the whole Arrested Development team? Sure the show has been off the air for a couple of years, but they're just as "current" as No. 6 pick Chris Rock, aren't they? Take a look at their list and tell us who they missed. One of our picks is after the jump. More »
comedy
'Red Eye': Just the Gay Jokes
This is what we meant the other day when we said we just didn't find Greg Gutfeld funny. Gawker video superfriends Richard Blakeley and Morgan Miller combed through a week's worth of episodes of Gutfeld's 3 a.m. laff riot Red Eye and edited it down to only the gay jokes. There are many. Many, many jokes about how funny it would be if Greg, who enjoys sleeping with women, were a homosexual. See? You are laughing already. Boys talking about kissing boys! Comedy gold! Sigh.
clips
Japan's Version of The Office
Last night's Saturday Night Live featured an hysterical sketch in which The Office creator Ricky Gervais explains the hit sitcom's Japanese origins. Ricky Gervais and Steve Carell all in one clip? Yes! Enjoy it after the jump. More »
nostalgia
One More Thing
Once upon a time, a wacky new talk show called Late Night With David Letterman premiered on NBC. And on that very first episode in 1982 was an up-and-coming comic actor by the name of Bill Murray. More »
saturday night live
John McCain Needs to Stop Being Funny
Old Man John McCain will appear on Saturday Night Live this weekend. Just a cameo, of course. Though he hosted in 2002, back when was still a maverick beloved by liberals and elite coastal types. Details of the sketch he'll appear in are scarce, though it will probably be toothless and unfunny, as all SNL political material tends to be. McCain might be funny, though! Presumably less wooden than Obama and Clinton were in their toothless, unfunny cameos. McCain's a natural comic (have you heard the one about how Chelsea Clinton is ugly?). Which, as we all know, is utterly unpresidential. More »
journalismism
AP Baffled When Jimmy Fallon Tells "Joke"
The Observer covered NBC's press conference anointing never-funny (but cute!) former SNLer Jimmy Fallon the new king of late-late night. They included this anecdote: "Mr. Fallon claimed his kindergarten yearbook featured his photo above the caption 'Most Likely to Take Over David Letterman.' (Someone in the crowd, possibly auditioning to be Mr. Fallon's sidekick, let out an audible 'Wow' at this point.) When asked what kindergarten had yearbooks, much less ones with references to David Letterman, Mr. Fallon joked, 'It's a magical kindergarten. It's taught by a unicorn, a talking unicorn.'" See? He's doing some of that funny joking-around stuff the late-night comics do. But no one told the Associated Press, as you can see in the attached story. [NYO, AP]
Hey Now!
One More Thing
Hallmark invented a holiday, which means I have to take off early today (But I will be drunkenly seeking refuge here from my Mom's computer room after a few minutes of family time) so I leave you with something I dearly love. From The Larry Sanders Show: "The Egging." More »
New Classic
