comedians

It took me several years to really appreciate Rodney Dangerfield. When I was young and knew everything, his act seemed so easy to me: just a bunch of one-liners and a few nervous tugs of his tie. Now that I'm older and a bit wiser, I realize it's not that his act was easy, it's that he made it look easy (and that ain't easy). Perhaps he's not as relevant to today's younger crows looking for comedy with a bit more cruelty and bite, but it's not as if Dangerfield's act was kind, but the unkindness was always turned toward himself, something lacking in today's comedians like David Cross (who I also like, but I've always been more fond of comedy based on self-deprecation).

(S04E08) Yeah, I know the title of the episode isn't really "Episode 408," but the real titles never pop up until a few days after the show airs, at least not on the sites I check. If any of you lovely readers knows where I can find the actual episode titles, let me know in the comments. I'll give you mad props.

As a fan of Reno 911 since the very beginning, it's difficult for me to say this: the show isn't as good as it used to be. Of course, when a show is improvised like Reno, there are always moments of genius, but there are just two many instances of the same jokes, or gags you see coming a mile away. The opening scene with the bomb inside the bus would have been funnier had it not been obvious from the beginning that the bus was going to explode.

I had heard rumblings here and there about a pilot for a sketch series from Mr. Show co-creator Bob Odenkirk called Next!, but the series was never picked up for a full season. According to Wikipedia, the show was created in 2002, and as you can tell from the clips below, it featured Odenkirk and some of his Mr. Show co-stars, including Jerry Minor (Lucky Louie) and Jay Johnston (The Sarah Silverman Program and Moral Orel).

The clips definitely have a Mr. Show-like vibe, especially the ad for a car dealership featuring Johnston as the inept brother of the owner (Odenkirk), and Minor singing a ballad to the American flag and its booty ("it's only Panama, baby").

Anyway, here's a small sample of what might have been (or what once was and then wasn't):

[via Dead Frog and CC Insider]

The lackluster response to FOX News' Half Hour News Hour and the continued popularity of The Daily Show and The Colbert Report have led many to conclude that liberals are funny, and conservatives are not.

I say that's a load of hogwash. It's not about being liberal, conservative, libertarian, or whatever else you happen to be. It's about being funny, or not being funny. To paraphrase something comic Doug Stanhope once told me during an interview: 'if you're good, and you're funny, you can find work.'

That's it. You want to be a stand up comic? Be funny. You want to make a funny TV show people will love? Then make a funny TV show people will love.

All that being said, here are three funny conservatives I admire, not because they're conservative, but because they make me laugh:

Quick, name me five Middle Eastern comedians. Heck, name me one. Maybe you can think of some, but I can't. Hopefully that'll change after I watch The Axis of Evil Comedy Tour.

The Axis of Evil Comedy Tour, is a concert film featuring four comedians of Middle Eastern descent, and will have its TV premiere tonight at 10:00 p.m. on Comedy Central.

Comedians featured in the special include Maz Jobrani (The Knights of Prosperity), Ahmed Ahmed, Aron Kader and Dean Obeidallah. If you want a taste of some of these comedians, check out webisdoes of The Watch List over on Comedy Central's Motherload site, which features clips from the sets of various Middle Eastern comedians, plus sketches.

The Axis of Evil Comedy Tour will also re-air on March 13 at 10:00 p.m., and on March 14 at midnight.

Actor and comedian Bill Bellamy will host the fifth season of Last Comic Standing when it returns to NBC this summer, but that's not the only change for the comedy showcase / reality series. In addition to holding auditions in Minneapolis, Los Angeles, New York City, San Antonio and Tempe, Arizona, the show will also be seeking out talent in Sydney, London and Montreal. Season two finalists Ant and Kathleen Madigan will serve as judges along with season three winner Alonzo Bodden. Auditions kick off this month in Los Angeles on February 26.

I stopped watching the series after the first couple seasons, and even then I didn't watch it religiously. Nevertheless, I'm always surprised how many comedians I've grown fond of have actually appeared on the show. None of them have actually won, but maybe that means I should watch and root for the underdog. In other words, if you end up on the show and I like you, you're probably not going to win.

One of the best bits of programming news to come down the pike recently was the return of Sit Down Comedy with David Steinberg, TV Land's hidden gem that features Canadian comedian, actor, writer and director David Steinberg chatting with big names in comedy from the perspective of someone who actually knows the business. The second season will debut on TV Land on February 21 with guest Jerry Seinfeld, but you can catch it online at TVLand.com on February 19. How cool is that? It's a whole bunch of cool, that's what it is.

If you've never seen the show, I encourage you to check it out. This isn't just comedians doing shtick or plugging their new TV show or movie. You actually learn a little something about the person and the comedic craft.

The new sketch comedy series, Tim and Eric Awesome Show Great Job!, from Tom Goes to the Mayor creators Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim kicks off February 11 at 11:45pm on Adult Swim. There are a bunch of promos for the series on YouTube, none of which really explain what the show is about, but if it the series is anything like Tim and Eric's previous work, it probably defies explanation anyway. Or, it's a brand new approach to comedy that is actually much smarter than it seems. Either way, I'll be checking it out.

Oh yeah, and if you want to experience the boys live, they're hitting the road later this month for the Tim and Eric Awesome Tour, with absolutely no stops in the Midwest, the rat bastards. Tour stops and ticket information are after the jump. If you get a chance to meet either Tim or Eric on this tour, tell them Adam sends his love from Minneapolis and then kick them in the shins for me. Thanks.

Messageboards can sometimes be a lot of fun to read, not because they're funny, but because reading them is like watching a retarded panda fighting --and subsequently making love to-- a refrigerator box. There's really no point to it, and you're embarrassed for watching, but you just can't tear yourself away from the spectacle.

This thread over on A Special Thing (a site and podcast I mentioned before) is an exception, because three actual comedians chat about their dinner plans. Well, mostly it's Todd Barry and Louis C.K., but Andy Kindler chimes in at one point, too. The contrast between professional comedians who actual are funny and forum users who aren't especially funny is kind of beautiful in its own way.

The thread contains some strong language.

[via CC Insider]

The video below is a short film starring Mary Lynn Rajskub and Karen Kilgariff called The Girls Guitar Club. The short was made before the two women appeared on the brilliant and hysterical Mr. Show in the late '90s, and obviously before Rajskub took on the role of Chloe on 24. Also look for appearances by comedian Nick Swardson and the "Naked Trucker" himself, Dave "Gruber" Allen.

Rajskub and Kilgariff play aspiring musicians who are more interested in practicing their songs than actually running their store. If you went to college or ever had to suffer through someone pouring their heart and soul out through an out-of-tune guitar and terrible poetry at the local coffee house, you'll appreciate this film. Actually, I'd like to see these two team up with T-Bones and the Naked Trucker. I'd totally go to that show.

[via CC Insider]

Burnim-Murray Productions and October Moon Television are attempting to sell a new comedy game show for syndication. The series, called Laugh Off, would give unknown comedians a chance to compete in different contests centered around stand-up, improv, charades and mime. If watching people you don't know perform mime is your idea of a good time, then keep your eyes on your local listings.

When I first heard about this, I thought of Comedy Central's short-lived game show Make Me Laugh that featured established comedians trying to make contestants laugh. That series only lasted one season, and earlier versions from 1958 and 1979 didn't fare much better, either.

Comedy Central's intermittently funny stand-up showcase Comedy Central Presents is returning January 12 for its eleventh season. The first episode, airing at 10pm, will feature comedian Marc Maron, a personally favorite of mine. This will be followed by Last Comic Standing winner John Heffron at 10:30pm, to whom I'm indifferent. Other comedians to be featured this season include Maria Bamford, Tom Papa, Nick DiPaolo, Chelsea Handler , Finesse Mitchell, Mitch Fatel and Howard Kremer. Yes, some of them have performed for the series before.

I like this show, though it's not on my Tivo's Season Pass since I have to carefully pick which episodes I want to record. Marc Maron and Maria Bamford will get Tivoed for sure, but Tom Papa and Finesse Mitchell I can do without. It's called choice, and that's what makes this country so awesome.