the comic's comic

Todd Barry answers your questions

Have you seen The Wrestler yet? You should! In the meantime, enjoy this new interview with Todd Barry via New York magazine.

Dane Cook's brother accused of stealing millions from him

This is not a happy holiday or new year's story for Dane Cook, as Massachusetts State Police arrested his older brother, 43-year-old Darryl McCauley, yesterday on charges of stealing millions of dollars from the comedian while serving as his personal business manager. In at least one recent instance, McCauley allegedly forged and cashed a $3 million check in Cook's name. Cook apparently will attend his brother's arraignment today in Woburn District Court. More to come on this sad development. (Boston Globe)

Time Warner Cable threatens to go dark on Viacom

Just received a statement from Viacom that asserts that negotiations for a new licensing deal with Time Warner cable have broken down, with just more than 24 hours until 2009 and the possibility that cable subscribers in New York City, Los Angeles, Orange County (Calif.), Raleigh, N.C., and elsewhere around the country will not have Comedy Central -- or any of the other Viacom cable channels such as VH1, MTV, Nickelodeon and more than a dozen others. DEVELOPING...

UPDATED: This sort of wrangling between cable operators and networks happens from time to time, with contract differences resolved either at the last minute, or after a day of both sides calling each other's bluffs. Time Warner, for its part, is playing hardball, with a spokesman telling the Los Angeles Times tonight that Viacom's demands are out of line not only because of the nation's economic recession, but also because the TV conglomerate gives away much of its content online for free. And I quote: "They are not charging people more for that," Time Warner's Dudley said. "We will just tell our customers how to hook up their PCs to their television sets so they can watch it online for free." Woah.

UPDATED IN 2009: Comedy Central works on my TV, so it appears we have a resolution. As expected.

Here is the statement from Viacom:

This move by Time Warner Cable to force such channels as Nickelodeon, COMEDY CENTRAL and MTV off the air is another example of a cable company overreaching for profit at the expense of its viewers.

The renewal we are seeking is reasonable and modest relative to the profits TWC enjoys from our networks. We have asked for an increase of less than 25 cents per month, per subscriber, which adds up to less than a penny per day for all 19 of MTV Networks’ channels.

We make this request because TWC has so greatly undervalued our channels for so long. Americans spend more than 20% of their TV viewing time watching our networks, yet our fees amount to less than 2.5% of what Time Warner generates from their average customer.

Throughout the country, we have negotiated equitable license agreement renewals, or are in the final stages of renewals, with virtually every cable and satellite carrier. Nevertheless, Time Warner Cable has dismissed our efforts at a fair compromise and has effectively chosen to deny its customers some of the most popular TV shows on the air.

As a result, we are sorry to say that for Time Warner Cable customers our networks will go dark as of 12:01 on January 1st , denying Time Warner customers shows like Dora the Explorer, SpongeBob SquarePants, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, The Colbert Report, and The Hills.

Ultimately, however, if Nickelodeon, COMEDY CENTRAL, MTV and the rest of our programming is discontinued – over less than a penny per day - we believe viewers will see this behavior by their cable company as outrageous.   Time Warner Cable subscribers who are being handed a January 1st $3 monthly increase in Raleigh, Orange County, Los Angeles, and New York City are simultaneously facing the removal of beloved shows across 19 channels.

We find it a shame that Time Warner Cable remains unreasonable at this time. We hope its leadership will have a change of heart and will seek to negotiate a fair renewal agreement.

New Lonely Island music video, "We Like Sportz"

Wonder what an SNL Digital Short would look like if you had all of the essential elements except for Andy Samberg? Then you shall enjoy this new music video from The Lonely Island for "We Like Sportz," which features Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone (and relegates Samberg to a silent cameo). This is another song from their forthcoming Universal Republic record, "INCREDIBAD." Includes one or two words that are NSFW, but who is working this week, anyhow? Enjoy. (YouTube)

Slow news alert: Newspaper intern attempts stand-up

You know it's a slow news week when a newspaper lets an intern write about his first attempt at stand-up comedy. If you're in or around Wilmington, N.C., this may be of further interest for you. Nevertheless, it's always interesting to read how outsiders perceive comedy -- after all, without that, what would Shecky Magazine write about? Zing! Sorry, Male and Female Halves. I didn't mean to zing you like that (or did I? (btw, my favorite new-old catchphrase)), but it is a slow news week. And I'm ready for 2009, already.

Owen Benjamin to star in "Heckle-U" for CBS web series

Timed to the March Madness of the NCAA basketball tournament, CBS plans a new 10-episode scripted Web series called "Heckle-U" starring stand-up comedian Owen Benjamin and Tom Arnold. Benjamin plays a slacker kid who, with the help of his bartender uncle (Arnold), becomes a star heckler at college hoops games. So if you see a 30-second clip promoting this on your TV in the coming month or two, but cannot seem to find it on your TV, this is why. It debuts online in February. (THR)

A Gift (Arrow) for the holiday comedy season

Can we speak with candor? How about with Candor Entertainment, which has quietly launched a new online series of comedy and music videos in commercial partnership with GiftArrow.com on the site CandorTV.com. One of the features is a weekly web series called "More on America" that tackles the news with satire (the first segment I saw about the blind certainly wouldn't make a fan out of New York's governor, though it does give John Fugelsang something to talk about). The other feature is a series of shorter shorts built around, well, gifts. Which certainly is timely. So maybe you'll enjoy these two shorts about presents gone bad a bit more today.

Katt Williams stars in a low-budget straight-to-DVD written by Romeo and directed by Master P?

Katt Williams may be laying low this holiday season, both personally and professionally, which partially explains why reader/tipster Lady Di found he's starring in a movie virtually no one has heard about and, if not for the Internet, perhaps no one would. It's called Internet Dating, and it's headed straight to DVD on Dec. 30, which is odd enough, until you watch the trailer and find out that Romeo (formerly Lil Romeo) wrote the movie, papa Master P directed, and despite them having many millions of dollars at their disposal, didn't seem to spend more than a few of them on the project. Low budget? Checkity check. Reynaldo Rey also appears. Looks like an idea for an online viral video that actually caught a virus. If you shan't believe it until you see it, then watch this trailer and make a believer out of yourself:

An early Christmas Craigslist present

Methinks this posting for a writing gig most certainly qualifies as an early Christmas Craigslist present:

Seeking Successful and Happy Comedy Writer Who is Not Bitter and Angry - (Anywhere)

Can't you just feel the holiday cheer in that headline? Buyer beware: Clicking through only adds another layer of tidings of great joy. God bless us, everyone!

Rahm Emanuel: The Hope (for Jews)

For the next 24 hours, Christians will likely not find an excuse to laugh unless they're watching the TV marathon of A Christmas Story, while Jews will likely think about how Jesus is the funniest Jew of all. Is that how religion works? I don't know. I'm stuck in rainy, dreary traffic on a bus. All I know is that if you want some comedy tonight, then you'll be getting it from my chosen people (which makes me the comedy God? maybe in my sugar-plum dancing dreams...and why are the sugar-plums dancing again?). And my Jewish friends, on this night of Hanukkah, have their hopes placed in Rahm Emanuel, the incoming White House chief of staff for President-elect Barack Obama. Featuring Jon Benjamin and Anya Garrett. Enjoy:

Get the latest news satire and funny videos at 236.com.

Flashback: The 1978 Star Wars Holiday Special

It seems like it was a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, because it was 1978, and if you are of a certain age, the mere thought of a televised "Star Wars Holiday Special" exists as mere legend. Alas, such a TV program did air on the regular broadcast airwaves 30 years ago, and Vanity Fair's Frank DiGiacomo finally got down to the bottom of what happened to make this accidental comedy trainwreck happen, once and for all. If you can make it through even the first part of this mashup of comedy-variety show with sci-fi epic and want to keep watching, then God bless you. Suddenly it all makes sense, doesn't it? We'll base a two-hour song-and-dance show around Wookiees that don't talk, and then we'll get the folks who made a hit out of mimes to make sense out of it all...oh, nostalgia.

OK, fine. Here is part two if you want to keep watching.

Music video: Ben Lerman's "Material Santa"

Ben Lerman hosts a "non-denominational gay holiday romp" tonight at Comix in New York City, and what should my eyes upon YouTube appear, but a new Lerman music video reincorporating Madonna's "Material Girl," without any reindeer. On the plus side, we see Jessica Delfino, Glennis McMurray and Christy Davis lending a hand to "Materia Santa." It's kinda cute, so enjoy!

Funny or Die's $3 million Christmas present

Just after we had to say goodbye to Super Deluxe, fellow online purveyor of comedy videos Funny or Die announced it had raised $3 million from, as Reuters reported late Monday, "a single, undisclosed investor" (plus an additional $3 million for "in-kind contributions for marketing, publicity and promotional support for programing," according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission). Is this money part of HBO's 10 percent stake in the company, as Reuters suggests, or is this a situation reminiscent of political campaigns, in which the candidate taps into his or her own personal pocketbook to fund the operation (does Will Ferrell have $3 million to keep his side project going? or perhaps their partner Judd Apatow could spare a dime?). Either way, Happy Holidays, Funny or Die! And if you're in a giving mood, "single, undisclosed investor," The Comic's Comic gladly would accept even one percent of that investment as a charitable contribution that you can write off on your 2008 taxes. Just a thought.

A Christmas Aimee Mann Video Carol Thing

Aimee Mann not only befriends comedians, but she also tours with them, and stars in comedy videos with them. Behold, all ye triumphant souls, and God bless us, everyone, for this four-parter take on A Christmas Carol. "A Christmas Carol spoof? Really? Yes. That's what we're doing." (thanks for finding this, Videogum!). Featuring Aimee Mann, Michael Penn, John Krasinski, Michael Cera, Tim Heidecker, John C. Reilly, Grant Lee Phillips, and Paul F. Tompkins. Directed by Tim Heidecker. Ah, technology!

Furthermore:

Continue watching part two here.
Continue watching part three here.
Continue watching part four here.

Alan Colmes returns to stand-up roots?!

Comedy club holiday parties are always a little more surreal than your typical company party, and last night's celebration at the Comic Strip Live certainly was no exception. Weird enough that this moment likely might not even make the top five oddities of the evening: Alan Colmes, sans Sean Hannity, showed up and stood in the lobby conveniently (coincidentally, I firmly believe, maybe) with his 1980s headshot hanging on the wall behind him. I could not stay long enough to ask Colmes if, upon leaving FOX News and Hannity & Colmes, he plans on returning to the stand-up stage. I'm guessing he just enjoys a good ol' comedy club party as much as the rest of us. But who were the rest of us last night, exactly?

HBO picks up series featuring Zach Galifianakis

HBO has made some new pickups in TV for 2009 and beyond, and one of the new series will delight fans of Zach Galifianakis. The Hollywood Reporter reports that HBO has ordered eight episodes of Bored to Death, a series starring Jason Schwartzman as a struggling thirtysomething Brooklyn writer with a drinking problem (it's not based on me, no matter what you think!) who, wanting to be more like Raymond Chandler or Dashiell Hammett, takes out an ad pretending to be a private detective and starts taking on cases. Galifianakis co-stars in the pilot. Let us all hope that Zach enjoys this TV experience much more than Tru Calling (or even Dog Bites Man).

Jonathan Ames wrote and served as executive producer for the pilot, along with Sarah Condon, Dave Becky, Stephanie Davis and Troy Miller.

Attend live filming of "Funny People" stand-up comedy

Would you like to see part of Judd Apatow's upcoming film, Funny People, as it's being filmed, and also enjoy some stand-up comedy and support a good cause in doing so? If you said yes to this, and you also happen to be in Los Angeles on Jan. 13, 2009, then you are in luck. Apatow will host a special stand-up concert that night at The Orpheum Theatre in L.A., with some of the actors (Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, Aziz Ansari) performing stand-up as their film characters, other comedians such as Patton Oswalt appearing as themselves, plus other surprise special guests.

The Universal Pictures film, coming to cinemas on July 31, 2009, also features Leslie Mann, Eric Bana, Jason Schwartzman, RZA and Aubrey Plaza.

Tickets for "A Night of Funny People" go on sale at noon Pacific today (3 p.m. Eastern) through Ticketmaster. Proceeds will benefit the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and 826LA, a non-profit supporting students 6-18 with their writing skills.

236.com, "Forgotten Heroes of Airport Bathroom Sex"

And here comes another surviving new player on the online comedy video front, The Huffington Post's financed humor arm, 236.com, with a new video looking back on the lewd conduct arrest of U.S. Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho), who, you may not recall, never did resign his office after getting caught trying to hook up with another guy in an airport bathroom in Minnesota. Nope. Craig is still in the Senate. So here's a reason to toast the forgotten heroes of anonymous airport bathroom sex, with featured starring roles by Jon Benjamin, Tom Shillue, Todd Barry and Aimee Mann. Surprisingly almost safe for work!

Stella's "Birthday" on My Damn Channel

So, having just witnessed the end of Super Deluxe, we move on to the survivors in the online comedy video business, and it should come as no to surprise to anyone who has watched Wainy Days on My Damn Channel that David Wain has brought his Stella mates, Michael Ian Black and Michael Showalter, into the fold. Here is their new original short, Birthday, that debuted this week:

STELLA - Birthday
Uploaded by MyDamnChannel

R.I.P. Super Deluxe

If you click on Super Deluxe today, you'll notice that the site and most of its videos are now gone, dead and buried, save for five franchises that get forwarded along to a page within the Turner Broadcasting's Adult Swim universe. We knew this was coming for months, certainly, but it's still a hard fact to acknowledge not only for the many comedians who got paid to produce original online videos, but also for anyone who wonders about the future success of online comedy sites. Funny or Die continues to exist based upon the largess of its celebrity owners and cameos, as well as its partnership with HBO, while CollegeHumor can rest slightly easier knowing it'll have its own MTV show in 2009. But Super Deluxe, which only came into existence nearly two years ago, arrived with such promise that its failure (did it really fail, though? discuss) is troubling for anyone hoping to shine a light on deserving up-and-coming comedic talent. Unless those talents appeal specfically to teen boys, in which case, they shall carry on with Adult Swim. Where does that leave us grown-ups?