Calling all romantics. It's Valentine's Day today, and some comedians are ready to help and serve you with advice both real and really funny.
Marc Maron wrote an essay for the New York Post about how all men can learn from his past mistakes. Stick with chocolate and flowers, please. "Another thing, you might be tempted to get something cute and creative, like a cool rock, a daisy, an ironic vinyl record and a card you made out of a diner menu and used Metrocards. This is only okay if you are 14 to 25 (or emotionally that old)."
Rob Delaney has a few choice words for Funny or Die about the day, and his dream date: Jennifer Hudson.
If you wrote in to The A.V. Club looking for advice today, then Julie Klausner has some for you.
The Axis of Awesome knows that even down under, it's still Valentine's Day, and what better time to teach you how to write a love song:
When you think of romantic men, the first two names to pop up were Moshe Kasher and Brent Weinbach. Obvs. This short film on dating etiquette has a 25% funny rating! Which means three out of every four people have no idea what's going on here.
What do Ted Leo and the Pharmacists need to do to get their music noticed by the people? In the official music video for their song, "Bottled in Cork," Paul F. Tompkins plays Reginald Van Voorst, who thinks what the band needs to do is to turn their album into a Broadway musical. To help them, they'll get tips from Julie Klausner, and need a good review from the theater critic, played by John Hodgman. What, was this music video written by Tom Scharpling? Why, yes. Yes it was.
Roll the video!
Yes, it's a spoof of The Dog Whisperer. Yes, that's the same Julie Klausner who wrote a funny and revealing memoir that Gary Sanchez Productions is hoping to turn into an HBO series starring Lizzy Caplan. Yes, that's the James Urbaniak who voices Dr. Venture on The Venture Bros. And yes, this is a NSFW sketch called The Cat Whisperer.
Roll the clip already! The secret is secrets.
News broke over the weekend that Julie Klausner's memoir, I Don't Care About Your Band, may become a HBO series, starring Lizzy Caplan as Klausner.
OK. Several things. Did you see that picture Deadline used of Caplan (see above)? Have you seen Lizzy Caplan at all? Would you like to see her star in her own series dating a bunch of losers? Would you like to see her starring in her own series? Of course you would. We all would. Julie Klausner certainly would, because I asked Klausner how she felt about Caplan re-enacting her real-life on the small screen, and this is what she told me:
Soooooo crazy thrilled. Ecstatic, delighted, um..where's my thesaurus? Basically, everything besides "over the moon," because only assholes say "over the moon" about stuff. Lizzy Caplan is so awesome. She's that kind of rare funny, smart, sexy girl that both women and men love, and she totally gets the book. Also, she's insanely hot. So there are benefits to that as well, though I often wonder how a filmed adaptation starring the late, great Anne Ramsey (of "Throw Momma From The Train" fame) would have handled the role.
Also, so interesting to see that this is coming to HBO via Gary Sanchez Productions, through UCB player Owen Burke, and that he, Jessica Elbaum, Will Ferrell, Adam McKay and Chris Henchy would all have a hand in bringing the book to the TV. Burke was tight-lipped when I spoke to him during the Del Close Marathon. I suppose that's because a development deal isn't always a done deal. But HBO should make this work, shouldn't they? They should. They really should.
While you were wondering if Sarah Silverman and Demetri Martin would get renewed, Comedy Central announced today it had ordered seven additional episodes of its new animated series Ugly Americans. The cable network have the series a huge promotional push, and it has been rewarded with an average of two million viewers for its first month of episodes on Wednesday nights following South Park.
The series follows Mark Lilly (voiced by Matt Oberg) through a New York City populated by all sorts of creatures who need to be integrated into the melting pot of America. The main voice cast includes Kurt Metzger, Natasha Leggero, Randy Pearlstein, Michael-Leon Wooley, Larry Murphy, Devin Clark, Pete Holmes and Julie Klausner. Several cast members from SNL also have lent their voices to episodes in the debut season.
The second batch of episodes will air in October. Here's a timely clip with a timelier Larry King joke. Roll it.
Such a beautiful day here in New York City. Snow fell overnight. Everything looks pretty. Maybe you'd like to pay us a visit? If you do, you'll need tips. The 92YTribeca assembled a bunch of comedians to offer their best advice already, and now they've done it again.
Remember to carry your walkie-talkies when you visit the Eiffel Tower on 34th Street.
Featuring: Paul Scheer, Eliza Skinner, Todd Barry, Fred Armisen, Julie Klausner, Jenny Slate & Gabe Liedman, Rob Huebel, Janeane Garofalo. Thanks, 92YTribeca!
Hey, look at this new thing from the folks at 92YTribeca. If you enjoyed their parody of the New York Times ads for the Weekender edition, then perhaps you may also enjoy this thing, in which the locals tell you how to best enjoy your visit to this city. Featuring Janeane Garofalo, David Cross, Kumail Nanjiani, the Sklar Brothers, Dave Hill, Brett Gelman, Paul Dinello, Julie Klausner and Nick Kroll. Roll it!
Sierra Mist has made a name for itself as a comedy supporter for the past few years, both in casting stand-up and sketch talents in its TV commercials, and also sponsoring comedy festivals and contests around the nation. Now they've backed a few comedic talents for a series of videos called "Funny Breaks" on the YouTube. Here's MC Mr. Napkins, aka Zach Sherwin, who showcases his way with words in this video for "Spelling Bee."
Chris "Shockwave" Sullivan offered "Free Beats" to people in NYC's Union Square Park. You may recognize some of his Freestyle Love Supreme cohorts, Reggie Watts, Soce and others.
More? Yes, more! After the jump...
Julie Klausner and Michael Kupperman produced three shorty shorts on video for Super Deluxe, and right about now, you're thinking, oh, I probably never saw them because I've stopped clicking to Super Deluxe, and even when I did, I probably missed it because it never showed up on the home page. Well, sorta kinda. All three episodes of "What's What" dropped online a couple of weeks ago. My pick of the three is "Fear," because, well, Teddy Roosevelt? Math? Although Klausner does show off her, um, holes in "Holes," and the third episode is all about "Garbage" and how one person's trash is another person's treasure. Anyhow. You can watch. See!
The second live episode of Wasp Cove, the soap opera musical set in the 1980s, debuts tonight at Comix (as they say) before a live studio audience. It's the creation of Julie Klausner and Rachel Shukert, and if last month's premiere episode was any indication, it's a footloose and fanciful production that delights in skewering not only the conventions of soap opera but also TV commercials and, as they joked last month, "Ed Koch-era New York." It's ostensibly about estranged sisters Daryl Van Hampton (Klausner), a big-time fashionista who'd scare Anna Wintour, and Donna Kettering (Shukert), a Connecticut wife dealing with the demons and scandals of yuppie life. It all moves very quickly. Perhaps too quickly. But then again, this is a full soap opera they're pulling off. Wasp Cove also has a Tumblr. If you miss tonight's action, you'll have to wait until July 28 for the next installment.
Previously: The opening credits.
Adult Swim debuts the oddest, yet most delightful new piece of television history tonight as Gemberling becomes Fat Guy Stuck In Internet. First impression? Like a 21st century multimedia version of the camp classic movie of Flash Gordon. In another word: Awesome. Lots of UCB talent represented. The premiere episode, Threshold, airs twice after midnight. But it's already available for your viewing pleasure here. Enjoy!
Oh, here's an introduction, pre-stuck...
Soap opera comedies are all the rage in 2008, aren't they? We saw the first season of "Horrible People" earlier this year online at My Damn Channel. But how about a live production? That's where the cast of "Wasp Cove" enters the picture. They'll put on a show for you about estranged sisters in Connecticut, thanks to creators Julie Klausner and Rachel Shukert. The cast also includes David Rakoff, Chris Caniglia, Megan Stern, Ryan Karels and Jodi Lennon. First show is May 19 at Comix. Future episodes at the club on June 16 and July 28. Here's the opening credit montage to get you interested...just follow the crosses?
Today is the final day for open voting for the ECNY Awards, which used to stand for Emerging Comics of New York, but now just is ECNY to honor other kinds of comedians, sort of how KFC decided it was much more than merely Kentucky Fried. The awards ceremony is Jan. 28 at Comix. And the show promises to be a hoot. Jon Friedman hosts. Look for live performances and pre-taped magic, and for a sneak peek, I caught up with ECNY's producers as they got some of the nominees on camera. So I got them getting them on camera. Here's a fun snippet with The Apple Sisters...
Who will be getting your votes? Perhaps more importantly, who'll get my votes? I'm on the "Industry Committee," which means not only do I get until Jan. 20 to place my votes, but also that the Industry Committee's votes count for half of the total -- perhaps they got that concept from Dancing With The Stars, in which the judges get 50% of the say, the audience the other 50% through call-in votes. Since I still have some time before I fill out my ballot, perhaps you can help make the case for your favorites or get me to take a second look at someone I may have overlooked.
As it stands, my thoughts are...
Recent Comments