the comic's comic

Comedy Central's Last Laugh '07

The ongoing Writers Guild strike has lessened our options for topical humor on the TV, but it hasn't stopped Comedy Central and VH1 from mounting their year-end specials. Comedy Central emerged first with last night's debut of Last Laugh '07. It reairs several times this week.

Lewis Black, Dave Attell and D.L. Hughley took on the task, opening with a cartoon bit in which the "Last Laugh Squad" launched an expedition up inside President George W. Bush's ass, wherein they found not only his brain but also secrets. Then Black took the stage, calling 2007 a drug. "We don't even have the time to cover what George Bush did this year," Black said.

As for the actual stand-up?

Attell brought up dogfighting, Al Gore. When someone booed the mention of Gore, Attell replied: "What, do you have some polar bear jacket business you're trying to protect?" A bit about the hot and hairy Kardashians allowed him to weave in his own thoughts on sex and then porn -- you can see and hear all of this uncensored on Attell's HBO special, Captain Miserable, which debuts on Saturday.

Hughley looked casual while ripping into Michael Vick, OJ Simpson, the Chinese toy scandal, the debate over comedians using the word "nigger," Isiah Thomas, the thought of a black president, teachers having sex with students, and kids. Here are highlights...

Then Black was back, and noted how 2007 was the first year we seemed to all agree on global warming, even Bush. "As a result...I'm not sure anymore," Black said. He really got enraged talking about Scooter Libby and his pardon, suggesting that we all get a Get Out Of Jail Free card. Alberto Gonzales, Larry Craig. His idea for a fictional president in 2008 to win the war on terror. Here are highlights from him...

"This year really tested me," Black said as the show went to commercial.

What's left for VH1 to offer with its Best Year Ever on Dec. 14? My best guess (OK, not my best guess, because for the most part, VH1's already taped much of its material) is that VH1 will go lighter and snarkier, particularly with the subject matter. Whereas Lewis Black went darkly political as is his wont and DL Hughley and Dave Attell chose social commentary, the VH1 comedians will skew a bit heavier on the Britney Spears and the sillier scandals and pop-culture moments of the year.

A comedian for president?

The premise behind the movie, Man of the Year, which suggests that a late-night TV host could become president. Sort of. Anyhow. Here are some additional thoughts from comedians on the subject.

From Lewis Black, who plays the joke-writer/speechwriter for Robin Williams in the movie. When is the right time for a comedian to run for president? "Yeah, when Christ returns and there is total peace on Earth, then you might want to have someone who just tells jokes. Then, but only then." Black said he had some input on the script, sitting around with writer/director Barry Levinson and co-stars Williams, Christopher Walken and Laura Linney to talk out the plot and figure out speeches and jokes. But what if people wanted you to run? "My official stance is I would never run, because I would only use it to get laid on a regular basis." He said the trappings of the office offer too many diversions, from a bowling alley in the White House to a boat to anything else he probably could think to ask for. "And it wouldn't be for good!" Most presidents wake up early, but he wouldn't. "I would be asleep by five in the morning." No, but seriously. "I did some political stuff for a while. It just made, it wasn't, the people who do it made me crazy." Of course, Black's act often revolves around people and things that drive him nuts. It wasn't always that way. "There was a time when 20 percent of my act was politics," he recalled. "I like talking about the weather." On Conan the other night, Black tried out a new bit about neuticles, which are implants for neutered pets. Yes. Exactly. "You saw that? That's my new breakthrough piece!" But back to politicians. "These guys are just taking up so much of my time," he said. "I go yeah, OK, I can get off on this, but then they keep giving me more!" As he noted in this summer's HBO special, Lewis Black: Red, White and Screwed, it's almost too much to handle at this point. That might be why it's so timely to talk about a comedian saying what needs to be said to the politicians. "I think it's a fun thing to throw out there. It's the right place, right time."

From Jimmy Tingle, who runs Jimmy Tingle's Off Broadway Theatre in Somerville: He said that some entertainers look for something more fulfilling to do after 25-30 years of performing. But he added, "That's a very rare person who wants to completely go into the day-to-day tediousness and give-and-take of day-to-day politics. Because it's much bigger than making a speech." He understands why people would create Stewart/Colbert T-shirts, because Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert can cut through the rhetoric with satire. "Jokes are basically soundbites," Tingle said. "That's why Stewart and Colbert are so successful. Not ony are they funny, but they also have artistic and creative freedom to say whatever the heck they want. That's something politicians don't have." And that's not even something Tingle had when he delivered commentaries years ago on CBS' 60 Minutes II. "They wanted commentary about everyday life. They didn't want to do politics. They didn't want to do issues. They wanted bottled water, parking tickets, things people can relate to."

From Doug Stanhope, who grew up in Worcester and has a Stanhope for President MySpace page seeking the Libertarian Party nomination. When Stanhope performed at the Abbey Lounge last month as part of the Boston Comedy Festival, he told fans after his show that in truly libertarian fashion, he doesn't want to be in charge. "I don't want to be president," he said then. "There shouldn't be any president."

Lewis Black in the wake of Katrina

Lewis Black, flustered? What else is new? But when Black phoned me from Atlanta, merely two days after Hurricane Katrina had flooded and ravaged New Orleans and southern Mississippi, he had plenty of new rants to direct toward the president.

"My favorite is this: He flew over it and said there's a long recovery. What a, what a -- brilliant!" Black told me. "He cut his vacation short. I'm surprised he even got up to look! But he had to -- it was right next door. It's chaos down there. There's bodies floating. What do you expect people to do? That's not normal. This is the kind of happy snappy stuff I'll be doing onstage."

Fans of Black know that happy and snappy aren't quite his forte. The 57-year-old has risen to national prominence through his Comedy Central appearances, foremost among them his "Back in Black" segments for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Black rants. A tragedy such as Katrina only fuels the fire that makes up his mad-as-hell, ain't-gonna-take-it-anymore persona onstage. Cities such as New York, where he lives, and Boston tend to take to his attitude with a more welcoming attitude of their own. "There's a bottom line of bitter in Boston comedy. I consider Boston the spiritual home of my comedy career," he said.