the comic's comic

Matt Kirshen explores the parameters of fast-food drive-thrus on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon

Matt Kirshen performed Friday on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, and he wondered aloud about the rules for an overnight drive-thru window at a fast-food restaurant, as well as how they're applied. After you watch this clip, you'll wonder, too. I know at the "24-hour" Burger King located just off of my subway stop, they have served people who walked up to the window overnight (not me, honest!), but was that a one-time thing? Things to think about...

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Matt Kirshen on Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson

In five minutes, comedian Matt Kirshen will make you rethink whether British people are more courteous than Americans, whether long airplane flights are a drag, and the effectiveness of eye patches. Life lessons! All presented on the Feb. 16 edition of Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.

You may remember Kirshen as a finalist from the 2007 season of Last Comic Standing. Do you remember? If so, good job!

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Montreal 2008: Best of the Fest. Really?

Most of the industry just got to Montreal, Just for Laughs still has four nights to go, but that's not stopping them from jump-starting and continuing to schedule a nightly showcase at Comedyworks as "Best of the Fest." How would they know? Was someone judging? These are rhetorical, moot questions, as this showcase isn't all that different from the continuing "Bubbling With Laughter" shows. Both feature professional stand-up comedians. Perhaps the Bubbling lineups have more veterans, perhaps the Best Of shows feature shorter 7-minute sets.

But perhaps James Smith put it best when he took to the stifling hot, sweaty, packed stage last night and looked around the room, exclaiming: "So this is where they hold the Best of the Fest!?" For the remainder of his set in the early show, Smith did what I've seen other comics do already -- namely, not tailor their sets for the Canadians in the audience, but toward the Hollywood and New York agents, managers and show-business types watching from the back of the club. Smith devoted his first set to the Democratic presidential campaign in America.

John Mulaney, likewise, had no problems beginning his routine with the description of an odd subway encounter he had...in Long Island City, Queens...following that up with his take on Law & Order (so ubiquitous on American TV screens, but do Canadians get to watch a gabillion episodes a day?), though it didn't matter since he sold the audience with his impressions of that show's stock supporting characters.

Host Ryan Stout opened the proceedings boldly, even saying at one point that he liked how the audience felt "laughter mixed with shame." It could also have been Stout's attempt to produce an American version of Jimmy Car, inadvertantly or not.

What else? Matt Kirshen had the audience wondering which of his British accents was supposed to be the "funny" one. Hannah Gadsby provoked many laughs through her explicit sexual truths. One audience member laughed often and loudly at just about every facial expression Sebastian Maniscalco made. And Erin Foley proved she could've held her own on this season's Last Comic Standing, even if her bit on a billboard advertising the wrongness of rape reminded me of having watched Ricky Gervais tell almost the same joke (not alleging any nefariousness, just pointing out the parallel thinking). Paul Foot, on the other hand, didn't quite impress with his rehashing about people who have "Baby On Board" signs on their automobiles. Maybe someone will challenge him on this week's LCS? Oh, what's that? Little birdy says yes.

Limited offer: Free tickets to Matt Kirshen!

Hey, readers! I've been on the road -- literally -- so I haven't been able to update much in the past day. To make it up to you while I get my bearings back, I'd like to offer you some free tickets to see Matt Kirshen next week at Ars Nova (list price: $20). Kirshen is a witty Brit who appeared last year as a finalist on NBC's Last Comic Standing. He'll bring his one-man show to the cozy Ars Nova venue on March 31 and April 2. Both shows start at 8 p.m.

The first 10 people to email Ars Nova at [email protected] can get free pairs of tickets. Just put "RSVP from The Comic's Comic" in the subject line and tell them which night you want to see Matt Kirshen, March 31 or April 2.

Here is a video from Kirshen's TV days oh so not long ago...

Matt Kirshen on hecklers

Matt Kirshen was in New York City last week (turns out he was supposed to tape Live At Gotham, but something happened with his paperwork?). Kirshen helped out fellow Last Comic Standing finalist Amy Schumer on a benefit show at Gotham, and also dropped in at Rififi on Friday night. Kirshen has strong joke-writing skills. He also made a point that's open for debate. Kirshen claimed British hecklers are worse than Americans because they actually planned to heckle from the get-go, with the specific intent to ruin their night. Do you agree? What's the most powerful ingredient in the making of a heckler: Alcohol? Stupidity? Need for attention? This would've been a great time to produce a poll widget.