the comic's comic

Stephen Colbert's Sports Illustrated cover and photo spread caps an extra-special week of Colbert!

Just when you thought Stephen Colbert had had a pretty good year as a parody of a TV news blowhard, he has to go and up the ante, and then up the ante again!

If you haven't yet watched Colbert rap his own suburban lyrics with Alicia Keys on a duet of her New York City anthem for the 21st century, "Empire State of Mind," then you must watch it right now. You think it might be a contrivance? You think wrong. It's quite wonderful, actually.

That followed a weekend in which Colbert went home -- or at least back to his comedy roots at Second City -- to be the star attraction among dozens of stars for Second City's 50th anniversary. There's a video of Colbert and Steve Carell reuniting for an old Second City sketch in this NYT review.

Meanwhile, Colbert has managed to not only singlehandly adopt the U.S. Olympic speedskating team with his fans at Colbert Nation donating $250,000 to the team's cause, but the comedian also has taken over this week's issue of Sports Illustrated. That's right. SPORTS Illustrated. Simply remarkable. You've seen the cover?

Online, SI.com has a slew of outtakes. Check them all out. This one, photographed by Michael O'Neill for SI, is perhaps my favorite. Look out for his right. It's a sharp hook! Or is that an uppercut? Either way, yikes!

 

Inside Second City's 50th anniversary celebration

Good to see Chicago's mainstream and new media all take ample note of Second City's 50th anniversary celebration this weekend. I couldn't make it out there, but still feel like I could bear witness to some of the fun through all of the coverage. Chicago's two major daily newspapers, the Tribune and the Sun-Times, both covered it. Here's the Sun-Times report on the reunion shows. The Trib had a whole section of stories on Second City's 50th that kicked off last Sunday. Time Out Chicago has a large gallery of Second City snapshots, interviews and reviews, too. And The A.V. Club's Chicago bureau weighed in with some more Second City interviews. Dig in!

If you'd prefer your recaps by video, here's one Second City reunion sketch featuring Bonnie Hunt and Richard Kind, among others:

And here is the AP's overview, which opens on an old Second City sketch starring Tina Fey and Rachel Dratch that would end up becoming a recurring SNL bit on "wicked" Bostonians:

Last night's showcases also included an onstage reunion of Steve Carell and Stephen Colbert, plus Rachel Dratch, Bonnie Hunt, Jack McBrayer, Paul Dinello, Jeff Garlin and more (read the Trib's blog post or Time Out Chicago's lengthier recap). That followed Saturday morning's panel with "The Colbert Report," most all of whom were groomed for greatness at Second City.

Oh, also, thanks to intrepid legendary Chicago movie critic Roger Ebert for reminding me that NPR also talked to Second City about Second City this weekend. Here's the Morning Edition report on Second City's 50th:

Grammy Awards nominate George Lopez's comedy album before it is released?!

People have made a big to-do in recent days about how and why the Grammy rules could not allow Lady Gaga to get a nomination for Best New Artist because she already had received recognition by the academy in a different field before this year. But the Grammys were more than willing, it seems, to bend the rules for George Lopez. His new stand-up comedy CD, Tall, Dark & Chicano, hasn't even come out yet. It'll be released Dec. 15, 2009, on Comedy Central Records. That's what it says on the press release Comedy Central sent out, as well as, well, everywhere. You cannot get it on Amazon.com yet.

Of course, the recording is based off of a live performance for HBO from earlier in the year. But still. That doesn't mean Lopez's "comedy album" came out between Oct. 1, 2008 and Aug. 31, 2009 -- the official "Eligibilty Year" for the 52nd annual Grammys. Hmmm. Maybe they watched the HBO special and thought, that'll make a great album: Let's nominate it ahead of time?! The future is now, people.

UPDATED: Seeing that the Grammys also called upon Lopez to introduce the nominees for Song of the Year -- and make a Tiger Woods joke in the process -- perhaps there's even more to this than meets the eye? Here's a clip from last night's telecast on CBS:

UPDATED UPDATED: Sources tell me that Comedy Central, in fact, released a vinyl edition of George Lopez's special shortly after it debuted on HBO in August. Which would qualify. Barely. Vinyl???

With that, here are the official 52nd annual Grammy Awards nominations for Best Comedy Album:

Best Comedy Album 
(For comedy recordings, spoken or musical)

• Back From The Dead
  Spinal Tap
  [The Label Industry/Artist2Market Distribution] 
• A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift Of All!
  Stephen Colbert
  [Comedy Central Records] 
• Internet Leaks
  "Weird Al" Yankovic
  [Volcano] 
• My Weakness Is Strong
  Patton Oswalt
  [Degenerate/Warner Bros.] 
• Suckin’ It For The Holidays
  Kathy Griffin
  [Music With A Twist] 
• Tall, Dark & Chicano
  George Lopez
  [Comedy Central Records] 

In other Grammy nomination news that involves comedians, The Lonely Island's "I'm On a Boat" originally seen and heard on Saturday Night Live as an SNL Digital Short with T-Pain, is up for best rap/sung collaboration. Steve Martin's "The Crow" is up for best Bluegrass album. Jonathan Winters is up for best spoken word album for "Jonathan Winters: A Very Special Time." And Jamie Foxx's "Blame It (On the Alcohol)" with T-Pain is up for best R&B duo or group with vocals, as well as best R&B song, and Foxx is up for best R&B album. You can see the full list of Grammy nominations here.

Army Sgt. Benari Poulten: Stephen Colbert's comedy liasion in Iraq

Sometimes you find your life as a stand-up and sketch comedian in New York City interrupted when your other life as a soldier in the U.S. Army orders you to report for duty, and you find yourself sent to Baghdad, Iraq for the better part of a year. Puts a crimp in the comedy. Until Stephen Colbert shows up to tape a week's worth of shows with and for the troops.

"Five years in New York and I had to go all the way to Iraq to make it into Colbert's writers' room." -- Sgt. First Class Benari Poulten

As he wrote when he added this photo of himself with Colbert on his Facebook page on Monday: Mission Accomplished. We've already introduced you to Sgt. First Class Benari Poulten, who has been serving in Iraq with the Army's communications office. Which put him in a perfect spot for connecting with Comedy Central's crew from The Colbert Report. Poulten wrote to me this afternoon:

"I got to hang out with him and his writers and staff in the production/writers' room for a day and half. And see the rehearsals and the first two tapings. Awesome guy. And the writers were all cool - I was afraid that once we established the whole New York comedy scene connection, they'd be like, 'Aw, no, get this dude outta here!' But they were amazingly cool and friendly and we talked about all the folks we knew in common and comedy and New York...good times. I even got to act as a kind of impromptu military advisor - AND I got to throw in a few suggestions. Not bad for war. 5 years in New York and I had to go all the way to Iraq to make it into Colbert's writers' room.

"The troops loved the show - it was huge. Colbert was very respectful and genuinely supportive of the troops, but he didn't water anything down. He even managed to pull in huge laughs on a very political 'Formidable Opponent' piece about Don't Ask, Don't Tell. Most impressive."

Here's that Colbert segment from last night's program:

Kumail Nanjiani as Stephen Colbert's secret prisoner

Last night's edition of The Colbert Report opened with stand-up comedian Kumail Nanjiani hiding under Stephen Colbert's desk as Colbert's secret Gitmo-style prisoner, Omar. Or is it Homer? That must have been weird, since he'd have to have been in there even before the audience arrived -- unless they snuck him in during a distraction. Or maybe it was magic! If you missed it, or if you just want to see it again, here is the clip:

The Colbert ReportMon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

Stephen's Secret Prison

Colbert at Christmas
Colbert Christmas DVD

Green Screen
Bill O'Reilly Interview

For those of you who don't already know and love Kumail, he was born in Pakistan, came to the United States to go to college...in Iowa. He then got involved in the Chicago comedy scene, and now lives in Brooklyn. He is quite funny. Much of his life story showed up in his one-man show, Unpronounceable.

After the jump, a clip of Kumail's stand-up.

51st Annual Grammy Award nominations (comedy)

For the 51st annual Grammy Awards, the Recording Academy went with a live, primetime announcement/mini-concert. But you want to know who got nominated, don't you? While putting American Idol's star judge Simon Cowell up for Record of the Year (he produced "Bleeding Love" for Leona Lewis along with Clive Davis and Ryan "Alias" Tedder) certainly contains some comedic value because you wonder if he'll show up in a tight black V-neck or a tight black tuxedo, we do have some other actual comedy honors to share with you as well. Although there are some truly outrageous and ridiculous nominations among the dozens of categories, too (but that's for me to analyze in another forum).

Best Comedy Album nominees from 2007-2008
Lewis Black, "Anticipation"
Flight of the Conchords, "Flight of the Conchords"
Kathy Griffin, "For Your Consideration"
George Carlin, "It's Bad For Ya"
Harry Shearer, "Songs of the Bushmen"

Didn't Flight of the Conchords win last year for their EP, which is just a shorter version of this album? If you want to get all technical about it, then, yes. So cross them off the list. And do not be surprised for a posthumous honor to go to Carlin.

In Best Spoken Word Album, Steve Martin's "Born Standing Up" goes up against Stephen Colbert's "I Am America (And So Are You)" and David Sedaris ("When You Are Engulfed in Flames")! Also in this category: Sidney Poitier ("Life Beyond Measure") and the trio of Beau Bridges, Cynthia Nixon and Blair Underwood (reading Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth"). As much as Colbert has been the man of the moment for the past two years, Martin really should get this, wouldn't you agree?

Freestyle Love Supreme can celebrate some more, as Lin-Man and King Sherman's "In The Heights" soundtrack is up for Best Muscial Show Album (against Gypsy, The Little Mermaid, South Pacific and Young Frankenstein).

John C. Reilly singing "Walk Hard" got nominated for Best Song Written for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media (also earning Judd Apatow a nomination as co-writer). They're up against John Mayer, Peter Gabriel, Carrie Underwood, and Amy Adams.

Video: Stephen Colbert's "A Colbert Christmas"

Stephen Colbert's A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All comes to Comedy Central on Nov. 23, with musical numbers from Stephen Colbert, Elvis Costello, Feist, Toby Keith, John Legend, Willie Nelson and Jon Stewart. Here is a preview, with more after the jump:

Why they ask: Can The Daily Show, comedy survive Obama?

On the same day that many mainstream media outlets, and even the new media mainstreamers, were asking if The Daily Show and comedy could survive an Obama administration, they also reported on what kind of puppy the Obamas would bring with them to the White House. Irony is alive and well, people! The old adage says there is no such thing as a stupid question, but this week proves once again that the media is quite apt at asking the lazy and idiotic questions.

Here is a roundup of some reports from Thursday, in which New York magazine and Politico both asked if The Daily Show could continue bringing the funny now that Barack Obama is replacing George W. Bush. The Hollywood Reporter also brings a similar report from the Wednesday night political humor panel at the New York Comedy Festival. The questions are moot. Anyone who watches The Daily Show and The Colbert Report know that their main focus is, and always has been, on mocking the media. Colbert's alter-ego exists as long as Bill O'Reilly and self-centered broadcasters like him continue to exist. And Jon Stewart's show and correspondents only ceded some ground to Bush/Cheney in recent years because their propaganda machine had become a must-mock. So. Why does the media overlook this, even when they reported on the Obama puppy question as if it was an issue of equal importance to, oh, say, our rising unemployment crisis and the recession and our ongoing wars? Because it's easy. Because it's lazy. Because an editor's knees jerk in reaction to eight years of nonsense and wonders what do we do now that we have elected a leader who actually inspires confidence?

Similarly, a Boston Globe story last month tried to posit that comedy as a whole is liberal, going to college professors for proof of such. Right. As if it's an academic question. The fact that right-wing attempts at comedy (see: FOX News 1/2 Hour News Hour or the recent box-office flop, An American Carol) fail is not because they are conservatives, but because they fail at one of the basic tenants of humor -- making sure the audience likes you and is on your side, which is tougher to do when you are the haves making fun of the have-nots. It's something Chris Rock talks about onstage this past year, and in his HBO special, Kill the Messenger. Fat people can joke about skinny bitches, the poor can take down the rich, but if it's the other way around, that's just what a bully does. Are bullies funny? Would you like to see the King and Queen put on a show about how silly the oppressed villagers are? That's not how it was in the olden times. Rather, the Jester made fun of the privileged as well as the masses (particularly if they were from another kingdom), in front of the royal court.

Related: Gawker turns to comedian Jordan Carlos for tips on making fun of Obama.

After the jump, a couple of post-election clips from Comedy Central...

Preview: Childrens' Hospital

Rob Corddry, Rob Huebel, Lake Bell, Megan Mullally, Erinn Hayes, Jason Sudeikis, David Wain, Seth Morris, Ken Marino, "the other" Corddry and more...narrated by Stephen Colbert! Intoning things such as "The Internet's sexiest drama just got...sexiester." We cannot wait to see what happens next on the new series, Childrens' Hospital. But, wait. It's only online. What's up, WB? Or should I say, TheWB.com? Oh, look what you did there. You got me to help promote your beta site. You're welcome.

New Yorker Festival video, recaps and a new comedy blog

Not to be undone by New York mag's fete, and actually even before that and bigger, the New Yorker did it up earlier this month with a series of big-time panel discussions, and we can now start seeing some full video from this year's New Yorker Festival. Here is a link to the 84-minute talk on political comedy (what, no embed?) with Andy Borowitz, Samantha Bee, James Downey, Todd Hanson and Allison Silverman, introduced by Sara Benincasa as Gov. Sarah Palin with sidekick Diana Saez.

You can also get their recap of the talk with Stephen Colbert. Or you can read all about it from a new comedy blog, from the Back of the Room, launched by Toronto-based journalist Sharilyn Johnson. File her blog title under: Great Minds Think Alike. Welcome to the club!

EW covers New Yorker cover with Colbert, Stewart

This is supposed to be funny, right? Of course, they forgot to put the flag in the fireplace. They forgot, right? (side-by-side courtesy of goldenfiddle)

"The Love Guru" outtakes: Stephen Colbert and Jim Gaffigan!

Just when I thought I might have to rent the DVD of The Love Guru to see the funny provided by Jim Gaffigan and Stephen Colbert, the fine folks at the No Fact Zone (with an assist from Videogum) have done so for me and passed along this deleted scene improvisational fun-time surprise. Needless to say, it's Not Safe For Work. Gaffigan and Colbert, reminders to you all, played hockey broadcasters in the booth for the big game. Sample exchange: "I would not want to be his balls." "I don't even think his balls want to be his balls." Five minutes of funny, followed by bloopers:

Back In the Booth With Trent and Jay (Uncensored)
Uploaded by truthiness03

Video highlights with Wyatt Cenac

While we all wait with bated breath to hear if anyone new has made it onto the cast of Saturday Night Live, the folks over at The Daily Show have not been shy to pull the trigger on hiring new correspondents, and I have to hand it to them. After seeing some of their cast members leave to go on to starring TV and movie roles (Steve Carell, Rob Corddry, Ed Helms and Stephen Colbert), they've successfully hired some bold replacements. John Oliver has more than proven himself worthy of any assignment. Rob Riggle has made big splashes traveling abroad to Iraq and China. And their hire of Wyatt Cenac this summer already has provided some classic new Daily Show moments. This one is my early favorite, in which Cenac meets with elderly Florida Jews to talk about Obama. The dinner talk is priceless!

Since Cenac moved to New York for the show, I've also gotten to see him perform stand-up a few times in mainstream clubs and the smaller alt rooms. Sharp, edgy stuff about race. Here are a couple of clips of him in action onstage, courtesy of Effinfunny. Examples: Wyatt Cenac on how other n words are not the n word (NSFW, obvs); and on being single (also NSFW).

Stephen Colbert and comedy at Princeton

Stephen Colbert gave the annual Class Day speech today at Princeton University, a place near and dear to my heart -- and nearer still since I was there all weekend for my college reunion. Coincidentally or not (I'd like to take some credit for this), my class has several comedians in the ranks, including Matt Iseman (who co-chaired our reunion), Bill Dawes, Ryan McDonough, Jeff Glasse, and perhaps our best-known comedic classmate, Mark Feuerstein. Even more of a coinky-dink? Dawes, McDonough, Feuerstein and I all played together on the rare varsity-level college sport known as Sprint Football. Anyhow. Thanks to Comedy Central Insider for passing along info that Colbert's Princeton speech already is captured on video and shared online in a couple of shaky clips...

Princeton's seniors have embraced the trend of going out with a laugh, inviting Bill Cosby to speak in 2001, Jerry Seinfeld in 2003, Princeton-raised* Jon Stewart in 2004, and Chevy Chase in 2005. Another quick clip from Colbert's speech earlier today, after the jump.

*Stewart grew up in Princeton but attended William & Mary College. Among the many other funny people to be reared near campus, so to speak, include Michael Showalter and Seth Herzog.

Colbert for President campaign continues in Marvel comics

Stephen Colbert's spoofy run for the White House continues in comic book land, thanks to various Marvel Comics titles. There's a roundup here, and also here, and a Comedy Central Indecision blog here. Thanks to Pop Candy for the assist!

Reviews for Craig Ferguson at the White House Correspondents Dinner

Craig Ferguson delivered an affable monologue Saturday night at the White House Correspondents Dinner. Not quite the tour de farce of Stephen Colbert from two years ago, but affable enough, as anyone who watches Ferguson on his late-night CBS program will attest. He got a couple of zingers in, more at the expense of the media than of President Bush or Vice President Cheney, and included a couple of video clips that echoed previous TV bits (and could've been left out). The whole hourlong program is available online via CSPAN (on Real Media, no less...how old-school!), which if you watch it, you'll get to see ABC's Ann Compton admonish the dinner crowd for talking too loudly during the scholarship honors, and see if Bush conducts the Marine Band as well as he conducts a war (spoiler alert!).

Time said the whole night was lame. Mediabistro said Ferguson stole the show. The Baltimore Sun also liked Ferguson almost as much as the party photos. The Daily News paid more attention to the president. No NYT review, yet. Sorry, Craig!

Actually, CSPAN also has a YouTube channel, and here is the Ferguson portion of the program:

Clinton AND Obama do Colbert Report

Stephen Colbert closed out his weeklong trip to Philadelphia by having both Democratic presidential candidates guest on the same show Thursday night. Sen. Hillary Clinton appeared first, attempting humor on how she can fix anything as well as take phone calls at 3 a.m. This, still? Really? Enough already.

Clinton fixed the screen, which ultimately allowed Sen. Barack Obama to appear later in the show by satellite. Proving once again that Clinton is her own worst enemy in this campaign. And that Obama will take the higher road.

After the jump, former Sen. John Edwards also delivered the Word. Edwards. Who's he, again?

Colbert taking show to Philly

Stephen Colbert and the entire staff of The Colbert Report will make the trip from New York City through New Jersey to Philadelphia for a week's worth of shows (April 14-17) right before the Pennsylvania Democratic primary. It's the first road trip for the show. "The Colbert Report: Dorito's Spicy Sweet Pennsylvania Primary Coverage From Chili-Delphia - The City Of Brotherly Crunch!" will be taped at the 900-seat The Annenberg Center for the Performing Art's Zellerbach Theatre on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania.

And the money quote from the Comedy Central press release: "The road to the Democratic nomination goes through Pennsylvania and I intend to make my show the decisive pothole on that road!" Colbert said. "Plus, it's just across the river from Camden, New Jersey!"

Colbert's first 2008 Word: Good Bad Journalism

Apparently, the New York Times has some learning to do. Last night, The Colbert Report released its first post-strike edition of "The Word." And it was good. Though, technically, the word was: Good Bad Journalism. Writers on writers. Yay.

The Colbert Report, back with writers

Barack Obama has hope? "I hope I can get through this script," Stephen Colbert declares in the intro to Wednesday night's show. Something he learned? "Reading is a muscle. And it can go soft on you." Also? "I was able to shave my strike beard. (pause for laughs) Downtown." And just as I wondered when any of the late-night guys were going to publicly acknowledge their writers, Colbert introduces them onstage one by one, handing them pens in some weird spin on a graduation processional, and somehow Tiki Barber is included in the mix. So, too, Kevin Bacon. And The Met! All of the actual Colbert Report writers got their proper due, as well. "I got my prompter back," Colbert said. They cut to the prompter: "Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow." And then onto the news to be spun. Would he already have a "Word" ready? Colbert has said previously that this is the most writer-intensive part of the show (I've heard him say it). But first, a guest. Then a new segment, "Stephen Colbert's Fallback Position." It's about backup careers in case he's no longer wanted as a pundit. Taped segment, most probably. Still funny, though, because it allowed Colbert to exercise his improv muscles learning astrophysics at the Hayden Planetarium. No need to rush a new "Word" out of the writers. Enough to celebrate them and give them their due.

Will update with video when available. UPDATE! Watching it again, I also spotted Mikhail Barishnykov and Judith Miller getting their Colbert pens for good measure. Actual writers? Roll credits! Tom Purcell, Bryan Adams, Michael Brumm, Colbert, Richard Dahm, Rob Dubbin, Glenn Eichler, Peter Grosz, Peter Gwinn, Barry Julien, Jay Katsir, Laura Krafft, Frank Lesser and Allison Silverman.