the comic's comic

Doug Benson's I Love Movies #3

Speaking of Super Deluxe, it's Friday, which means another look at the new movies and DVDs, courtesy of comedian Doug Benson and this week's NSFW installment of "I Love Movies." Also, duly noted, the theme songs provided by Hard 'N Phirm.

Hot Tub update! Super Deluxe interviews Sara Benincasa

Super Deluxe caught wind of the naked scandal involving its new series, Bathing With Bierko, and Sara Benincasa's Nerve.com series, Tub Talk with Sara B. So the Super Deluxe blog interviewed Benincasa.

Here is a snippet from said interview (Benincasa in bold, Super Deluxe blog in italics):

Actually, I think that he’s in love with me and is trying to send me a message through his Super Deluxe show that says “Sara Benincasa, I’m in love with you. I would like you to get into a bathtub with me in a private, not-on-the-Internet way.” And I don’t blame him. It happens a lot quite frankly. I know right now he’s probably concerned that I’m mad at him. But it’s really more that I’m concerned that he’s so in love with me that he had to go to these great lengths to get my attention. He could have just emailed me.

Well, as you pointed out before, he’s “romanced Meg Ryan and Charlize Theron.” So, logically, the next step is…

Me. Because I’ve been on national television once. And I’m a reporter for the Internet. And I have a comedy show in a room that seats 30 people. So, yes, I am the next logical step in his trail of Oscar-bait poon-hounding, if you will.

Related: On my Google calendar, please note that Benincasa's "Family Hour with Auntie Sara" show is at 7 p.m. tonight at Ochi's Lounge (Comix), 353 W. 14th St., New York, NY.

UPDATED! Hours after I posted this, this entire Super Deluxe blog interview vanished. Hmmm...maybe their sense of humor conflicted with their sense of...??? I still have this snippet. And Sara Benincasa thought to print out the entire interview for posterity (and evidence?).

Hot tubs: Always funny?

Does a hot tub automatically make any interview funnier? Apparently so. And I'm not the only one to think so. Super Deluxe is the latest to co-opt the concept with the debut today of Bathing with Bierko, with Craig Bierko in the tub talking up John Malkovich.

This may not come as a surprise to anyone who has seen Tub Talk with Sara B., which can be, well, NSFW. It's been on Nerve.com, after all. It did come as a surprise to Sara Benincasa, however, who sent me this missive: "Here is my official statement on this heinous act: "'Tub Talk with Sara B.' fan Ryan Grim's eagle eyes have alerted me to perhaps the greatest act of creative skullduggery since Esau wore Jacob's robes to eff with Isaac's sense of smell and steal the sacred birthright: an Internet bathtub talk show on SuperDeluxe entitled "Bathing with Bierko," hosted by one Craig Bierko. This rape of my web video vision shall not go unpunished! Bierko must prepare to feel my wrath! Cursory Wikipedia research indicates that Bierko has romanced such actresses as Meg Ryan and Charlize Theron. I have romanced a variety of drunken unknown bitter actormedians. Also, I don't have a Wikipedia entry. The point? Bierko's playing with fire here, and his Oscar-bait girlfriends had best get out the way, lest they get burned. This isn't over, Craig Bierko. In fact, it's only just begun. And P.S. Maybe you got Malkovich, but I got Mulaney. Suck on THAT!" And here is that evidence. Did I mention it's NSFW?

Neither of these should be confused with Kurt Braunohler and Kristen Schaal's Hot Tub Variety Show, hot tub no longer included.

Previously: Eddie Murphy as James Brown. Hot tub!

Doug Benson's I Love Movies

The funniest thing Doug Benson has done on Super Deluxe since, well, the last thing he did for Super Deluxe. It's Benson's I Love Movies, from print to video. Enjoy.

Patrick Borelli on the mend

CORRECTION! Patrick Borelli wrote in to The Comic's Comic exclusively to reveal that his root canal ended up focusing on Tooth #18, not Tooth #19 as previously disclosed. Borelli is back on the comedy circuit, listed on the bills of two fun-loving comedy shows tonight. You can catch him at Max Silvestri's I Like Attention at Sound Fix Records in Williamsburg, Brooklyn (also on that lineup: Reggie Watts, Eugene Mirman, Joe Mande, Tom McCaffrey and Baron Vaughn), or later this evening at the debut of ¡Sacapuntas! at Jimmy's No. 43 in the East Village, Manhattan (on a lineup presented by Dan Allen and Ray DeVito with Michelle Collins, Tom Shillue and Andres du Bouchet). Which reminds me, you can see upcoming NYC shows on my Google calendar, which I try to update regularly.

For more of Borelli, you can catch his NSFW animated series on Super Deluxe, Thunderpoint Worldwide. Here's the first episode, from late January, to learn the ropes. And yes, that's David Cross singing the theme song. Enjoy.

Video: Can't Sleep with Dave Foley & Mike Myers

Are you up late, too? Here's a video to help get you through the night. Thanks to Super Deluxe. And Dave Foley. And Mike Myers. Note: NSFW due to language, subject matter.

Videos: Olde English does the Oscars

Just in time for Sunday's Academy Awards, Olde English weighs in with two new looks at two of the Best Picture nominees.

This one features Jackie Clarke as Diablo Cody.

New video: What's Doin? With Gabe & Jenny

Gabe & Jenny's new video series is up at and at them with animation, their subversive wit and dialogue, and cameos with their comedy friends. Check out What's Doin? on Super Deluxe (note to SD: update the Gabe & Jenny bio so people don't try to find them and fail at Rififi, thanks). Episode one had cameos by Lang Fisher, Joe Mande and Noah Garfinkel. In episode two (below), you also get bits and bits from Bobby Tisdale, Greg Johnson, Max Silvestri, Roger Hailes...enjoy!

Valentine Video Roundup

Valentine's Day is today, and in the grand tradition of parallel thinking in comedy, several videos are ready for your viewing pleasure to get through this "holiday," no matter your relationship status. Let's take a look.

The Onion News Network might be thought as callous for going after lonely women, but they always manage to turn a topic on its head. And quite professionally, too. It's almost like a real local TV news report. Which is the point of this parody production.

Online Dating Helping Pathetic Women Get Their Hopes Crushed More Efficiently

Funny or Die devotes the top half of its main page to Valentine's Day vids. Of course, this site's niche is the roster of celebrity cohorts, so they invariably go to that well again today.

Super Deluxe: Ah, Super Deluxe. I embedded a video earlier this week from Dave Hill. Here's another little gem of a sketch, this time from Ben Schwartz.

Video: Valentine's advice from Dave Hill

Only one day until Valentine's Day, so if you're hurting for advice in the love department, no need to fear. Dave Hill is here. The King of Miami becomes the King of Love?

A new video roundup

Just checking my feeds from some of my other favorite comedy sites (look on the left column here, and you'll see the most recent postings from Comedy Central Insider, Dead-Frog, The Apiary, The Baston and Shecky Magazine, as they're updated) and saw a couple of new and funny videos posted on CCInsider, thought I'd take a look-see at what else is new and online.

First up, Olde English proves that sometimes it's better not to overthink a situation:

After the jump, we've got videos from Pete & Brian, Funny or Die featuring Nick Swardson and David Spade, and Harry Shearer revealing the Katie Couric you don't see. Click and enjoy!

Maria Bamford: Acting Out

Some comedians don't translate so well to online sketches, while others, such as Maria Bamford, seem made for the medium. Bamford's Super Deluxe show allows her to bring her many voices to vivid life. It might take a couple of viewings to get used to her style. Or, if you're like me, you just sit back and watch and laugh. Either way, we win. This is her most recent episode...

You can catch all of her episodes here.

Comedians, on comedy and the industry

If you want to find common ground among comedians, no matter whether they consider themselves club comics or "alternative" comics, observational or prop, just ask them how they feel about the industry. The machinations of show business, that's what all comedians love to mock. So let's look at a couple of recent examples of this courtesy of Super Deluxe.

First up, ["(Layers)"], which follows the workings of an agent for agents (Nick Kroll) and his publicists (the Sklar Brothers). Here is their latest episode, the conclusion of the "cold war" between Kroll's agent and a potential competitor.

Very inside humor, but also a good release for comedians to spoof agents, managers, publicists and the whole Hollywood dance. More than a few performers approached Kroll during The Comedy Festival in Las Vegas last month to tell him how much they love him in that Web series -- and this is the same season in which Kroll has made his network TV primetime debut as the main reason to watch ABC's Cavemen. To catch up with the rest of ["(Layers)"], click here.

The other ongoing series is Comedy By The Numbers, shorts directed by Bob Odenkirk to promote the book of the same name. I'm not a huge fan of this week's new episode, on Universal Appeal, but here you go...think of this as their most "artistic" work...

Past episodes have covered such humorous how-to tips as funny names, shouting, fart sounds and novelty items. It takes the notion of a hack handbook to the next level of self-mockery, exposing how there likely are many people who'd love to know how to be funny, so why not instruct them (as Professors Hoffman and Rudoren do) in the simplest methods possible?

Dave Hill as Santa

Those of you with the MOJO HD-TV channel may know Dave Hill as the King of Miami. Those of you who frequent the UCB Theatre in NYC know him as the host of the Dave Hill Explosion.

But this month, think of Dave Hill as Santa. A very, very, very bad Santa. Funny, too. As the warning below indicates, strong language makes this NSFW. Hill and his little friend also have produced funny videos called "Little Michael Jackson and Me" and usually induce hilarious mayhem during Hill's UCB shows. So, even more to enjoy! If you're in New York, you can see Hill perform live on Thursday at Comix as part of The Onion's holiday benefit show with Eugene Mirman, Jessi Klein, Giulia Rozzi, Anthony DeVito and more.

Aspen 2007, the rest of the story

Or a recap of other shows and stuff from Friday and Saturday at the 2007 U.S. Comedy Arts Festival

Stephen Colbert
Colbert received his Person of the Year award from CNN's Jeff Greenfield, as they sat in front of a giant poster/mock magazine cover of Colbert as the Person of the Year with the subtitle: "Not you. Me." A good dig at Time. Also fitting for the Colbert character. He said this was his third time at the festival, but "this is the first time I've looked out at the front row and not seen everybody asleep!" I barely got in, and barely made it to the post-show press opp (my bad on both counts). Very funny and friendly guy. For those of you playing the home game, the Colbert Report writers come up with most of the “Word”s on Fridays, because it can take a while to write the backstory and explanation for each word. Some insightful comments on Bill O’Reilly and Barney Frank. Video tributes from his friends and colleagues. More to come on this in other forums that pay me. But the show was so packed, Colbert made time to give props to people stuck in the lobby.

Fat City Lounge
The title of this year’s late-night show at Aspen, where anyone and everyone can drop in for a few minutes of stage time. Friday night’s hosts Michael Ian Black and Michael Showalter joked about the show’s musical theme and riffed on the Irish (hey!?). Charlyne Yi, who played an NBC page on a recent episode of 30 Rock, stepped up first with her guitar and rocked out to a song called "God knows I finished my whiskey." Hmmm. Sketch group Olde English followed with a sketch about the Fernberger family whose condo the troupers were staying at in Aspen, showing off the family's framed photos, posters, paintings, living room chair, track lighting and drapes. Apparently, the HBO folks weren't so happy about the sketch ending with the troupers simulating sex with said items. Either way, what made me enjoy it was not knowing whether the guys really did take these items from the condo or not. TastiSkank brought the funny with songs about "I heart dirty boys," "Hydrocodone," "Please manscape the area," "Oops, I f--ked you again" and "You're the worst sex I've ever had." Showalter had to take off to his other scheduled show, so Ian Black introduced a special guest, screenwriter Joe Eszterhas (as played by UCB's Seth Morris) who read his open letter to Hollywood. Tim Minchin closed the show. In the first 30 seconds, I wasn't sure what to make of this Aussie as he air-drummed, air-guitared and lip-synched. But as soon as he sat down to the piano, everything changed. He can play. He can sing. And he can tell some wickedly perverse jokes. Anyone who can write a peace anthem for the Middle East is good in my book, even if I'm going to keep on eating pigs. So glad I decided to catch this show.

The Winner
After watching the pilot for this new FOX sitcom that debuted Sunday night (twas funny in an outrageous way, although upon watching it and the second episode Sunday, I've decided that it's entirely due to Rob Corddry and Lenny Clarke), Spike Feresten moderated a panel discussion with creator Ricky Blitt, star Corddry and Seth MacFarlane. "It's sort of a Wonder Years starting at 32," Blitt said. MacFarlane joked about drinking so early in the day: "I drink because I'm comfortable being the only white person in this town." Corddry downplayed all of the roles that are coming his way in movies. "Those nine films, they're all like don't-blink roles," he said.

Best of the Fest Awards ceremony
Hosted by Jamie Kennedy, with presentations also made by Judith Light and William Baldwin. Deciding to sit with Shane Mauss and a guy from SuperDeluxe front row center turned out to be a wise decision, especially when Mauss won an award as the best stand-up of the fest (along with Kirk Fox, who got off one of the funniest ad-libs by saying, "William Baldwin's complaining he didn't win an award? He already won an award. He's not Daniel."). For his part, Baldwin kept cracking jokes, perhaps to let us know that he, like older brother Alec, is ready and willing to do sitcom work! At one point, though, Baldwin stopped to look out into the crowd and saw the fro of Eric Andre. Paraphrasing here, Baldwin shouted to Andre: "You were on fire last night. Do you remember? You crashed the party, holding a sled over your head as you shouted, 'Let's rub boners!'" Um. Yeah. I was there. I remember. But most people in the audience were merely weirded out. Afterward, the guys from Super Deluxe took Mauss, myself and Ben Kronberg out to dinner at La Cantina. Fun, quick Mexican meal, and then Mauss and I raced back to the Belly Up for his final showcase.

Group B: Andy Borowitz hosted this standing-room only stand-up showcase. Erik Charles Nielsen went first, and seemed less intense than the first night I'd seen him, mixing up his material a bit. But the audience wasn't quite ready for him, and his decision to back into an unlit corner of the stage during his closer didn't help, either. Alexandra McHale has some funny nutritional advice, but I had to make a note in my notepad to alert Gary Gulman that someone else is coming for his cookie jokes! Na'im Lynn must really have a problem around the holidays, though he seems nice enough. TJ Miller has so many characters in his act, I feel like I'm watching an audition for SNL. To which Dan Boulger asked, "What's wrong with that?" John Ramsey has so many sharp, solid, clever jokes that he must be introduced to Myq Kaplan to see if they'll either become fast friends or mortal enemies. A poop joke as Russian history? Seriously? Seriously funny. Shane Mauss, fresh off his festival win, got to close the show and was funnier than I'd ever seen him. He threw in some old jokes and some rare jokes. And he had the audience at his bidding.

The parties: The Sierra Mist Lounge in the St. Regis provided a fun and comfortable environment to kick back after the shows each night during the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival, although it seemed better on its slower nights (Wednesday and Saturday) than on Thursday and Friday, when it got so packed you could barely move. Met some nice comics (Nick Swardson) and even some nice lawyers (Jeff B. Cohen, aka lawyer to the comics, aka Chunk!). A ping pong table and foosball. Dan Boulger thought he had a brush with Cheryl Hines. Only problem was that the parties ended too early, as the lights came up at about 1:45 each morning. Which invariably led to the afterparties.

The UCB "house" was where it was at each night. Seth Morris and the rest of the guys couldn't have been nicer. The basement hopped. Anyone and everyone would show up (see my earlier post about William Baldwin's party reference during the awards ceremony). And our small band of comedians and merrymakers bonded throughout the week, making for a four-day party. Only problem was that we'd have to shepherd each other back up the icy mountain to the condo.

The so-called "mansion," on the other hand, ugh. Took a lot of effort to get there, by car and by foot. And once there, it really was too large and anonymous to have any fun there. As we remarked to each other afterward, we could've had much more fun at the UCB place. Or even at our place.

Comedians against Carlos Mencia

The backlash against Carlos Mencia has shifted into higher gear over the past seven days, as these two videos will attest. I'll have plenty more to say about this later, but for now, just watch these videos, one in which Joe Rogan publicly accuses Mencia of joke stealing in front of a Comedy Store audience, the other being a parody of Mencia.

Warning: These videos include profanities