Recent News

1) Conan just got renewed through April 2014. Take that Mayans.

2) Fox is developing an ‘Incredibles-ish’ TV series with Patton Oswalt…

3) Tonight on late night, make sure to catch the hilarious Jay Larson on Conan (TBS 11PM)

4) As you might have heard from everyone you know, Community is back on NBC Thurs. Mar. 15th 8PM. Get your viewing parties ready.

5) The early deadline has passed, but the Bridgetown Comedy Festival is still accepting submissions. Get on that, if you want to perform at one the best comedy festivals in the country that is…

6) While Dylan Brody just did a recording this past Sun., the Spit Take listened to his latest album Chronological Disorder and found that you can still have not peaked in comedy, artistically, though already having a respected act several years in.

7) Ashley Tisdale has been cast in the CBS pilot that Louis CK is developing, which is surprising everyone. Given how poignantly unconventional CK’s projects are, we shouldn’t be surprised by anything by him anymore.

8) In the most recent interview with Kristen Wiig, David Letterman made it awkward when discussing Wiig’s next “all-female” comedy project.

9) You’re watching Nick Turner give the lowdown on temping in King Temp, right?

10) Check out our picks for this week’s 5 Most Intentionally Funny Videos for the Nerdist.

11) Just a reminder that we’ve extended the deadline for our tickets giveaway to Salute to Movie Night to Thurs. (that’s tomorrow) 5PM PST. Get your answers in for most deserving Oscar/Razzie winner to thecomedybureau@gmail.com for a chance to win and have your answer featured here at TCB.

12) Lent would be great if comedians practiced Lent and didn’t write any more Whitney Houston or Jeremy Lin jokes for 46 days.

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1) The Humor section at your local bookstore just got a shot of life with Steve Martin’s The Ten, Make That Nine, Habits of Very Organized People. Make That Ten: The Tweets of Steve Martin and Sara Benincasa’s Agorafabulous: Dispatches From My Bedroom (that’s gotten quite the reviews at Laughspin and the Spit Take)

2) Last night on late night, Jay Larson educated folks on how to deal with bullies on Conan. Tonight, there’s almost no way that Paul Rudd being on the Daily Show won’t be a whole mess of fun (Comedy Central 11PM)

3) Jonah Raydio. That’s right Jonah Ray has a new podcast all his own…

4) While we are ALL excited for the Oscars this weekend, let us not forget the Spirit Awards on Saturday, especially since you can chat with Chris Gethard during the whole thing.

5) Gaby Dunn is a comedian in NYC and was sexually harassed by a heckler. Not that heckling is really OK at all, but what this guy did is especially not.

6) Two fun/short interviews: DJ Douggpound chatted with Jonas Polsky about DJ’ing and comedy and TJ Miller with Serial Optimist about his latest music video.

7) The Los Angeles Podcast Festival has been officially funded on Kickstarter and will, thusly, happen! However, if you’re still in the donatin’ mood, the Creek and the Cave still needs your donations…

8) After reading and laughing with Amy Dresner’s recounting of trying to get sober in Ashland, OR after trying to get sober in LA, we just want to give her a hug.

9) Another episode of Clip Cup perfectly sums up comedy on the Internet better than anyone ever, especially with having Chris Hardwick.

10) I would love to write jokes here, not because it would be peaceful and serene, but I wouldn’t be distracted by the people obviously looking at me thinking, “Pssh, another loser writing in a cafe. REAL ORIGINAL, KID. Good luck with WHATEVER." 

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1) Jim Gaffigan HAS SET A DATE for Mr. Universe! (meaning his next comedy special coming out Apr. 18th for $5 download, not a weird wedding for you pun-inclined folks)

2) Bill Maher did his special online last night AND gave Obama a cool mil for his re-election campaign. That’s pretty much a normal Bill Maher thing to do, right?

3) In industry happenings, Archer is renewed yet again on FX and Bob Odenkirk’s pilot “Let’s Do This” is soon to air on Adult Swim.

4) Recently on late night-ish TV, Paul Rudd revisited childhood candy on the Daily Show (and will also be on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon NBC 12:35AM tonight), The Whitest Kids U Know’s Trevor Moore peddled useless junk to people at the Promenade on Leno, Garfunkel and Oates dropped an f bomb or two while singing about go-karts on Attack of the Show, and JC Coccoli explicated on the thinking behind Sarah Palin’s team about the upcoming Sarah Palin film on Keith Olbermann.

5) Wanderlust is out in theaters today. Maybe, you should go see it?

6) Todd Glass got Rory Scovel to interrupt his interview following his panel interview on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon back stage at Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.

7) @SteveCarell is now a thing.

8) The Creek and the Cave only has five days left to finish raising their Kickstarter!

10) Based off this video of his Dictator character calling out the Academy, Sacha Baron Cohen needs to live chat/tweet/something throughout the Oscars as Admiral General Aladeen.

11) On today’s Puddin’, Eddie Pepitone explores REALLY alternate weight-loss methods.

12) If I actually did host/run all the shows/open mics that Google Calendar says I do, people should fear my literal omnipresence a whole bunch more.

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1) Anyone think that Sacha Baron Cohen did Hugo just to re-establish enough good will with Hollywood so he could get to pull off his Dictator stunt at the Oscars?

2) Once again, let us not forget the nod to “indie film”, so to speak, with the Spirit Awards tonight airing at 10PM ET/PT on IFC. You can have your choice of the live host Seth Rogen or Chris Gethard live chatting while watching for laughs.

3) Woody Allen has set a release date for his next film Nero Fiddled this summer. Let us hope that he keeps the comedies coming.

4) Todd Barry proposes to a Russian prostitute while Eugene Mirman and Amy Schumer egg them on in an episode of Delocated. We’ve said enough, just watch it already.

5) In comedy opportunities news, YouTube sensation Destorm is looking for funny people, ages 18-25, that can take or give advice in regards to self-improvement for a show he’s doing on YouTube. E-mail reachadam@mac.com with picture, if interested. There’s no pay, but you’ll be fed and get exposure to Destorm’s big following. Also, Cleft Clips (the folks responsible for the Super Serious Show, Sad People Talking, and the Plop List) are looking for a kick-ass social media savvy intern.

6) Would anyone be interested in helping make an entire gallery show of Fake Criterions happen?

7) Bill Pullman to play president in the NBC-Josh Gad/Jason Winer/Jon Lovett comedy pilot. Cue at least a million Independence Day jokes on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.

8) Will Weldon highlighted the most famous atheist athletes and why it’s a lackluster list.

9) Dave Ross “guest-concocted” his own conversation about a disturbing Christmas light decoration at Ron Babcock’s Concocted Conversations.

10) JUST IN CASE YOU FORGOT, Kenny Powers and Eastbound and Down is back in town and he’s got a new mothefuckin’ shoe for K-Swiss, BLADES.

11) Comedy is at a point where doing puns with conviction is more edgy than making a rape joke.

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1) Can you feel it? Comedy Bang Bang is coming to IFC soon. (Sorry for the subtlety, it’s a link for the TV spot for Comedy Bang Bang)

2) Congrats to the Channel 101 Top 5 Finishers from last night’s screening: Intimate Indiscretions, Oh Shit, Coach, The Parent Project, Gumbel. If you weren’t in attendance, all the shows are already up at Channel 101.com. Oh yeah, they have a fancy new site too!

3) No one really live tweeted the Spirit Awards, so we won’t get into that, but another set of congratulations go to Will Reiser for nabbing the Best First Screenplay Award for 50/50 and Christopher Plummer continuing to clean-up the Best Supporting Actor Award for his performance in Beginners.

4) Yes, the Oscars are only in a few hours (ABC 4PM PT/7PM ET).
Things to watch for:
Billy Crystal hosting
Chris Rock, Will Ferrell, and Zach Galifianakis presenting
Sacha Baron Cohen as the Dictator on the red carpet
Tweet Roast
#Oscars on Twitter for several other comedians you’re following
Depending on results, will Bridesmaids spark comedy bias for Oscars
Christopher Plummer possibly confirming that he was the Best Supporting Actor in 2011, end of discussion
Woody Allen possibly nabbing yet another statuette for writing Midnight in Paris

5) Of course, what would this time of year be without the Razzies, of which, Adam Sandler set a record for nominations.

6) OK, basically, the only thing you need to be doing if you’re wondering about the discussion of women in comedy is listen to Jen Kirkman.

7) Just in case none of you have doubts about people watching comedy in a garage, may we present to you the consistent turn-out at the Comedy Car Hole.

8) The Bel Air Film Festival is now accepting submissions…

9) If there were ever an occupational hazard section to any guide to doing comedy professionally, it should include: Will develop propensity to want to stab boring/dumb people talking to you in the throat.

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1) Louis CK just announced that Season 3 of Louie is underway and he apparently fired himself as an editor.

2) Paul F. Tompkins showed that he was a big fan of that Kraft Mac & Cheese commercial while simultaneously announcing the date of his 1-hr Comedy Central Special, Laboring Under Delusions, which is Sat. April 21st like Tompkins only can.

3) Here’s are quick comedy-related Oscars round-up:

CONGRATULATIONS TO:
Woody Allen (Best Original Screenplay, Midnight in Paris)
Christopher Plummer (Best Supporting Actor, Beginners)
Bret McKenzie (Best Original Song, “Man or Muppet”, Muppets)

MEMORABLE MOMENTS:
Meryl Streep saying “but whatever” in her acceptance speech
The Christopher Guest sketch of test screening
Sacha Baron Cohen dumping Kim Jong-Il’s ashes on Ryan Seacrest
Jonah Hill telling Emma Stone to cut off her presenter bit 
Chris Rock bashing how easy doing voice work on animation films is 

(And the moment you’ve all been waiting for…) BEST TWEETS:
Andy Haynes “@ImAndyHaynes This is like that time I went hiking and I found two fossils." 
Shelby Fero ”@cracked I’m watching an episode of Twin Peaks. Did it win any Oscars? What exactly are the Oscars?“ 
Kumail Nanjiani ”@kumailn I wanna go to the factory that Clooney’s girlfriend was made in.“ 
Norm MacDonald ”@NormMacDonald barf" 
Katie Crown “@Katie_Crown My name is Reddkar Peht. Why are people saying they’re walking all over me and I don’t even know them or where they are?”
DC Pierson “@DCPierson THE ARTIST is like CRASH: in a year, no one will remember it, and it’s all about black and white.”

4) Tonight on late night, Ed Helms will be on The Late Show with David Letterman (CBS 11:35PM)

5) Jimmy Kimmel’s Movie: The Movie should host the Oscars at some point.

6) We can only imagine what the hell the Eric Andre Show is up to

7) Paul F. Tompkins and Erin Gibson will be on tomorrow’s episode of Key & Peele!

8) Jon Hodgman got “banksy’d”…

9) We can only hope, as comedians, to be as hated as Billy Crystal by a bunch of punk kids on Twitter someday. Also, the Drive has less dialogue than the Artist joke is officially dead. Stop it.

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1) HBO is continuing to intrigue the comedy world with Veep w/ Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Matt Walsh, Tony Hale, and more… 

2) THERE WILL BE MORE BILLY ON THE STREET ON FUSE TV!!! (All Billy on the Street news should be typed in all caps)

3) In “we’re thrilled about!!!” news, Jim Hamilton will be taping an album aside Michelle Biloon for AST Records at Meltdown Comics Fri. April 27th & Moshe Kasher will be releasing his book “Kasher in the Rye” throughout LA at the end of March.

4) Tonight on late night, Ken Marino from the State will be on Conan (TBS 11PM), Stephen Merchant will be the on Daily Show (Comedy Central 11PM), and, we’re well aware this could end up being not funny but we felt compelled to add it, Werner Herzog will chat with Carson Daly on Last Call (NBC 1:35AM)

5) There’s a global film festival/contest going on run by Ridley Scott and Michael Fassbender on YouTube: The Your Film Festival.

6) In a battle of comedic wits, James Urbaniak outwitted Alison Agosti despite her not really participating in Ep. 3 of Urbaniak’s web series Topic A.

7) The Kraft Mac & Cheese-Paul F. Tompkins feud continues!

8) The Sklar Brothers chatted with Jesse Thorn for the A.V. Club.

9) Here’s yet another article (from Sabotage Times) betting on Channel 101 being on the future of comedy, as they should be.

10) This 12th episode of This Better Be Funny (can you believe our podcast isn’t about comedy news???) features yet another attempt at eating and trying to record a podcast with hosts Jake Kroeger, Jeremy Paul, and guest Brandie Posey. Also, after the meal, there’s graphic description of being grossed out by lesbian porn.

11) OK, we were pretty over the “Angelina Jolie Oscars leg meme” as soon as it started, until this happened.

12) Comedian Occupational Hazard #156: You will hate something that you used to love and not know exactly why.

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1) Comedy Central is catching on to the “book game” by starting their own imprint.

2) Let us not forget that Lenny Bruce paved the way for a lot of comedians to do what they do today with the new documentary Looking for Lenny (even though that “street” seems to be still be “taped off” to this day).

3) Recently on late night, get some great dick jokes from Eric Idle on Ferguson and Ken Marino on Conan, then Don Cheadle, as you’ve never seen him, seriously, being absolutely ridiculous on Fallon.  Tonight on late night, Tom Lennon will stop by the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (CBS 12:35AM), Ed Helms on Jimmy Kimmel Live (ABC 12AM), the wonderful Matt Knudsen doing a set on Conan (TBS 11PM), and none other than William Shatner will be on the Colbert Report (Comedy Central 11:30PM).

4) Adult Swim is possibly getting more absurd with developing a new show from ATHF Creator and coming out with a show where Odd Future does what they want.

5) Garfunkel and Oates gets our vote for Best Comedic Musical Performance at an Awards Show with their song at the Independent Spirit Awards. (that’d be an Emmy category, right?)

6) For those of you that thought that John Oliver’s NY Stand-Up Show was cancelled (and some people did) because you hadn’t seen on the air in awhile and all the other stand-up shows coming on Comedy Central, it’s absolutely not.

7) Those outside of LA and NY are in luck, comedy wise, as Bill Burr, Nikki Glaser, and Nato Green are all taping albums/specials very soon.

8) Congratulations to the Creek and Cave on getting their Kickstarter funded! There’s still time to donate if you’re feeling extra generous, by the way.

9) Our picks for the 5 Most Intentional Funny Videos this week for the Nerdist span all the way from Kenny Powers to James Urbaniak. Check it out.

10) You can help some Yanks win some comedy awards across the pond by voting for Doug Stanhope and Set List…

11) Do not start a live comedy show in any of these places.

12) On this episode of King Temp, Nick Turner can’t take a compliment, even a small one. 

13) Comedy is probably the only art form where unapologetic stupidity can be appreciated as brilliance.

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1) Recently on late night, Matt Knudsen did his thing on Conan, Marc Maron told a story about handling an stalker/internet troll on Attack of the Show, and Joan Rivers was her hilarious self on Kimmel especially when talking about her aspirations for her grandson. Tonight, Ted Alexandro will be on The Late Show with David Letterman (CBS 11:35PM) Rob Riggle on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (NBC 12:35AM), and Megan Mullally on Conan (TBS 11PM)

2) There will be “an extended sneak peek” of Comedy Bang Bang on IFC after the Portlandia finale on Mar. 9th. Get your live-tweeting parties together.

3) Please don’t stalk comedian Esther Povitsky like this guy. We think she’s funny and would like to have her around.

4) In new comedy movie trailer news, Jack Black gets Drowning Mona’d with Bernie and Johnny Pemberton gets brought in by the Neighborhood Watch of Jonah Hill, Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn, and more.

5) We don’t know how far we’re reaching here, but those outside of LA, specifically in Portland and Korea (you’re not reading that wrong), respectively, should see two of our favorites Sean Patton this Friday Mar. 2nd at the Hollywood Theatre recording for a “special project” 9PM  and James Adomian bring his “populist satire” to Seoul March 2nd and 3rd 10PM.

6) Please watch the most recent Miss Wallflower USA Contest. It’s hilarious and no other set up is needed.

7) We’re excited for the upcoming Season 2 of Key & Peele, even if it’s already being called offensive comedy by someone who could be best described as “antiquated”.

8) In new things/things being developed news, the Vacation film franchise is getting rebooted possibly with Ed Helms, there will be a new Muppets movie without the writing talents of Jason Segel, and Jesse Thorn has a new pop quiz show where laws do not apply, International Waters, with Paul Scheer, Janet Varney, and more.

9) In comedy interviews worth your time news, Joe Berkowitz breaks down the machine known as Tim and Eric for Fast Company better than anyone thus far and the very funny Jamie Lee chatted with and got written-up by the Greenpoint Gazette.

10) We got, count’em, two of our essays up on the Nerdist yesterday: Why and How You Shouldn’t Be Wasting Your Time Getting Mad at SNL and The Psyche Behind Making Dead Celebrity Jokes.

11) Apparently, a researcher in a Japan went to an American open mic, at least that’s what I think, and, as a result, developed a “shut up gun”.

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1) Nick Lowe’s newest music video has so many comedy folks in it (Marc Maron, Tim Heidecker, Maria Thayer, Andres DuBouchet, Brian Stack, and more) that you almost forget the song.

2) Jim Henson Co. enlisted by the BBC for a chat show? Yes.

3) Last night on late night, Megan Mullally revealed how Nick Offerman throws a surprise birthday party on Conan and Ted Alexandro did a tight 5 min. on Letterman.

4) One of our favorite web series, Anne, Frankly, is back! (Yes, it’s the anachronistic vlog of Anne Frank starring Jamie Lee)

5) Steve Heisler gave us all a reasonable warning of how we’re nearing comedy podcast over saturation for the AV Club.

6) Sara Schaefer and Nikki Glaser get written up in the NY Times Magazine!

7) Just in case you haven’t heard Dave Foley’s WTF podcast episode, here he is on CNN Comedy explaining why he has to do comedy non-stop.

8) Win tickets to Anna David’s True Tales of Lust and Love by telling us if you’re lonelier than crying in public.

9) If only we all could eat bananas like Jesse Case does…

10) You know that you can truly appreciate comedy when you know exactly where the joke is going and still laugh, even if you’re laughing alone.

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