Recent News

The 5 Most Intentionally Funny Videos This Week 7/31

Ranging from a NSFW how-to-build furniture video as embedded above to Bill Cosby giving comedy lessons to Jimmy Fallon, this week’s 5 Most Intentionally Funny Videos at the Nerdist is a welcome break from sports that you don’t understand and yet, for some reason, get riled up about every 4 years.

As always, submissions for 5 MIFV are being taken. Check rules and details at link.

Celeste and Jesse Forever Out Tomorrow, Hopefully, For a Nice Break from Summer Movie Cynicism

OK, let’s stop complaining about how the Dark Knight Rises wasn’t the most brilliant thing ever and go see another movie. Celeste and Jesse Forever with Rashida Jones and Andy Samberg (i.e. one of this year’s summer releases were most excited about) comes out in theaters in LA and NYC tomorrow and would probably be the perfect choice. 

Just For Laughs Montreal 2012 Round-Up

Just in case you missed our recaps of all the amazing comedy happenings that happened at the Just For Laughs Montreal Comedy Arts Festival last week and weren’t there (or just want to recount in text the hilarious things that you might have seen), here’s a nice list linking out to each and every one of them. 

Seriously, some really brilliant stuff happened up there and you should read about it.

Day 1

Day 2

Days 3 & 4

Days 5 & 6

New Faces

Submissions Now Accepted For Andy Kaufman Award

Reggie Watts, Kristen Schaal, Nick Vatterott, and Brent Weinbach all are recipients of the prestigious Andy Kaufman Award, now in its 8th year. You could join the likes of them this year and preserve the spirit and originality of Kaufman in comedy and more by entering here. 

Deadline is Oct. 14th.

Doug Stanhope’s Before Turning the Gun on Himself on Showtime Tonight

Tonight, the television world premiere of Doug Stanhope’s latest special, Before Turning the Gun on Himself, will air on Showtime at 7PM. Let’s just hope there’s no one that will be offended from watching the special and then blog about it because 1) turning off your TV is infinitely easier than walking out of a comedy club and 2) Stanhope is hilarious and right on in this hour.

Somali Comedian Shot Dead/Terrorists Still Can’t Laugh About Themselves

OK, we understand that’s a ridiculous headline, but every part of it is ridiculous including the part that actually happened. An unidentified man, described as the leader of the Somali comedy scene was shot dead purportedly for telling anti-terrorists jokes.

No one should get shot dead for telling jokes. It’s so telling of how backwards and undeveloped a society is by the sheer fact that you can be killed for making a joke at someone’s expense. That’s not being shamed on the Internet or even having your career ruined, but rather a final and permanent end, probably to be erased in records after a few years.

There is comedy in the Middle East, which is a hopeful thing to hear/see. It’s a mark of prosperity that a group of people that are culturally united can have enough humanity and sophistication to joke about themselves. Comedy is the Middle East is still a fledgling concept, and there are still many cultural barriers barring comedy, especially anything that’s remotely subversive. Yet, it’s been profiled that there are secret comedy shows in Saudi Arabia and shows performed in English by English speaking comedians, sometimes Americans, in affluent, cosmopolitan cities like Dubai.

Sadly, no part of this incident has come as a surprise. One of Egypt’s premiere comedians was detained for making jokes at the expense of Islam just a few months ago, Syrian political cartoonist had his hands broken, etc. However, we believe that this is what will make, eventually, for some great comedy. Birthed from fire, ready to leave no target untouched, there will be a point, though it isn’t clear when that will happen, where a counterculture will grow and the Middle East will have their Lenny Bruce and not get shot.

Though he isn’t a comedian, just look at what Ai Weiwei gets away with in China.

If You at All Like What We Do, Please Vote for Us for Something in The LA Weekly Web Awards

The LA Weekly is doing its annual Web Awards and it’d be nice if we were on there in some capacity in one of several categories that we could qualify for. You can even vote for your favorite LA based podcast, web series, or YouTube star, of which there are plenty that are featured right here at the Comedy Bureau for your reference.

Nominate now here.

Read Competitive Erotic Fan Fiction and Surprisingly Find Yourself Not Feeling Dirty

You’ve might have heard of a live show called Competitive Erotic Fan Fiction created and produced by Bryan Cook out of Seattle. Though the content itself is pretty lurid, the hilarity of the stories written before and during the show have made it so you don’t feel like you’ve violated a moral code by doubling over in laughter.

Just read the following two Competitive Erotic Fan Fiction Stories (that we saw live and were hysterical) as an example:

Diners, Drive-Ins, and Muff Drives by Andrés Du Bouchet (Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives)

Orgy at the Roadshow by Mike O’Connell (Antiques Roadshow)

Then, go to see the show Aug. 13th at Nerdist Theater because we’re you’ll want to at this point.

Mark Aug. 13th as the Day You Buy James Adomian’s Low Hangin’ Fruit

We know that you’re going to buy James Adomian’s debut album Low Hangin Fruit available from Earwolf here on Mon. Aug. 13th because he is one of the funniest people on the planet and we happen to be at a few of the tapings where it was a flood of applause breaks, but we just wanted to remind you of the date.

Watch Episode 1 of ‘Overrated’/Kurt Metzger and Joe Derosa vs. Pop Culture

Kurt Metzger and Joe Derosa are really funny even in just talking about random topics, which is why Overrated, their new series on YouTube’s Official Comedy, is the perfect platform to rant on anything like they do with their first episode on worst performances by rappers in movies.

Comedy Podcasting Gets Two More Networks

Both Splitsider and Jay Mohr made the burgeoning world of comedy podcasting even more burgeoning-y by bringing together a handful of podcasts into a their own respective networks. The Splitsider Podcast Network and FakeMustache.com just launched today and already have deservingly popular podcasts within their families including Nikki Glaser and Sara Schaefer’s You Had To Be There (Splitsider) and Talkin’ Shit with Jim and Eddie (FakeMustache.com).

With this news, we wonder if podcast networks will get big enough to have a Development Department?

It’s a Double Galifianakis Day Today…

We know that ‘Double Galifianakis Day’ isn’t a real thing, but wouldn’t it be great if it was?

Get a preview of how awesome that would be with Zach Galifianakis and his current partner in crime/Campaign co-star Will Ferrell debating school children/the system on Funny or Die and part 2 of his chat with Paul F. Tompkins on Speakeasy.

Get Glenn Wool’s New Album Recorded in Alaska

First off, if you’ve never heard of Glenn Wool, first off, we’re sorry that we couldn’t call you up and tell you about how wonderful a comedian he is. Touring the world as a comedic nomad, Wool is a one-of-a-kind experience that takes you soaring through his material that’s relatable enough for a bar crowd in Alaska (this latest recording took place at Chilkoot Charlie’s) and more than enough layers and cleverness and daring (has one of the best religion jokes we’ve heard in a while) for the comedy nerd to savor and, even more importantly, a performance rousing to the point where it’s a joy to hear Wool’s voice that’s a mix between laid-back Canadian and dramatic Shakespearean actor and a punk rock roar.

You can, and definitely should, hear all of that put on display on Wool’s latest album I’ll Ask Her, just released today, from Stand Up Records.

Hannibal Buress Kicks It With Pitchfork Outside of His Show at the Knitting Factory

Pitchfork’s +1 web series delves into a bit of comedy when chatting with Hannibal Buress in Brooklyn near his show at the Knitting Factory. Seeing Buress in his element at his show is great as he shares the stage with Eric Andre of whose show he co-hosts, a story about taking ecstasy at a SNL party, as well as telling some guy off walking by who has no idea who Hannibal is.

HBOGO Has New Web Series From Brody Stevens and Garfunkel and Oates

We’re so happy to hear the premiere of both Brody Stevens and Garfunkel and Oates have shows at HBO, even though you’ll need HBOGO to watch them. Brody Stevens: Enjoy It and Garfunkel and Oates have several episodes up of their first seasons, so, if you’re lucky enough to have HBO and subsequently HBOGO (the way to watch HBO online) or have a friend that does, bask in the hilarity that you exclusively get to watch.

Lynn Shawcroft Opens Up About Mitch Hedberg and His Notebooks

Web series Modern Comedian from Scott Moran has another great episode featuring Lynn Shawcroft sharing stories and what it was like living with Mitch Hedberg and his daydreaming. There’s also a great detailed look into Mitch’s writing process and his notebooks, from which we have concluded, should make for an entirely new Mitch Hedberg font.