julie seabough

Of all the comedy documentaries that came out this year, it’s pretty much imperative that you watch Too Soon: Comedy After 9/11 from Julie Seabaugh and Nick Fituri Scown before all the others. It’s exhaustive chronicling of comedy about 9/11 from the point of 9/11 to now is astounding and gets into the elemental parts of comedy and, specifically, how we heal, individually and as a culture, from unspeakable, historic tragedy.

While you can watch it online, you really not to ought to miss a very exclusive, in-person screening presented by the New York Comedy Festival where there will be deleted scenes and clips from international versions of the doc that have not been seen by U.S. audiences (i.e. way more 9/11 jokes and stories about 9/11 jokes that are absolutely worth watching).

This extra special screening of Too Soon: Comedy After 9/11 is set for Fri. Nov. 12th at Stonestreet Studios at NYU Tisch School of the Arts. Tickets are $10 right now and you better go snag them here.

Mark Your Calendars for 9/8 when “Too Soon: Comedy After 9/11” Premieres

August 18, 2021

News

9/11 jokes, comedy documentary, documentary, gilbert gottfried, ian edwards, jeff ross, julie seabough, laurie kilmartin, matthew broderick, nathan lane, Nick Fituri Scown

Sept. 8th, 2021 will see the arrival of one of the best documentaries not only about comedy, but about the very DNA of jokes, the audiences hearing them amidst a historic tragedy, and the truly undeniably healing power of laughter.

Too Soon: Comedy After 9/11, co-directed by Nick Fituri Scown and Julie Seabaugh, has been long in the works aiming for a release nearing the 20 year anniversary of the events of September 11th, 2001. Even in the excerpt of their doc that recounted the story of The Onion having to put its first issue out after moving offices to NYC after 9/11, we were spellbound by the depth and scope of perspectives weaved together. The feature length Too Soon goes all over the place covering comedy in the days leading up to it, as it happened, and, of course, the fallout/the discovery of ways to joke about/laugh about one of America’s darkest days.

Interviews range from Gilbert Gottfried, who was lambasted for his 9/11 jokes being akin to the doc’s title, to Nathan Lane & Matthew Broderick, who were doing a run of The Producers on Broadway at the time, to Scott Thompson, who attempted a terrorist themed solo comedy show, to Jeff Ross, Laurie Kilmartin, Ian Edwards, and numerous other comedians and people in comedy.

When it comes to joking about the taboo, this doc really shows how much people just need and utilize humor to get through the darkness (not unlike the current and perpetual moment of COVID-19).

With that in mind, you might want to catch it Too Soon: Comedy After 9/11 on Sept 8th on ViceTV.

Julie Seabaugh’s “Ringside at Roast Battle” Captures the History of the International Comedy Phenomenon

August 8, 2018

Uncategorized

comedy history, comedy store, julie seabough, roast battle, troy conrad

Roast Battle is, at this point in time, one of the most exciting series on Comedy Central’s schedule, a partial lifeblood of The Comedy Store, officially franchised to several countries around the world, and proof positive that any taboo subject can be made into comedy.

It wasn’t too long ago that two open mic’ers were stopped short of a full brown brawl at the parking lot of The Comedy Store and subsequently told to write and deliver roast jokes about each other.

Ringside at Roast Battle: The First Five Years of LA’s Fight Club for Comedians by Julie Seabaugh (one of the most veteran comedy journalists around) captures all of that history from inception to its current status as an international sensation in this book. it should only come as a little surprising that the rise of a trash talking contest is fraught with drama and Julie, one of Roast Battle’s most frequent attendants, tackles it all in wondrous detail. The accompanying photos in the book are taken by Roast Battle’s photographer, Troy Conrad.

Ringside at Roast Battle, just released today, is a marvelous edition of comedy history that’s still happening and you can and very much should go get it here.

Pick of the Day: Too Soon: Comedy After 9/11 Screening (+ Deleted Scenes) (in NYC) 11/12

Mark Your Calendars for 9/8 when “Too Soon: Comedy After 9/11” Premieres

Julie Seabaugh’s “Ringside at Roast Battle” Captures the History of the International Comedy Phenomenon