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Morning Debriefing 3/7/12

1) If Key & Peele’s Flicker sketch was made into a movie, we’d feel like it would be a summer blockbuster.

2) Tonight on Conan, meaning schedule your DVRs or wait for the online clips tomorrow morning, both Ed Helms and Kumail Nanjiani will be appearing (TBS 11PM).

3) You can catch part of the South Beach Comedy Festival this Fri. at 12PM as Comedy Central’s streaming one of their shows online with Kevin Biggins, Dan Soder, Renee Gauthier, and more.

4) Moshe Kasher’s Kasher in the Rye got a recommendation and a nod to the title from the Los Angeles Magazine! Don’t forget about his live book release events later this month.

                

5) Check out the line-ups for the third season of John Oliver’s NY Stand-Up Show…

6) John Turturro, Sofia Vergara, and Sharon Stone are joining Woody Allen in Allen’s next comedy where he and Turturro will be gigolos.

7) This week’s 5 Most Intentionally Funny Videos is up at the Nerdist with “Anne, Frankly”, “Miss Wallflower USA”, and more.

8) Don’t know what comedy albums to listen to lately so you just go ahead and get into Sleigh Bells? We’ve got you covered.

9) NBC’s Community met the trailer for Ridley Scott’s upcoming Prometheus.

10) On today’s Puddin’, Eddie Pepitone demonstrates, with the help of Megan Amram, the best way to ask a co-worker out.

11) Developing a joke is an incredibly difficult process to capture and then present to people in a way that’s easy to understand. For instance, very few other jobs let you get it wrong so many times.

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Morning Debriefing 3/6/12

1) Doug Stanhope’s “Before Turning the Gun on Himself” is out today. Get it. 

2) The 2nd Annual Comedy Awards just released their nominations with Bridesmaids, 30 Rock, Modern Family, and Louis CK getting plenty of recognition. Also, the Artist, again?

3) Also in just announced news, the Bridgetown Comedy Festival just released their line-up and, with it, coming closer and closer to a comedy mecca.

4) One of our favorite live shows, Set List: the Improvised Stand-Up Show is touring around the world again.

5) The Throwing Shade podcast with Bryan Safi & Erin Gibson just got welcomed to the Max Fun family!

6) Brown Paper Tickets and The Spit Take have an open spot for a non-profit or community-oriented organization for a free information table at their SXSW comedy show in Austin (8:30PM Wed. Mar 14th at Esther’s Follies). At the table will be Todd Barry, Brendon Walsh, Mike Lawrence, Kristine Levine, DC Pierson and host Nick Turner. If interested in spreading the word about a group/cause can email Julie Seabaugh at julie@brownpapertickets.com.  

7) Rick Shapiro just came out with a book, which, almost unsurprisingly, is titled “Unfiltered”.

8) Yahoo! is joining in the branded web comedy league. Based off the Hunger Games parody yesterday, they might have some good stuff coming down the line.

9) Gallery 1988 is going for Round 2 of “Is This Thing On?” featuring art inspired by funny people.

10) The International TV Festival is looking for comedy web series submissions…

11) The idea that a bar fight would even almost arise at an open mic over a guy being obviously uncomfortable with cross dressing is ludicrous, especially when the cross dresser is our good friend and funny comedian, Rye Silverman. 

12) “What Happens in Echo Park, Stays Recorded on a Podcast” Can we make this a slogan?

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Morning Debriefing 3/5/12

1) Just as you had hoped, THERE ARE lost episodes of Henry Phillips’ Henry’s Kitchen… 

2) Chris Hardwick made the official launch announcement for the Nerdist Channel on YouTube as a zombie.

3) “The Hungry Games” is our favorite Hunger Games parody thus far and we haven’t even read any of the books (We’re not a “popular literature bureau”, OK?). 

4) Whether remembering what it was like starting in out stand-up or wondering what it entails, read Kevin Hawkins account of exactly that and feel better about doing comedy/getting into it.

5) Jason Segel may not be a part of the next Muppets movie at all, but not, apparently, for any “creative differences”.

6) Don Rickles has an app of his own, even though, at some point, he’s probably joked about how he’s still wondering what the hell this thing is.

7) Hannibal Buress really did just walked on stage, without any permission, with a whole bunch of rappers and their entourages and got away with it, not to mention live-tweeting it.

8) Nick Ciarelli finally discovered the conversation between John Wilkes Booth and his horse after shooting Lincoln. Yes, this is “real”.

9) We’re still doing our ticket giveaway to Anna David’s True Tales of Lust and Love if you want to tell us how lonely you’re feeling…

10) On today’s Puddin’, Eddie Pepitone challenges Megan Amram in “letter to the editor” writing.

11) This whole week a giant rock will be traveling through LA county to be placed as a “sculpture” at LACMA at 8 MPH, which is at least a million times faster than anyone getting comparable recognition in comedy.

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Morning Debriefing 3/4/12

1) Ben Stiller’s Red Hour to launch web series “Burning Love” with Insurge Pictures on Yahoo’s upcoming comedy channel featuring Ken Marino, Malin Akerman, Kristen Bell, Michael Ian Black, Ken Jeong, Adam Scott, and more.

2) The cast of Community along with creator Dan Harmon chatted about their return in less than two weeks at Paleyfest…

3) Don’t miss Kelly Carlin’s Sirius XM show today with guest Eddie Izzard 4PM PST, Ch. 99 (You have Sirius XM, right?)

4) The Moontower Comedy Festival in Austin, TX has, by the looks of it, more than a healthy line-up coming up and Sean Patton, one of our favorites, will undoubtedly get some of his most hilarious friends like Kyle Kinane to come to New Orleans, LA this week.

5) One of our favorite Adult Swim shows from last year, NTSF:SD:SUV, starts shooting this week!

6) Not only will this week’s Holy Fuck! (the downtown LA Comedy show, not the Electronica group) have Andy Kindler, TJ Miller, Hannibal Buress, and more, they will also have T-shirts for $10 that we strongly suggest you pick up

7) Joining TJ Miller, Brian Posehn, Kumail Nanjiani, and more in a R-rated stop motion picture about saving someone from accidentally going to hell will be Mila Kunis, who plays a “half-sy” demon. Hopefully, comedies set in hell will now have a better film for itself than Little Nicky.

8) Wax Mitch Hedberg nostalgia with woodburnings of his jokes…

9) We all need to get a Kickstarter for Will Weldon’t Most Inspirational Sports Movie of All Time because it sounds awesome (even if it ends up spiting him because he was being really fucking sarcastic).

10) If you watch as much comedy as I do, you’ll probably have this thought, “If they would have said ‘bottom bitch’ instead of ‘good friends’ that would have got such a big laugh.”

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Morning Debriefing 3/3/12

1) Wanna a teaser of who’s performing at the Bridgetown Comedy Festival in Portland? (Just pretended like you asked the question if you’re the small percentage that didn’t think that) Well, here you go. More names to be announced on Mon.

2) In Will Ferrell news, there might be a Step Brothers 2…

3) You do know that Kumail Nanjiani and Mike Lawrence will be performing on Conan next week, right?

4) Dana Gould sat down with LA Weekly and chatted about how advertises The Dana Gould Hour by yelling out of his car on Sunset Blvd. and more.

5) Who do you want to see at the Riot LA Comedy Festival? They’re taking suggestions. Off the top of our heads, we’d like to see Emo Phillips, Steven Wright, and Conan O’Brien.

6) Aziz Ansari got a shout out presidential style.

7) MAN OH MAN, it’s no surprise that Roger Ebert hates Tim & Eric’s Billion Dollar Movie.

8) Watch “Hannibal Buress vs. Jon Dore in HORSE” vs. “Katie Crown as a Random Pregnant Lady”.

9) Eddie Pepitone yelling is pretty hilarious even if it’s about IMBD. 

10) I’d thought that people would have gotten over trying to curb what comedians say, but I often forget that stupid often begets stupid.

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Morning Debriefing 3/2/12

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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Morning Debriefing 3/1/12

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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Morning Debriefing 2/29/12

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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Morning Debriefing 2/28/12

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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Morning Debriefing 2/27/12

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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Morning Debriefing 2/26/12

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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Morning Debriefing 2/25/12

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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