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Morning Debriefing 2/24/12

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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Morning Debriefing 2/23/12

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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Morning Debriefing 2/22/12

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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Morning Debriefing 2/21/12

1) OK, SXSW has a pretty damn good comedy line-up. James Adomian, Kristen Schaal, Kyle Kinane, Pete Holmes, Jon Hodgman, Reggie Watts, The Super Serious Show, Bob’s Burgers, WTF, Set List, and way WAY more.

2) It’s been awhile, but some worthy comedy albums came out today that might make you think twice about just buying Sleigh Bells’ new album: Garfunkel & Oates’ Slippery When Moist & Billy Wayne Davis (self-titled).

3) Last night on late night, Todd Glass discussed his WTF announcement on Fallon. Tonight, David Wain will be on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (NBC 12:35AM), Bill Maher on the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (CBS 12:35AM), Alec Baldwin on The Late Show with David Letterman (CBS 11:35PM), and Rob Riggle on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (NBC 11:35PM). Also, don’t forget about Key & Peele on Comedy Central, 10:30PM.

4) A survey by the NY Times claims that young men find comedy essential when viewing themselves and others. Is that supposed to mean comedy’s winning or something?

5) Executively produced by Judd Apatow and written, directed by star Lena Dunham, Girls shows promise to fill in for the comedies that HBO cancelled.

6) Coming soon: The Marc (Maron) & Tom (Scharpling) Show. Need we say more?

7) Possibly, the most tweeted moment at the Oscars will be when Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis, just announced, are presenting.

8) You will be able to buy the book that Stephen Colbert just made up while annoying legendary children’s author Maurice Sendak very soon.

9) The Spit Take wants you to know that you should be watching Ron Funches just like we do.

10) Nick Offerman just joined the Diablo Cody movie that is, unfortunately, not Sweet Valley High.

11) The latest episode of This Better Be Funny (that’s our podcast) found hosts Jake Kroeger and Jeremy Paul in guest Candice Thompson’s car following the comedic thread of cocoa-butter infused vaseline to find that Candice didn’t know who Lando Calrissian was as well as discussing the validity of being an ecdysiast (stripper).

12) We’re moving our ticket giveaway up to this Thurs. at 5PM. Get your answers in for most deserving Oscar/Razzie winner tickets to this Sun. Salute to Movie Night.

13) I once laughed at someone’s resume because they had “having fun” as one of their special skills, thinking that it was stupid. I don’t laugh about that anymore, especially when I bomb on stage, but it’s still stupid to put on your resume.

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Morning Debriefing 2/20/12

1) Not many surprises with comedy at the WGA Awards with: 
Midnight in Paris for Best Original Screenplay 
Modern Family for Best Comedy Series and Best Comedy Episode 
The Colbert Report for Best Comedy/Variety Series Including Talk Shows

Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception for Best Video Game? Hmmm….

2) Even in a short, out-of-context clip, Pixar still is able to promise something both funny and endearing in their new short “La Luna” to be release with their upcoming full length feature Brave.

3) Tonight on late night, Todd Glass is sure to cause some sort of hilarious ruckus on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (NBC 12:35AM)

4) Mike Birbiglia on Letterman.

5) TJ Miller’s rapping makes more sense with a music video with a bunch of people that are out of place.

6) There are only 9 days left for the Creek and the Cave’s Kickstarter and they’re barely half-way funded. Give some bucks to some of the best comedy in NYC.

7) Win tickets to “Salute to Movie Night” this Sun. by giving (via e-mail to thecomedybureau@gmail.com by 12PM 2/21) the best answer to this question: As Sandra Bullock has won both an Oscar for her performance in The Blind Side and a Razzie for her role in All About Steve in 2009, who else, in your opinion, has won an Academy Award in any year throughout Oscars history, and also deserved a Razzie for another film they were involved in that same year?

8) Thankfully, The Colbert Report announced that it’s resuming production…

9) According to @TrendsLA on Twitter, a comedian by the name of Patt O. Noswalt trended at the same time Patton Oswalt was live-tweeting Downton Abbey.

10) Today, I read that someone with cerebral palsy did stand-up with the aid of an iPad and my first thought was, “I couldn’t get away with using an iPad on stage. That’s BULLSHIT.” Yep, I’m a comedian.

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Morning Debriefing 2/19/12

1) At 10PM tonight, the eyes of the comedy world, well-the ones that can afford HBO anyway, will be on the return of Eastbound and Down followed by the premiere of Ricky Gervais’ new series Life’s Too Short w/Warwick Davis at 10PM & 10:30PM respectively. If you can afford, your eyes should be too.

2) OK network television, if you want to make another police drama procedural, take a cue from Narc Cop. [via henlips]

3) The Simpsons can check off another thing on their increasingly shorter bucket list with having rejected episode ideas tweeted out.

4) This interview with Doug Stanhope about politics actually reads like a set from Doug on why you shouldn’t vote.

5) How about that? The NY Times gives “China, Il” a nice write-up.

6) At 3PM, we will be doing our very first ticket giveaway via some TBD challenge we’re currently thinking of! Next Sun. Feb. 26th, The Mint LA will be having “Salute to Movie Night”, which will basically be Rob Delaney, Moshe Kasher, Jonah Ray, and more riffing on the Oscars during the Oscars telecast. Sound like fun and you don’t have $10-$12 to spend? You’re answer was, of course, yes, so check back at 3PM…

7) We’ve been wondering what James Pumphrey of the Midnight Show meant when he posted “We sign mad contracts. #tms.” along with the picture below of Michael Busch, producer of the Midnight Show signing, perhaps, a “mad contract”. We hope that means The Midnight Show is going to be somewhere on TV… 

8) As far as shows that have been confirmed, green-lit, etc. that we are all excited for, check out set photos from anticipated upcoming TV comedy series (like Bunk w/Kurt Braunohler and the Eric Andre Show) that will make you have an “ah-ha” moment when you see the set photo match with the sketch/bit.

9) Every person that performs comedy permanently has the pervading fear that they will get a test screening report of their performance similar to this one that David Cronenberg’s Videodrome got.

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Morning Debriefing 2/18/12

1) For those in the know, Mash-Up has been officially green-lit by Comedy Central. For those not in the know, one of the most exciting stand-up series in a while hosted by TJ Miller featuring anyone from Matt Braunger to Kyle Kinane to Hannibal Buress and more has just been given the go-ahead. 

2) Liezl Estipona is delving into a Vol. 2 of Liezl Was Here: Adventures in Comedy Photography…

3) Ricky Gervais gave a better idea of how mean “Life’s Too Short” is going to be on Fallon.

4) Watch Jeffrey Tambor think that he’s doing an Arrested Development movie and not get through his sleep apnea story on Ferguson.

5) Want more details on the upcoming Monty Python film Absolutely Anything? Of course you do.

6) Here’s a brief clip from an upcoming album from Katie Crown and subsequently why we should all be happier after to listening to Crown’s stand-up.

7) All the speculation has been put to rest as the Colbert Report has stopped production due to a serious illness that has stricken Colbert’s 91-year old mother.

8) Check out yet another a lovely episode of Louie v. Rick, the cat and owner who text message each other.

9) I’m so glad that a significant portion of LA’s population was out to see comedy last night. I know this because I couldn’t sneak into several shows.

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Morning Debriefing 2/17/12

1) Joan Rivers and Steve Martin gave us a reminder of their hilarity last night on Letterman and Conan, respectively. Also, Rebecca Romijn had sex fantasies with Steve Martin in the after watching the Jerk. Perhaps, that when the mark where “you’ve made it in comedy”.

2) Tonight on late night, Ricky Gervais will be on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon not talking about atheism and/or bestiality(?) (NBC 12:35AM) and both Kristen Wiig and Mike Birbiglia will stop by the Late Show with David Letterman (CBS 11:35PM)

3) Yes, we’re all excited about Louis CK having been on Parks and Recreation again last night, but everyone should watch for the hilarious Kristine Levine making a cameo on Portlandia (IFC 10PM).

4) The Maine Comedy Festival is looking for comedians that want festival exposure.

5) “Reanimator: The Musical leads LA Weekly Theater Awards nominations”…

6) There seems to be something up with the Shorty Awards nominees in regards to the “Comedian category”… 

7) Two interviews of funny people worth your time: Hannibal Buress & Casey Rose Wilson.

8) It’s actually impossible to have an opinion on Lana Del Rey. Check out our “theory” at the Nerdist.

9) If you don’t know Jeremy Paul, his Naked Jeremy’s Declarative Statements will make sure that you do and never ever forget…

10) If you were to make a pie chart of comedians that haven’t been to a form of therapy, would that pie chart even have slices?

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Morning Debriefing 2/16/12

1) Bill Maher perhaps, “one-ups” CK and Gaffigan by announcing that his new special will air on Thurs. Feb. 23rd 7:30PM PST on Yahoo.  

2) The Comic’s Comic has got the lowdown who is taping the upcoming Comedy Central half-hour specials… 

3) Last night on late night, Jon Stewart tried to stop himself in a bit on Letterman and Myq Kaplan crushed on Conan. Tonight on late night, Jeffrey Tambor will hopefully keep our hopes about Arrested Development on the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (CBS 12:35AM), and legend Joan Rivers will be on the Late Show with David Letterman (CBS 11:35PM), as well as legend Steve Martin will be on Conan (TBS 11PM)

4) The Eugene Mirman Comedy Festival is on its way to Seattle!

5) A Second City Tokyo? That’s right…

6) Did you guys know that Chris Fairbanks special “Fairly Uncertain” is completely on YouTube?

7) The Colbert Report briefly stopped production, hopefully, for Colbert to further scheme his way in this year’s presidential race.

8) Community’s Gillian Jacobs will be in a magician comedy with Steve Carell, yet there is no report of Pete Holmes (creator of one of the funniest jokes about magic) being involved.

9) In honor of the 1 Year anniversary of Puddin’, we picked 10 of our favorite episodes.

10) I get irked every time a comedian signs off from a set by saying, “I’ve been [their name]” as if they’re returning a far off island of cynical people.

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Morning Debriefing 2/15/12

1) …and everything is going according to plan since Jim Gaffigan just announced he’ll be following the Louis CK model of producing his next special and self-distributing it via his website.

2) Last night on late night, Ricky Gervais DIDN’T talk about atheism on the Daily Show. Tonight on late night, Bill Maher will show off his wit on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno (NBC 11:35PM) and Jon Stewart will match wits with David Letterman on the Late Show (CBS 11:35PM)

3) New SNL cast members are being auditioned…

4) If you were having trouble with your significant other yesterday because of Valentine’s Day, you should have listened to Al Sharpton and his romance advice on the Soup.

5) Jeff Ross chatted with Huffington Post Comedy about the necessity of a comedian to go too far.

6) Nick Turner is hilarious as a lot of things. It just so happens that one of them is being temp. (please watch this new web series “King Temp” right now)

7) Upcoming comedy album-ness includes Garfunkel & Oates "Slippery When Moist" (Feb. 21st), Doug Stanhope “Before Turning the Gun On Himself” (listen to a sample on Laughspin’s homepage, and Dylan Brody “Chronological Disorder” also on Feb. 21st.

8) YES! MORE COMEDY IN PRINT! Welcome the Pendulous Breasts Quarterly with contributors from the Onion, the Colbert Report, and more.

9) OK, Niggas in Paris at Midnight is pretty well mashed up.

10) Check out this week’s 5 Most Intentionally Funny Videos on the Nerdist to catch an atypical foreign comedy, Dana Gould as a Dr. Zaius Mark Twain, and more.

11) Really Paramount? As a talking animals video went viral and is now being adapted into a feature length film, it turns out America’s Funniest Home Videos was WAY ahead of it’s time.

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Morning Debriefing 2/14/12

1) There will be a season 2 of Key & Peele!

2) Just in time for Valentine’s Day, Doug Stanhope announces the upcoming release of his new album, “Before Turning the Gun on Himself”.

3) John Hodgman will make a cameo on Community and hopefully he’ll play his “Deranged Millionaire” character that mistakenly making a speech at Greendale.

4) Today marks the 1 Year Anniversary of Puddin’, so you should watch this episode, laugh, then slow clap by yourself for one of the most prolific web series ever.

5) The new Ghostbusters movie may move on without Bill Murray and a whole new Occupy joke may be born.

6) Ricky Gervais vs. Jon Stewart on the Daily Show tonight (Comedy Central 11PM)

7) Aziz Ansari is starting a new tour, “Buried Alive” appropriately started with a neat retro poster.

8) Vimeo is having a Vimeo Festival + Awards that you can submit for!

9) The best Valentine’s Day Cards we’ve seen today come from Ben Kling (via Jackie Kashian).

10) The inimitable Kurt Braunohler was on the latest episode of This American Life talking about, essentially, what was the plot for a romantic comedy, but in real life.

11) Check out the nominees for this year’s INNY Awards (awards for improv from Improvisation News)

12) Nick Offerman really has a woodshop that you can really purchase things from, which include mustache combs.

13) On this episode of This Better Be Funny, Jake Kroeger (the Comedy Bureau Director), Jeremy Paul, and guest David Rosenberg see what you can say that won’t get you kicked out of a Denny’s.

14) “YOU DON’T NEED TO ASK PERMISSION TO DO IMPRESSIONS! YOU HAVE A FUCKING MICROPHONE ALREADY THAT YOU PROBABLY SAID "CUNT” INTO, SO JUST GO AHEAD AND IMPERSONATE A SOMEWHAT SPECIFIC DESCRIPTION OF YOURSELF THAT YOU WERE GOING TO DO WITH OR WITHOUT PERMISSION!“ What I was screaming in my head last night at a show, but didn’t say.

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Morning Debriefing 2/12/12

1) Petition Weird Al Yankovic to play the Super Bowl next year because the Super Bowl Half Time Show is big enough of an event to have itself parodied.

2) Lost Moon Radio released their 2nd album, Ready for Love, just in time for Valentine’s Day, which is will be a perfect remedy to staying inside all day avoiding seeing couples in love.

3) Henry Phillips’ Henry’s Kitchen has gone worldwide! (there’s an episode dubbed in French with Chinese subtitles)

4) Andy Wood found that Bartlett’s Quotations is missing quite a few quotes from the most famous minds throughout history.

5) Next Monday, Feb. 20th, The Hollywood Fringe Festival will be having a mixer at Three Clubs 7PM, which would be a really great opportunity to get more comedy into the Hollywood version of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

6) Want a March Madness for sitcoms throughout the lexicon of television history in Feb.? Splitsider’s got you covered.

7) Check out this dope new Good Neighbor video because HS kids from Huntington Beach trying to make a news show out of their garage is pretty funny.

8) So the limits of comedy will be tested yet again as the Grammys are tonight on CBS 8PM EST (though it seems there will be a delay that won’t make the telecast available at 5PM PST for the West Coast) and Twitter timelines will be filled with bickering over joking about the late Whitney Houston and what everyone is wearing. Just an FYI.

9) An unequivocal mark of success in the entertainment industry is when a bunch of punk ass kids who have the anonymity of the Internet make jokes that are mostly terrible, especially if you’re not a comedian, as soon as you die.

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Morning Debriefing 2/11/12

1) Though Hulu (at the time we posted this) tells you to watch Neil Brennan on Fallon, watch Neal Brennan prove humans are assholes on Fallon.

2) There was a Team Coco live show at the UCB Theatre in LA and Eddie Pepitone performed without being the heckler.

3) Did you have any idea that CMT, Country Music Television, had a stand-up competition and it has the very funny Shane Mauss and Dave Stone (Beards of Comedy) competing?

4) JFL Montreal has job opportunities!

5) While we got live comedy in LA covered, you can check out live stand-up dates around the country at Dead Frog by just typing in your zip code.

6) Study up on the comedic brilliance of Dario Russo, the person responsible for one of our favorite web series Danger 5. We’re sure that there will be a quiz on this at some point.

7) See Lizzy Cooperman as one of the Three’s Company cast on roller skates invading Suzanne Somers air time. Yes, this is real.

8) What happens when well read nymphomaniacs go on a dry spell? They create a web series like Jeremy Paul did.

9) Jim Hamilton tells his version of the “curiosity killed the cat” story, but with more of Catfish twist.

10) Davey Johnson gives Sex Ed’s “Sex Ed” on the latest What’s What.

11) I just recorded a podcast in a Denny’s. That’ll definitely be one of those moments in my comedy career.

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