satire

“The Death of Stalin” Trailer Promises the Latest and Greatest from Armando Iannucci

August 11, 2017

armando iannucci, death of stalin, joseph stalin, parody, political comedy, satire, trailer

Armando Iannucci, the singular mind behind In The Loop, The Thick of It, and Veep, has been hard at work with his latest offering, The Death of Stalin. Basically, Iannucci brings his special brand of rapid fire dark political comedy to the events and subsequent power vacuum following the sudden death of infamous Russian dictator Joseph Stalin.

Suffice it to say.that it looks glorious.

The trailer, just released today, promises something quite extraordinary with a fantastic cast that includes Jeffrey Tambor, Steve Buscemi, Michael Palin, Paddy Considine, Jason Isaacs, and more as power hungry Russian higher-ups bickering Iannucci style.

See for yourself in the trailer here.

The Death of Stalin is slated for a UK release on Oct. 20th. Keep a close for a U.S. release date.

Netflix Will Be Poking Fun at Themselves with Mockumentary “American Vandal”

honest trailers, mini series, mockumentary, netflix, parody, poking fun, satire, trailer

Much of Netflix’s success can be attributed to series like true crime docu-series Making a Murderer and The Keepers.

That being the case, Netflix want to take parodies of their hit series into their own hands. Thus, Tony Yacenda (Pillow Talking), Dan Perrault (Honest Trailers, one of the Internet’s best parody series), and Dan Lagana (from the highly underrated Zach Stone Is Gonna Be Famous) made this new mockumentary series, American Vandal.

Think of it as a bit of a cross between Making a Murderer and Superbad.

See for yourself in the trailer.

American Vandal streams on Netflix starting on Friday, September 15th.

Colbert’s Cartoon Trump to Get Its Own Show on Showtime

animated series, cartoon trump, chris licht, donald trump, parody, satire, showtime, spin off, stephen colbert

Colbert’s Cartoon Trump to Get Its Own Show on Showtime

As a sitting U.S. President, Trump might just have broken new ground by provoking two major cable TV networks to order series that portray a clearly negative version of him even though he’s the lead character. We’re pretty sure that has never happened to any other U.S. President.

Yet, The President Show on Comedy Central and this newly ordered ‘Cartoon Trump’ spin-off from The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’s Cartoon Trump segments on Showtime furthers Trump being in a class that’s all his own.

Both Colbert and Late Show’s Chris Licht will be helming the project.

Comedy Central Quadruples Down on Political/Topical Comedy Front with “The Opposition with Jordan Klepper”, a “Goatface” Sketch Special, Extending “The Jim Jefferies Show” and “The President Show”

comedy central, comedy special, goatface comedy, jim jefferies, jordan klepper, political comedy, satire

Comedy Central announced a bunch of things today, many of which show where the cable network is setting their sails for. The prevailing winds are political and topical satire and, as such, Comedy Central will:

–Have The President Show take over the midnight slot from @midnight on September 28th for an additional 7 episodes
–Position “The Opposition with Jordan Klepper” as the new companion to The Daily Show, starting September 25th, that will specifically satirize the world that folks like Alex Jones see/”artistically express”
–Give an hour long sketch comedy special to Goatface Comedy, a group comprised of Hasan Minhaj (The Daily Show), Asif Ali (Wrecked), Fahim Anwar (There’s No Business Like Show Business), and Aristotle Athiras that satirizes everything from their unique perspectives
–Extend The Jim Jefferies Show for ten more episodes, which will begin on September 19th after a few weeks off.

As Netflix, FX, and HBO continue to dominate in the original scripted comedy and stand-up, Comedy Central is, consequently, putting a lot of their chips down on topical/political comedy and satire.

Hopefully, this will work out for them and all of these shows/specials just like it has for Colbert in being the late night leader as the most politically outspoken big time late night host.

connor ratliff, george lucas, george lucas talk show, hollywood, parody, satire, talk show, ucb

Connor Ratliff’s The George Lucas Talk Show, the clever and popular reworking of the talk show where he plays, you guessed it, George Lucas as a talk show host is returning to LA once again on Sunday, July 23rd at 9PM at UCB Sunset.

With all the recent Han Solo movie drama that has happened recently, you’ll bet Ratliff’s Lucas will have a thing or two to say.

Tickets are $7 and you can (and should) get them here.

The rest of our listings for comedy shows, events, open mics, maps, and more can be found at www.thecomedybureau.com.

comedy show, hollywood, hollywood fringe, los angeles, lucia brizzi, parody, satire, self help, talia brava

If you’re into diving into seeing one of the shows at the Hollywood Fringe Festival going on right now, check out Lucia Brizzi’s Tony Robbins Netflix Special Special.

Basically, it’s an attempt at a self-help special by someone watched self-help magnate Tony Robbins, but clearly still needs help in their life. The result is a damn fun deconstruction of self-help that’s coming apart at its own seams.

They have one more engagement at the Hollywood Fringe this Saturday, June 24th at Three Clubs. Tickets are $12 and you can (and should) get them here.

The rest of our listings for comedy shows, events, open mics, maps, and more can be found at www.thecomedybureau.com.

The President Show Observes How Trump Might to Make One of Those “Great” Deals While Golfing

anthony atamanuik, comedy central, donald trump, golf, parody, president show, satire

When all is said and done with Trump, we have no doubt that The President Show with Anthony Atamanuik as Trump will be thoroughly referenced and cited in the history books because of wonderful work as shown in this remote segment.

Watch Trailer for HBO’s Latest Sports Comedy Special “Tour De Pharmacy”

andy samberg, daveed diggs, hbo, john cena, lance armstrong, orlando bloom, parody, satire, sports comedy, tour de france, tour de pharmacy

HBO has already done specials parodying tennis, 7 Days in Hell, and baseball, Ferrell Takes the Field. Now, they’re moving on to the world of competitive cycling, specifically the part where they catch athletes using PEDs.

Called Tour De Pharmacy, they’ve got Andy Samberg, John Cena, Daveed Diggs, Orlando Bloom, Freddie Highmore, and even, somehow, Lance Armstrong playing a part in this Tour De France send-up.

See for yourself in this trailer.

Look for the premiere on July 8th at 10PM on HBO.

Megan Amram Pens an Open Letter from Trump’s Doctor Harold Bornstein

harold bornstein, megan amram, open letter, parody, satire, trump

Megan Amram Pens an Open Letter from Trump’s Doctor Harold Bornstein

Every once in awhile, Megan Amram posts a gem on her Tumblr. This latest work is a send-up of Trump’s doctor that you probably know from pictures of his goofy looking mug, Dr. Harold Bornstein, via a satirical open letter.

Amram writes as Bornstein:

Mr. Trump is not only the healthiest president that has ever served, but also the most handsome. I usually want to kiss President Trump when I see him, but I would never break the doctor-patient trust, so instead I kiss the portrait of him I drew on my little note pad. There have been no presidents that even come close to President Trump in terms of overall health and hotness. Franklin Pierce was pretty hot, but his body wasn’t great. James Garfield was more cute than hot. President Trump is the total package. I know this because of my stethoscope.

Read and enjoy the rest here.

The President Show Has Trump Visit a School (and Hide Away from the Nasty Grown Up World of Being POTUS)

anthony atamanuik, comedy central, late night donald, parody, president show, satire

Perhaps, this might be the most accurate portrayal of POTUS Trump yet.

Watch and enjoy Anthony Atamanuik’s brilliance here.

Andrew Jackson Visited The President Show and Donald Trump as a Hallucination and Gave a History Lesson

andrew jackson, anthony atamanuik, neil casey, parody, satire, trump

This segment shows how The President Show can satirize Trump happenings and gaffes beautifully and in a way that other late night shows really can’t do.

So, watch Neil Casey and Anthony Atamanuik as Andrew Jackson and Donald Trump address Trump’s very poor understanding and knowledge of U.S. History displayed this week.

Modern Family’s Danny Zuker Imagines What a Trump White House Correspondents Dinner Speech Might Be Like

danny zuker, modern family, parody, satire, whcd, white house correspondents dinner

Modern Family’s Danny Zuker Imagines What a Trump White House Correspondents Dinner Speech Might Be Like

Since Trump will not be attending this year’s White House Correspondents Dinner probably because he gets his ego and feelings hurt enough on a daily basis, Danny Zuker, writer and EP on Modern Family, has done us all a favor and whipped up a version of Trump’s speech might be like.

Here’s a fun excerpt:

“Melania couldn’t be here tonight because she’s already been in the same room with me this month and a deal’s a deal! I’m kidding. We’re very much in love. Thank you. It’s very physical and tender. (Hold for the audience to say “awwww” for five minutes.)”

When reading it, you might think it might be overdoing it, but then we’d urge you to revisit Trump’s “performance” at the Al Smith Dinner and see how potentially close to reality this piece could have been.

The Veep Universe Expands with Updated Jonah Ryan, Richard Splett Websites and Selina Meyer Fund for Adult Literacy

hbo, jonah ryan, julia louis dreyfus, parody, richard splett, sam richardson, satire, timothy simons, veep

The Veep Universe Expands with Updated Jonah Ryan, Richard Splett Websites and Selina Meyer Fund for Adult Literacy

Maybe it’s because it’s just a fictional reality versus our actual reality, but Jonah’s latest foibles with his public image via his own website, Selina’s desperate attempt to seem caring and likable, and Richard Splett’s “engrossing” blog make for a world that seems a little better than our own.

So, do enjoy the rabbit hole of bonus interactive content that Veep has gifted us all for season six, which includes a Selina Meyer “on-line literacy test”.

We Were Right About The President Show with Donald Trump as Anthony Atamanuik Will Indeed Playing Trump in a Late Night Show Format

anthony atamanuik, comedy central, donald trump, late night, parody, president show, satire

Remember last week when Comedy Central announced a Trump themed show with very little details?

We had a hunch that it might be a late night series with Anthony Atamanuik playing Donald Trump that might fill in that gap between The Daily Show and @midnight.

Turns out we were right on the money.

Anthony Atamanuik, the best Trump impressionist out there, will be playing Trump as a weekly late night talk show host starting later this month. Here’s an official announcement video.

“In the world of The President Show, Trump is bypassing the crooked media by hosting a late-night show direct from the Oval Office. No unfair questions from reporters, no awkward photo ops with German ladies, and no bedtimes. Just a fun show where he can put his unique Trumpian spin on such late-night staples as desk segments, field pieces and guest interviews.”

The only regret we have here is that this show hasn’t existed since November.

Look for The President Show to premiere on Thursday, April 27th at 11:30PM on Comedy Central.

Comedy Central Announces New Satirical Trump Show “The President Show” and We Have a Hunch That It’s Anthony Atamanuik as Trump Hosting a Late Night Talk Show

anthony atamanuik, comedy central, donald trump, late night, parody, president show, satire

Comedy Central Announces New Satirical Trump Show “The President Show” and We Have a Hunch That It’s Anthony Atamanuik as Trump Hosting a Late Night Talk Show

Now, there are almost no details about this so-called President Show with Donald Trump other than two twitter accounts, @presidentshow and @latenightdonald, and a press release that reads “Late night TV is broken. A TOTAL DISASTER. I alone can fix it!”

However, there being a slot where The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore used to be and Anthony Atamanuik’s fantastic appearances as Trump on @midnight lead us to believe that this would indeed be a mutation of the late night talk show format on Comedy Central with the one and only Donald Trump, as played by Atamanuik, at the helm.

In our opinion, Anthony Atamanuik has the best Trump impression out there. Between a series on Fusion, countless live shows, a nationwide tour, album, and more, Anthony knows how to skewer Trump by exemplifying his characteristics to a capital gold T.

So, if this indeed what we think it is, we’re all in for a wonderful treat that we’re guessing will start a Twitter feud between @realdonaldtrump and @latenightdonald.

Donald Trump Faux Memoir Being Written with Audiobook That Will Feature Alec Baldwin

alec baldwin, donald trump, kurt andersen, memoir, parody, penguin press, satire, you can't spell america without me

Donald Trump Faux Memoir Being Written with Audiobook That Will Feature Alec Baldwin

The title “You Can’t Spell America Without Me: The Really Tremendous Inside Story of My Fantastic First Year as President Donald J. Trump" is, as the POTUS would put it, tremendous.

Novelist Kurt Andersen, who also was a co-founder of Spy Magazine, will write the fake memoir for Penguin Press and an accompanying audiobook will feature SNL’s Trump, Alec Baldwin. They’re currently looking towards a November release date.

We’re curious to see if Alec has to put on a power tie that’s way too long, don a bad wig, and contort his face for the entire duration of the audiobook recording just to stay in character.

Conan O’Brien Sees if Mexicans Are Willing to Give Donations to Build Trump’s Border Wall

February 24, 2017

border wall, conan, crowdsourcing, donations, hecho in mexico, made in mexico, mexico will pay for it, parody, satire, trump

For Conan O’Brien’s upcoming “Conan Without Borders: Made in Mexico”, one of Conan’s brilliant segments will be going around to see if the people of Mexico are really going to pay for the border wall that Trump promised.

Watch to see how much, if any, money Conan collected for that “big, beautiful” wall. (spoiler alert: he doesn’t get any money, but what Mexicans offer up to Trump is pretty great.)

This very special episode of Conan premieres on Wednesday, March 1st at 10PM on TBS.

February 23, 2017

aclu, alex enriquez, american town hall, beth hoyt, brad morris, cass bugge, cheap comedy, city council meeting, dave ahdoot, fake town hall, los angeles, mary grill, matt hobby, newport, parody, satire, virgil

Here’s an opportunity to take a break from speaking out at actual town halls and enjoy a fake “American Town Hall” next week where all you need to do is laugh at “citizen speakers” from Newport, RI.

It’s $5 at the door and the ticket sales go to ACLU, so you’re still doing a good thing by going.

The rest of our listings for comedy shows, events, open mics, and maps can be found at www.thecomedybureau.com.

Watch Jo Firestone as Betsy DeVos, the New U.S. Secretary of the Department of Education

February 10, 2017

betsy devos, jimmy fallon, jo firestone, parody, satire, tonight show

This is just more evidence of the brilliant Jo Firestone’s ascent to her rightful place high up in comedy.

Also, we’re glad to see that this sketch was on Fallon and, perhaps, the beginning of a roll back on rubbing Trump’s hair last year.

Please Enjoy The Perfect Music Video for The Cooties’ Perfect Satirical Los Angeles Anthem “The L.A. Song”

February 7, 2017

eric jackowitz, ethan edenburg, jacob jefferies, la song, los angeles, music video, parody, satire, the cooties

When it comes to poking fun at LA in a song, The Cooties, current Angelenos themselves, nail so much of the Los Angeles milieu in a pretty undeniably funny tune, The L.A. Song.

JASH made a wonderfully animated music video that accompanies every single lyric quite nicely. Watch it here.

January 20, 2017

free speech, james adomian, political comedy, satire, trump

In general I’m interested in seeing if the Trump presidency will be shocking enough to finally see the emergence of comedy that is politically dangerous and appropriately disrespectful of power, like the situation demands, and like we really needed all along.

I’m looking forward to mainstream television continuing its decline, to the point where publicist-driven celebrity non-satire is ignored in favor of the more dangerous stuff we’re seeing in live comedy (and some podcasts like Chapo Trap House), and where this underground culture could very well overtake the official televised culture that has failed so thoroughly to matter.

James Adomian in Brightest Young Thing’s 2017 Will Be Funny Article

Billy on the Street Takes on Gun Control with Keegan Michael-Key in Latest Obstacle Course

January 17, 2017

billy eichner, billy on the street, double dare, gun control, keegan michael key, obstacle course, satire, trutv

Eichner’s latest and greatest obstacle course, Super Sloppy, Semi-Automatic Double Dare!, along with guest/contestant Keegan Michael-Key, shows how easy it is around America to buy a gun.

Really, this recent satirical, politically focused evolution of Billy on the Street is pretty fantastic. We look forward to seeing where Billy takes his show throughout the Trump Administration.

January 16, 2017

damien love, parody, satire, trump, tv listings

After a long absence, The Twilight Zone returns with one of the most ambitious, expensive and controversial productions in broadcast history. Sci-fi writers have dabbled often with alternative history stories – among the most common is the “What If The Nazis Had Won The Second World War” setting – but this huge interactive virtual reality project, which will unfold on TV, in the press, and on Twitter over the next four years, sets out to build an ongoing alternative present. The story begins in a nightmarish version of 2017 in which huge sections of the US electorate have somehow been duped into voting to make Donald Trump president. It sounds far-fetched, and it is, but as it goes on it becomes more and more chillingly plausible. Today’s feature-length opener concentrates on the gaudy inauguration of President Trump, and the stirrings of protest and despair surrounding the ceremony, while pundits speculate gravely on what lies ahead. It’s a flawed piece, but a disturbing glimpse of the horrors we could stumble into, if we’re not careful.

Damien Love’s TV Highlights describing Trump’s Inauguration in Scotland’s The Herald

Andrés du Bouchet Plays a Recently Defected Kompromat on Conan

January 13, 2017

andres du bouchet, conan, kompromat, parody, russia, satire, team coco, trump

Breaking the fourth wall, rolling with whatever comes along, clever ridiculousness, and Andrés du Bouchet are just some of the reasons why some of best late night sketches are on Conan.

Watch du Bouchet’s latest turn as a recently defected Russian ‘kompromat’ (state sponsored blackmailer) here.

January 13, 2017

absurdist comedy, comedy show, ian abramson, lyric hyperion, mayor mccheese, parody, satire, silverlake

Next week will bring plenty of comedy that’s addresses a certain inauguration. Ian Abramson’s will actually have a show featuring the inauguration of one Mayor McCheese that, we’re guessing, is going to be way less innocent than the McCheese you know in McDonald’s ads. Get more details here.

That inauguration will take place this upcoming Tuesday at 7PM and tickets are only $5. Please get them here.

The rest of our listings for comedy shows, events, open mics, and maps can be found at www.thecomedybureau.com.