Speaking of your material, what happened with you just bringing one or two CDs for sale at your last show? I really wanted to get one, yet less than five minutes after the show there were none for sale. I thought your act was entertaining and funny, and most of the time when I go to comedy shows I have to force myself to laugh. I'm just not into the degenerate or stereotype humor that most people use. I appreciate when someone uses different mediums to show their humor. I still crack a smile when I remember you playing Uninvited on your keyboard. B
People on this board that continue to argue with people over and over and over and over when they know they're never going to change their opinions. Needless to say, I crack myself up everyday.
Well, it’s at least one part social commentary. The Canadian version of Discovery Channel is doing a special on humour this week. Today Mark Breslin, owner of a chain of comedy clubs in Canada, picked this one from 900 sent in by viewers as one of this favourites. This is radio conversation of a US naval ship with Canadian authorities off the coast of Newfoundland. Canadians: Please divert your course 15 degrees South to avoid a collision. Americans: Recommend you divert your course 15 degrees North to avoid collision. Canadians: Negative. You will have to divert your course 15 degrees South to avoid a collision. Americans: This is the Captain of a US Navy ship. I say again divert YOUR course. Canadians: No I say again divert YOUR course. Americans: THIS IS THE AIRCRAFT CARRIER USS LINCOLN, THE SECOND LARGEST SHIP IN THE UNITED STATES ATLANTIC FLEET. WE ARE ACCOMPANIED BY THREE DESTROYERS, THREE CRUISERS AND NUMEROUS SUPPORT VESSELS. I DEMAND THAT YOU CHANGE YOUR COURSE 15 DEGREES NORTH, I SAY AGAIN, THAT'S ONE-FIVE DEGREES NORTH OR COUNTER MEASURES WILL BE UNDERTAKEN TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF THIS SHIP!!!!. Canadians: This is the Lighthouse.......Your call. This is very funny, but it also says something about the way Canadians perceive Americans. It may or may not say something about Americans themselves. I laughed out loud at it, but then I questioned my own stereotype. In reality there are very few Americans who are like, but the fact that I burst out laughing means I identified with the stereotype. Perhaps it’s the just that the few who are tend to create and impression for all, which is not the fault of those who aren’t like this. It’s really our fault for painting y’all the same way based on the actions of a few. I know, I know, IT’S JUST A JOKE! Yeah, it is, but this is the kind of thing a joke like this makes roll around in my head. Here’s one that makes a statement about how we feel about our glorious leader. A man on his way home from work in downtown Ottawa came to a dead halt in traffic and thought to himself, "Wow, this traffic seems worse than usual. Nothing's even moving." He notices a police officer walking back and forth between the lines of cars so he rolls down his window and asks, "Excuse me, Officer, what's the hold up?" The Officer replies, "The Prime Minister is just so depressed about the corruption scandals that he stopped his limo in the middle of the freeway and he's threatening to douse himself in gasoline and set himself on fire. He says the country hates him and he can't quit because he hasn't a big enough pension to retire. I'm walking round taking up a collection for him." "Oh really? How much have you collected so far?" "So far only about a hundred litres but I've got a lot of folks still siphoning."
I'm a big fan of Carlin, who I consider brilliant, and loved Jonathan Winters. I watch Seinfeld over and over, and I think it's the funniest TV series ever. It's about the only network TV we watch. We watch a lot of the stuff on HBO. "The Larry Sanders Show" is great, even if it's reruns. Dennis Miller is off and on, imo, but can be very funny. I love political humor, whether it's making fun of Clinton, "W", or Desmond Tutu. Eddie Izzard is great. Intelligent humor in drag. A lot of stand-up is a matter of taste (or the lack of it! ), and I'm not sure if I've seen your stuff, Another Brother. I'll have to check the link. Maybe you can post some more. edit- Grizzled, that was ****ing hilarious!
To answer the thread title...comedy to me is taking something that is so painfully obvious and overlooked and bringing it into the spotlight with a different, humorous twist to it. I know a lot of people don't like him, but when Jim Rome did his take on city workers and how you usually see them with two guys working and fifteen guys supervising was just hilarious. I like Jay Mohr's comedy also. (BTW, Another Brother...I'm still trying to download your mpg file...I'm anxious! )
Humor which doesn't require cursing, sexual references or physicality (arm waving, gyrations, dancing, etc) to be amusing. That said, there are times that one is in the mood to just be entertained. This is certainly entertainment, but I'm not sure I would define it as comedy. I've watched the Original Kings of Comedy many times and I notice that much of their humor is derived from facial expressions, cursing, acting pissed off, and wild physical movements. The one exception on there was DL Hughley. He was genuinely funny and very witty. There is certainly a place for this type of humor (not everyone wants to exercise their brain when they want to be entertained), but I just wouldn't define comedy as such.
Another Brother...I finally saw the clip...you are genuinely funny!! Cops and mar1juana....you can't fail with combo of comedy punches! Do you have a show schedule posted somewhere?
Comedy is pointing out real things that happen everyday yet no one has an explanation for why it happens, why it continues to happen, or why it should continue to happen.
Great stuff AB! I wish I saw you when you were in H-Town after Thanksgiving. Hopefully I can catch you next time.
You did Just for Laughs AB! Wow! You have some profile then. I’ve never been to it live, but I’ve seen it on the television show. That must be a good time for the comics too. You must have met dozens of comics from all over the world. Cool.
Thanks G, did it twice (95 & 00) Where do you live drapg, Austin? Hit my website Icon, and thanks Actually I do pretty darn well with the CD's. I sell an average of 90 a week. When we watch a game together I'll bring one...FREE! Thank you for your opinions, I must now go and craft accordingly.
Saw the clip, Another Brother... terrific!! I'm going to check your schedule for your next gig in Austin. You've got some killer stuff! Hey, maybe you could segue some cop humor into America being the "world's cop"... go for some international bits. Seems to be a hot topic around HERE.
Oh man...Chris Rock's bit about "the positive side of crack" is side splitting... "You can furnish your whole living room for 15 dollars...why? Because of crack!"
