Lindsayism.com

Stephen Colbert is a Huge Neutral Milk Hotel Fan!

What are three of our favorite things?

Stephen Colbert
Neutral Milk Hotel
My Friend Stephanie aka "Stiff" (if you know her)

Last week, Stephanie went to see The Colbert Report live. What follows is an instant-message re-enactment of our real-life conversation after the show:

Me: How was Colbert?
Stephanie: AMAZING!!! OH MY GOD STEPHEN SANG NEUTRAL MILK HOTEL TO ME!
Me: What?? (Beatlemania screaming face, actual screaming, etc)

Here are the facts as we know them. Between segments, the Neutral Milk Hotel song "Holland 1945" came on (as, apparently, it often does) and Stephanie began absentmindedly lip-synching along to it. A few seconds into the song, she realized Stephen was pointing at her and singing along. According to witnesses, Stephen and Stephanie continued to sing along to the song while making eye contact for over a minute until their reverie was interrupted by the end of the commercial break. During this time, Stephen:

- Appeared to know all of the words to the song.
- Moved his head to look around a producer when his eye contact with Stephanie was briefly blocked.
- Acknowledged his and Stephanie's mutual understanding of the sad nature of the song, which is about Anne Frank, by making a "sad face" and tracing the motion of an invisible tear down his cheek. Stephanie, in kind, mimicked this motion back to Stephen.

In Stephanie's words: "I can die now."

Geoff, a sketch comedian who attended the show with Stephanie and witnessed the event, had this to say:

"It was magical. Neutral Milk Hotel was playing, Stephanie was singing, I was singing. Then I looked up and noticed Stephen was singing. Then I saw that he was singing in my general direction, so I looked to my right and realized that he and Stephanie were singing to each other. So I told Stephanie, "Hey, Stephen Colbert is singing to you!" and she did her best job of shushing me while continuing to sing Neutral Milk Hotel with Stephen. I was about 15 seconds behind on all fronts. But still, pretty awesome."

Here is our very most favorite picture of Stephen:

And here is the song: Download 06_holland_1945.m4a by Neutral Milk Hotel.

The world just screams and falls apart!!

Michael Showalter's Eclectic Music Taste

This part of this long, good A/V Club interview with Michael Showalter made me laugh out loud on the subway this morning:

MS:...Do I like The Shins? Yeah. Do I like Bright Eyes? No, I don't. At all.

AVC: Why not?

MS: He takes himself too seriously. Do I like PJ Harvey? Yeah, I love PJ Harvey. Do I like Clap Your Hands Say Yeah? No, I don't. Do I like Cat Power? I love Cat Power.

AVC: In your act, you say all of your Cat Power tracks are actually Sheryl Crow songs.

MS: That's fiction. That's the lie. I also said that I have Journey stored under Sufjan Stevens, which is also a lie. Do I like John Mayer? I love John Mayer. Love John Mayer. John Mayer is someone whose entire body of work I like.

AVC: He's also an aspiring comedian. Would you ever want to tour with him?

MS: Absolutely. 100 percent. His phone number is on my phone, and he's waiting for me to call him to do something together. Why haven't I called him? I'm too intimidated. I'm star-struck. He's like a huge, giant rock star, and I've listened his albums thousands of times. Why wouldn't I be intimidated by him? It's very random who I would meet that would intimidate me, but he's definitely one of them. If I met Sean Penn, would I be intimidated?

AVC: Yes?

MS: No, I wouldn't be. He's too obvious. If I met Steve Martin, would I be intimidated?

AVC: I'll say "No."

MS: Very. I would be very intimidated.

'Trinkle Down' And Other Theories

This is hilarious: Dan Allen (awesome comedian and guy) has been using, of all words, the word "scatological" incorrectly. His entire life. And he thought it had something to do with jazz.

Gabe and Max's Internet Thing

Last night's I Like Attention was hilarious as always. Here's the video Gabe and Max made for it (featuring, among other things, Gabe with a moustache, Patrick Borelli, and Gabe and Jenny.)

Max Silvestri: The Interview, The Awesome T Shirt

My friend Max Silvestri did an interview with Gridskipper about his favorite NYC places to consume things. Today, they have a map of those places.

A good place to see Max perform comedy would be at his monthly show, "I Like Attention", the next of which is this Sunday, October 14 at 8pm. His co-host this month is none other than Gabe Delahaye. I can't wait!

Incidentally, I'm 99% sure that Max's tshirt in the (above) Gridskipper picture is an illustration from a 70's-era "Where do Babies Come From?" book I checked out from the library when I was in elementary school. (In retrospect, I checked out that entire section. I guess I probably wasn't fooling anyone, huh?)

Comedy Stuff

* We posted the August Ritalin Reading lineup. Also there is now a widget type deal right there to your right that will have the upcoming lineup as soon as it's posted. I was very busy this weekend.

* Speaking of, the aforementioned I Like Attention show last night was SO AWESOME. Every second of it was hysterical - I highly recommend going next month.

I'm Going To This: Max Silvestri's I Like Attention

Max's show has so much ridiculous friend-buzz ("funniest show I've seen in years" type stuff) that I'm breaking my totally set-in-stone personal rule of *NEVER* going out on Sunday nights to be at this month's  I LIKE ATTENTION tomorrow. Just look at this lineup! Flyer:

The Ten and a Nitpicky PSA

I was really good about managing my expectations on this one, so I'll just say: I recommend it.  I laughed many times and so did the other people in my theater. But that said, I have friends who hated it. I kind of chalk that up to context (see: category tag) and difference in sense of humor (I love a good in-joke, others like broader comedy. Actually, I kind of love both, but the former is so rare in movies.)

I guess I didn't just say "I recommend it" but I don't want to spoil it for anyone who is as unfortunately very susceptible to the whole high expectations/low expectations phenomenon as I am. One thing is certain though: Paul Rudd is totally not sexy in it.

Pretty much completely unrelated: maybe this bothers me because I worked at a movie theater in college, but why is it that people who would never dream of allowing a straw wrapper to fall from their grasp without immediately picking it up off the dirtiest of city sidewalks think it's perfectly okay to leave a movie theater aisle totally destroyed by their garbage? I'm not even talking about strangers, I'm talking about the friend I saw the movie with yesterday! Totally not okay. And I am willing to passive-aggressively call out my friend in a public forum in the hopes that just one person will have an epiphany.      

Why Everyone Should See "The Ten" This Weekend

Because it's important to support artists who are attempting to make good things in a culture where good things are so rarely monetarily rewarded. So this weekend, if you're a fan of The State/Wet Hot American Summer/Good comedy, etc, go see The Ten. Don't wait. You know how important opening weekends are for a movie and these people who have given us so much good comedy deserve to make more in the future!
So, either see The Ten or see something else where The Ten is playing but buy your ticket for The Ten. But, preferably, see The Ten. With a large group! Here's where.

Sorry about the lecture, but it's important! Also, how can you resist Paul Rudd's olive green eyes? Randomly, here's a coloring page I made. Print and color. Click to enlarge:

High Horses Not High Heels

* Vulture: Only 5.9% of today's Emmy-nominated late night comedy writers are women.

* (Possibly) Related:  Women think Sex and the City is funny. (Personally, I think the dearth of women in comedy is less "women aren't funny" and more "women are perceived as not being funny", but nobody's helping the situation by making up words like "shoegasm.")

* Totally Unrelated: Holy $%*, a guy shot himself in the head while being caught on "To Catch a Predator" a year and a half ago.

* Idea: an RSS feed feature that automatically eliminates posts with certain tags from your feed. Inspiration: Harry Potter.

 

The Ottoman Video + Blogging Metaphor = Awesome

You know the astounding NSFW Ottoman Humping video that will go down in internet history? Here's the first parody (that I've seen):

Ritalin Readings Tonight!

Tonight at Mo's at 9pm: Ritalin Readings! Lineup:

This show's vague theme is "Marry/F**k/Kill" and the 4-minute time limit per reader will be enforced with supersoakers 99 cent store squirt guns.

Hosted by Gabriel Delahaye and me.
Produced by Jon Friedman (The Rejection Show)

Readers:

• Jami Attenberg (Author, Instant Love, now out in paperback!)

• Kurt Braunohler (Comedian)

• Amelie Gillette (The Onion AV Club's The Hater columnist)

• Chris Mohney (Editor, Gridskipper)

• John Mulaney(Comedian)

• Dana Vachon (Author, Mergers and Acquisitions)

April 24th at 9PM

Mo Pitkin's House of Satisfaction 34 Avenue A (b. 2nd and 3rd St.) F or V train to Second Ave. 212-777-5660 $6

Advance tickets can be bought here.

"Put Your Clothes on and Get the Hell Out of Here"

Suggestion for this weekend: see The TV Set. Here's a great scene:

(Be sure to stay in the theater at the end for a "scene" from 'Slut Wars' starring a self-effacing Seth Green.)

More Reasons to Love Judd Apatow

As if there weren't enough already: Judd Apatow writes about his good and bad reviews in a refreshingly honest way on MTV.com. (Thanks, Brian)

And by the way, I loved The Cable Guy.

David Cross on The Michael Showalter Showalter

I.Love.This.Show:

The Sound of Young America is Coming to WNYC!

So last week during the WNYC pledge drive, when I donated online, there was a section for "comments". I wrote:

"Please add The Sound of Young America, it's awesome!"

Or something like that. Anyway, yesterday, Jesse announced that, starting March 4th, TSOYA will be airing on WNYC at 6pm Sundays in an 11 week trial run!

Coincidence? Yes! Awesome? Yes!

There are also three other announcements at that link. Yes!

Best Sentence of the Week*: Re: Dennis Miller

"If he's the best your side has to offer, you guys are less funny than Ingmar Bergman reading The Bell Jar at a memorial service for the victims of United 93 on top of the Wailing Wall the day after the annual Dead Puppies and Onions Festival backed up by Itzhak Perlman playing his score from Schindler's List on the world's smallest violin. Babe."

*I doubt this will be a recurring feature.

Longer, Funnier 'Knocked Up' Trailer

Found by Junkiness:

Yesterday, after watching the teaser trailer below, I was thinking about that old email argument between Judd Apatow (Freaks and Geeks, 40 Year Old Virgin, Knocked Up) and Mark Brazill (That 70's Show). I was wondering if it was still really funny and an insightful look behind the scenes of comedy writing. And guess what? It is.

Mark Brazill was like the proto-blog-commenter.

Also, seems like he's, er, um: not up to much lately.

(Matt Tobey: "I guess he's still trying to get 'That 90's Show' made.")

'Knocked Up' Trailer: Hilarious

God, I love the Frat Pack:

I don't usually do this, but:

It's a great day for funny girls.

Harold and Kumar News and My Pretty Picture What I Took

My colleague at the Comedy Central blog finds news of a definite Harold and Kumar sequel. With Rob Corddry, Ed Helms, Andy Samberg and the return of Neil Patrick Harris. But they're not going to Amsterdam, they're going to The American South (surely a Borat-influenced studio decision.)

Awesome.

Speaking of (sort of), I took this over Christmas on the way to my friend Shaw's homestead outside Valdosta, Georgia, about 45 minutes from Tallahassee. Just looking at it makes me a little homesick:

The Day In Comedians Defending Themselves Online

Here's my rule:

When David Cross does it, it's okay
(Though, of course, inadvisable. Also, my Mormon joke, which I repeated in the comments, continues to be awesome.)

When Dane Cook does it, it's not.

Demedreamy or something

Demetri Martin in New York Mag's Daily Intelligencer:

What's the last thing you saw on Broadway?
A subway entrance.

Incidentally, it's because I'm a longtime Demetri Martin fan, and not because I work at Comedy Central, that I say the following:

Watch Demetri's Comedy Central special this Sunday at 10.

You have a baby! In a bar!

Sometimes worlds just have to collide a little bit: Demetri Martin. In Reader's Digest.

I lied about the Oreos.

and...scene!

A good friend of mine just tearfully admitted that she's never seen Mr Show. I said "Shhh, baby, it's okay, relax, I have all the DVDs, we'll have a little party and I'll cue up my favorites...BUT YOU HAVE TO LOVE IT OR WE ARE NO LONGER FRIENDS, CAPISCE?"

So anyway, I found one of my favorite sketches (and I believe, by consensus on nerdy comedy message boards I don't like to admit I read, the most classic Mr Show sketch of all.): THE AUDITION

(Also, I absolutely love it when I'm at work and I use the "are you using this chair" line at the beginning of a meeting and the person I'm talking to says "do you need it? For the audition?" Okay, it's happened exactly once but I still love it.)

that impression should FRAH!

Sarah Paulson's Nancy Grace on Studio 60 last night put Amy Poehler's inexplicably-praised Nancy Grace on SNL last week to such shame, I can't believe NBC(S) even let both go to air.

Nobody loves Amy P. more than me, but the trashy Southern accent is a thing of such intricate complexity that it should never be attempted except by those with family members who speak it fluently. I should know.

Amy Poehler - Burlington Mass

Sarah Paulson - Tampa, FL

No contest.

(But that said, I fully support all attempts to take down Nancy Grace, successful or not.)

Jessy Delfino's Pussy Is Magic!

Jessy Delfino goes viral! So. Much. Awesome:

(Via a lot of blogs, including Emily.)

More Jessy Delfino right here!

is there an emoticon for 'quiet desperation'?

* I'm guest-blogging for the Jane Magazine website again! Today's post: what we need today are funny weathermen (Shhh, just trust me!)

* What we also need today is Mandy Stadtmiller as this week's comedian guest blogger on the Comedy Central blog, reminding us of the brilliance of Gilbert Gottfried (Update: link had to be removed from there, but it's still here.)

late links

Why do I hate having my photo taken at parties? Because when given the choice of three decent photos and one in which I look like an idiot, my blogger friends will always choose idiot It's almost like a little inside joke at this point. (But in all seriousness, huge congratulations to Will Leitch, whose success couldn't have happened to a nicer guy.) But you know, whatever, I've had an epiphany about the photo thing: nobody f**king gives a sh*t what I look like, so bring it on.

Corporate Schilling: Video: The Reverend Fred "God Hates Fags" Phelps blasts Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert for being "Godless Sodomites". The Comedy Central blog scooped the world on this one. Go team!

Aww, darn, I guess now we all have to cross Fred Durst off our "lists".

Weatherman vs Cockroach: I got wayyy to much pleasure out of this.

Be Michael Showalter's Intern OMG!

From the Stella newsletter, Michael Showalter needs an intern:

"ARE YOU AN ENTERPRISING YOUNG MAN/WOMAN LIVING IN NYC? For instance a college student or recent college graduate? Are you interested in being my intern/assistant/lackey for frighteningly little pay several hours a week? If so, please contact me and let me know! I’m looking for just such a person. If you are this person or think you know who this person is you can contact me at Michael(AT)msofficialsite.com"

Just Set it and Forget It!

My friend John Hodgman's hilarious book, The Areas of My Expertise, is now out in paperback. Here's a funny trailer for it that I found on Elizabeth's site:

(Co-starring Jonathan Coulton.)

When this book first came out in hardback I heartily endorsed it because I really really liked it. Since then, I've gotten email from people I do not know who also loved it. Just from a quick gmail search:

"I just got through reading "The Areas of My Expertise" last night. Holy shit, that book is hysterical and really well-written... Each time I read through a section, I'd think "Okay, that's my favorite part so far..." and then I'd read the next section and think "Nooo, this is my favorite part." - Carol

"John Hodgman: It's a little bit frightening how funny that guy
is. Kind of like when you see a kitten that's so cute you're just
certain it could take over the world if it wanted to. Very important
to always keep kittens like that distracted with balls of yarn. Very
important." - Jeff

If you haven't read it yet, get it here.

Mark, Rick or Steve

* Great. Now everyone who reads Rolling Stone is going to know what weed smells like.

* On the Comedy Central blog: video of comedian Wendy Spero taking her mom up on stage to read her jokes aloud.

* Dean has friends who, a few years ago, made a video similar to that cartoon idea from yesterday: Something to Cry About.
(In the interest of retaining your trust, the clip is not unfunny but kind of way too long (it was made a few years ago, after all.) So if you want to know what the something to cry about was, highlight the following text: Steel Magnolias.))

* Welcome to New York, Gabe Corporate Casual Worker #3116 Gawker Commenter Extraordinaire! I have a feeling we'll be hearing a lot from him in the future.

* Amelie Gillette: "Things I Learned From Reading US Weekly's "How Vince Proposed"

"I am your conscience"

Mandy Stadtmiller has hilarious video taken from a (non Comedy Central) roast of Emmitt Smith, along with comments by Jeffrey Ross. Watch until the end, it's worth it.

kaufmanesque

* Darci finds the future of comedy: Ralph Handel.

* Three funny people I like are performing at the WYSIWYG talent show tonight: Mandy Stadtmiller, Dan Allen and Blaise K.

* Happy Birthday, Eugene Mirman.

* Do you wear contacts? Print out a coupon for a free full-sized bottle of Renu contact solution.

* How to save SNL: bring in one special guest writer for each episode - like a guest host, but behind the scenes. Book them all at the beginning of each half-season so they have time to prepare and get their ideas together. Stop making the players' screen time dependent on writing themselves into their own sketches. Let writers write and performers perform - and give each guest writer the respect afforded someone who isn't burned out and who is going to help save your show. What that show needs is NEW BLOOD and real writers who have more interest in coming up with funny ideas than being in the spotlight.

three words: ell. oh. ell.

boys get away with everything.

Comforting Comedy News

Good news lifted directly from Eugene Mirman's newsletter:

1) Eugene will be appearing this fall in an episode of Aqua Teen Hunger Force.
2) Eugene has been cast in the Flight Of The Concords HBO pilot.
3) Eugene is working on several web shorts for a new comedy broadband channel being launched by Turner Broadcasting in the fall.
4) Eugene has signed with Harper Collins to write a humor book to be tentatively released in the fall of 2007.

Also, Eugene's tour with Michael Showalter and Leo Allen kicks off tomorrow at Maxwell's.

If you haven't seen him, he's hilarious.

quitters never win

* Because sometimes something parodies itself so well that there's simply nothing left to say.

* Chicago comedy fans, you now have your own Apiary outpost: The Bastion

* The UK Office cast to cameo on the US Office: "Dare we expect a Gareth vs. Dwight showdown?"

* It's about damn time someone made a movie of Into the Wild, even if that person is Sean Penn.

* "What planet is (Dave Chappelle) living on?" AMEN.

this is what the internet's for

* The Mountain Goats' "Dance Music" sung by a sock puppet!

* Christian Finnegan's new Comedy Central ringtones, including two that are Morrissey-inspired:

- Black on the Outside
- Never Someone Who Loves Me

* It's nice to see other Lindsay Robertsons are getting work, but, like, geez. It's like a practical joke.

rated arrrrrr

* The hilarious Mandy Stadtmiller reviews "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Pirates"

* For others who are Glamour-Shots-obsessed: The Glamster Dance! Related: my old Glamour Shots.

* Ikeahacker

* Speaking of pirates, next Tuesday is the Hamstravaganza, a ham-and-pirate-themed party on a boat with comedians.

"Looks like a job for Mary Lynn. Make the call."

("This mission would be so much easier if Viagra had never been invented.")

From Roll Call, via emails:

"Rumors were swirling around Capitol Hill and beyond Tuesday that Rush Limbaugh is dating actress Mary Lynn Rajskub, who plays Chloe O'Brian on the Fox series '24.'

"If you saw the papers over the weekend, including The Washington Post, there were photos of Limbaugh planting a big kiss right on Rajskub's lips during a dog-and-pony event at the Heritage Foundation."

Shhhhhhhhhh, it's okay! I choose to believe that Mary Lynn is a secret operative, tapped to use her superpowers as professional heartbreaker to destroy Rush's will to live. What Oxycontin couldn't do, Mary Lynn can.

Related: I Just Threw Up In My Soul a Little Bit

full disclosure blah blah blah

...And I have a new screensaver. (Thanks to co-worker Nicole.)

* Variety reports that my former nice neighbor Corey Feldman will star in "Coreys", a Curb Your Enthusiasm-style show with Corey Haim. How much does that rule? HOW MUCH?

* Via Golden Fiddle-on-Jane, who needs to send me some of the meth-like-substance that is allowing him to blog like it's his job that he just got and doesn't hate yet: long awkward pose. I will be doing this to my friends on the ambassador ho-phone forthwith, so beware!

* Via Darci Kittenpants, who is awesomeing-up the Comedy Central blog on a daily basis: the Corner'ingation of Baby. (This is a drop-everything link as is the long awkard pose one.)

* Rolling Stone has entered the blog game with Rock Daily and my friend Lizzy (Spin-when-it-was- good, NME) is one of the writers, yay.

* A few weeks ago I made a comment on Radosh quoting someone who compared the new Adam Sandler movie, Click, to Nicholson Baker's The Fermata.
Today I learned that CNN mentioned that idea and linked to the comment. I was shocked that they actually gave attribution of an idea to a blog comment, but saddened by the fact that I hadn't attributed it myself. The person who originally made the Fermata joke, in email, was Jeff, of the blog Heart On a Stick. He really didn't want me to post this, but justice must be broughten!
Also, CNN is linking to blog comments now. (Also, if you can decipher the above paragraph, I salute you.)

* Last night I fell in love with a painting at Niagara. I scribbled the artist's name down on a magazine page and googled him today - I can't find the painting online but it's called "Flashlight" and it's by Ted Riederer. My friend Jen obliged me by snapping a picture of it last night. I liked this painting so much that for a few brief, Yellow Tail-soaked minutes I thought I might have 400 bucks just lying around waiting to be spent, but then I came to my senses. "If I were married, it would only be 200!" I joked, realizing I'd just found the most compelling reason for me to get married that had ever occured to me before. What I'm trying to say is it's a really fucking awesome painting. The picture doesn't do it justice. Go see it. And buy it. And let me come over and look at it.
Here's a profile Current TV did of Ted Reiderer in January.

David's Law!

I've had this rule for myself for the past few years called "David's Law." David's Law was signed into law in 2003, just after an unfortunate "I was that drunk girl" incident at the Tinkle Booze Cruise. David's Law makes it illegal for me, Lindsay Robertson, to speak to David Cross or any other public figure whom I admire (usually comedians, because I generally only admire funny people) unless introduced by someone else, directly spoken to, or if I already know them, or if it's for work.

Since David's Law was passed in 2003, it has helped many talented comedians unknowingly dodge the bullet that is meeting me, including but not limited to Sarah Silverman, Patton Oswalt, Demetri Martin, Zack Galifianakis, Paul Rudd, Amy Poehler, Janeane Garofalo, Thomas Lennon, and David Cross like three more times (though I was introduced to him without time to run away in February by a mutual friend, so that doesn't count, and all I said was "I've been a fan for a long time" and then escaped as fast as I could.)

Anyway, imagine my delight when I opened my copy of New York Magazine (it was $5/year for the subscription, okay?) last night and found a sidebar by David Cross himself entitled "Where Do I Know You From? How not to alienate That Guy From TV."

It really made me feel like the last three years of not annoying my heros has all been worth it. Also, it's really funny. David's first rule:

"If you don't know who he is, ask your friend. Or a stranger. Don't ask him. And certainly don't ask him to keep listing his resume until you realize he's the guy from Blade of Innocence 2 who lost his shoe and got killed by the vampire with outer-space AIDS."

Anyway, I've never really spoken publically (ha) about the incident that sparked David's Law, but I will say with a very red face that it may have included the sentence:

"I was definitely the only cute girl who was obsessed with Mr. Show in 1996."

Which, besides being horrifying in other ways, is sort of an insult. So, um, that's how a personal bill becomes a personal law.

the meat rehydrator

My coworker Karen found a bunch of old Comedy Central promos from the 90's on youtube:

Patton Oswalt and Blaine Capatch in 1991

Patton and Blaine in 1994

Janeane Garofalo in 1995 (I remember this one)

Roger Clinton in 1993

B-A-N-G

Funny Showbiz Show web-only video "Jessi Klein's Crush of the Week: Colin Farrell"

almost forgot...

The Great Louis CK's much-anticipated new HBO sitcom, Lucky Louie, premieres Sunday night at 10:30. I linked to this article in the Boston Globe about Louis and the show a long time ago, but it's still good. I'm a huge Louis CK fan and I'm crossing my fingers that the planets will align in favor of smart comedy and the show will be a hit. Everyone, watch it!

"There's room for everyone. You can make it your own way."

I was just re-reading the amazing 4-part Patton Oswalt interview from A Special Thing on the subway this morning, and this quote jumped out at me because it's something I've been thinking about a lot and I totally agree:

"I'm still baffled by people that get jealous or angry at a comedian having success, when it's the kind of success that they would never want. You know, do you want what that guy has? Do you want to do what that guy has to do? That's awful. Be happy it's not you."

Insert whatever you want for "comedian" and it's still so true. (Well, unless you're an actual prostitute, I guess.)

Anyways, Happy Holidays!

yet larry the cable guy continues his rise...

"The package -- which arrived via UPS -- contained a picture of Chappelle's sleeping children, taken the night before in Chappelle's house. A person who appeared to be of Al Sharpton's build was standing next to their beds...

Chappelle made one more phone call that evening to Bill Cosby...all he said to Bill was "it's over...call off the dogs."

"Only when I see an announcement in the press," Cosby responded."

Was Dave Chappelle the victim of The Dark Crusaders?

some little things

* Patton Oswalt answers the question "What was the funniest person, place or thing of 2005?" for the Comedy Central Insider blog.

* Tonight is the latest edition of Will Leitch's excellent Growth Spurt Reading Series, at Happy Endings at 8. I'm going to try to stop by after seeing a rare New York appearance by Lizzie Skurnick (aka The Old Hag) reading from her new book of poetry, "Check In", at the Jen Bekman gallery.

* Speaking of readings, remember my old humor reading series, Ritalin Readings? Well, it looks like it's coming back with a vengeance, bigger and better in 2006. I'll still be booking talent and co-hosting with Alex Balk, but now a really cool production company is going to be producing it. More, as you might imagine, later. But I'm super-excited.

* Last night I dreamed there was a magazine called "American Comment", that consisted solely of letters to the editor and reader polls, solicted in the previous issue. Before you say "that's the stupidest idea ever", I'd like to point out that Americans are the stupidest people ever. It's a total P.T. Barnum idea, like Desperate Housewives, or the Bush Administration. I have no idea what the rest of the dream was about.

Comedy Stuff

* Excellent Boston Globe article about the excellent Louis C.K. and his upcoming show, Lucky Louie, on HBO, which is being proclaimed no less than the savior of the sitcom. If you haven't already, check out his special on HBO On Demand. Every single second is pure comic genius. Lots of clips and stuff here.

* The second half of A Special Thing's interview with Patton Oswalt is up. My favorite part:
"I. Hate. Needy. Comedy. Ninety percent of comedy films, ninety percent of sitcoms, are the neediest, most desperate, please God, what can we do to make you laugh? Please, anything, what do you want?"

Patton also has a write-up of the second episode of Comedians of Comedy (including outtake clips) on his blog.

* I got the link to the Louis C.K. Boston Globe article from the great new-ish comedy site, Laugh Machine, which is now a daily read.

* Once again, I'm headed out to L.A. this weekend for Comedy Central's Last Laugh '05 event. The talent lineup hasn't been officially announced yet, but I'm really excited about it this year and I think many readers of this site will be too. If anyone knows of anything fun going on this Saturday night in LA (particularly if it's comedy-related), email me!

Comedians of Comedy, not to be confused with Comedians of Comedy

People seem justifiably confused about Comedians of Comedy the movie vs. Comedians of Comedy the TV show. So for clarification:

Comedians of Comedy (the movie) opens tomorrow at Cinema Village. It's a feature-length film that follows Patton Oswalt, Maria Bamford, Brian Posehn and Zach Galifianakis on tour, showing bits of their standup as well as them fooling around between shows. It's basically a comedy nerd's dream. I loved it (though there were some serious parts I would have taken out.)

Comedians of Comedy the show premieres tomorrow at 11pm on Comedy Central. It's a half-hour show that follows Patton Oswalt, Maria Bamford, Brian Posehn and Zach Galifianakis on A DIFFERENT, MORE RECENT tour, showing bits of their standup as well as them fooling around between shows. It's less serious than the movie.

The movie and the show have zero footage in common, as the show was shot after the movie had already premiered at SXSW.