Dead-Frog compares last week’s SNL cold open with an old live sketch featuring Rowan Atkinson doing something similar, but also quite superior. Hmmm.
ChuckleDumper has a long interview with Tom Shillue (who since the interview has been on tour in Asia (Hong Kong, Manila, then into China) with Matt McCarthy, so he should have plenty of stories to tell!). Lots of quotes to choose from. Here’s one: "I don’t even know who these guys are that are playing the mainstream
clubs now. All the guys I know are off playing these small rooms. I
think the thing that’s changed is that people can find their own
audience now and [the audience] can find out what’s
going on over the internet and go see these shows. They don’t need that
marquee name, or chain. Now you can find out on the internet who you’re
into, and kind of go to that show. You have comics like Patton Oswalt
with his Comedians of Comedy, creating these tours, just for his fans
and people who like comics like him."
Neil Padover writes a nice profile of Jamie Lee for The Apiary. In case you’re curious about Lee’s day job (which goes unmentioned in the piece): She’s a publicist for Comedy Central. (Future discussion item: How many Comedy Central employees, past and present, also have had comedy careers as performers?)
Punchline Magazine compiles a series of audio clips featuring hecklers and comedians interacting with audience members.
While it’s interesting to hear how different stand-ups interact with audiences, whether it’s regularly scripted crowd work or truly improvised riffs and observations, I wonder why this has been captured for posterity on audio in the first place? Well, then. Certainly some comedians want their CD recordings (and DVDs, too) to keep the natural ebb and flow of a show in effect, and therefore don’t want to edit out any interruptions just for the sake of a pure set. Because there’s not really such a thing. And sometimes, a CD/DVD recording cannot help but include an audience interaction. But should they cut it out? Perhaps. Throughout my personal history with the comedy business, I’ve heard friends, co-workers, acquaintances and strangers alike perpetuate two longstanding and widespread opinions they place on comedy clubs and live stand-up: 1) That they shouldn’t sit in the front row because they’ll "get picked on" by the comedian, and 2) That if they yell out something, they’re "helping" the comedian. These audio clips won’t change their minds. Not even the hecklers. Because hecklers don’t get it, and when they hear these CDs, despite hearing the comedians rip on them, they’ll think, but look at how it made it onto the CD, so it must be not only a good thing but the right thing to do.