CollegeHumor’s Comedy Music Hall of Fame, on IFC

CollegeHumor and IFC created the hour TV special, CollegeHumor’s Comedy Music Hall of Fame, but after watching it twice over the weekend, I still cannot figure out why this exists.

Both CollegeHumor and IFC enjoy reputations of existing on the fringes of mainstream comedy, but they’re not trying to make fun of an entire genre of popular comedy here.

At the same time — despite the lifetime achievement award for Weird Al Yankovic — there’s a dearth of stars represented in the hour. Sure, Tenacious D shows up for a mock interview “via satellite” with host Paul F. Tompkins, but it turns out that Tenacious D’s annual comedy music festival, Festival Supreme, is one of the special’s sponsors. In fact, sponsors such as Subway get more air time during the hour (with in-show mentions!) than do Reggie Watts or Garfunkel and Oates — both acts having starred on IFC in the past year, even — nor Flight of the Conchords or The Lonely Island, both of whom receive only the briefest of mentions in a “history of music” medley. There’s no Bo Burnham, no Alvin and the Chipmunks, no “Party all the Time” from Eddie Murphy (or “Boogie in your Butt”!), no P.D.Q. Bach (four Grammy wins in a row from 1990-1993 for Best Comedy Album), no Stephen Colbert nor Jimmy Fallon for most recent Grammy winners with comedy music albums. The history of music medley from CDZA skips from 1978 straight to 2002.

So what did make the cut? A faked history segment with actors. A new video with white Canadia rap (from presenters CollegeHumor) plus videos from Weird Al and Trevor Moore. Jokey interviews with them, as well as Rachel Bloom and Patrick Noth. A medley of YouTube parodies of “All About That Bass.” Plus a whole host of comedic musicians, some of whom you’ve seen on TV or on tour and some you may not even have heard of yet. Among them: Whitney Avalon, Katie Hall, Stephen Lynch, Jessica Delfino, Bridget Everett, The Gregory Brothers, Lil Dicky, Epic Rap Battles of History, Key of Awesome, Zach Sherwin, Pop Roulette, Rob Paravonian, Erin and Melissa, Evan Altshuler, Reformed Whores, Quick and Funny Musicals, Camille Harris, and Steel Panther.

Now that I’ve readjusted your expectations, here’s the full show. Roll it!

Sean L. McCarthy

Editor and publisher since 2007, when he was named New York's Funniest Reporter. Former newspaper reporter at the New York Daily News, Boston Herald and smaller dailies and community papers across America. Loves comedy so much he founded this site.

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