Emerging comics contest their emergence

While you wait to see if I’ll break down and break down the funniest reporter contest, let me first get you up to speed on the New York City Underground Comedy Festival’s "Emerging Comics Contest," in which comedians who are not yet well known compete to become better known as …

30 Rock films in Brooklyn Heights

A long day and night of filming of the Emmy-winning comedy 30 Rock wrapped here tonight in Brooklyn Heights, otherwise known as home to The Comic’s Comic, which gave me more than an excuse to get out of HQ and enjoy the gorgeous day and even more beautiful surroundings. Alec …

Freak Dance Fridays in Hollywood

People who know me know I love me some dancing as much as I do the comedy, so when Matt Besser from the Upright Citizens Brigade told me he was reviving Freak Dance, I said, how soon can I get to Hollywood? Oh. Not that soon. Darn it! But if …

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The Comedy Festival fills 2008 Vegas slate

TBS and The Comedy Festival in Las Vegas, aka a "Very Funny" Festival, has filled out its main lineup for the 2008 comedy confab from Nov. 20-22. And here are the latest additions: Thursday, Nov. 20, 2008Josh Blue and Ralphie May from Last Comic Standing — The PalaceJoan Rivers presents …

A comedic retrospective on black presidents

New online journalism publication The Daily Beast offers a look back at how various comedians viewed a black presidency, with (language NSFW) voting tips from Eddie Murphy and Chris Rock, and alternate-universe views of a black president featuring Dave Chappelle and Richard Pryor. Enjoy.

The 2008 Canadian Comedy Awards

Over the weekend in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada’s The Comedy Network handed out the Canadian Comedy Awards, and the Beaver winners (yep, they call them thar comedy awards the Beavers!) were… Pretty Funny Comic of the Year, large venue: Russell Peters Pretty Funny Stand-Up, Male: Gerry Dee Pretty Funny Stand-Up, Female: …

NBC bails out SNL bailout sketch

MSNBC explains why its sister network NBC briefly took down one of last weekend’s SNL sketches parodying the government bailout. Here is the revised sketch. Gone is the offending caption toward the real-life richy rich couple. Still in: Amy Poehler’s Baby Mama reprise and wild-eyed glances at Fred Armisen! So …

Ann Curry does stand-up comedy

Today on NBC’s The Today Show, co-anchor Ann Curry showed what happened when she tried performing stand-up comedy before a live crowd (packed with friends and co-workers) at Carolines in July. My review. If you pay close attention, you can even see me in the back of the room taking …

James Adomian as Apocalypse John McCain

The second presidential debate pits Sen. Barack Obama against Sen. John McCain in a town hall setting, but I’m just writing that as an excuse to feature this new video by character-based comedian James Adomian, who gets very profane in his impersonation of McCain in "Apocalypse John," recorded at the …