Interview: John Mulaney

Yesterday was John Mulaney‘s first day at work as a writer on Saturday Night Live. That sounded as amazing to me hearing it as it was for Mulaney to say it to me last night. In an industry where people can get rich and famous for anything but merit, Mulaney’s …

Iliza Shlesinger joins Jubilee show, Aug. 24-27

The Las Vegas Sun reports today that Iliza Shlesinger will claim part of her Last Comic Standing prize next week, joining the cast of Donn Arden’s Jubilee! at Bally’s Las Vegas from Aug. 24-27. And no, she won’t be topless, you perverts. She’ll be the stand-up comedian among the showgirls. …

Watch Bill Murray skydive

The other big comedy news in Chicago over the weekend came courtesy of Bill Murray, who jumped out of a plane with the Army to kick off the Chicago Air & Water Show. The Sun-Times and Tribune each filed reports; the Tribune’s CLTV also includes unedited videos from Army cameras …

Bernie Mac remembered in Chicago

While CNN rebroadcast its Larry King Live interview with the surviving members of the Original Kings of Comedy crew multiple times last week, that trio (D.L. Hughley, Cedric the Entertainer and Steve Harvey) and thousands more, including the mayor of Chicago, memorialized Bernie Mac on Saturday. Accounts also from The …

When comedians get in on the action onscreen

Here’s a trend I’ve noticed this summer in online comedy videos: Comedians inserting themselves into TV and movies. It’s retro and new, all in one. Take the sketch group Summer of Tears, for instance, who imagine how characters really might react if one of their fellow high-school students was a …