The Definitive Guide to Comedy
Before news broke that Ari Shaffir’s planned comedy special taping had been canceled, but after Shaffir had received plenty of blowback for his social media trolling about Kobe Bryant’s death, his comedy pals Tom Segura and Bert Kreischer talked about trying to put their friend’s bad public behavior into context. …
Jason Zinoman asked me the other day what I thought of Ari Shaffir’s Kobe Bryant “joke.” I replied that Shaffir was just staying on brand. His brand? Insufferable a-hole. In Zinoman’s column today in The New York Times, he writes about how Shaffir’s “tweet is actually the most contemporary of …
For fans of the original Last Comic Standing, there’s something still magical about the premise of putting comedians in a house to live together. Netflix plays into that with this new webseries, Joke House. What happens when you make seven confused Netflix comedians share a single hotel room? Nothing good! …
It’s perhaps fitting that in this era of too much comedy, the first stand-up to deliver two new comedy specials at the same time would be Ari Shaffir. As I wrote for Decider, it’s an audacious move: No, if it’s audacious you seek, look no further than the guy who …
August means all comedy eyes on Edinburgh, at least for those who love one-person shows, madcap eccentrics and a trip to Scotland. Sam Wills, aka “The Boy With Tape on His Face,” aka Tape Face for viewers this summer on NBC’s America’s Got Talent, delivered the official welcoming address to performers …
Comedy Central officially announced renewals or episode extensions for much of its current programming slate, just two days ahead of its annual Upfronts presentation to advertisers. Rookie sensation Not Safe with Nikki Glaser (reviewed here) receives 10 additional episodes, extending its first season through the summer. Originally the first season …
For the past year and more, comedians have squared off in head-to-head competitions to match wits and trade insults at The Comedy Store in West Hollywood, Calif., in what have become hugely popular Roast Battles. Jeffrey Ross, aka “The Roastmaster General,” has overseen the Roast Battles in Los Angeles, and …
All lists ranking or otherwise grouping the funniest and/or hottest comedians are inherently biased — subject to the whims of the list-maker. And yet, online media outlets continue to pump out the lists, in part because comedians remain so driven by ego and insecurity that they’ll certainly share any list …
The 33rd edition of Montreal’s Just For Laughs Festival will continue to cement its position as the world’s biggest congregation and celebration of comedy this July, with awards and performances heralding Dave Chappelle, Mike Myers, Kevin Hart, Patton Oswalt, Ellie Kemper and Armando Iannucci. The festival announced today they’ll be …
Imagine you’re a woman and you’re funny, so you decide to pursue a career in comedy. Imagine that even just in making that decision, you’ve unintentionally invited lifetimes of structurally built-in gender bias against you. Sometimes subtle and subconscious, you’re ignored or overlooked when it comes to forming improv teams …
