This week all the major networks announced their new fall season.  In this week’s episode comedian Andy Kleiman joins us as we break down all the new comedy shows coming to your TV tube.  What’s worth checking out and what’s pretty much already cancelled? (I’m looking at you awful NBC sitcom with a monkey) And which of your favorite shows will be returning to the air next year? (A lot of them, but almost all for only 13 episodes.  Stupid short seasons)

Plus, come to New York to check out the Ghostbusters tour, how much would radio Howard Stern hate TV Howard Stern and at what age does solving TV crime become important.

Everything old sucks when you remake it.  I think that’s how the saying goes.  It seems like remakes are all the rage these days but almost no one is excited about them.  Why?  If the movie was good the first time wouldn’t it be better with CGI and this time around everyone has cell phones?  Probably not.

This week we look at a bunch of the new movie comedy remakes coming out and if we think it’s a good idea.  What has to happen to make a remake worth it?  Plus, sharks with lasers on their heads, the death of Starburns and so much more.

This week saw the passing of a broadcasting legend.  He brought so many great things to the world including the comedy clip show.  Without Bloopers and Practical Jokes we might not have ever had shows like The Soup, Punk’d, Tosh.0 or Best Week Ever.

In this episode we discuss the impact Dick Clark had plus state of comedy clip shows today.  Why did Best Week Ever Fail?  Is Tosh.0 too mean?  Are the skits on The Soup suppose to be funny or funny because they aren’t funny.

Homer Simpsons, Peter Griffin, The Three Stooges.  What do they all have in common?  They are so stupid.  They are also very very funny.  There is just something hilarious about an idiot.

This week we break down the all the reason that dumb is funny and dumber is even funnier.

Here is the info on Dustin’s upcoming comedy show fundraiser!

FEATURING IMPROV BY:
Dog Court – Ricki’s Lake – Funkle Todd – Anorexic Bear
U.S. National Improv Team – Karma Haus – Goose

Long Island City, NY (April 5, 2012) – We all know that laughter is the best medicine. That’s why The Queen’s Secret Improv Club (QSIC) and over 40 of New York City’s top improvisers are using comedy for a cure—to help fight and prevent vision loss.

On April 20 at 7pm, QSIC is proud to present See What’s Funny: Comedy for a Cure, a fundraiser to benefit the Foundation Fighting Blindness. Tickets are $5 and available for purchase at the door. QSIC is located at 4402 23rd Street, NY 11101 in Long Island City.

Hosted by legally blind comedian Dustin D’Addato (VH1, DISCOVERY CHANNEL) and Camille Theobald (JIMMY FALLON, COLLEGE HUMOR), See What’s Funny will not only feature long-form improvisational comedy from seven of QSIC’s hilarious house teams; it will also showcase one the most original, unusual auctions audiences have ever seen.

For those curious about what it would be like to hit the town with a New York comedian, attendees can participate in a date auction with the theater’s most eligible bachelors and bachelorettes. The fun continues with a truly unique “experience auction” that audience members will have to see to believe. “Past winners have gotten pretty amazing rewards,” says D’Addato. “One lucky bidder got the chance to slap a comedian in the face. Another had a comedian call their parents to tell them what a success they are. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever heard of before, and the response has been pretty terrific.”

D’Addato, a veteran New York performer (and a member of QSIC house team Ricki’s Lake), has personal ties to both the company and the cause; he was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, a degenerative eye disease that causes blindness, in 2008. “I’m a visual person, so it’s changed my life drastically,” says D’Addato, “but I’ve found the best way to deal with it is to laugh about it. Since a lot of vision loss research is chronically underfunded, I’m really lucky to be involved in such a supportive community—everyone’s eager to pitch in and help.”

All proceeds from the See What’s Funny auctions will go directly to the Foundation Fighting Blindness. The Foundation has raised more than $450 million as the leading non-governmental funder of retinal research. Breakthrough Foundation-funded studies using gene therapy have restored significant vision in children and young adults who were previously blind, paving the way for treating a wide variety of retinal degenerative diseases and proving that a cure is in sight.

The short answer to that question is no.  The most important thing in comedy is being funny.  But being good at making comedy friends comes a real close second.  This week we look at the necessary but often difficult and off-putting part of the comedy world that is networking.  How should you do it?  Why should you do it?  Do you need to do it?

Plus we discuss SNL’s newest cast member Kate McKinnon who both of us know. Trust us, you will love her.

Thank you baby Jebus.

Pop culture.  It’s frickin’ everywhere.  It’s like too frinkin’ everywhere.  Who could keep up with it all?  No one.  We have lives and dreams and goals and other people we know.  But mention that you have no idea what happens in the Hunger Games and people look at you like you’ve never heard of bread.

And if you are a comedian you have to be even more in the pop culture know.  But how important is if for comedians to follow every aspect of pop culture? Is it a job requirement or just something to keep you from looking lame?

We’ve made it to 200 episodes and we’re celebrating by trying to get to the bottom of a major comedy question: Why aren’t there more female comedians?  Unless you are a jerk face you know that women are just as funny as men, but there is no denying the fact that empirically there are way more men in comedy.  But why? To figure it out we put together one hell of a show.  We’ve got stand up, improv and sketch comedian Camille Theobald.  We’ve got the return of Sound Engineer.  We’ve got honest-to-goodness book learnin’. Take a listen and let us know what you think.

If the Comedy Hall of Fame was a thing* there was a time that Eddie Murphy would be a lock.  I mean, come one.  Trading Places, Beverly Hills Cop, Coming To America, SNL, Raw.  But that all ended in 1994.  Since then he has brought us Norbit, Meet Dave, The Adventures Of Pluto Nash and I could go on but that would force all of us to throw up in our mouths.

This week we debate if the sins of the present outweigh the success of the pasts.  Does he still deserve to get in the Comedy Hall of Fame or does his 2 for 23 record since 1994 take him out of the running (he gets credit for Dreamgirls, even though it wasn’t a comedy and the Shreks).  It gets pretty heated.  Take a listen and let us know what you think.

* technically it is a thing, but I am not sure it is universally recognized as no one I know had ever heard of it

That time is upon us again.  Pilot season.  A period of time filled with wonder, possibilities and like 50 shows that will never see the light of day.  This week we look at some of the potential comedy shows on the horizon and if they should be allowed to go from show zygote to full on funny baby.

The Razzies.  The Oscars for people who love bad movies will soon be upon us.  The nominations are out and Adam Sandler is all over the damn thing.

This week we get all down and dirty with this year’s nominees.  Who truly is the best (and by best we mean worst) actor/actress and movies of 2011.

When you hear “The Voice of a Generation”  you think Dylan or Nirvana (depending on how old you are).  But for the younger generation they’ll being saying Seinfeld or Galifianakis.  A Comedy Central report came out recently saying that for the first time the younger generation (okay the younger male generation) is increasingly defining themselves by sense of humor over things like music or sports.

This week we break down what the report means for today’s young people, plus David Cross does drugs near the president, The Ghostbusters are going to punch our hopes in the face, Stephen Colbert is a Pole (and so can you) and Gaffigan gets all Louis CK.

Name a classic comedy movie and odds are it was made in the 80′s.  Go ahead.  Try it…….  See.  We told you.

But what was so special about the 80′s?  What made it the perfect storm decade for funny people?  Could Steve Guttenburg ever rule any other decade like he did back then?  Was Johnny 5 really alive?  All that and more in this week’s episode.

Comedy Central brought sketch comedy back to the network last week with launch of Key and Peele.  Let’s be honest we were a little scared it was going to be MadTV light.  MadTV full strength wasn’t even that good.  So how did Key and Peele turn out?  Surprisingly pretty damn good.

In this week’s episode we break down what worked, what didn’t and how it compares to other sketch shows like Chappelle show.

This week we welcome actress, comedian and children’s show performer Annie Claffey into studio 3A to talk about performing for kids.  What makes children laugh?  What can you learn from performing for both kids and adults? Which member of Dawson’s Creek would you most want to make out with? It’s all there and more.

This past week the comedy nerd world was captivated by the most recent episode of the WTF podcast featuring Todd Glass in which he announced publicly for the first time that he is gay. It was inspiring and thought-provoking.  In this week’s episode we give our reactions to the WTF episode and discuss the importance of a comedian being truthful on stage, both with the audience and themselves.

This week we are taking the format and kicking it to the curb.  Dan couldn’t make it this week so Dustin jumps behind the mic solo for the first edition of Comedy Nerds Radio.  It’s an eclectic blend of some of the best music comedians past and present. We hope your ears enjoy it.

This week we crank up the flux capacitor and look…in to the future.  Is the success of Louis C.K.’s independently released stand-up special going to be the new norm for comedians?  Could any other comedian right now really pull that off?  Will comedians be able to go completely around the networks all together soon?  Will we get all of our jokes from a pill and not even have to leave the house (but for some reason there will still be a two drink minimum)?

As the holiday season continues so does our look back at the best holiday TV episodes.  This week we look at the best Hanukkah and New Year’s episodes. Sit back with your champagne and Latkes and enjoy.

Tis the time of the year for funny shows to get all sentimental and crap.  This week we look back at some the best TV Christmas episodes.  You can best believe there will be some people learning from ghosts, some everyone is stuck in town because of the snow and some discovering what the great gift of all is.  Happy Holidays!

This year’s early Christmas present from Comedy Central was a look at their 2012 development slate.  This week we break down all the potentially awesome new shows.

What are we looking forward to? Is Comedy Central moving in the right direction? What makes Nick Kroll so frickin’ funny?  We’ll answer all these question plus we’ll help you determine if you are a Democrat or a Republican.  What more could you ask for this holiday?

Last week saw the passing of one of the funniest voices in the comedy community, Patrice O’Neal.  It’s sad when anyone dies but when it’s someone who brings so much laughter and joy to so many people it hurts that much more.

In this week’s episode we look the impact of his passing and discuss several some of the many other comedians unfortunately taken too soon.

This week on the show we talk about The Muppets! With the new movie out now we discuss the power of positivity in comedy. And how much can nostalgia affect how much you enjoy comedy? Does nostalgia make you like it more, or hate it because it isn’t exactly the way you like it? And even if it make you like something more, can nostalgia make something seem funnier? Hurry up and listen to this episode so you can start being nostalgic about it!

Multiple news sources are reporting the passing of stand-up comedian Patrice O’Neal.  Patrice was one of the funniest live performers on the scene today and he will be missed by many.  Our hearts go out to his friends and family.  Patrice was 41.

This week on the show we discuss the phenomenon of backlash, the most insidious of the lashes (worse than both whip and eye combined!) Actor A works hard, does good work, makes funny stuff. The world loves him. Actor A keeps working hard and making funny stuff, and the world says “Hey, that guy keeps working hard and making stuff, now I hate that guy!”. Why does that happen? Is it inevitable? Has anyone ever avoided it? Listen and find out.

In this week’s episode we talk about trust. In a group dynamic, how important is trust? The trust you have that your fellow team members in everything from them being funny to supporting your ideas, to showing up on time. We discuss why you need trust, and what trust is and what it isn’t. Plus we talk about Brett Ratner and Trapper Keepers, so this is a good one, (wait for it, waaaaaaaaaaaaiit for it…..) TRUST me. (waaaait for–oh it passed already.)

This week we are joined by Michael Hartney, as we discuss our trip to see Conan O’Brien at the Beacon Theater in New York! It was totally awesome, and guests Matthew Broderick and Paul Simon were amazing, and we’re not at all upset that we didn’t go to a different show, that had other guests and different things happening, so why would you ask such a weird question? We discuss the fine are of pre-show warm ups, the cue card mafia, and why Andy Richter has the best job in the world. And 2e say so long to Michael, as he heads off to Los Angeles. I hope you enjoy him on this episode, because soon he’ll be super-famous and will forget all about us, so great last guest spot on the Comedy Nerds, Michael Hartney!

With the upcoming release of Darrell Hammond’s autobiography, “God, If You’re Not Up There, I’m F*cked: Tales of Stand-Up, Saturday Night Live, and Other Mind-Altering Mayhem” we discuss the psychological make-up that pushes comedians to do what they do, how one could possibly handle the pressure of a job like being on Saturday Night Live, with a less than stable personal life (and apparently for Darrell it was — Hoo boy you guys, it was rough), and the differences between an accurate impression, a funny impression, and a funny and accurate impression. It might seem like a minor distinction, but it can make all the difference in the world.

In this week’s episode we move in to the bedroom…and then on to the stage…then back to the bedroom…then into the kitchen…then maybe down the hall.  Anyway, one funny person in a relationship is good, but what about two.  Can two comedians actually find love…together…and still be funny?  Improv and sketch comedians and married couple Dave Warth and Kelly Buttermore join us to answer the question.  Spoiler alert for them, yes.

In this week’s episode, we dive into the mailbag to answer questions and discuss topics from you, the listener! How does Hulu affect what shows are on TV? How can a comedy deal with serious topics without creating mood whiplash? If you get tone whiplash, do you have to wear a mood neck brace? And if joke stealing is such a problem, why don’t comedians just copyright their jokes? I just secured a trademark on that neck brace joke, so no one steal it! That thing was gold, I tell ya! GOLD!

The Simpsons just got renewed for two more years but should it have?  This week we look at when a beloved comedy should ride off into the sunset rather than just sort of hang out and get more and more annoying.  Was Seth McFarland right when he said Family Guy should have been cancelled a few years ago?  Or should we all just become British and only watch 8 episodes of a TV show while we eat our fish and chips?

On this week’s episode we talk to freelance writer Steve Heisler, who writes for places like the AV Club and Vulture, among others. He is one of the people who decides who gets into the Montreal Just For Laughs Comedy Festival. We talk about how the process works, why they make the decisions they do, and how they only want what’s best for each comedian, which sometimes means not accepting people before they are ready. Also, Steve has interviewed many famous comedians and we discuss what he’s learned, who he’s talked to, how he asks the tough questions, and why Mel Brooks should be allowed to make something crappy every once in a while. Find out more about Steve and read his stuff at http://steveheisler.com/

In this week’s episode we get all up in the new fall comedies.  You’ve seen them promoted to the point your eyes started to bleed (except for Free Agents – see you didn’t even know that was a show did you?).  We watched them all (well mostly Dustin did) and break down what you should watch and what will make think, “oh my god, this show is making me lose my faith in the ability to ever laugh again.”

Plus, we watched the first Charlie Sheenless Two And A Half Men so you don’t have to, we examine the possibilities of a ‘Talkin’ About Stickers” TV show and beg you to beg people to watch NBC’s Thursday night comedy line-up.

The Emmys where yesterday and Modern Family won…almost everything!  In this week’s episode we talk about Modern Family’s sweep of everything they could possibly win, the awesomeness of the Leading Actress In Comedy nominees, and The Daily Show’s complete and total domination going on almost a decade.

Plus: A real life Weekend At Bernie’s.  Proof that we are in fact in the future.  And get ready for an Alpocalypse!

This week had so much comedy news that we had no choice but to do a full on comedy news-a-palooza. What will you learn in this episode? How about: Who’s the richest person in entertainment and what does it teach other performers? Why are there less women in today’s writer’s rooms? Why is Michael J Fox teaching us not to believe any more? Did literally anyone see Bucky Larson this weekend? What kind of jokes can you buy for a dollar? Should you trust Dustin’s law knowledge?

Find out the answers to all the questions and a like two things more!

This Sunday is the tenth anniversary of 9/11. And the day after is the tenth anniversary of the first 9/11 joke. This week we talk about about black comedy and gallows humor. Is there any value in joking about things that will upset some people. Are there guidelines about what you can joke about and when. And if so who decides what they are? And isn’t a comedian honor bound to break those rules? So what would be the point of them if they existed? I guess what I’m trying to say is Never Forget…about this podcast.

One thing that has been at the cornerstone of comedy since the dawn of man is someone falling down.  It was followed very very very closely by a guy getting hit in the nuts.  There is just something about people getting hurt that makes us laugh.  But why?  What makes our brain thing that other people’s pain is so damn funny?

Think you are above it?  Watch America’s Funniest Home Videos or Tosh.O or Web Soup and try not to laugh.  You can’t because you are human (or a reasonable facsimile who is plotting eventual world domination) and humans laugh at bad stuff happening to other people. This week we look and the theory and the science of why.  Are we all just heartless jerks or are we just genetically predisposed to find nut shots funny?

Montreal.  It’s one of the biggest goals for any up and coming stand up comedian.  Each year a few chosen funny folks are picked to be the one of the “New Faces”.

This year our very own Nick Turner’s face was chosen to be one of those faces that are new.  We talk to him about what the experience was like.  Is Montreal everything a young comedian hopes it will be?  What’s it like getting “the call”?  Do they hand out free gold?

This week, Dustin and Dan are still away, but don’t panic! We’ll be back next week. In the meantime, here’s more golden oldies from the far distant past of 2009-ish. First up, we talk to Kevin Allison, about his new (at the time) show and podcast Risk!, then Michael Hartney joins us as we put together our SNL dream team casts. Are there two words in the English language that go together better than Clip and Show?

This week, Dustin and Dan are away, so here are some highlights of our favorite episodes. First up, Michael Hartney and Claudia Cogan join us to talk about gay comedy, then Dave Hill graces us with his presence in a discussion of slow comedy. If you’re a new listener, use this as an opportunity to listen to the best of some of our older episodes, if you’re a long time listener, take a trip down memory lane. If you decide to skip it, we won’t be angry at you, just disappointed. And in a way, isn’t that worse?

Hey, so what are you going to put in the time capsule?  A Justin Bieber album? Really?  I just don’t get him.  And that whole thing with Usher.  What?  Oh, me?  I am putting in sketch comedy shows on TV.  Well, first of yes I can put a concept in the time capsule.  You’re not the boss of me!  Second, it’s because the internet may in fact be making the full fledged sketch comedy TV show obsolete.  So maybe one day our grand kids will open up the time capsule and admire sketch comedy shows on TV the same way we do when we open ours and found pogs.  In other words, they’ll think “Really?  That was a thing?  Why?”

Someone once said that show business is a Hideous Bitch Goddess. I believe it was George Burns. Oh, also everyone who has ever tried to make it in Hollywood. This week, we discuss some of the details of the great new book “Writing Movies For Fun And Profit“, by Robert Ben Garant and Thomas Lennon. A book not about how to write a screenplay, (there’s a lot of books about that, and they’re all great, probably), but a book about HOW TO GET A SCREENPLAY PRODUCED IN HOLLYWOOD. From what margins on the page are required for different studios to how to order at “In-N-Out Burger”, someone finally lays out, step by step, exactly what you need to do. Read the book, listen to this episode, and don’t forget about us when you’re a millionaire!

This week, we discuss the Emmy nominations. Regular cast members nominated as guest stars. A handful of shows nominated again and again. Glee is apparently a thing that is currently happening. It’s a bit of a mess. We go over who got the nod, who got snubbed (RON SWANSON!!!!!) and some thoughts on how to make the Emmys better. Can they be better? Probably not. Sorry, I’m a realist. That’s how I roll these days.

Stop it. Just…just stop it. Whatever it is you’re doing, just don’t do that anymore. This week on the show, we talk about the things we’re just sick and tired of seeing in comedies. There was a time when wise-cracking animals were fresh and funny. Those days have passed, but don’t turn around because here comes a irascible Alpaca. We talk fat suits, rapping grannies, and everything else we’d like to see vanish from this planet. Bye bye. Don’t let the door hit you in the ass on the way out. Especially you, fat suit. I don’t need sweaty fat suit stains all over my nice clean door.

In comedy being normal is usually seen as a bad thing.  With thousands of comedians all trying to stand out, you need to do something to stand out.  This week’s guest Tom Shillue has managed to make a name for himself by not only being normal, but Super Normal (That’s the name of his one man show, see what I did there?  Yeah you do.)

We talk about turning an everyday event into a hilarious story, translating it into the clubs and dealing with hecklers when you are the nice guy on stage.

Plus Sound Engineer sits in as co-host!

Check out more from Tom Shillue at his website, on iTunes and at his upcoming show at Carolines.

“Alternative” comedy. Much like it’s cousin “alternative” music, this species is often misaligned and misunderstood. Saddled with a kind-of dumb and misleading name, some people talk about how great this particular creature is, which inevitably leads to other people saying “It thinks it’s so great, but it’s not that great.” This week we discuss “alt” comedy, what it is, what it isn’t, how it differs from “traditional” comedy and how it’s basically the same thing is a slightly newer and cooler box. So come on in to the backroom of this basement bar, take off your jacket and tie, bring your notebook on stage, and let’s do some alternative comedy!

On this week’s episode we discuss adult cartoons. No, not like that. Jeez, get your mind out of the gutter. I mean the kind of comedy cartoons that adults watch. After the “The Flintstones”,  the form lay dormant for roughly twenty-five years before a little cultural atom bomb called the “The Simpsons” went off. Before long it went from “Can a prime time cartoon succeed?” to “South Park”, “Family Guy” and a whole network devoted (almost) exclusively to them. Let’s get dominated by animated (shows)!

If you heart Jon Stewart like I do you will heart this.  You will probably heart him even more now.  (Fun Fact: I have never written “heart” anything before.  This will be the first and last time.  You just read history people.)

“It don’t matter what you wear, they’re checking out your savior faire. And it don’t matter what you do, ’cause everything you do looks good on you.” – RuPaul, American Royalty

You got your jokes. You got your mic work down, your pre-composed heckler responses ready to go, that screeching impression of your Asian grandmother is coming along nicely. Guess you’re all ready to get up on stage, but hold on a second there partner. Let’s take a look at those clothes you’re wearing. This week, we talk about the visual component of comedy, and discuss some of the most stylish comedians ever. ‘Cause every comedy club audience’s crazy about a sharp dressed man.

In light of the “The Hangover Part 2″ being released over the weekend, we’re talking about what makes a great comedy sequel, and why so many of them fall short. (Full Disclosure: We didn’t see “Hangover 2″ yet, but we’re sure it’s great…) We take a look at the best comedy sequels, and some of the worst. And then we dream up a pitch to the inevitable “Bridemaids” sequel. We’ll be waiting by the phone, Hollywood.

The Friars Club announced the ten finalist and alternates for their Improv and Sketch Competition and NYC comedy totally dominated the selections.  Take a look at the final groups below, then go watch them fight each other to the comedy death June 24th & 25th at the UCB theatre.  The winner brings home $5,000 to make a video appearing in the Friars Club Comedy Film Festival in October.  Think of all the wigs and fake mustaches they could buy with that kind of money.  The ridiculous hair possibilities are limitless.

The 2011 FrISC finalists are:

Improv
Big Black Car (NYC)
Death By Roo Roo (NYC)
Doppelganger (NYC)
The Mantzoukas Brothers (NYC)
Standards & Practices (Toronto)
1st alternate: Middle Age Comeback (Chicago)
2nd alternate: Brothers Hines (NYC)

Sketch
Onassis (NYC)
Paulilu: The Paul Downs Syndrome (LA)
Political Subversities (NYC)
Somebody’s in the Doghouse (Boston/NYC)
Stone Cold Fox (NYC)
1st alternate: Oh, Brother! (LA)
2nd alternate: BoF (NYC)

In this week’s episode, we celebrate 3 years of broadcasting our nonense around the world! Guests Claudia Cogan, Nick Turner and Lou Fernandez join in the fun as we play trivia games, introduce our new theme song, play a clip from our first show, and more! Come on in and join the cyber-party, as we enter our second trimester. (Trimester means three years right? That sounds right. I’m not going to look it up.)

Television! There are certain shows on it. Next Fall some of those shows will still be on it, while others will not. New shows will take the place of the ones that are gone. But which shows will be which? Don’t panic! Every year, the broadcast networks let you know, in an out-dated but still totally happening process called the upfronts. This week, The Comedy Nerds walk you through the comedy portion of the upfronts. If you need help with other parts of the schedule, well brother, you are on your own.

In case you were like me last night and you were distracted by the How I Men Your Mother wedding surprise or if Chuck was going to be able to save Sarah in time from Vivian Volkoff’s remote control DNA poison devise and you missed Jon Stewart on the O’Reilly Factor here are the two clips from it.  Did Jon best O’Reilly?  Judge for yourself (and by the title of this post).

PART 1

PART 2

I guess I’ll write this episode description, even though I’m dumb and ugly and stupid. Just kidding. But this week, we take a suggestion out of the mailbag and talk about self-deprecating humor. Someone has to be the butt of the joke, should you make yourself the butt? Ha! You’re a butt. Then we talk about conservatives and why they aren’t very funny. Probably because they are stupid butts. Man, I’m terrible at this. Self-deprecation!

Also, you can check out that story pirates show here and donate to Vision Walk here.

photo from Flickr by EssG

Every comedian dreams of it.  The (Insert Name Of Dreaming Comedian) Show.  But only a lucky few get to make it a reality.  And thank god because a few actually should.  This week we look at which comedians deserve to have their own show, why and what the show should be.  (Fun Fact: Before each podcast Dustin suggest we change the name of the podcast to The Dustin Show.  Fun Fact 2: Dan always says no.)

It’s part 2 of our 2 part episode done in 2 parts about HBO’s Talking Funny.  Enjoy its second partness.  It’s got so much Ricky Gervais, Louis CK, Jerry Seinfeld and Chris Rockatude you won’t be able to handle.  If you haven’t listened to part 1 yet, it’s right here.

HBO has created Comedy Nerd heaven in a show called Talking Funny.  Chris Rock, Louis C.K., Jerry Seinfeld and Ricky Gervais all in one room.  Four of the biggest comedians in the world talking about the craft of comedy.  How could it get any better?  (Fun Fact: It can not)

This week we dig deeper into some of the many great topics they got into.  But there were so many great things that we had to break it into two episodes.  This is part one… because one comes first.  You can listen to part 2 here.

It is only a couple of weeks before Michael Scott rides off into the sunset and that makes us sad.  Steve Carell felt he needed to move on, but what about those left behind.  Can The Office survive?  This week we look at past funny people who left their shows.  What happened to them?  What happened to the shows they left?  And can anyone really replace Steve Carell?

photo from flickr by <smee>

What happens when funny people get together to give each other awards for how funny they all are?  Will it actually be funny?  Well…it depends on who you ask.  In this week’s episode we break down the highs and lows of the very first Comedy Awards on Comedy Central.  Will there be a second?  Should there be a second?  Hold on a second….  Okay, just wanted to hit the rule of threes.

Any ol’ fool with a video camera can make a web video but most of them suck. So how do you make them not suck?  This week we bring in comedian Dan Opsal, whose web videos totally don’t suck, to figure it out.  Dan’s Acting Reel Master Database has been ruling the school at Channel 101 NY. We talk about makes for a successful web video, the best ways to stand out and where web comedy is going.  Plus we look for actual proof of Iowa.

In this week’s episode, we talk about the benefits and drawbacks of having a gimmick, Jimmy Jam. Isn’t that cute? I call everyone Jimmy Jam. It’s kind of my thing. I feel like it’s really going to help my career. Recurring role on a CBS sitcom your parent watch, here I come! Then we talk about how to be a good comedy audience. Laughing every time I say Jimmy Jam would be a good start. Jimmy Jam!

photo from flickr by sliabh

On this week’s episode, we talk about the new movie “Paul”, with Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, and discuss the affectionate parodies they’ve starred in. “Shaun of the Dead” made fun of zombie movies, and “Hot Fuzz” made fun of action movies, but also showed a clear love for those genres, while offering up involving stories and interesting characters. How does their latest film stack up? There’s only one way to find out! Well, actually there are numerous ways, but listening to this podcast is totally one of them.

It is the fight of the century. In this corner, The Performer. With a desperate desire to be liked and full of enough “please-look-at-me” neediness to fill a dozen therapist notebooks, you can see it all over The Performer’s “daddy didn’t love me enough” face, they’re out for blood and laughs, whatever the cost. But in this corner, we have The Writer. Steely, calculating, and with a fully formed opinion on the Teapot Dome Scandal, The Writer comes out swinging with a one-two punch of clever notions and air-tight sketch construction. Who will win in this epic, eternal struggle. Listen to find out. If you got the guts!

Have you ever noticed that sometimes you’re in the mood for a stupid comedy, and sometimes you’re just not? On this week’s episode we discuss the phenomenon of how one day you’ll think a joke isn’t funny and the next day you do. What is up with that? Am I right, ladies? Also, how long can a TV show string you along without a pay off? About as long as my last boyfriend. You know what I’m saying! Where my LADIES AT???

photo from flickr by saveas.new

It’s brother vs. brother. Neighbor vs. neighbor. Late night funnyman vs. late night funnyman.  What side are you on: Late Night Snack or Americon Dream?  There can be only one! (actually you can totally have both, but I have learned to never give up a Highlander reference opportunity)

The rivalry got pretty serious last night as Colbert pretty much scrapped the entire format of his show to settle this.  There were fights, guest stars, songs, old rich hippies and ice cream induced hallucinations.

“I am on a drug. It’s called Charlie Sheen. It’s not available. If you try it once, you will die. Your face will melt off and your children will weep over your exploded body.”

“I’m tired–I’m so tired of pretending like my life isn’t perfect and bitching and winning every second and I’m not perfect and bitchin’ and just delivering the goods at every freakin’ turn.”

“I got magic and I’ve got poetry in my fingertips, you know, most of the time, and this includes naps. I’m an F-18, bro.”

You have one more week to vote for us for the ECNY awards. Do it here.

So Charlie Sheen went f’n nuts yesterday and got his show shut down for at least the rest of the season.  Possibly forever.  Will it come back?

Hells To The No It Won’t Be Back!
Here is what he had to say about show producer Chuck Lorre on Alex Jones radio show.

“There’s something this side of deplorable that a certain Chaim Levine — yeah, that’s Chuck’s real name — mistook this rock star for his own selfish exit strategy, bro. Check it, Alex: I embarrassed him in front of his children and the world by healing at a pace that his unevolved mind cannot process.”

“Last I checked, Chaim, I spent close to the last decade effortlessly and magically converting your tin cans into pure gold. And the gratitude I get is this charlatan chose not to do his job, which is to write.”

You don’t say stuff like that unless you want to get canceled.  Sheen is almost definitely high, oversexed and a bit delusional but he is not dumb enough to say that stuff and not think this will be the result.

Yes, Of Course It Will Be Back
The show makes a bazillion dollars. That’s not a fake number. They literally make a bazillion dollars.

Let’s not forget the biggest tragedy here… the world may now never see Major League 3.  Let’s all pray to Jobu that Sheen can get his crap together.

When it comes to live comedy, the three main pillars are: Stand-up, Sketch and Improv. But what if you step outside those boundries? This week we welcome comedian Neal Stastny, who’s group Meatsteak recently wrote and performed a new episode of Taxi. What if you liked Taxi, and instead of doing a stand-up bit or a sketch about it, you just did a whole new episode? It’s so crazy it just might work! Oh, it did work? Oh okay, it totally worked.

Be sure to vote for Meatsteak in the ECNY awards, where you can vote for us too. I mean, I guess if you wanna (please do!).

photo from flickr by domib34

Indie comedy. Quiet simply, it’s the world we live in. And sometimes it’s hard to get a sense of something when you are inside of it. This week, we welcome emerging New York comic Nick Turner, and discuss the state of indie comedy. Is it growing? Is it shrinking? Is it keeping on keeping on? Will it suffer the same fate as the 1980s comedy boom? And most importantly, with the exception of me and pretty much everyone I know, does anyone care? What? Everyone does? All our hard work and dedication paid off? It’s a Christmas miracle!

Don’t forget to vote for Nick for the ECNY awards, where he is nominated for best host (with Jason Saenz) and Emerging Comic. And while you’re there, why don’t you vote for us for best podcast (What? Oh my, you shouldn’t have…) Vote here. Hooray of democracy!

photo from flickr by Ti.mo

The ECNY Awards announced their nominations this morning.  First off, we totally got nominated for Best Podcast! Thanks to everyone who helped make that possible.  Also congrats to everyone who was nominated, especially good friend of the show Nick Turner with two nominations. Feel free to start voting now.   Here is the complete list of nominees:

Best Male Stand-up Comedian
Dan St. Germain
Kurt Braunohler
Mike Lawrence
Sean Patton
Ted Alexandro

Best Female Stand-up Comedian
Amy Schumer
Andrea Rosen
Brooke Van Poppelen
Marina Franklin
Sara Schaefer

Best Sketch Comedy Group
BoF
Harvard Sailing Team
Murderfist
Serious Lunch
Two Fun Men

Best Host
Chris Gethard
Kurt Braunohler and Kristen Schaal
Nick Turner and Jason Saenz
Sean Crespo and Dan Wilbur
Seth Herzog

Best Improv Group
2 Square
Big Black Car
Adsit & Gausas
Death By Roo Roo
Doppelganger

Best Musical Comedy Act (Solo or Group)
Adira Amram & The Experience
Ben Lerman
Fearsome presents: Grease 3: Threase
The Gregory Brothers
Stuckey and Murray

Best One Person Show
Adam Wade – Originally from New Hampshire
Jon Friedman – Bear With Me
Pam Murphy – The C-Word
Paul W. Downs – The Paul Downs Syndrome
Shannon O’Neill – Prison Freaks

Best Comedic Video (Short or Series)
Academy Award Winning Movie Trailer – BriTANick
BP Spills Coffee – UCBComedy.com
Please Give Me One Million Dollars – Craig Rowin
Marcel the Shell with Shoes On – Jenny Slate and Dean Fleischer-Camp
Broad City – Ilana Glazer, Abbi Jacobson and Rob Michael Hugel

Best Variety Show
Hot Tub with Kurt and Kristen
Righteous Kill
SACAPUNTAS!
The Chris Gethard Show
Whiplash

Best Website
drinkatwork.com
juliasegal.tumblr.com
sandpapersuit.com
splitsider.com
theapiary.org
thecomicscomic.com

Best Technician
Beowulf Jones
Frank Hejl
Katey Healy-Wurzburg
Marcus Parks
Mike Cirelli

Best Flyer or Postcard Design
Broad City @ 92YTribeca – Abbi Jacobson
Heart of Darkness – Dima Drjuchin
Lasers in the Jungle – Mindy Tucker
Rubber Bullets – Scott Moran
The Paul Downs Syndrome

Best Book
Get Psyched – Rob Lathan and Will Hines
I Don’t Care About Your Band – Julie Klausner
Look at This Fucking Hipster – Joe Mande
Sex: Our Bodies, Our Junk – Jason Roeder, Mike Sacks, Ted Travelstead, Scott Jacobson, and Todd Levin
Sexy Book of Sexy Sex – Kristen Schaal and Rich Blomquist

Best Comedy Podcast
In the Tank
Keith and The Girl
The Comedy Nerds
RISK! True Tales, Boldly Told
The UCB Theatre Podcast

Best Comedy Event
12th Annual Del Close Marathon
50 First Jokes
The Eugene Mirman Comedy Festival
Meatsteak Presents Your Favorite Show: TAXI
Schtick or Treat

Best Storyteller
Adam Wade
Elna Baker
John Flynn
Kevin Allison
Margo Leitman
Tom Shillue

Outstanding Achievement in the Field Of Tweeting
@chrisgethard
@elizaskinner
@friedmanjon
@joemande
@mrdavehill

The Emerging Comic Award
Adrienne Iapulucci
Ilana Glazer
Jared Logan
Mike Recine
Nick Turner
Paul W. Downs

The award ceremony will be held on March 14, 2011, at 8:30 PM at the 92Y Tribeca; 200 Hudson Street.

Are you ready for some comically-inclined representations of football?!!! This week, in honor of the Superbowl, we welcome SportsDome senior writer (and member of legendary New York sketch troupe Elephant Larry) Geoff Haggerty. We talk to him about writing for SportsDome, where sports and comedy intersect and his favorite sports comedies. So cheer on Team Comedy Nerds as we score a touchdown of podcasting. Or something. Sports!

In this week’s episode, we talk about stepping out of your comedy comfort zone. In order to get better at your craft, you should concentrate on what you are good at, but also you should try things that you are not good at. How do you fine the balance between those two contradictory concepts? Does trying new things make you better at the stuff you are already comfortable with? And if the one thing you are good at made you a millionaire, why bother doing anything else? Because you have self-respect? Self-respect is for people who can’t afford yachts.

You knew it was coming.  It happened.  Here it is.  Now lets get on the Dwight meets Gareth train.  I’ll meet you in the bar car.

Justin Timberlake has said that he would consider being a cast member on Saturday Night Live. This week, just like JT brought sexy back, we bring Michael Hartney back* to discuss with us whether that would be a good idea.  What other out-of-the-box people would be good for the show? And, if we were standing in Lorne Michael’s shoes, how would we do things differently at SNL? I’d have a lot of juggling, but keep in mind, I’m an idiot.

*Nailed it!

Tonight is the night.  The always amazing Baron Vaughn officially joins the ranks of TV star when his new show, Fairly Legal, debuts on USA. The show stars the ultra sexy Sarah Shahi, who plays Kate, a former lawyer who starts becomes a mediator.  While not technically a comedy it looks like a typical USA show that deals with serious stuff but man are those characters quirky.

Baron plays Leonardo Prince, who is:

resourceful, unflappable, and, thanks to his vast and varied connections — and seeming ability to know what Kate needs before even she knows she needs it — invaluable. Though dedicated to his harried boss and supportive of her at times unconventional methods, Leo is neither a career assistant nor an aspiring legal climber; he’s just biding time and cashing paychecks at Reed & Reed while he works on his true passion: a Watchman-like graphic novel.

Baron is one of the funniest and nicest guys working in comedy today and we wish him super amounts of success for his show and everything else.

The show debuts tonight (January 20th) at 10/9 c on USA.  You can also catch him at at SF sketchfest.

A group in Baltimore is trying to break the record for the longest stand-up show ever.  I am assuming they mean in real time not perceived time, because in perceived time there are some open mics from the 2002 that I am still at.  (I’m looking at you Maui Taco) Do I know what the record is?  Nope.  Do I know how close they are to breaking it?  Nope.  But its fun stand-up for a good cause, the Maryland Special Olympics.  You can watch it live here.  And donate here.  Come on, what else are you going to do right now, work?

Last night Ricky Gervais totally won the Golden Globes by getting banned from them.  Apparently you are not suppose to mention that the Hollywood Foreign Press was made up by a bunch of nerds who wanted to dry hump the legs of famous people.  Oh, am I now banned from the Golden Globes also?  I win too.  Take a look at his opening monologue where he makes fun of a bunch of millionaires then forget the Golden Globes is a thing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvHXzP2SpLA

Recently, comedy deity Patton Oswalt wrote an essay in Wired magazine. In it, he argues that the internet, once the bastion of the nerdy, has actually harmed nerd culture. By making it so easy to stay on top of whatever pop culture obsession you have, it has made a generation of nerds lazy, flabby and gasping for air when they get to the top of a nerd-staircase. Dan thinks this line of reasoning has legs, while Dustin thinks this is the equivilant of shaking your old man cane at the internet and telling it to get off your lawn. What do you think? Don’t work to hard thinking about it, I’ll just send you a few links that will help you make up your mind. Oh internet, you’ve done it again!

photo from flickr by bayat

You remember Pac-Man.  You remember the early 80′s cartoon version of Pac-Man?  When you were watching I it I bet I know what you were thinking. “this show is good, but it’s not true to life enough. I want to know what happens when Pac-Man stops eating dots and starts getting real “  Also you were probably thinking how hard addition was because you were like 5 years old.  Well Merv Griffin Entertainment has heard your cries and his company is shopping around a Pac-Man Reality show.  Read that again because I want you to make sure you completely understand it with all of your brain, A PAC-MAN REALITY SHOW.  Not a cartoon.  Not a sitcom.  A reality show.

A show about a circle eating circles, ghosts and pretzels.  That is throwing down the “if you will watch this bull shit you will watch anything” gauntlet.  Listen, I love the 80′s like a brother, but everybody knows that sometimes you have to take your brother out behind the shed and put him out of his misery then tell you parents he went to live on a farm upstate.  I don’t see anyone watching this… unless Dave Coulier is the host.  Then I am totally in.

I have to admit I was curious how Jon and crew were going to handle the events of this weekend especially in light of last week’s podcast.  Would he show clip after clip of people being assholes? Would he join in on the finger pointing at Palin?  Would he point out that John Boehner cried about literally everything else that happened in the universe except the shootings this weekend?  Nah, he’s not nearly as petty as me.  He took the high, albeit serious road.  It’s worth a listen.

Work can be really really boring.  That’s why they call it work and not “Happy Fun Time Dance Party Place”.  Wouldn’t it be great if you could add a few laughs to the work day.  You know, put some comedy in the cubicle.

Want some advice on how to do it?  Here’s a tip: Don’t.  At least not if you are going to follow the advice Dan found on corporate comedy and leading with laughter.   This week we take a look at some of the ridiculous ideas people have to make the work place a barrel of laughs.
photo from flickr by 427

Apparently it was us… $#*! My Dad Says won the People’s Choice for best new comedy.  Admittedly the competition was not great (I’m looking at you “Better With You” that no one ever heard of) but really?  Normally I could blame industry insiders, the press or the Illuminati* but this is the people.  The people picked this punch-in-the-ball-sack of a show.  Remember the date January 5th, 2011.  This is going to be the date that historians in the future use to prove that democracy does not work.

Other Winners:
Favorite Comedy Movie – Grown-Ups (The movie we all kind of wanted to see, on cable)
Favorite Comedy Star – Adam Sandler (What was that?  Sorry I thought I heard 1997)
Favorite TV Comedy – Glee   (this is not a comedy show people!)
Favorite TV Comedy Actor – Neil Patrick Harris (good choice)
Favorite TV Comedy Actress – Jane Lynch (I’m not mad, but I am not happy)

*They are real and they are reading your mind through your cereal box.  Wake up people!

Some in the media have called Jon Stewart the next Edward R. Murrow. Some people find this comparison apt. While others say “Seriously? Are you kidding me? You’re really saying that? Really? This is a thing that’s really happening? Really? Oh brother!” On this week’s episode, we discuss whether a comedian can and/or should step into a role like that. Is Jon Stewart perfectly suited to do it? And if he does, are other people going to be all “Seriously? This is a thing now? Come on!”

Plus! Comedy Resolutions! Christmas Loot! And Dan gets even nerdier! Yes, it’s possible. It surprised us all.

This week, it’s the Christmas episode! Dustin is visited by three ghosts and learns to stop being such a grouch. Dan sees what life would be like if he was never born. And then we jump in the sleigh and deliver gifts all over the world when Santa comes down with a cold. Okay, actually we talk about the best Christmas comedies of all time, and we play another round of “Maybe It’s Us.” with the Larry the Cable Guy Christmas album “Christmas in Larryland”. Which is…oh boy. You better just listen. Have a great holiday everyone and we’ll see you right back here in 2011!

photo from flickr by meltsley

On this week’s episode we talk about Doubt. Not that movie where Philip Seymour Hoffman plays a priest but Oh My God You Guys! How good was that movie?! I would watch Meryl Streep read the phonebook. She is a national treasure. Whoops, got off track for a second there, but I won’t doubt my ability to write these descriptions. Because even though we all doubt ourselves from time to time, you just have to fight through it. Unless you shouldn’t. I don’t know, I’m probably just an idiot. Then, we talk about why there isn’t more stand up comedy on TV. It’s cheap, it’s easy, it seems like a no-brainer. But what do I know? God, I’m so stupid!

Picture from Daniel Y. Go on flickr.

In this week’s episode we look at the work of the late, great Leslie Nielsen. Few actors are a better example of the rule of playing it straight to get even more laughs. Originally starring as a serious actor in movies with awesome titles like “Forbidden Planet” and “Ransom!”, Nielsen took a supporting role in weird little movie called “Airplane!” that just happened to become one of the biggest surprise hits in history and his career spun off in a whole new direction. Somewhere between telling Robert Hays to not call him Shirley, starring in “Naked Gun” movies, and finally making an honest woman out of Dorothy Zbornak in the last episode of “Golden Girls”, Leslie Nielsen earned his lifetime pass, and our eternal gratitude. I just want to tell you both, good luck. We’re all counting on you.

Please watch the video and then explain to me how it happened.   I do not…  Can not…  How?  I mean, what?  I mean, don’t they…  Didn’t they… How did they…  Just watch it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8cNHCP3juQ

[via Paul Sheer]

“Tonight on a very special “Blossom”…”

This week we look at the strange, and largely forgotten, art of the “very special episode”. It’s simple. Take a light-hearted sitcom, awkwardly inject some grim real-world problem, make lame jokes about or around said problem, spend the next thirty years being beloved by a cynical, irony-loving generation. Dudley almost get molested in the bike shop, the Seaver household is plunged into sadness when Matthew Perry dies from drinking and driving (and crashing and bleeding), and Jesse is so excited, but also, so scared. So come along as Dan considers losing his virginity, Dustin buys a handgun to scare that bully at school, and you the audience learn a little something about this crazy thing we call life.

“That mouse doesn’t have any pants on.” He sure doesn’t.

Screw you old times.  My generation is getting an animated Christmas classic.  So put that in your Model T Ford and smoke it!  I haven’t seen yet but I already know that this is going to be my time’s Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer only with a lot more pop culture references, much darker humor and some vague awareness of minorities.  Check out a clip from the Community animated Christmas special. 23 skidoo!

“Cookie joke, cookie joke, cookie joke…” Yeah, I think he’s got it.

In this week’s episode, in honor of Thanksgiving we talk about what we are thankful for in the realm of comedy. And even though it wasn’t a competition, Dustin somehow wins. But before that, we introduce a new segment called “Maybe It’s Us”, where we take a look at things we think we won’t like, and keep an open mind and stay positive. We tackle “Two and a Half Men” and “$#*! My Dad Says”. Will we be surprised by our reactions to it? The answer: Sort of. How exactly? You’ll need to listen to find out!

This video is fun.  Watch it.  Also, be careful before you call The Ghostbusters.

I don’t want to say it was specifically because of this week’s podcast on The Legacy of Must See TV, although we all know it was, but NBC is crankin’ it up to 11pm on it’s Thursday night comedy block.  That means 3 hours of comedy on Thursday night and plenty of room for Parks and Rec, Community, The Office and 30 Rock!  Plus Outsourced (yeah, nobody cares) and a new show called Perfect Couples (which I know nothing about but based on the name is SURE to be canceled after 6 episodes).  Here’s the new mid-season line-up:

THURSDAYS (all beginning January 20)

8-8:30 p.m. – “Community”

8:30-9 p.m. – “PERFECT COUPLES”

9-9:30 p.m. – “The Office”

9:30-10 p.m. – “Parks and Recreation”

10-10:30 p.m. – “30 Rock”

10:30-11 p.m. – “Outsourced”

In this week’s episode, we look at the history of NBC’s Must See TV comedy block, which has featured some of the greatest TV comedies of all time, and also “Wings”. Relive the glory days when The Cosby Show and Cheers ruled the airwaves, learn the dark secret of the forgettable shows that surrounded “Friends” and “Seinfeld”, and revel in the greatness of “The Office”, “30 Rock” and more in the newly rechristened “Comedy Night Done Right”. Come along with us on a journey through the comedies that got you ready for the weekend, which is what everyone is working for (Loverboy reference!)

photo from flickr by megadem

HBO has restored my faith in humanity and that people can, when presented with the chance, make the world a more beautiful place.  HBO is in the process of making a one off talk show called Talking Funny.  It will star Ricky Gervais talking with comedy Super Duper Awesome Hilarious Reason Why 90% of Comedians Got Into The Business In The First Place Amazing Crazy Cryin’ Comedy Stars Louis CK, Chris Rock and Jerry Seinfeld.  Here’s what you can expect:

Here’s our reaction to Conan’s first show on TBS. We recorded it live, but if you couldn’t stay awake, we have thoughtfully recorded it and made it available for download. And if you did stay up and listen, you can relive the magic again and again. Let’s do this!

On Monday November 8th we’ll be doing a live episode right after the premiere of Conan on TBS.  You can listen live right here on the website or on our ustream page.  We’ll be going live right after the episode ends.  Join in on the conversation as we breakdown one of the most anticipated new shows in a long time.  See you there…

Conan O’Brien’s warm up to his new show debuting November 8th was called “Show Zero” and it was totally a thing that happened.  That’s really all that you can say about it.  It definitely happened and it was definitely called Show Zero and I might have laughed at one point.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=baa-dGj2LhQ

Check out our video from the Rally To Restore Sanity…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UzYZOfnt-8

What do we want? Sanity! When do we want it? In a reasonable time frame!

We were there. We saw it happen. Someday we will tell our grandkids about it. Or someone’s grandkids. We’ll just hang around schoolyards and shout at random children that once upon a time when we saw Ozzy Osbourne, R2D2 and John Oliver all on the same day. The Comedy Nerds traveled to our nation’s capital to watch The Rally to Restore Sanity and / or Fear with our own eyes. We laughed, we cheered, we were a little confused as to why the Mythbusters were there, but they’re good guys so we’ll let it slide, and in the end, we felt a little better about the country we call home. It was a day of funny signs, banana costumes, and sketch comedy performed to an estimated 10 million people, and we’re here to tell you all about it.

photo from flickr by TalkMediaNews

On this week’s episode we do The Mash. (We do The Monster Mash, just to be clear which Mash it is that we are doing). In honor of Halloween, we take a look at some of the best horror-comedies of all time. Whether it’s full-on horror movies with a few jokes sprinkled in, or mostly comedies with just a few horror elements (and when you’re eight, the inside of Sigourney Weaver’s fridge in Ghostbusters can FREAK YOU OUT!) we take a look at what happens when you mix the sweet of comedy and the sour of horror, and pour it over the chicken of a movie.

PLUS! An honorary awkward pause is bestowed. Elizabeth Shue takes too big a slice of the “Back To The Future” pie. And Dan questions the legitimacy of Dracula’s reign as the king of the monsters.

On this week’s episode we give our initial reactions to 30 Rock’s live episode (East Coast Version). With a cast full of former Saturday Night Live cast members and hosts, it was probably the best TV show on the air to try something like this, but did it work? Plus, we look at the history of when great TV shows challenge themselves by doing a live episode. Also, Gimme A Break did it for some reason.

Thanks to the internet, you can compare the East Coast version to the West Coast versions (or you can cheat and just go here). Different jokes! Flubbed lines! Why does it make me feel so alive?!

This week’s episode is sponsored by Christian Polanco. You can find out more about his show “And Then What Happened?” here. If you would like to be the sponsor for next week’s episode, answer the trivia question on our Facebook page.

On this week’s episode, we are joined by Rebecca Trent, owner of The Creek and The Cave a fantastic bar/restaurant/independent comedy palace in beautiful Long Island City (just minutes away from Midtown Manhattan!) We talk about what makes someone want to start a comedy club, the cold hard facts of dealing with comedians and burritos, and the joys of helping to nurture comedy you like.

Plus! The power of folders! Ving Rhames crushes your face with one hand! And a trivia question that you can answer for fabulous prizes!!!

It’s coming…

And it’s gonna be sexy as hell.

On this week’s episode we are joined by Michael Hartney, creator of the hilarious one man show “So I Like Superman”. The show is about certain incidents that happened to Michael in his life. So how do you take something personal and make it universal enough that other people can understand it, while still having it be personal? In other words, how do you take the funny thought in your head and safely transport it into someone else’s head? We discuss all of this during the most awkward Thanksgiving dinner ever.

So I Like Superman will be at the UCB Theater this Friday October 8th. It will be the last one for a while, so do yourself a favor and don’t miss it. Seriously. It’s really good.

I thought CNN were suppose to be the slightly less ridiculous guys, but the network’s now former anchor Ricky Sanchez cranked up the crazy on Friday when he called Jon Stewart a “bigot”.  He quickly learned that no one and I mean no one messes with Jon Stewart, or should I say more correctly, no one says that Jews control the media without everyone thinking they is craaaaazzzyyyy.  But that’s just what he did and 24 hours later Rick was out on his butt.  Here’s what he said during Pete Dominick’s satellite radio show that got him in trouble.

Gothamist:
[Referring to a boss at CNN] Cause in his mind I can’t be an anchor. An anchor is what you give the high-profile white guys, you know. So he knocks me down to that and compares me to that, and it happens all the time I think…

To a certain extent Jon Stewart and Colbert are the same way. I think Jon Stewart’s a bigot… I think he looks at the world through his mom who was a schoolteacher, and his dad who was a physicist or something like that. Great, I’m so happy that he grew up in a suburban middle class New Jersey home with everything that you could ever imagine… [When asked who Stewart is bigoted against] Everybody else who’s not like him. Look at his show! What does he surround himself with?… I think Jon’s show is essentially prejudicial. I think that Jon’s show is…[Prejudiced] Against anybody who doesn’t agree to his point of view, which is very much a white liberal establishment point of view. He cant relate to a guy like me. He can’t relate to a guy who’s dad worked all his life. He can’t relate to somebody who grew up poor.

Dominick, who once worked for Stewart and repeatedly asked Sanchez for an example of Stewart’s prejudice, disagreed with his guest’s remarks and pointed out Jews faced prejudice—to which Sanchez said, “Yeah, very powerless people. [Stewart]‘s such a minority. I mean, you know, please. What are you kidding? I’m telling you that everybody who runs CNN is a lot like Stewart and a lot of people who run all the other networks are a lot like Stewart. And to imply that somehow they, the people in this country who are Jewish, are an oppressed minority?“

How did he not hear the crazy coming out when he was speaking?

TMZ is reporting that stand-up comedian and Last Comic Standing judge Greg Giraldo has passed away.  He was hospitalized almost a week ago from an apparent drug overdose.

A source close to Greg tells us, “Greg passed away today at the hospital in New Brunswick as a result of an accidental overdose. His family was by his side.”

No further details are available at this time.  This just sucks.  It sucks.  I wasn’t a major fan of his, but it was clear the guy worked hard, he cared about comedy, he could be really funny and everyone who I’ve heard from says he was a really good guy.  He will be missed.

If you were thinking, “Man/Woman I would love to go the Rally To Restore Sanity/March To Keep Fear Alive but I am too poor/too lazy to drive all the way down to DC” the Huffington Post has got you covered my friend/acquaintance/person I’ve never met but find strangely attractive anyway.  Arianna announced yesterday on The Daily Show that the Huffington Post will be provide buses for those people wanting to attend the rally who are leaving from New York.  That’s where they keep all them darn socialist, facist, Obama lovin’  dirty liberals anyway.  They should round ‘em all up, but ‘em on a bus and…wait a minute.  It’s a trick!!!!! Run!

They are still working it all out, but you can sign up here for more info.

There are just some movies that you kind of know are going to flop on the big screen…cough…anything with Rob Schneider…cough.  But the new coming of age comedy The Virginity Hit made Deuce Bigalow look like Will Smith and James Cameron had a 3D baby that knows how to make a good new Star Wars movie.

The Virginity Hit opened in 700 theaters, aka a pretty good number of theaters, and earned a grand total of $300,000 making it the fourth worst opening for a movie ever.  For like all time people.  McGruber is laughing at them.  McGruber! I guess all coming of age tales are not created equal, some make even less than the 15 American Pie sequel.

Off some rumors about an upcoming John Belushi biopic, we discuss what other comics would make for a good movie and what actors should play them. Which comedians have an interesting life story that would make for a good movie? Is it easier for a straight actor to pretend to do the comedy section of the movie, or a comedian to play the serious parts? And was there really a Belushi biopic made where the ghost of John Belushi gets drive around in a magic taxi? Yes. Yes there was.

Plus! South America! Mark McGuire as Dracula! And we blow the lid off of America’s apathy towards fake kings!

photo from flickr by gomattolson

Listen, I get it.  You like The Simpsons in theory but you haven’t really watched it in a while.  That’s cool.  But just this once go back and watch this week’s episode.  Flight Of The Conchords sang about how awesome or not awesome it is to be an artist.  Someone give them a show again or give me money so I can pay them to perform in my living room.  What?  No that won’t be weird. Internationally famous artists perform in my living room all the time.  You don’t know me.  Anyway, watch it.  They are funny and if you don’t I will cut you!*

*with my words.  I don’t want to get sued.

Today begins the Friars Club Comedy Film Festival. You might remember, we went backstage at the Friars Club Improv and Sketch Competition, which lead up to the festival. You can listen to it here if you don’t, or you just want to relive the good times. The festival runs from Thursday 9/23 through Friday 10/1. Here’s the description from the website:

THE FRIARS CLUB COMEDY FILM FESTIVAL (FCCFF) is a star-studded celebration of the comedy genre in the heart of vibrant New York City. Known widely for its roasts and “100 years of antics,” members of the Friars Club include the industry’s top comedians and entertainers, from Frank Sinatra to Billy Crystal, and Whoopi Goldberg to Jerry Seinfeld. The Friars Club introduces FCCFF to foster the next generation of comedy filmmakers, to offer comedic filmmakers a platform for presenting their work, and to fill a void by paying tribute to a genre that often gets overlooked.

FCCFF promises four days of films, networking, parties, and laughter, and offers filmmakers the opportunity to introduce their work to leading executives, comedians, and industry professionals. The Festival’s Board of Advisors alone offers a virtual who’s who in film and comedy.

Finally comedy movies get a little respect. Check the website out to see what’s playing when and where.

On this week’s episode we are joined by Leslie Meisel and Megan Neuringer who created the very funny new show “Love Can Suck A Dick… And So Can I!” They talked with us about creating the show and how to avoid cliches when you are dealing with universal subjects like love and heartbreak and deaf, surprisingly aggressive lesbians. We also touch on audience-participation, Monty Pyton, how to break a guy’s heart from a bus window, and a big bag of drugs.

Their next performance is Wednesday October 6th at 8pm, so go out and experience something good for once, won’t you? They will also be taking the show to L.A. soon, so even those on the West Coast can get in on this thing. You can find more info here.

photo from flickr by Move The Clouds

Just moments ago Jon Stewart made his big announcement.  Jon is stepping up to do his part for America with his “Rally to Restore Sanity“.  I can hear the chants now…”REASONABLE DEBATE!  REASONABLE DEBATE! THERE ARE DIFFERENT POINTS OF VIEW.  BUT GLENN BECK IS A MORON”  It’s Saturday October 30th, 2010 in our nation’s capital (which is Washington D.C. in case you are a beauty school drop out).

Here’s how the website describes it:

Because we’re looking for those people. We’re looking for the people who think shouting is annoying, counterproductive, and terrible for your throat; who feel that the loudest voices shouldn’t be the only ones that get heard; and who believe that the only time it’s appropriate to draw a Hitler mustache on someone is when that person is actually Hitler. Or Charlie Chaplin in certain roles.

Are you one of those people? Excellent. Then we’d like you to join us in Washington, DC on October 30 — a date of no significance whatsoever — at the Daily Show’s “Rally to Restore Sanity.” Ours is a rally for the people who’ve been too busy to go to rallies, who actually have lives and families and jobs (or are looking for jobs) — not so much the Silent Majority as the Busy Majority. If we had to sum up the political view of our participants in a single sentence… we couldn’t. That’s sort of the point.

But if you would prefer a little more truthiness then you may want to head over Stephen Colbert’s “March To Keep Fear Alive”

Here’s how Mr. Colbert’s website describes it:

America, the Greatest Country God ever gave Man, was built on three bedrock principles: Freedom. Liberty. And Fear — that someone might take our Freedom and Liberty. But now, there are dark, optimistic forces trying to take away our Fear — forces with salt and pepper hair and way more Emmys than they need. They want to replace our Fear with reason. But never forget — “Reason” is just one letter away from “Treason.” Coincidence? Reasonable people would say it is, but America can’t afford to take that chance.

We’ll give more details as they come in.  We just wanted to make sure you had time to make your hotel reservations.

“You are aware that there’s an invention called television, and on this invention they show shows, right?”

-Pulp Fiction

Get ready! The new fall season is almost here! Dan and Dustin walk you through all the new comedy that will be coming to your TV screens this year. So much potential for ground-breaking, mind-blowing, world-changing comedy. So little of that potential will actually be realized. But hey, what else are you going to do with your life?

Plus! Dan tells a story about his balls. You’re welcome.

Photo from flickr by broc7

The only explanation for this video is that the Snuggie people are f’in with us.  Hey let’s see how awful snuggie fans are?  If they buy it after this video we know we can sell them anything, and also eat their brains while they sleep.  Did I mention the Snuggie people are brain eating aliens?  Because they are.  Now watch this video, then protect your brains.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iN_Ml4PKdVU

In this week’s podcast we are talking sketch comedy with the always wonderful Kimmy Gatewood and the hilarious Pangea 3000.  We caught up with them at this year’s Sketchfest NYC but we wouldn’t be surprised if by now they’re all starring in the next (Insert Huge Comedy Movie That You Subjectively Like).