Thank God You’re Here!
May 16, 2007 · Print This Article
Today’s show is all about improv. How do they come up with that hilrious stuff on the spot? Here’s the secret…They Don’t!
Brian once again lets his bitterness shine through as he discusses his background in improv and why he’s soured on the art form forever. In the interest of fairness, however, Brian welcomes Second City veteran and host of This Ain’t Iowa, Tommy Dutch to the show. Tommy recounts his experiences in the Second City process, his brief stint in stand up, and a fantastic hell gig story that could have landed him in the ER. But I have a black friend!
Email: brianmcomedy@gmail.com
Hey, Brian got any jokes about the world’s biggest loser Bud Selig? Hey, I hate to rain on your parade but, Bud Selig is helping the Yankee organization..Have you seen his record with the Milwaukee Brewers? That’s right.. The Yankees now have the Selig Curse.. which means the Yankees will slowly Die..As the Yankees players get older they probably won’t retire, because Bud will pay them..I hope you enjoy the Selig curse. Being a Brewer fan and part of the 90% that hate the Yankees..I’m enjoying it..Sorry, but I want to see more possibilites in the playoffs than the yankees everytime.
My that was pertinent to comedy. I liked BTB a lot better before Kempey Cakes trolled his way over here.
Sorry about that everyone. Not very becoming of me. Kempey hasn’t really done anything over here to deserve that.
about ur poll question wheres the option for “i don’t mind it as long as it makes me laugh and isn’t shit” ??? Because when it works IT REALLY WORKS and when it doesn’t IT SUCKS. Sorry guys just thought id put a word in keep meaning to.
I still stand behind my opinion about Thank God You are Here, get rid of the host and judge, and pre-screen for improv skills.
anywho….
Thanks for checking in jonnybe. I thought about including a middle ground, but I figured everyone would choose that option. I like to divide people.
Speaking of dividing people, there are three kinds of people in this world. Those who can count and those who can’t!
Ba Da Pum..
Anyway, next weeks topic. First I want to thank you Brian for using my suggestion.
Hooks, are they good, bad or even unnecessary, I think this is the discussion that we are having. There are a ton of comedians who have had hooks that you just hear the phrase and you instantly know who performed the phrase.
But, then there are the comedians who don’t have hooks, but just good comedy. Hooks aren’t just reserved for phrases, a hook can also be a persona that you relate to that person.
Bobcat had a hook, as well as Pauly shore. To be fair Pauly had the double hook, a phrase and persona. Conversely, there are comedians who have no hook, and these comedians typically are the ones whose act is in the form of “life stories”. Some examples of these would be Margaret Cho, Bill Cosby and Lenny Bruce.
In my opinion, hooks can be great for the right comedian but you WILL get this noose wrapped around your neck. The problem with hooks is that they get old, quick. Hooks are more like a comedic band-aid, to me, it sort of replaces well thought out comedy.
Those without the hook seem to have a longer and more solid career. I guess you could call a hook a comedic crutch. Though they make you laugh the first few times you hear it, you get sick of it quick. Bottom line, hooks work best for the casual comedy viewer, not so much for the hardcore fan that re-listens to comedy acts many times over.
That’s my two cents…
When I think “hook” I think of Foxworthy (the godforsaken statement:”You might be a redneck), Engvall (the funnier but still tiresome after a while: Here’s your sign), Rodney Dangerfield, whom I almost forgot (talk about no respect) & of course Dustin Hoffman, but that’s another story.
I would agree with Snappy hooks are not the best way to carve out your niche. Sure every once in a while they still drop one that really makes you laugh but I think it’s dangerous. In my opinion it kind of pigeonholes an act to include this aspect, as people will come to expect it and if they don’t see it they might bitch about the fact that you didn’t include that portion of the act even if it was the best material you’ve ever done. I think in using a hook it really kind of sets some type of limitations on the act and there’s no real true opportinity for evolution, and I would agree that the shelf-life will not be as long as someone who simply generates new material all the time.
I imagine hooks are a great way to break out quickly if you find one that has a large audience but personally I’m not paying to see Larry the Cable Guy say “git r done” more than once (and I’d have to be drunk off my ass to pay for it the first time). Part of successful comedy is a surprise, that’s why it makes you laugh and I think hooks dampen the reaction somewhat.
Goddamn why is it everytime I get on here and I post , I look at it and realize I wrote fucking thesis paper. Nobody wants to read that shit!
I’m with Snappy and Lord Xynobis on hooks… I get tired of them almost immediately. To me, they’re indemnic of bad comedy the same way an easy, poppy hook is a sure sign of a shitty song that makes a zillion dollars and then becomes a joke within 5 years (like La Vida Loca). The key here is that before it becomes a joke, IT MAKES A ZILLION DOLLARS. Comedy hooks are a great way to get easy household recognition amongst people who don’t like to put much effort into their entertainment, and the guys-in-charge-of-all-the-money love them because they sell a lot of bumper stickers.
The first time I ever heard of Larry the Cable Guy, my wife and I were trapped with my sister-in-law on a long car ride where she broke out his CD and said “You’ll love this!” I laughed mildly at a few of his jokes at first, until it became apparent that for Every. Single. Corny. Punchline, he was going to say “Git R Done”, “I don’t care who you are, that’s funny right there”, “Lord, I apologize for what I said, and please bless the poor pygmies in Africa”, or all three. I wanted to chuck the CD out of the car window within 5 minutes, and it went on for an hour. My only relief was when we finally arrived at our destination and I thought, “Well thank God I’ll never have to hear anything from THAT guy again!” Foolish, foolish me…
Point being, I should have seen it coming. Hooks are written just for that purpose: to hook in the audience with easy-to-remember repetition. This seems like a cult brainwashing technique to me, but hey, it works, and it showcases a definite talent for marketing if not comedy. My final evidence: when we started seeing more and more of old Larry on tv and getting movie deals a couple years after that first exposure, my wife and I remembered him instantly, and would always say “Holy shit, it’s that ‘Git R Done’ asshole!” whenever he popped on the tube. Talk about making a name for yourself…
PS: No one has mentioned the man I consider the undisputed KING of comedy hooks: Mike Myers. That guy has introduced more funny-at-first-and-then-really-lame household phrases into our cultural vocabulary over the past 20 years than every other hook comedian in history combined. “Schwing”, “Not!”, “Cheeky-monkey”, “Are you looking at my bum?” “HELLO!”, “Yeah, baby, yeah!”…. the list goes on.
Speaking of Mike Myers, back to the SNL thing real quick I think a major part of the problem on the show now is that none of these people can carry a skit whereas when it first started and again in the 90’s just about everyone could. I also believe that the cast at those times had spent more time performing on their own or in movies before being brought onto the show. Just a hypothesis.
Speaking of the SNL, IMHO (in my humble opinion) I believe the main problem is dedication and commitment to a skit. Should you have a funny idea, run with it, don’t walk. The thing that makes the skits work is the dedication, and being the skit.
A perfect example is Chris Farley trying out for Chippendales with Patrick Swayze, the both did an excellent job being committed.
Commitment includes not staring at the teleprompter reading your lines. Memorize them for god’s sake!
That’s a good call Snappy. Jimmy Falon used to drive me nuts because he couldn’t get through a sketch without laughing. Ok, it was funny once, but every fucking time? Get over it. You aren’t hearing this material for the 1st time, and even if you were, it’s not that funny!
any1 know why i can’t download it off i tunes???
haha just sorted it out!!!!
Brian, you’re right about Fallon, he was the worst (of his time).
Honestly, if you are going to do this as a career, be dedicated and commit to the scene. If you don’t take it seriously enough to do a decent job, why should we take you serious enough to watch?
I don’t have a problem with a snicker occasionally in a skit, and honestly, that sometimes makes it funnier, but those that completely break character are irritating.
Speaking of SNL, Tina Fey is one sexy lady. mmmm, mmmm, good!
Good job to Tommy D on the interview about Second Life. Your story about how you screamed out, “White Power!” was pretty funny and I understand how you would feel weird about it the next day but just think–it could have been worse! You could’ve yelled, “Hail Hitler!”
Steve,
It could have been worse, but not much.
B mo,
I knew your opinions about improv, but that’s the first I’ve heard the extended argument. Of course, my opinion is different but I can’t deny anything you said about it. I will add that as much fun it is to be a player, I can really only stand watching it every now and then. I’ve seen enough bad improv to last a lifetime.
On SNL
The show has certainly been down for a while now, but I think Tina Fey and Amy Poeller are diamonds in the rough. Fey’s strength is probably more in writing and production. I think Amy Poeller is brilliant and just coming into her own.
I’m going to leave now before I make Poeller into the next Gilmore Girl.
Comedians with hooks are the chain restaurants of comedy. In most cities Outback will have a line out the door when there are four other better steakhouses nearby that are half-empty. It’s because when most people go out to eat they’d rather get something they know will be alright than to take a chance on something that might be great but that could be bad.
Same thing with comedians with hooks. I think a lot of people when they go out to see comedy would rather see that redneck joke guy because they know they’ll chuckle a few times than to take a chance on a comedian who might talk about something that offends them, or that they just might not thikn is funny.
Like others have said, some of the hooks can have varying degrees of funny depending on the quality of the comedian, but after once or twice you are just hearing the same things over and over.
Dave, the one thing I would say in Myers’ defense is that SNL is a breeding-ground for hacky hooks: the spartan cheerleaders, the Roxbury guys (how the hell did that one last?), Amy Poehler’s uncle Rick sketch, the list goes on and on. And to Myers’ credit (in my opinion), he typically discards them, if not before they get old, then at least before you lose interest in ever watching anything he ever does again. And he’s got So I Married an Axe Murderer in his catalog which entitles him to at least one free pass in my book
Had to look up There’s Something About Mary, it’s from 1998, making it 9 years old. I don’t find Sara Silverman even the slightest bit funny. How many times in an hour would she mention her vagina or that she is Jewish.
Brandon, good point about Mike Myers. I actually like Myers a lot, I didn’t mean to sound so harsh on him… but I actually thought of him after recently re-watching So I Married an Axe Murderer, and all I could think every time he did the “HELLO!” line was “You bastard, I still have to hear that shit from middle-aged ladies at work every day.”
On SNL: While it’s certainly seen better days, I think this show has always suffered from the same problem: it’s JUST TOO LONG. It’d be hard enough to fill up half an hour of air time with sketch comedy every week and keep it fresh, but an hour and a half? Ugh. I’m always flabbergasted when I hear stories about writers who couldn’t get their sketches on the air… what on earth can they possibly be cutting that’s any worse than the last half hour of that show? I’m not sure you could point to any one episode of SNL in its entire 30+ year history — outside of maybe a couple of the “best of” cast episodes — and say it was solid from start to finish, and to me that’s why it’s always been the spoiled child of sketch comedy: it desperately needs to be sent to fat camp, but the parents just won’t stop buying it ice cream.
(Fighting the urge to comment on how I’d love to talk at great length to Sarah Silverman about her vagina and convince her that I, myself, am quite kosher).
Maybe they should try to ressurect the State or SCTV? “Ooh scary kids.”
Actually maybe SNL should get someone like Mike Myers to come in and help do the writing even if he isn’t on the show. Everybody will stop and look at a trainwreck but half the people I know would rather be in a trainwreck than watch the one that airs Saturdays @ 11:30PM EST.
(Whew… that was close.
)
Brandon, you have been on fire the last 2 weeks. I love your take on comics who use hooks, it’s right on.
Dutch, I tend to agree with your last point about improv, it’s ok in small doses. And I must say that there’s nothing worse than bad improv. I’ve seen comics bomb, but that’s nothing compared to, “Can I have a suggestion for an occupation? cricket…cricket…”
You cant deny that the hook has its effect. great hooks like ” no respect ” are amazing. but you certainly dont need a hhok to be a good stand up comic. heres a list of comics with hooks(to my knowledge)
1. Rodney Dangerfield “No respect”
2. Jeff Foxworthy ” You might be a redneck…”
3.Larry the cable guy “git’r done”
4. Andrew Dice Clay ” OH!”
5. Bill Engvall “Here’s your sign”
as you can see the hook belongs to a kinda small crowd(to my knowledge). now heres a list of comics that are/were great that dont use hooks(to my knowledge).
1.lewis black
2.chris titus
3.patton oswalt
4.joe rogan
5. jim gaffigan
6. mitch hedburg
7.steven wright
8. george carlin
9.richard pryor
10. brian poeshn
yeah, hooks are real important.
Dave, that’s a good call. That “HELLO” thing is annoying as hell. I never associated it with that movie but it annoys the hell out of me everytime I hear it. The whole son with a huge head bit though… still gold
Smiley, I agree with everyone on your list except Lewis Black. It’s not necessarily a catch phrase, but he’s a big abuser of the I-mean-come-on school of debate. Anyone who’s seen Lewis Blacks’ act knows what I mean. He just says something, and then gives that look like he can’t believe it (the look that says “I mean, COME ON”), doesn’t give a punchline, doesn’t give any smart commentary… just a funny look. And most of the time it’s fine, but there are times when you’d swear that’s he’s done the same thing on both sides of the issue.
Hooks don’t matter one way or the other to me, it’s the material that counts. Either the material is funny or not. I can enjoy Rodney and Bobcat as well as Cosby and Hedburg.
SNL sucks right now and the best thing about it right now are the digital shorts made by Andy Sandberg. But SNL will never be good again here is why people are doing things on the internet via youtube that are funnier. Back in the 90s and early 2000s there wasn’t any youtube and people couldn’t get that type of wacky Farley or Ferrell sketch comedy any were else, but now it is every were on the internet. And people can just go on to somthing like Channell 101 and see funny clever sketch comedy. The internet is destroying SNL.
Smiley I like the list of comedians that don’t use hooks except Gaffigan, don’t get me wrong Gaffigan is great, but that hot pocket shit is kinda of a hook.
I am a starting out stand up and I can say I hate improv. It’s stupid it’s about coming up with things off the top of your head but most people in improv just work the same ideas so it’s rehearsed and really never original. I think improv is done by people who want to be stand up’s but are just not original.
Dave,
Good call on the SNL length. I would rather watch for an hour and leave wanting more, than watch an hour and a half and think “wow, this is going down hill!”
Dutch,
Great call on Fey and Poeller, you hit the nail on the head with that call.
Nice job Bob. Way to hit the ground running on the message boards, definitely not making any friends with the improv fans out there. As for comics with hooks, I agree with you on Gaffigan, but I wouldn’t say that his Hot Pockets bit is neccessarily a hook. However, that inner voice thing he does is DEFINITELY a hook. A hook doesn’t neccessarily have to be a word or phrase, just anything that defines a comic. My criteria is, if you can sum up a comic by saying, “oh is that the (fill in the blank) guy?” Then they have a hook.
Exactly Brian yout right like Seinfeild “What is the deal with that” that is what people know him by.
Dave I don’t like Mike Meyers I think he is anoying, but he is not a stand up and wasn’t doing stand up, it’s a movie every comedy movie or show has phrases they have to. Like the Chappell show had a shit load of hooks and phrases but when Dave Chappell did stand up it was hook free and great so don’t blame Mike Meyers for having stupid hooks name one fucking Sandler,Ferrell or Jack Black movie that dosen’t. So if your going to talk about anoying movies go to a fucking message board about anoying movies. This page is about Stand up. So keep it relative to people like Larry the fucking retard or Jeff Foxchannel.
Brian What do you think about HumanGiants I think it is the best Sketch comedy series in years.
Wow Bob, you went from hitting the ground running to being unneccessarily aggressive. I’ve heard amazing things about Human Giants, but I’m embarrassed to say I’ve never actually seen it. I’ll check it out and get back to you. Now take a valium and get some rest.
Your right Brian I’m a fucking worthless peice of dog shit and I should blow my fucking brains out.
Just JKing. Love ya Brian.
WOW, Bob is like a manic-depressive on the board here…LOL
Welcome to the “family”, if you can really call us that. So far you have made me laugh, cry and question what caliber gun you keep around….
but on the whole SNL situation, these guys are sketch comics, not stand-up, in general. Adam Sandberg has a movie coming out that looks funny.
Well this might be a good sign: Dane Cook is starring in a thriller/drama with Kevin Costner called Mr. Brooks, maybe he’ll try and become a “serious actor” and not do comedy anymore. Usually guys wait until they’ve been big for a while before they attempt something like this.
Lots of love for MTV’s old sketch comedy show the State! If you guys are interested they sell the first season on the iTunes Music Store or on the Xbox Live Video Marketplace. I believe it’s $9.99.
The downside is the fact that the licensed music used in the first season was replaced with royalty free stuff. But still it’s probably as close as we’re going to get to owning the actual first season. Unless of course you’re counting those 10 year old VHS tapes that you might have laying around that barely play and have been recorded over a few times with a crappy sitcom rerun of Full House or Hi Honey I’m Home.
The State sketches can easily be found on the internet in their original form. Granted the quality is piss-poor but I had found a slew of them on YouTube and spent an evening laughing my ass off all over again. The hormones sketch was classic and I loved the Justice League sketch, “Aquaman… go talk to some fish.”
According to the State’s website they may issue dvds based on the number of downloads of the iTunes movies.
http://www.the-state.com/
i loved the state! I wanna dip my balls in it was the best and the one about monkeys doing it! Has anyone heard anything about The Whitiest Kids I Know? its a new sketch show.