That’s Fist-Tastic!
July 10, 2008 · Print This Article
It seems like forever since we’ve just hung out and taked, so Brian is using today’s show for just that.
Topics on the day include reactions to the Carlin memorial, the fourth face on the Mount Rushmore or stand up, backlash to Mike’s “Worst Ever” list, using babies to blast your lats, and a comedy spotlight that goes international. Do you guys know where I can get a bedazzler?
Email: brianmcomedy@gmail.com and give us a call on 206-203-4692
Hey Brian, nice one on playing Adam Hills. I was actually planning on requesting him myself (I think I did months ago). Did you know he already made a cameo on Behind the Bricks? When you played the David O’Doherty clip a few weeks back it was Adam Hills that introduced him.
Granted thanks to Adam Hills I have had “Always” by Bon Joi stuck in my mind for six weeks.
Actually, listening to Hillsy reminds me of a point I’ve been meaning to make. I’ve been listening to a lot of Dave Coulier recently (I’m a closet Full House fan), and he seems to be making a big deal about being one of comedy’s clean guys.That seems to be a big thing when I read reviews of US comedians, whether they work ‘clean’, or ‘blue’ etc. I don’t think it is as big a deal this side of the pond. For example, I would always think of Adam Hills as being a ‘clean’ comic, until I remembered one of his best punchlines “I want to wear you like a slipper” (he only has one foot, fill in the rest of the joke yourself). But the difference is that joke was there because it fit in with his set, not because he wanted to work ‘blue’. Yet that one joke would probably class him as a ‘blue’ comic in the US.
Is there a distinction between comics who get their laughs by saying “fuck” or “penis” every minute, and comics who get their laughs with a well crafted piece that happens to deal with ‘blue’ subjects? Are both classified as ‘blue’? It’ll be interesting to hear others’ opinions on this.
2 interesting points. I hate it when people classify “working blue” as easy. Making people laugh is hard. I’ve heard the most filthy comics on earth die a horrible death because they have no substance. Whether you say fuck or not, you have to be able to write and tell a joke. My mom used to brag about how I was a clean comic, even though I say almost all of Carlin’s 7 in my act.
Dave Coulier is interesting because he’s actually quite filthy if you see him live. Full House gave him a reputation of being a corny hack comic, but he’s pretty raw. Oh well, I guess he’ll have to comfort himself with the $1 billion in residuals.
Does anyone every proofread your episode summaries?
gratest living comic? hmmm…well if we were going with body of work i guess Bill Cosby. But honestly…I think Chris Rock should be the best one. well the best mainstream one but i dont want to get into that. Rock is one of the few comics who’s routines are necesary listening for any comedy fan.
David Cross: I love cross, i love Mr show, I love Bob Odenkirk, And I loved Arested Development. and i like his stand up, but you know…and this might just be me…he comes off a little preachy. Am I wrong?
OK I remember a little show on Nickelodeon where I first saw Dave Coulier. A little show called Out of Control. I don’t remember a ton about it other than bad ’80’s styles and the phrase “cut it out”. Seems to me the only work he can get in front of a camera is on G rated programming.
I have a problem with calling Chris Rock the greatest living comic, not because I don’t enjoy his stuff, but I know that Wanda Sykes has written for him and she’s funny in her own right. In my eyes that knocks him down a peg but I have no idea how many other comics have writers. I can’t imagine too many of them do but I don’t know. Brian? I defer to the actual comics on this one. For all I know she’s got writers herself.
I think I would agree with Cosby just because I’ve seen Himself or listened to it so many times that I could probably perform it at length and I still laugh every time.
I’m not real sure there will ever be a consensus on the greatest living comic because I cannot think of one comic who has had the longevity or amount of success career wise as Carlin or Pryor.
David Cross does come across as preachy to me but there were instances where Carlin did too.
For last weeks Mount Rushmore. Andy kaufman. Now before you get in a tisy I just wanted to say that I myself dont find him to be hallarious. But if we are going with truely origional types of comedy that changed the way people looked at comedy. I mean he was pretty far out there. Also I just want to point out I’ve seen a couple of people and thought “That was very Kaufman-esk”
Greatest living? I mean I guess I’d have to go with cosby but only because I think Luis CK isnt old school enough. That being said between his online shorts and comedy specials I think he puts an impressive amount of some of the funniest stuff I’ve seen in awhile out.
Oh yeah and as for your comedy Mount Rushmore do they all have to be American? Because maybe Billy Connolly deserves a mention. 65 and still going strong!
A couple guys for consideration on Mount Rushmore-
Jonathan Winters
Mort Sahl
What about a woman? Nobody’s mentioned anyone like Phyllis Diller (I, personally, don’t find her funny– but that’s the same with Lenny Bruce–; however, she was ground-breaking as a female stand-up comic. Without her, the comedy landscape over the past 25 years might look very different).
Anyone heard of a comic out of New York called Jamie Kilstein? He’s on the bill for a show here in a couple of weeks and since I haven’t seen him before I thought I may check it out. Problem is the ticket is €25 so I don’t want to waste my money if he isn’t worth it.
[quote]Brian C:
“Hey Brian, nice one on playing Adam Hills. I was actually planning on requesting him myself (I think I did months ago). Did you know he already made a cameo on Behind the Bricks? When you played the David O’Doherty clip a few weeks back it was Adam Hills that introduced him.”
Adam Hills was also the guy I heard the hell gig story from that I retold on BTB recently about the comedian at the Edinburgh Festival who was heckled by drunken actors.
A fine comedian to be sure. (And did you know he only has one foot?)
Here’s why I said Mr. Samuel Clemens:
He wasn’t just a satirist or a humorist. He gave humorous lectures designed to prove a point. He is credited with creating the art of stand up comedy. Comparing him to someone like Cato really isn’t accurate, but I can see where Brian’s coming from.
I did really like Adam Hills. I’ve been hunting around YouTube for him and all of his stuff is really funny. Nice find, Tony. Also, Tony, have an excellent vacation. Good luck with the whole Pahrump thing.
For my Mt Rushmore fourth face, Give me Ellen Degeneres, when her face is buried in Portia DiRossi’s crotch. In fact, just give me Portia DiRossi’s crotch. Put it on the quarter, too.
Just stopping by to say the George Carlin episode was very well done - entertaining and informative. Thanks for that work to both BMO and Tony.
Also, I thought this comment was a bit ironic…
Grammar-Nazi on July 10th, 2008 3:24 pm Does anyone every proofread your episode summaries?
Brian C!
The Kiwi stand up scene is pretty dire. There is one place with a weekly gig in Wellington, and a handful of monthlys. The San Francisco Bathhouse is the weekly one and generally is okay. Auckland’s premiere comedy venue is The Classic, which only does stand up once a week too… IIRC. However, things bode well for you if you email the people running these joints, becasue, you see, you are what we call “foreign” which is another way of saying “better than us”, because Kiwi’s have a pretty low opinion of New Zealand produced anything. So, you might get headlining credits, or at least a featured spot.
Chur.
My parents bought me a ticket to see Chris Rock perform in Hawaii later this summer!! Chee.
If Chris Rock gets discredited for being a good comic because he had Wanda Sykes and Louis CK as writers, does that mean Richard Pryor gets discredited for having Paul Mooney and Sandra Bernhardt as writers?
JFK and other great presidents had speech writers (just about every major politician does). Does that discredit their speaking skills?
Damon Wayans, George Lopez, Darrell Hammond, Jay Leno, D.L. Hughley and tons of other comedians have writers help with their standup material. A good comedian friend of mine (Preacher Moss) has written for all of them.
I’m really torn on the whole writers issue. Cuz it would be one thing if the comedian was stealing material from writers. But these writers are knowingly writing material for another comic so they know what they’re getting into. And there’s no law saying that comedians can’t use jokes that other people intentionally write for them.
At the same time, we laugh at comedians for coming up with unique and original material.
Like I said, I’m really torn on the issue, what do you guys think about comedians having writers?
I think comics who use writers get a really bad rap. There are 2 different disciplines in stand up, writing and performing, and while most comics do both, it is completely understandable that someone might be better at one than the other. No one would ever knock a comic for writing jokes for someone else, so why should we attack comics who legitimately pay people to write for them. There’s is only so much shit that can happen to a person.
Brian C:
Again with the gigs in NZ; the nz comedy guild (http://www.nzcomedyguild.org.nz/) has gig info, but their website is crazy old, so emailing one of the p33ps who run it is a slightly safer bet than trusting in what’s on the site.
Cheers Sando, appreciate that. It’s only going to be a whistle stop tour of New Zulland, 3 weeks for both islands, but I think I’ll be in Auckland on one of the comedy nights so I’ll give them an email about an open mike. I know what you mean about “foreign = better”, that used be the case here too. However I’ll let them know I only want an open mike, I don’t want to ruin the good vibes towards Irish acts for any future comedians out of Ireland who may be looking for some stage time there!
To be honest, B.C., you can do NZ in two weeks. Most of the stuff that we advertise as tourist attractions are pretty shitty, but the natural attractions, like the National Parks and the Waitomo Caves are actually beautiful and well worth a gawk.
IIRC, There is an Open Mic night on in Auckland, for N00b comedians and new material acts, they’d be more than happy to slot you in.
And actually, a monthly gig called the Green Room in Wellington is run by an Irish guy, he’s a really nice MC; very giving with his crowd work. I think his wife is pregnant… at least I hope so, or I’ve done that congratulations to a woman who is putting on weight thing and that would be awkward and mean spirited.
I’ve always held the belief that unless you actually see the woman giving birth never assume that she is pregnant. It has served me well over the years. I’m glad to hear that we can see NZ in two weeks, everyone else recons that we are cutting it tight.
Mmn; people say that, and if you want to linger in the country you can, but it takes maybe a working week to see the best bits of the North Island, including Rotorua/Toupo for the Maori stuff and thermal resorts, if you’re coming in Summer our skiing is non existant, so that won’t take time as such. I recommend taking the Inter Islander Ferry from Wellington, because of the scenery, and then the TranzCoastal train from Picton to Christchurch. It’ll take an entire day, but it shows of some of the most beautiful parts of the south island.
Mayhaps I am a little jaded about New Zealand though.
Just got off the road and caught up with the past few weeks’ shows (and by on the road I mean a handful of one-nighters followed by a week with my parents). Great tribute show, Brian.
Hicks goes on my Mt. Rushmore. He didn’t have anywhere near to public fame that many other comics have, but he is a hero to comics and among the small handful whose acts a lot of comics know by heart. He was, above all, fearless.
I noticed someone listed Andrew Dice Clay as one of their picks for worst comic ever, but for a couple years in the late 80’s he was right up there with Kinison as a giant. I will always consider him at least a minor legend. Not because the jokes themselves are genius but because he came along right at the time when the country was having its balls squeezed in the vise of political correctness, and The Dice Man character was like cold Gatorade in the desert. He shot to fame because PC’ers took him at face value, and the schtick burned out just as quick - I think - for the same reason. A lot of his fan base were the same people who think pro wrestling is real.
I think it’s a testament to the power of stand-up, or the power audiences give a guy with a mike, that so many people thought Dice was not an act. My own parents - intelligent folks in their own non-funny way - were surprised that Larry The Cable Guy’s name is Dan Whitney. They were even more surprised by this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VROn7ZvVoW8
Yes that’s him, and ever since I saw it I have never begrudged him his success. I hate the act, but I hate the original Dan Whitney act even more.
the fourth face on Mount Rushmore should be Rodney Dangerfield.
Sando, I think that most of that stuff is on our itinerary. We’re taking a two week ‘Best of New Zealand’ coach tour which gets in all the main sites. So, is it true that you have Vikings there?
Bit of breaking comedy news here - Chris Rock’s recent record for the biggest live comedy audience wheh he played to 14,500 people at the O2 Arena in London at the end of May has been shattered - by a German.
Comedian Mario Barth filled Berlin’s Olympic Stadium, selling an estimated 70,000 seats, and filling a stadium Madonna has yet to sell out for her current tour.
German critics however have dubbed Barth a hack, describing him ‘as subtle as a whoopee cushion’ and his act as ‘uninspired but time-honored gags about men who like beer and fast cars, and girlfriends who shop and chat constantly… punctuated by tireless references to flatulence’.
Hmmm….sounds exactly like a lot of UK and US acts then!
damn german stole my act.
Carlos Mencia is half German, it must be a racial thing
It’s kinda weird seeing a German guy break the record for largest live comedy audience, but then trying to censor your comedy brain from making any crass hack comments about it - especially how a bearded German broke the attendance record playing the Berlin Olympic stadium (built in 1936 , folks - Jesse Owens and all that) and not arrive at some hack comment like ” wow -the last time a German guy with weird facial hair played to this many was when….” ….you get the idea.
Good luck to the guy. I’d much rather our friends in Northern Europe were too busy swapping fart jokes rather than plotting invading certain border countries…
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