Ultimate Comic Challenge (post 2 of 2)

Not only did I create a series of mediocre posters for the UCC, each challenger had a flyer personally made for them.

This was, of course, completely unsolicited on the part of my fellow comedians.

I don’t know why, though. These flyers are completely AWESOME.

Comedians tend to be critical of themselves (or simply consumed with self-loathing). There aren’t many opportunities to revel in being super awesome. Anyone who gets a big head is quickly put in their place by fellow comedians. Hence- the flyers.

Despite being super ridiculous (especially Troy and Leo. I am so sorry!), it was my tiny tribute to the comics.

I’ve become friends with most of the comics that were in the semi-finals. They are a bunch of really great and really talented guys.

They have made my time in comedy a lot of fun.

So, here are some of my favorites.

Ultimate Comic Challenge (post 1 of 2)

Idiot Box is my favorite comedy venue in Greensboro. It's downtown and nestled comfortably between five bars. Plus it is one of the few places where you can get paid to do shows.

FUN FACT: Comedians love alcohol and money!

Every year, Idiot Box hosts the Ultimate Comic Challenge. Comics compete in a tournament to be the Ultimate Comic. The final round takes place in the Carolina Theater (which is pretty dope) and the winner gets $1000 dollars.

That is so many dollars!

In the rounds leading up to the final round, the comic who gets the most votes not only goes on to the next round- they get $50.

"12 comics compete to make you laugh... and
then you decide their fate like some sort
of depraved emperor!"

FUN FACT: $50 dollars in Comedian World is, like, $200 dollars! (We are notoriously bad with money, you guys!).

Last year, I only made it past the first round. I had only been doing comedy for six months so I counted it as a victory.

This year, I made it to the semi-finals which was a great experience... and an even greater victory.

The comics in this year's competition were much better than last year. All of the shows were great because all of the comics were great.

If I had been competing against this year's line-up last year- I wouldn't have even made it past the first round.

My set was notably better than last year as well.

It's nice to have moments where you see that you are moving forward. There are more fails than successes on stage. Progress is hard to measure and aggravatingly slow. So it is incredibly refreshing have tangible evidence that you are getting better (and that all the horrible/awkward moments on stage are worth it).

Unfortunately for everyone, the day before the UCC Semi-finals, I had way too much time on my hands and flooded Facebook with UCC posters I made on Paint.

(Paint. Not MS Paint or even a cheap knock-off of Photoshop- Paint. It is free to download and it crashes if you try anything fancy- hence the incredibly pedestrian look of all the posters are sporting.)

Alas, I did not make it past the semi-finals but I ain't fussed! The audience was packed and the show was awesome from start to finish.

(And if I continue on my current trajectory, I'm going to smoke the competition next year.)

The finals will be at the Carolina Theater on January 25th.

RNC went out with a bang (from a .44 revolver)

NOTE: NSFW (for language)
*mentions politics but post is fairly non-political 


click here to see video on YouTube

The Republican National Convention happened. During the three days, a lot of people were guessing who the mystery guest would be. Guesses included Ron Paul, Tim Tebow, Donald Trump, a hologram of Reagan, Jon Voight, Mengele, George W. Bush, Laura Bush, and Voldemort.

I don't think anyone expected it to be Clint Eastwood.

And I don't think anyone expected him to talk to a chair...

Reactions to the speech ranged everywhere from joy (everyone at the convention) to confusion (everyone not at the convention).

Poor Rachel Maddow, who deals with politics everyday (how do you do it, girl?) was simply bewildered. She could not wrap her mind around it.

It was kind of crazy and probably garnered the biggest reaction from people/general media...

Oh, Marvin. I can always count on you.

Most of the people I follow on Twitter are comedians and were just thrilled and amused that the convention decided to take such a strange turn...

I like how old people have become the new wild-card at televised events. 

Forget Kanye West-- old people are the people to watch. 

They have stuff to say and they just don't care about your bullshit.

Respect.

Clint Eastwood likes to pop at random times to spend a moment or two growling at us for being lazy jerks (remember the random commercials he did at the super bowl?) and I kind of love it. He has such a great stage presence.

They don't just play the theme from "The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly" for just anybody (and it wasn't just because he happened to be in the movie. 

The man the last of the old-school badasses.

I personally believe that Clint Eastwood could get more done in this country than any politician in existence. NOT by becoming involved in politics- just by going door to door and growling at people to, "get their f&%ing act together."

The media kind of seized on the "chair thing" but the speech wasn't awful. It was actually pretty good. Eastwood had some great one-liners and he had some good slams on lawyers and Biden.

(I personally love Biden but credit where credit is due.)

The speech was funny.

He had a legitimately good quip about war in Afghanistan: "We didn't check with the Russians to see how they did there for the ten years..." Hahaha. It's funny because no one wins in Afghanistan.

Good one, Mr. Eastwood.

One woman at the convention shouted,"Make my day," to which Eastwood responded, "I don't say that anymore." But then after a beat of silence, he added with a coy smile, "but maybe one more time..."

Clint Eastwood, you tease!

The man knows how to play to the crowd.

Personally, though, I would have rather heard him shout, "GET OFF MY LAWN!" into the crowd.

Claudia O'Doherty: Laugh Ninja

My mission for Fringe was to see as many stand-up shows as possible and basically glut myself on comedy. 

Most shows I saw were based off recommendations from comedians I liked and Claudia O'Doherty was a performer that was recommended by both Josie Long and David O'Doherty (which is the sort of endorsement that pretty much guaranteed that I would be seeing that show).

Not knowing anything about O'Doherty, I did a cursory search on the internet. While there weren't many clips- there were a lot of pictures of her wearing a shark mask (which was obviously a point in her corner). 

I eventually found an interview she did for her last Fringe show in 2011 (What Is Soil Erosion?) Here is a snippit:

2. Describe (the show) in three words. Magic magic magic.
3. What is your favorite thing about the show? It involves pudding.
4. Complete this sentence: if you like partying with sex wizards then, hell, you might just like my show.

Sold! I bought tickets to the show 15 minutes later.

Walking into the venue, I didn't quite know what to expect. I knew that the show was called The Telescope and that it wasn't a stand-up act. The blurb in the Festival Program simply read: "No more jokes. No more laughter... Please join Claudia for her first foray into confronting upsetting theater." The only other clue I had to go on was a short one minute trailer and while mildly amusing, it still didn't reveal much.

And then "Get Ready For This" started playing on the overhead speaker. When O'Doherty skipped gleefully onto the stage- any hesitance or skepticism I had had evaporated. I knew only merriment and joy.

The show was mental and can best be described as an hour of undiluted awesomeness.

Afterwards, I went on a campaign to get everyone I knew to see it. When asked the logical follow-up question: "what is the show about?" I would answer with unrestrained zeal, "A monk gets murdered and a victorian washer-woman falls in love with an cop because of a cursed telescope and she plays all the parts and does the entire show in a blood-stained t-shirt. It's hilarious!"

("No, seriously. Wait- come back!")

Admittedly, my pitch needed some work.

The premise of The Telescope is this: O'Doherty is sick of stand-up and wants to do serious acting. She dubs her style of theater "difficult theater." This genre is employed to tell the story of a monk, a victorian washer woman, a supernatural telescope, and a modern day New York cop.

Despite claims that there would be "no laughter" and threats of "serious theater", the audience was in hysterics from the beginning : "it's no secret that The Telescope is not a sincere venture into dramatic territory, but O'Doherty's latest attempt yet at what she calls "high-concept stupidity." 

Brilliant.

The show has also received some amazing reviews. 

When I say "amazing reviews", I don't just mean that they were positive (which they have been) -- I mean the reviews themselves are a fantastic read. Some are great just because any article that uses the phrase "delightfully unhinged" or "panda expert" will always naturally pique my interest. Others are great because the reviewers tried so hard to write seriously about a show that is bananas. 

So, here are some of my favorite reviews of The Telescope presented with little to no context:

the winsome Aussie now wants to regale us with a lamentable time-travel-meets-satanism melodrama called The Telescope. (Mark Monahan // The Telegraph)

Claudia is a fucking nutbag. She is delightfully unhinged and frantically creative.  (Andy Lane // Rabbit Hole Urban Music

...cod melodrama in which the doe-eyed O’Doherty dons a series of daft wigs to play a suicidal 15th Century monk, a convict washerwoman and a tough, modern-day New York cop, all drawn together by a cursed telescope that can see through time. (Steve Bennett // Chortle)

Part panda expert, part surrealist performer, Claudia O'Doherty talks suicidal monks and 'difficult theatre' (Collette Cullen // The Skinny)

Just how did an entertainer come up with such a grand, nightmarish vision? ... "I was like: 'Well, I know there's going to be a telescope in it. And I think I'd like to be a New York City cop for a bit and I'd like to do karate kicks. But I'd also like to be a convict washerwoman, so how can I do that?' Well, if this telescope can communicate through time, all that stuff is achievable!" (Lyle Brennan // Fest Magazine)

"If it's whimsy, it's whimsy of the most kick-ass kind." (Alice Jones // The Independent)

Picture for The Telescope

May I just say that "whimsy of the most kick-ass kind" is one of the best reviews I have ever read. I now aspire to live a life where people are forced to use that phrase in order to describe me.

In short, it was one of the greatest shows I saw at the Fringe. I was incredibly glad I got to see the show and can't wait to see Claudia in future performances. 

One interviewer articulated my thoughts perfectly writing, "My biggest regret is that (I) didn't see her shows from previous years as I feel like I have missed some remarkable creations." 

Claudia O'Doherty is hilarious.

(**If you are unable or unwilling to take the word of a blogger (a sensible move on your part), the show recently got nominated for Best Show. The nomination alone is impressive when you stop to consider the sheer number of shows she was competing against. She is on a shortlist of six other performers and the winner will be announced Saturday.)

 ===
More Claudia O'Doherty...
Twitter: @ClaudiaODoherty
Facebook: Claudia O'Doherty

Interviews
Interview on Australian radio show, Triple J (interview and O'Doherty plays five songs. Respect for playing R-Kelly and gratitude for making me aware of Emmylou and First Aid Kit.)

Hatty Ashdown's Silly Radio Show (link goes to iTunes podcast page) [Hattie at the Edinburgh Fringe 2011: JOSIE LONG & CLAUDIA O'DOHERTY] Delightful.


Absolutely True* Facts About Sharks (*Not True) Article on "100 Facts About Sharks" which she co-wrote with David O'Doherty (no relation) and Mike Ahern.

Slow down, you move too fast...

I’m in Edinburgh, Scotland for the Fringe Festival.

Because all I know of Scotland was gleaned from Braveheart and Brave, when I think of Scotland I can’t help but think of a beautiful rugged landscape shrouded in fog. Edinburgh, however,  isn't a pastoral countryside. It is  a massive city and a seat of learning. It is a great big bustling city.

Or it would be “bustling” if anyone was in a hurry to get anywhere.

There are people EVERYWHERE and they all wish to thwart me.

The sidewalks are just a series of human barricades. Despite my easy-going Quaker-lite ways, I want to clear a path by way of gut-punches and individual stranglings.

The problem is two-fold:

REASON 1- Tourists. Currently, the city is awash in tourists (who we can all agree are awful) and I understand Edinburgh is crazy picturesque- but at no time is it okay to stop (with your entire family) in the middle of the sidewalk. 

REASON 2 - Natives. I mean no slander. Scottish people are great and (for the most part) a really nice easy-going people. They are incredibly relaxed and really never in a hurry to get anywhere. I don't know if it is because of the freak bout of sunshine Edinburgh has been enjoying or because they really are just that carefree (and/or drunk). 

Basically, lawlessness dominates the sidewalks.

You know how in the US, we drive on the right side of the road? And when we walk, we typically walk on the right side of the road.

(*NOTE: The above is just a hypothetical. I’m clearly kidding-- Americans don’t walk anywhere!)

Scotland hasn’t yet come down on which side they walk on.

It's as if they thought to themselves, “Yes, we drive on the left side of the road like the British but we aren’t fucking English! They can’t tell us what to do with our lives!! The sidewalks! That is where we shall stage our revolt!”

(“We’ll walk on the right side?”)

“WE SHALL WALK WHEREVER WE PLEASE!”

And that is exactly what they did.

And whenever the queen visits Scotland, she sees the Scots meandering about like dust motes and their blatant defiance triggers a furious rage within her.

True story.

Herman Cain, I have some questions...

Holy crap, guys.

Why isn't everyone talking about this?

Herman Cain, former presidential nominee, maker of delicious pizzas, and alleged molester of women- strolled back into the public eye with this bizarre ad in support of small business.

The ad opens with a little girl holding a bunny. This solemn girl informs us that the bunny is a metaphor for small business.

Already prospects look grim for this rabbit.

Nothing good happens to rabbits. Ever.

This is doubly true for rabbits that are metaphors.

The best they can hope for is NOT being eaten by the zillions of animals that hunt them. The only rabbit who ever had a stroke of luck was the Easter Bunny.

Also, this girl is unreasonably grim. She looks like that child in horror movies that knows that freaky shit is up but doesn't warn anyone. They just draw pictures in the corner before casually dropping into the conversation that everyone in the house is going to die from being murdered by ghosts.

Anyway, the bunny is gently placed in a basket.

"This is small business under the current tax code," frowny-face girl tells us.

And then in a thrilling turn - the rabbit is flung out of the basket (like a skeet pull) and launched through the air. You barely have time to get used to the airborne (screaming) bunny before it explodes after being shot out of the air by a man with a rifle.

"ANY QUESTIONS?" solemn girl asks us.

Umm- yes, I have a LOT of questions

1) Why did you knowingly place your rabbit in a skeet pull?

2) What does that make YOU in the metaphor?

3) Why did J.J. Abrams just shoot that rabbit? (will I have to watch the rest of these crazy commercials in order to decode some larger message Herman Cain wants to tell us??)

4) Why are you yelling at me, little girl? I'm a adult and you are a murderer of rabbits! Adjust your tone!

While you are reeling from all of these unanswered questions- suddenly the commercial cuts to (what I suppose) is Herman Cain staring pensively into a terrible digital rendering of a canyon.

When Herman Cain was naturally asked, "What the hell, Herman?" (*paraphrase), Cain responded, "It was not a real rabbit."

Yes, because that is the issue with that commercial.

Not the fact that it is utterly insane and in-cohesive.

I get that he was trying to get people's attention.

In that arena he was utterly successful. I re-watched that ad so many times it was crazy.

After the tenth view- the ad takes on this lovely nihilistic quality. The rabbit became this existential everyman. I even became interested in the lone gunman. The man in the business suit with the rifle: was he meant to represent "big business" or the government? I like to think he was a metaphor for fate.

My thoughts on the girl never really changed.

She was creepy and a bit of a jerk.

But at NO point did I think, "this commercial makes me think Herman Cain might have a cohesive and insightful plan for our nations economy and future."

And even if he did- his inability to utilize the english language (without sounding insane) would prohibit him from ever letting us know what those ideas are.

(****that being said- I would still LOVE it if he insisted on presenting his ideas on economic stimulus through the art of interpretive dance... or by killing a bear with a hand grenade)

Enhance Your Day by a MILLION

I have a blog purely dedicated to comedy.

You should follow it!

You might say to yourself, "but, Jenny-- you barely update this blog? Why another blog."

ASTUTE OBSERVATION, reader.

1) In terms of updating this blog-- I'M WORKING ON IT. Despite the seemingly whimsical nature of past posts- I do actually write drafts and mull posts over before posting them. Also- I am kind of irresponsible. I'm getting better. LET ME GROW AS A PERSON!

2) This fresh new comedy blog ("A Discriminating Irreverence") focuses very specifically on comedy. It is on tumblr which seems to be better for posting pictures and videos (something blogger is not good at at ALL).

Right now, it is just a stash of awesome comedy stuffs (pictures, quotes, stand-up, sketches, interviews, and essays). All of it is funny, though. I've been consuming all things funny ever since I was a wee one. You could say my entire life has been building up to this point!

Bookmark it and look through it during your break at work! (or do it while your supposed to be working! I don't care, I won't tell!!!)

*Quick note: some of the stuff posted might be a little NSFW (that means "Not Safe For Work", dad) so be careful.

If you like the blog (or if you like me) send the link to your friends.

"A Discriminating Irreverence" is a collection of seriously funny stuff and I do actually put a lot of work into it.

Cheers

Jenny

"I am rage personified!"

I should have known. There were 472 reasons that should have prepared me for it. I should have known that an article ("New Crop of Comediennes Combine Funny Bones With Banging Bodies") written by Fox News about female comedians would leave me a sputtering puddle of rage.

As far as female comedians go, people consistently miss the mark. Every year, someone dredges up the archaic "are women funny?" question and people discuss it as if it were a valid question in the first place. It would be easy enough to just write it off as another whimsical attempt of Fox News to act like journalists but the truth is these kinds of articles appear in all sorts of publications. It isn't just Fox News.

Literally, every year, some publication writes some variation on the "are women funny" question. Another gem: "can pretty women be funny?" Or maybe an article that questions whether a female's insecurities hinder her from being great at comedy. Or why aren't there any female Richard Pryors?

This article managed to fuse all of these points together to create some sort of amazing supernova of idiocy which made me feel obligated to say something.

1) "Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, and Ricky Gervais all lost their jiggles, but kept their giggles."

First off, that rhyme is insipid and awful. Whoever penned it should be stripped of their journalism degree and publicly shamed. I would say that it is nice that she didn't imply that those men became unfunny when they slimmed down (another ridiculous delusion some people have) but she follows it up with "but they're still not what one would call exactly sexy." Jeez. Way to twist the knife.

2) "Some of our favorite "old-skool" sitcom stars like Jennifer Aniston, Jane Krakowski, and Julie Louis-Dreyfus have transformed themselves in recent years from somewhat awkward to stylish sex symbols."

I just want to say, that I didn't mispell "old-skool." That is exactly how the author of the article spelled it. Perhaps I was premature in assuming she had a journalism degree.

Anyway- the above statement is false. Jennifer Aniston was never awkward. None of these ladies were ever awkward. So there was no "transformation" to speak of. They were always gorgeous.

Even if there were some glorious transformation that took place. This article kind of implies that their becoming "stylish sex symbols" somehow affected (read: enhanced) their comedic performance. These ladies have consistently delivered hilarious performances. Aniston had "Friends" and rocked films like "Office Space", "Bruce Almighty", and "Horrible Bosses." Julie Louis-Dreyfus made a name for herself on "Seinfeld" but has continued to deliever on "New Adventures of Old Christine." Even her guest spots on "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and "30 Rock" have been hilarious. Jane Krakowski is still amazing on "30 Rock" but everyone knew she was hilarious back when she was on "Ally McBeal."

All of these careers reach back more than 10 years. Always beautiful. Always funny.

Two. Separate. Thoughts.

3) "For women, frump isn't funny any longer. The new female comedian has to be the sexual aggressor, sexually provocative, dominant and successful."

This gem is a quote from Patrick Wanis. He is simply billed as an entertainment expert.

Women comedians have never really aspired to be frumpy. If there was a generic formula for funny- looking unsexy was never part of it.

It's more that women are consistently portrayed as frumpy. It isn't as if before this "glorious renaissance of female comedy" women aspired to be shrews (or dowdy or insecure or blah blah blah). Those were simply the parts everyone wrote for them.

People are going bananas over Melissa McCarthy right now. Melissa McCarthy is hilarious and has been hilarious ("Gilmore Girls", "Samantha Who","Mike and Molly").

Her success, however, has little to do with what she looks like. The reason she is enjoying the spotlight right now is that someone recognized that she is hilarious and wrote a part for her that showcased her talent.

4) Wanis also says funny women who aren't all that sexy may struggle in the new comedy landscape. "Rosie O'Donnell and Janeane Garofalo will be relegated to playing the female versions of Chris Farley."

Are. You. Serious?

They aren't struggling because they aren't funny. They are struggling because there are "experts" like Wanis who don't write parts for them or don't think they can carry a movie.

The truth is there are many people like Melissa McCarthy just waiting to be discovered.

Also- the idea that O'Donnell and Garafolo will be "relegated to playing the female versions of Chris Farley" is a ridiculous statement.

First off, how dare you, David Wanis. I hope Janeane Garofalo cuts you.

Second- don't make them sound like naive/green comics that just stumbled onto the scene. Garofalo and O'Donnell have been around (working and doing stand-up) for years. Show some respect.

Third, Chris Farley was a leading man in several movies so the comparison is ridiculous. You are just name-calling now.

__

I should have expected that Fox News couldn't possibly write a good analysis on female comedians. But, again, I also want to reiterate that there are a lot of (mainstream!) publications that consider articles like these to be a valid argument.

Women can be funny.

It's just a fact.

Ugh. That was exhausting.

__

*This entry was kind of serious... so here is a funny link to take the edge off.

Is Funny Sexy? (15 second video clip with Tina Fey and Kay Cannon)

"I've grown up a lot since before dinner."

- Gallery 1988 in Los Angeles is one of my favorite galleries because a) they sell affordable and awesome prints and b) they have exhibits that pay tribute to comedians, famous books, video games, and one of my favorite movies of all time "Wet Hot American Summer." View the prints here and the paintings here. The fact that this exhibit exists says to me that you really can do anything you want. Anything.

- My obsession with The Hairpin continues with "Taglines for Romantic Comedies that will never exist."

- The current issue of "Under the Radar." The theme is "Music vs Comedy" but really it is a wicked awesome fusion of the two. There are interviews with comedians who sing, singers who do comedy, and awesome pictures of comedians dressed as musicians. To the left is Nick Offerman (Ron Swanson from "Parks and Recreation"). Another picture I remember was Ty Burrell (from "Modern Family") as Joni Mitchell. Classic.

- "Best Songs of 2011 to Air Guitar To While Naked In Your Room." You can start to see that I have an affinity for remarkably specific lists.

- Second to lastly, everyone should be listening to the "Nerdist" podcast. Chris Hardwick is fast becoming my new hero celebrating all things comedy and nerdy alike. He just interviewed Zooey Deschanel and it is delightful. My favorite interviews include: Drew Carey, Maria Bamford, Felicia Day, Donald Glover, Mike Birbiglia, Kevin Smith, Jimmy Fallon, John Oliver, and THE MUPPETS! Listening to this podcast is one of the things that finally made me start doing open-mics. It is pure nerd inspiration.

and lastly... this:

True Tales of Success (that sound like horrifying stories of failure)

I am exhausted.

So far, I have done stand-up comedy at two open mics here in North Carolina and I'm going to do another tonight. This is the first night where I don't have to drive an hour or more to get to the venue.

In order to prepare for success, I took the set that I had practiced and memorized the week before and threw it out.

So on the three hours car ride up to Asheville I memorized completely new material.

Asheville's hippie reputation is pretty well-known but I was unprepared for how hippie it was. The first people I saw after parking my car were three guys playing hacky sack in the parking lot. I planted myself at the bar and watched the Asheville hipsters mill about. There was an adorable chap who literally had a feather in his cap. Asheville, you are in a league of your own.

I sat by some great (older) guys who gave me some jokes that I could use.

I did not.

Maybe next time.

(Nope. I won't.)

When I finally got up to do my set, I clutched the microphone stand the entire time. My smart idea to look at my watch and gauge my time (so as not to go over) evaporated as soon as I got on stage. I timed the set when I was in the car and I nailed it each time. Five minutes exactly. My time at the mic could have very well been under one minute.

I'm pretty sure that I said words but I can't verify that. I blacked out and don't remember details. I pretty much just stared into the spotlight and blocked out everything.

People laughed, though.

It could have been pity but let me be clear-- that is fine with me. At first I debated whether I should say that this was my first time doing stand-up. Before I got up on stage, self-righteous Jenny decided "No. I won't say that-- because that would be pandering."

At the end of the set I was just like, "Screw it-- I am not above that."

Die a slow death, high-minded ideas.

Three hours later I arrived back at home. The above details the stress and nerves I experienced doing stand-up but it was really one of the best nights of my life.

My second set was in Chapel Hill. The goal for the previous night was to get through the set regardless of the audience's reaction and not cry (set achievable goals) and my goal for Chapel Hill was this time I was going to take the microphone out of the stand.

Like I said previously, in Asheville I clutched the mic stand the entire time. It is because I had (have) a fear of breaking the microphone. Either I can't navigate the mic out of the stand or the stand falls or just the whole thing bursts into flames.

For the record-- I totally did break the microphone.

True story.

As soon as I touched it, the chord dropped out of the mic (which was still firmly in the stand). So I had to take care of that mess before I started. It went well, though.

So, in summary, all of my dreams are coming true-- some of those dreams just happen to also be nightmares.