Jay Leno: Working Class HeroWhen I started this series I knew that sooner or later I would be writing about Jay Leno. No comedian has been as villainized in the past two […]
The Manic Unpredictability of Robin WilliamsBy the time I got to middle school, I was pretty much a comedy geek. All the signs were there: I would sneak out into the living room and watch […]
The Rise and Fall of Pauly ShoreCreating a comedic character can be a tricky process. To a certain extent, every successful standup comic has a comedic persona. Listeners of […]
The Unfair Marginalization of Janeane GarofaloBefore we start, let me say that I know there are many that will take issue with Janeane Garofalo’s inclusion in this series and understandably […]
The Sneaky Smarts of Russell BrandRussell Brand is one of those comedians who, despite selling out theaters all over the world and starring in several films throughout the past […]
Dennis Miller: Not So Black and WhiteWinston Churchill once said, “Show me a young conservative and I will show you a man with no heart. Show me an old liberal and I will show you […]
Dane Cook and the Art of the HustleI have a secret. A dark, terrible secret that I have trouble even admitting to myself: I don’t hate Dane Cook. I know I should. Practically […]
Carlos Mencia and the American DreamWriting a joke is a tricky thing. Sometimes a joke comes to you fully formed, perfect, and complete. Most times it comes in the form of a […]
Rob Schneider: Makin’ MoviesThis week, I decided to write about Rob Schneider after listening to him on Marc Maron’s WTF. The man who starred in dreck like The Animal, The […]
Keeping it Clean: The Comedy of SinbadEvery once in a while the concept of “clean comedy” will come up, though never among those of us who are passionate about comedy because to us […]
Everybody Hates Raymond - They’re WrongWhen I have children, I’ll sit them on my lap and explain to them that when I was their age we had an expression about a piece of art that was […]
Zabadooo! The Comedy of Adam SandlerDuring interviews for the 2009 feature film Funny People Judd Apatow, who shared an apartment with Adam Sandler in Los Angeles during the late […]
Timing is Everything: The Comedy of Bob HopeFor over half a century, Bob Hope was arguably the most famous and beloved comedian in America. Like most comics from his era, he started as a […]
The Unfair Reputation of Rosie O’DonnellDuring the comedy boom of the late 1980’s and early 1990’s Rosie O’Donnell was one of the fastest rising stars in the New York standup scene. […]
Defending Larry the Cable GuyEvery week I’ll be writing about a comedian who is wildly successful, yet receives little to no respect in the comedy community. I find this […]
begrudging respect
What Jeff Dunham Does RightIn 2010, Forbes ran a story about the ten highest paid comedians in the country and at the top of that list was ventriloquist Jeff Dunham. […]
It’s Never Too Late: 8 Comedy Late BloomersOh, young people, just look at you! Wandering around with all of your stupid hope and possibility. You probably even think the future will be […]
But How Does it Hold Up?A few weeks ago I re-watched the venerable Mel Brooks film, Blazing Saddles. I hadn’t seen the movie in at least seven years, mostly because […]