• We’ve been “inside” for SEVENTY-TWO days now and I know we’re all on our last legs creatively. We wrote what we wanted to write, saw what we wanted to see and are still inside for the foreseeable future. That’s why I’m here to suggest two creative outlets you may not have touched upon yet:
1.) Make an inventory of all your jokes. This is very Gary Gulman tip-esque, but basically, make a Google Sheets document and start writing all your jokes down so you have them all in one place. Once you start writing them down, tags will flow out of you- you’ll wonder how these jokes existed without all the extra punchlines you dream up. It’s certainly worked for me. Worst case scenario, you remember stuff you forgot and can Tweet it.
2.) Start making mashups. Not everyone loves mashups but I’ve been a fan of the form for 13+ years now since I saw Girl Talk at the Rialto Theater in Tucson, AZ. For years, I admired from afar. This quarantine, I told myself I would learn how to make my own. After messing around with Audacity with limited results, I put vocal only and instrumental tracks from YouTube into Adobe Premiere and haven’t stopped mixing songs. Yes, becoming a “DJ” is a sad punchline/cliche but making these mashups has given me the opportunity to re-contextualize my favorite songs like “Losing My Religion” which sounds incredible over “Shooting Stars.” Also, now I’m more motivated than ever to work out to my own music (and I need to work out more than ever). If you want to check out my mashup that admittedly is a bit tempo-deaf, you can by checking it in the comments. It’s 14-minutes and called, “The After After AFTER Party.”
• Completed quite a few profiles this week for friends on medium.com/@aprofileaboutyou. If interested, you can read about the hilarious marathoner/actress/writer Nikki MacCallum, brilliant and accomplished young author Travis Martin, witty and mysterious Kiki O’Keeffe and the very funny comic Corey Yoskowitz who made an amazing eight-minute parody of “The Last Dance” starring himself as a world champion “catching grapes in mouth” guy. I’m not biased saying it’s great but I am in it as a faux Sportscenter anchor reporting on Yoskowitz’s rise and fall from grace. The link is in the comments of course.
• Social media is evolving once again into a newer iteration of itself for these super online times. Here’s a few things that I witnessed of note:
“A group where we pretend to be running late or have to cancel plans:” My friend Sarah Kennedy started what I assumed to be a very small, private group where folks came up with fake excuses to miss things to remind ourselves of pre-quarantine life when we all bailed all the time. When I woke up the next morning, the group had 4500+ members. It makes sense- the group is hilarious and people’s excuses keep getting more and more inventive. The best one I’ve seen so far was written by one of my all-time favorite actors and comic minds Michael Margetis. I won’t spoil it. Join the group and seek out his story. It’s worth the search.
John Rosenberger’s “Ask You Anything Tuesdays:” Johnny Ro is one of the nicest guys in New York comedy and his newest kind and very fun endeavor is the opposite of Reddit’s “Ask Me Anything.” You comment on John’s status and he’ll ask you a question tailored to your personality. My question from John this week was “Who are your dream SNL hosts/musical guests for a month’s worth of shows?” I wrote, “Kurt Vonnegut/Girl Talk, Lorne Michaels/The Strokes Daft Punk/Daft Punk and a Jordan Peele directed episode co-hosted by Quentin Tarantino and Neal Brennan/REM.”
Started this innocuous Twitter thread:
If you’re a comedian, put your handle in the comments. I’m genuinely curious how many there are out there.
It’s something I’ve often wondered about. Just how many comedians are out there? Well, 600 people replied to this thread including Guy Branum (he followed me!), Kurt Braunohler, Ron Jeremy, Scott Rogowsky and Blaine Capatch. More than that though, the thread turned into a place where comics started following each other (I got 350 new followers from it, no joke) and a community sort of formed. Comics from all over came together in the thread. The link to the thread is in the comments and worth checking out just to see comics you’d never seen/want to grow your Twitter following.
• Did Todd Montesi’s Instagram Live show on Thursday night. I was in a weird mood and took the show to a darkish headspace where I asked Montesi, “What’s the meanest thing you’ve ever done?” Got a little too vulnerable but it was fun and you should certainly follow Todd’s @ugcomedyshow for episodes that aren’t quite as strangely depressing as mine. They’re daily and a fun time.
• Watched and listened to more stuff than ever before this week. Gonna do my best to keep it all brief as eff:
“Her Smell” (2019): Took this all in while doing dishes so I may have missed a few plot points from this two-hour plus faux biopic. Elisabeth Moss plays a Courtney Love/Karen O surrogate who has family problems, band problems, substance abuse problems and it’s basically that for two hours. There are few and far between musical performances; this is mostly a character study of a flawed artist. I liked it but I WOULDN’T RECOMMEND (Streaming on HBOGo).
“In the Mood For Love” (2000): If you went to film school, you know this movie is on every “Best Of” list. So, I got the free two-week Criterion Collection trial to see Wong Kar Wai’s 60s period piece about forbidden love in a Hong Kong apartment complex between two married next door neighbors. It lived up to the hype. Stolen glances, delicious (yeah, I said it) cinematography and subtle storytelling made this slow burn SOMETHING I’D DEFINITELY REVIST. IT’S THAT GOOD (Streaming on Criterion Collection).
“Encino Man” (1992): Was on a bit of a Pauly Shore kick this week and I haven’t seen this one since I was four-years-old when my family did a staycation in Phoenix at a hotel that showed this movie to kids. It made an indelible impression on me- so many kids in middle school spoke in “Weasel-ese” elongating “Buuuddy” like Shore would and it’s infectious. As for the movie, it’s silly, escapist fare similar to a million other movies with a fish out of water trying to fit in and Brendan Fraser commits so damn hard here. Sean Astin is painfully bad (his character is awful too), Data from “Goonies” has an extended cameo and Dom DeLuise’s son is the villain. YOU COULD DO A LOT WORSE (Streaming on Amazon for $3.99).
“Screwed” (2000): Made a thread about underrated comedies on Twitter awhile back and this one kept getting namechecked. Saw it on Netflix and was shocked by the cast alone- Norm MacDonald, Dave Chappelle, Sarah Silverman, Danny DeVito, Cloris Leachman and Sherman Helmsley. Norm’s anti-acting mixed with the plot that escalates impressively (Norm is Leachman’s underappreciated assistant and tries to kidnap his dog for ransom and hijinks ENSUE) feels like a nice throwback to dirt cheap comedies. Perfect 80-minute movie to play in the background (Streaming on Netflix).
“Lovebirds” (2020): The first major high-profile “Should have gotten a theatrical release” Netflix release is finally live! It’s pretty good too. Basically if “Queen and Slim” was a comedy. Accidental murder and a couple goes on the run. In this case, Kumail and Issa Rae are literally JUST breaking up when they hit a guy on a bike and you guessed it- hijinks ensue. This is the rare movie where you’ve seen so many of the jokes in trailers for what feels like years but the flick still has a ton of tricks up its sleeve. Also, it’s directed by my dude Michael Showalter (of “Stella!”). I WISH I SAW THS IN THEATERS (Streaming on Netflix).
“The Last Dance” (2020): Yeah, this ESPN ten-part doc exceeded all expectations. I live Tweeted all ten episodes and loved how it brought me back to childhood sports fandom so well. The dagger was watching the Suns lose in the 93 finals all over again which up to this point had been a repressed memory. MJ is an intense competitor, Scottie feels undervalued and Rodman is nuts. We knew all these things before but these ten-hours bring new shades and anecdotes to what we already processed. It’s basically if an oral history was a doc- I can’t wait for the McGwire/Sosa “30 for 30.” Plus, cocaine parties. IF YOU LIKE SPORTS AT ALL, THIS IS FOR YOU (Streaming on ESPN).
Patton Oswalt’s “I Love Everything” (2020): Great, little special. Love how Patton foreshadowed at the beginning with a bit about Denny’s and closed with ten minutes on the diner. The guy has a way with words and just exudes comedy. Even cooler is he promotes his buddy’s special at the end and when this ends, it bleeds right into his friend’s special. That special is not as good but it’s thought that counts. ANOTHER KILLER SPECIAL (Streaming on Netflix).
“Twilight Zone” (1963): Just flipped to a random episode called “What You Need.” It’s a wonderful 30-minutes about a peddler who gives people “what they need.” The twist ending is spectacular. DIS ONE IS PERFECT FOR FALLING ASLEEP TO (Streaming on Netflix).
Todd Barry’s “From Heaven” (2008): Had this album sitting at my place forever. Todd and Natasha Leggero’s faces staring at me. Finally, popped it in an ancient Apple DVD drive and listened. Man, Todd can tell jokes. He does droll better than anyone else. His opener on the pleasure of rubbing shoulders with local comics had me howlin’. Easily one of the most slept on headliners in the game. Also, Barry’s book “Thank You For Coming to Hattiesburg” about headlining C-list clubs is maybe the greatest book about stand up I’ve ever come across. THIS IS A FUN 52-MINUTE LISTEN (Streaming on Spotify).
Got a new customer service job so I listened to a ton of excellent podcasts too. Here’s a few key takeaways from each (all the links are in the comments):
Taylor Tomlinson on “WTF:” Moves at a nice clip and is sad to hear Maron be so chipper talking about his recently deceased girlfriend, Lynn Shelton. Either way, Tomlinson makes an amazing point: Every comic should have to date a comic so you know what it’s like to be talked about onstage. Brilliant. She’s way smarter than any 25-year-old has any right to be.
Moshe Kasher on “You Made It Weird:” Pete Holmes and Moshe have a great rapport and right off the bat they gossip about a supposedly real Nicole Byer/John Cleese beef. Could listen to these pals dish for hours.
Jesse David Fox on “YMIW:” Nerd heaven. The two discuss comedy magazine issues all covering the same comics; how your first ten years as a comic is learning how to kill and “home run derby” (not doing anything interesting but learning how to crush); they point out that Jerrod Carmichael is the best contemporary comic for the “Notes he doesn’t play” and observe that Zach Galifianakis is funny no matter what (agreed). The best point made of all is that clubs have shifted to friendly comics from the hard edged clubby comics of the past (think Nate Bargatze, Gary Gulman). They elaborate saying, “Comedy has to grow or you won’t move on in the next generation.” Loved the point they make about bitter, older comics being angry that this generation has access to the internet. The two say, “Why did we want it to be hard to make it?” A must-listen if you’re a major comedy fan.
Lynn Shelton on “WTF:” Very sad episode. Maron cries off the top detailing what happened this week with his recently passed significant other. Even more heartbreaking is listening to their first conversation where they hit it off. A little weird that Marc hits on her since she’s in a relationship (he clarifies she and her husband were on the rocks) but otherwise very sweet and emotional.
Sam Morril on “WTF:” This dude always rubbed me the wrong way. Has a weird, entitled kind of attitude toward comedy. He’s pretty likeable here talking about Carolines and my pal Louis Faranda. No great insights I would say but a fun, name-drop heavy episode (evidenced by the fact I just name dropped).
Neal Brennan on “YMIW:” Oh, man. Neal Brennan is the all-time greatest podcast guest. So effortlessly funny, mean in a constructive way and insightful. Just a few nuggets from the interview include, “Actors are emotional models.” He also talked about how in a study monkeys chose watching a video of their pack leader over having a Juicy Juice which proves that actor worship goes deeper than our species. They talk about being a new comic no one notices and finally, Neal says, “Chappelle was funniest on set with female extras. There were like 40 women when we filmed the Rick James sketch.” He also goes into great detail about Rick James being problematic. Was genuinely sad when this 2.5 hour-episode concluded.
Fred Willard on “WTF:” Easily the most lightweight of the podcasts. Very sad that Willard passed away but this is more of a polite chat with a bit of hero worship than anything truly interesting. Still, kinda fun to hear about Fred’s greatest hits.
Quentin Tarantino on “3 Girls 1 Keith:” The shortest of all clocking in at 50-minutes but exploding with personality. I could listen to QT talk about anything and he details his time as an Elvis impersonator on “Golden Girls” and Schumer fawns over him. I loved that he was a fan of the podcast; he really is a fan of everything.
SNL Exclusive Sketches: The show is releasing new stuff! The first one I saw was the best and it’s in the comments (my Dad didn’t like this one). Just three minutes, it skewers every little detail about what every American house and apartment is like (lots of cables behind your TV? This is for you). Another one starring Alex Moffatt (not linked here) in a romantic comedy with himself is fine but certainly a deep cut.
Jack Bensinger Twitter video: Check the link in the comments. This is the most genius 50-second video maybe ever. Even my Dad laughed.
Anna’s Cameo: My wife Anna Paone, her mom Catherine Lamoreaux and sister Laura Paone got a Cameo from Gilbert Gottfried for Anna’s Dad, Lawrence. Gilbert answered promptly, added personal flourishes and it has rewatch value for people that don’t even know Lawrence. Dude is a class act.
That’s all.
As for this week, got one cool thing! Tomorrow (Monday, May 25, 2020 that is), I’m going to be on Matt Starr’s online Caveat show “Nerd Search” repping my SNL nerdiness at 7 PM EST. Tickets are $5 and I will have all my SNL swag on display. If interested, it’s the first comment.
Gotta go chat with the fam. brb
01.) Matt Starr’s Nerd Search Show: https://www.caveat.nyc/event/nerd-search-5-25-2020
02.) After After AFTER Party https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9fwMGIeUfc
03.) Yoskowitz video: https://twitter.com/yoskooo/status/1262927925244018689
04.) Twitter thread: https://twitter.com/MattLevy51/status/1263833852830769153
05.) Taylor Tomlinson WTF: http://www.wtfpod.com/podcast/episode-1114-taylor-tomlinson
06.) Moshe Kasher YMIW: http://youmadeitweird.nerdistind.libsynpro.com/moshe-kasher-returns-0
07.) Jesse David Fox YMIW: http://youmadeitweird.nerdistind.libsynpro.com/jesse-david-fox
08.) Lynn Shelton WTF: http://www.wtfpod.com/podcast/in-memoriam-remembering-lynn-shelton
09.) Sam Morril WTF: http://www.wtfpod.com/podcast/episode-1115-sam-morril
10.) Neal Brennan YMIW: http://youmadeitweird.nerdistind.libsynpro.com/neal-brennan-returns
11.) Fred Willard WTF: http://www.wtfpod.com/podcast/remembering-fred-willard
12.) Quentin Tarantino on 3 Girls 1 Keith: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/amy-schumer-presents-3-girls-1-keith/e/68450507
13.) SNL Home Sketch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLXzadzUwVY
14.) Jack Bensinger Tweet: https://twitter.com/JackBensinger/status/1154505535049224192
