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Comedy

Eddie Murphy Is “Never Gonna Be Richard Pryor”: The Comedian’s Widow on Pryor’s Rivalries (And a Threesome)

By Jason Bailey on

If you invite Tracy Morgan to your panel discussion, you’ve gotta know what you’re getting into. The comic, actor, and general crazy person was one of five interesting folks who assembled after the Tribeca Film Festival’s Wednesday screening of the wonderful new documentary Richard Pryor: Omit the Logic; he was joined by The Daily Show’s Wyatt Cenac, author Walter Mosley, Pryor’s widow Jennifer Lee Pryor (or “J,” as Morgan affectionately called her), and the film’s director, Marina Zenovich. But Morgan dominated the talk, with jokes and peculiar sidebars — until Jennifer Pryor got going, and proved as raw, candid, and devil-may-care as her late husband. … Read More

Comedy

The Most Notorious Feuds in Comedy History

By Jason Bailey on

Last night in Beverly Hills, Mike Myers, Dana Carvey, and their Wayne’s World director Penelope Spheeris reunited for a screening of that 1992 classic, in what has been reported far and wide as a public “burying of the hatchet.” Great comedy doesn’t always come from harmony; Myers and Spheeris reportedly clashed over her directorial and editing choices (as a result, he demanded she not return for the sequel), while tension was high between Myers and Carvey on set, since Carvey — the bigger star on Saturday Night Live — was playing a decidedly supporting role. Their rift is rumored to have widened in the years after their Wayne’s World collaboration (the bone of contention is whether Myers stole his Dr. Evil character from Carvey). But it was all smiles and laughs and good times at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater, and while their conflicts weren’t directly addressed, Spheeris recently shrugged off the feuds, telling The Hollywood Reporter, “We’re all getting too old to pissed.” True enough, but comedians have never exactly been known for their thick skin; here are a few of the most contentious feuds between funny people. … Read More

Comedy

‘Oh My God’ Is Louis C.K.’s Best Stand-up Special Yet

By Jason Bailey on

In the opening moments of his new special Oh My God, Louis C.K. is seen standing backstage, waiting patiently. He takes a sip of water, checks his watch, and then strolls out to thunderous applause. And when he does, comedy nerds’ jaws are bound to drop in recognition of the location: he’s performing at the Celebrity Theater in Phoenix, Arizona, the distinctive in-the-round venue where George Carlin did his second HBO On Location special. Maybe the placement was accidental, but I doubt it. For years, Louie has been positioning himself as the heir apparent to the late, great Carlin: America’s finest road comic, a stand-up whose productivity is only matched by his brilliance. … Read More

Comedy

16 Things We Learned From Louis C.K.’s Reddit AMA

By Chloe Pantazi on

“Hi. It’s Louis. I’m here doing one of these again.” Ahead of Saturday night’s premiere of the stand-up special Louis C.K. Oh My God on HBO, Louis C.K. hosted an AMA (Ask Me Anything) session over on Reddit. Questions ranged from the most amateur jokes he’s told and his worst hecklers to money matters, his culinary talents, and Ewan McGregor’s dick. We combed through the conversation to pick out the best and pithiest of the comedian’s offerings; after the jump, 16 things we learned. … Read More

Comedy

What We Learned About ‘Arrested Development,’ ‘Mr. Show,’ and “Alternative Comedy” From David Cross’ Conversation With Michael Cera

By Jason Bailey on

“Do you guys feel like you’re learning things tonight?” asked David Cross, about two-thirds of the way through “A Conversation with David Cross,” a sold-out event at New York’s 92nd Street Y Wednesday night — and though he asked it in jest, there actually were lessons to be extrapolated from his informal 95-minute chat with Arrested Development co-star Michael Cera. Here’s some of what we learned. … Read More

Comedy

Should White Comedians Ever Ridicule Black Culture?

By Tom Hawking on

“Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally Covering Riskay’s ‘Smell Yo Dick’ Is As Awesome As It Sounds,” proclaimed Gawker yesterday, describing a show in LA a couple of nights back wherein Nancy and Beth ( Mullally and Stephanie Hunt) performed the song live on stage, with a guest appearance from Nick Offerman on vocals. The video was uploaded to Funny or Die and duly went crazy, with some 120,000 views to date. But is it awesome? We’re not so sure. … Read More

Comedy

What Should Maya Rudolph Do Next?

By Alison Herman on

Along with Kristen Wiig, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Mindy Kaling, Maya Rudolph is part of a very welcome trend of female comedians getting lots of well-deserved attention. Still, Rudolph isn’t quite as ubiquitous in pop culture as her peers: although she was hysterical in Bridesmaids, the 2011 hit was very much Wiig’s movie, and her sitcom, NBC’s Up All Night, was on deathwatch well before the recently announced departure of Christina Applegate. With Deadline reporting a long list of networks looking to give Rudolph her own variety show, we thought we’d offer some of our own ideas for what the hilarious SNL alumna should tackle next. … Read More

Comedy

Why Seth MacFarlane Might Not Be the Worst Oscar Host Ever

By Alison Herman on

When Seth MacFarlane, the actor/screenwriter/producer/comedian/director best known for creating bro-comedy classic Family Guy, was announced as the host of the 85th Academy Awards in early October, critics reacted with a collective facepalm. Who wanted to endure three hours of tasteless-but-still-pointless bathroom humor from a man whose most recent creative effort was the story of a pot-smoking CGI teddy bear? Still, there’s more to MacFarlane than meets the eye, and there’s plenty in his decade-and-a-half-long career to inspire some confidence in Sunday’s performance. Here’s why we’re confident he’ll succeed — or, at the very least, get more laughs than James Franco. … Read More

Comedy

Ridiculous and Profound Life Lessons from Bathroom Walls

By Jennifer Lewis on

There’s a lot to be learned from bathroom walls. Undecided on the quality of the second Toy Story movie? Here’s your answer. Need directions to the Ministry of Magic? Here you go. Every now and again, we’ll stumble upon some ridiculous and/or prolific and/or ridiculously prolific lessons scribbled upon the walls of bathroom stalls. Although we’ve never thought to document our own encounters, the Internet is chock-full of bathroom graffiti photos. After the jump, we’ve gathered 12 fun and inspirational lessons from bathroom walls. Check ‘em out, then let us know about the other life tips you’ve found in odd places. … Read More

Comedy

We Can’t Stop Laughing at Fake Chloë Sevigny’s ’12 Days of Christmas’

By Judy Berman on

Some people love Drew Droege’s Chloë Sevigny impersonations because they think Sevigny is a pretentious hipster who deserves to be mocked. Some people — including, apparently, Sevigny — hate them because they love Sevigny and don’t appreciate the implication that she’s a pretentious hipster who deserves to be mocked. … Read More