April 28, 2010

Hal Sparks: Comedic Persona, Rockin’ Style.

Originally from Peak’s Mill, Kentucky, comedian Hal Sparks began his comedy as a young member of the group Second City Troupe. In 1987 he was named Funniest Teenager in Chicago by the Chicago Sun Times.

After a great start, Sparks moved to Los Angeles. He has performed a lot of his stand-up in the comedy clubs there such as The Improv, The Comedy Store, and The Laugh Factory.

Television has also influenced Sparks’ comedy career, as he was the host of the hit show Talk Soup. He has also appeared on numerous episodes of I Love The 70’s, I Love The 80’s, I Love the 80’s Strikes Back, and I Love The 90’s on VH1. Hal had a long run as co-star on the show famous show Queer as Folk as well.

Hal has had a stint in the movie industry appearing in Spiderman 2, among many others. He has done some voice acting in Dr. Dolittle 2 in addition.

When not busy with comedy or acting, Hal is a singer/song writer.

I had seen Hal long ago on Talk Soup when I was real young. He came up again on all of those shows on VH1, and this time I took notice. His wit was apparent and his commentary was hilarious. I was hooked on those I Love the… shows for the longest time, and Hal was a big reason for that. An old favorite of mine, I had not seen him on TV in such a long time. I stumbled upon his stand-up on Youtube and he is just as funny as I remember. He has new material and is still performing stand-up live, so make sure you check out Hal Sparks.
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April 26, 2010

Whitney Cummings: Seriously Funny

Los Angeles comedian Whitney Cummings not only does stand-up, but she is also an actress and a writer. Whitney has been recognized for her comedy in 2007 by being named one of Variety’s “Top Ten Comics to Watch”, and again in 2009 when she was named Entertainment Weekly’s “Comedy Stars of Tomorrow”.

On television, Whitney can be seen on Chelsea Lately as a regular panelist. She co-executive produced, wrote, and performed in the Showtime series Live! Nude! Comedy! However, the popular MTV series Punk’d was where Whitney first became a series regular. Also on the big screen, Whitney is the star of the film Made of Honor. Whitney offers her comedy in writing as well, frequently for the Comedy Central Roasts.

Her stand-up is quite popular and has been featured on shows such as Down and Dirty with Jim Norton, Comedy All-Stars, Last Call with Carson Daly, and Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen.

Chelsea Lately is one of my favorite TV shows and it was where I first discovered Whitney. Her quick wit and funny commentary drew me in to find out more. I located tons of her stand-up on Youtube and loved every minute of it. Whitney’s jokes are unique, hilarious, and relatable. I would recommend Whitney Cummings to anyone looking for some fresh jokes from a female’s perspective in this male dominated industry.
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April 21, 2010

Ricky Gervais: England’s Finest. And Funniest.


English comedian Ricky Gervais has a real vision for comedy shown in his stand-up, writing, and acting. Over the course of three years, Gervais’s stand-up comedy blew up. His first televised stand-up performance was called Animals and took place in 2002 at the Soho Theatre. In 2003, Gervais sold out multiple shows at the Bloomsbury Theatre with his stand-up. His tour Politics in 2004 also entirely sold out.

A fine comedic writer, Ricky wrote frequently for The Eleven o’Clock Show. The movie titled Extras was written by Ricky as well. Also an actor, Ricky appeared in the films For Your Consideration, The Invention of Lying, and Ghost Town.

You can see Gervais’s acting on television as well. He was the star of The Office, and also made a guest appearance on The Simpsons. Gervais has his own television series called Ricky Gervais Meets…

An award winning comedian, Ricky has won awards such as the BAFTAs for Best Comedy Performance and Best Situation Comedy. He has also won two Golden Globes for The Office.

I’ve seen Ricky on numerous shows and think he’s really funny. Sometimes “foreign” comedy doesn’t translate well, but Ricky manages to create jokes that nearly everyone can find humorous. Even when he is appearing on TV and not doing a stand-up routine, the things he says will crack you up. If you’re tired of the same old American comedians, put a little English on it and check out Ricky Gervais.
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April 19, 2010

Chelsea Handler: The Bitch Is Back. In A Good Way.

Growing up in New Jersey with five older siblings gave comedian Chelsea Handler enough stories to start a career in stand-up. Chelsea has performed her comedy at festivals including the HBO Comedy Arts Festival and at Montreal’s Just for Laughs Comedy Festival. She has her own half hour special on Comedy Central showcasing her stand-up, and has been featured on Premium Blend on the same network.

Television contributes largely to spreading Chelsea’s comedy to the masses. She is the host of her own late night talk show called Chelsea Lately, where she comments on pop-culture and knocks celebrities down a peg or two, all in the name of comedy of course. Chelsea has been featured on numerous talk shows such as the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Late Show with David Letterman, The Today Show, and has guest-hosted The View. She was also one of the stars of the television series Girls Behaving Badly.

A woman of many talents, Chelsea has co-starred in the independent films Streamroom and National Lampoon’s Cattle Call. She is also a writer with two hit books titled My Horizontal Life: A Collection of One Night Stands and Are You There, Vodka? It’s Me, Chelsea.

Chelsea Handler is one of my favorite female comedians of all time. In the male-dominated business of stand-up, truly funny females are hard to come by, but Chelsea is one to watch out for. Her wit and willingness to say anything about anyone was what drew me into her show, Chelsea Lately. I watch it as much as possible because you never know what she will say next, but you know it’ll be hilarious. Her stand-up comedy is just as great as her show, and she covers various topics other than just celebrities. Chelsea Handler speaks her mind in her comedy, and not in an annoying-stuck-up-bitch kind of way. It’s more of a totally-hilarious-and-I-couldn’t-agree-more kind of way, and I love it!
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April 14, 2010

Nick Kroll: Wears Ed Hardy & Looks Like A Douche. Luckily It’s Just Acting

Comedian Nick Kroll started big, performing with the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre when he was just a freshman in college at Georgetown University. Today, his stand-up comedy is everywhere from Jimmy Kimmel Live, to Live at Gotham on Comedy Central, to frequent national tours. Stand-up is just one of Nick’s talents, as he is also an actor and a writer.

Kroll has been in quite a few films, including the newest Date Night, also starring Steve Carell. Get Him to the Greek and I Love You Man are other popular films Kroll has graced the screen in. Voice acting for animation is in Kroll’s repertoire as well, with parts in Sit Down, Shut Up and The Life and Times of Tim.

Appearing on funny television shows such as Best Week Ever and Reno 911! , Nick puts his humor to use in writing for TV too. Chappelle’s Show, Human Giant, and The Life and Times of Tim would not be quite as funny without Nick contributing to the writing.

Nick has a bunch of funny characters he portrays in various situations, including my favorite, Fabrice Fabrice, the craft services coordinator. There is also Bobby Bottleservice, who wears nothing but Ed Hardy and is very reminiscent of the goons from MTV’s Jersey Shore. And lastly, there is Gil Faizon, the middle-aged divorcee.

Nick Kroll has always been familiar to me because I would see him all the time on VH1 shows. He was very funny the way he would matter-of-factly make fun of topics in pop culture. Nick’s stand-up is just as good, involving a wider range of topics delivered with his same great humor. But the thing about Nick that really got me interested was his character Fabrice Fabrice. So funny. His stereotypical flamboyancy and wardrobe to match may sound offensive at first, but he sure makes this character hysterical. Fabrice Fabrice is my favorite thing about Nick Kroll, but he is talented in everything he does and you’ll love him if you check him out!
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April 12, 2010

Zach Galifianakis: Least Creepy Guy With A Beard. And Funny.


Piano playing comedian Zach Galifianakis is from North Carolina where he attended North Carolina State University. Emphasis on “attended”, as he failed out of his very last class by one point. Afterward Zach packed up and moved to NYC, where his first stand-up performance was in the back of a restaurant.

While in New York Zach worked by day as a nanny, maid, and eventually bus boy and did stand-up at night. During a shift of busing tables, Zach was discovered and offered his first acting job on the TV show Boston Common.

Since then, Galifianakis has become a late-night television pro appearing on the Late Show with David Letterman, The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien, and Jimmy Kimmel Live! Also a film star, Zach’s acting credits include roles in Bubble Boy, Corky Ramano, The Comedians of Comedy, G-Force, and The Hangover.

Zach currently lives in Venice Beach, California when he is not touring nationally with his stand-up comedy.

I had seen Zach’s half hour stand-up special on Comedy Central quite some time ago and thought he was great. I specifically remember in the end, for one reason or another, he was wearing tights. His piano accompanied stories and jokes told in utter seriousness were hilarious. One thing that made Zach’s comedy unique to me was that he wasn’t just some guy performing jokes, he was the performance. It was almost like watching an actor take on a role, the way he would tell his stories and one-liners as if they were true. Zach Galifianakis is a real funny and talented comedian, so check him out!
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April 7, 2010

Nick Thune: Ladies, Hang On To Your Guitar Straps

Guitar-wielding comedian Nick Thune was born and raised in Seattle. Thune attended Bellevue Community College but dropped out one and a half years shy of graduating. By performing his musical comedy at local open mic nights and clubs, Thune came to the realization that he wasn’t going to become a big hit in Seattle. At the age of 24, Thune moved out to L.A. to see what its comedy circuit had to offer.

You can now see Nick’s stand-up live, musical accompaniment and all, at the Hollywood Improv and The Laugh Factory in L.A. Nick also tours live around the United States, so keep on the lookout for him at your local clubs and bars. If Thune’s not making the trip to your end of the country, you can still catch him on TV with his half hour stand-up special on Comedy Central. Nick has also performed for the HBO network in the HBO Comedy Arts Festival.

A master of the arts, Thune has had roles in various movies including Knocked up, Unaccompanied Minors, and Spring Breakdown.

Nick caught my attention on his Comedy Central special, initially because he was attractive, and thereafter because he was really funny. I’ve seen comedians play guitar while singing funny songs, and comedians who tell funny jokes, but Nick combines these two aspects into his act flawlessly. One minute he’ll be cracking one-liners with the strumming of his guitar in the background, and the next he’ll be telling a humorous story with a different accompaniment. In the midst of the story he may even break out into a related song. The guy is smart and uses all his talents to his advantage in one hilarious performance. Nick Thune is a worthwhile comedian to check out whether you like music, comedy, or both.
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