March 31, 2010

Bryan Callen: Will Drive You Mad

A popular comedian in the States, Bryan Callen grew up overseas in various countries including India, Pakistan, Greece, and Lebanon. At the age of 14, Callen made the move to America. Callen attended high school in Massachusetts before moving on to graduate from the American University in Washington D.C. with a BA in History.

It’s a good thing Bryan has a face for television, because he’s been on countless TV shows. Bryan was a regular on the sketch comedy show Mad TV, putting his comedy and acting skills to work. He was also on the two television series Oz and Fat Actress, the latter starring Kirstie Alley. Bryan’s list of appearances goes on with guest spots on Sex and the City, 7th Heaven, King of Queens, CSI, Law and Order: SVU, News Radio, and Entourage. And of course his stand-up has been featured on shows such as Late Night with David Letterman and Live at Gotham on Comedy Central.

Callen also knows his way around a film set acting in movies such as Bad Santa, Old School, Scary Movie 4, and more recently The Hangover.

Bryan was one of my favorite comedic actors on Mad TV. The characters he played varied greatly, but he made each one very believable and enjoyable. I’ve also seen him in some of the other shows he’s appeared on, like Fat Actress, and he is an all around great actor; always funny and always committed to his characters. His stand-up is fairly new to me.  I mean I’ve always figured he did some stand-up since he was hilarious on Mad TV, but I just started looking into it. So far, it’s just as great and funny as I’d remembered him. Bryan Callen is definitely a comedian to check out whether it’s his stand-up, movies, or TV shows!

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March 29, 2010

Greg Behrendt: So Much Behrendt, So Little Time

Comedian Greg Behrendt’s résumé, on-stage and off, could fill a book. Behrendt’s stand-up comedy has launched him into many other fields including television, film, and writing.

Television has been a huge part of Greg’s career in his stand-up and otherwise. His newest television series, Greg Behrendt’s Wake-up Call, launched in the spring of 2009. Previously, Greg had his own talk show called The Greg Behrendt Show, which is no longer being aired. Also appearing on shows such as Oprah, The Today Show, 20/20, and Larry King Live, it is no wonder why Behrendt is so popular. And of course you can find his stand-up comedy all over television including shows such as The Tonight Show, Late Show with David Letterman, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, and the Comedy Central network.

Behrendt’s career in writing has been quite a success as well, with bestselling book turned movie He’s Just Not That Into You. More of Behrendt’s relationship advice can be found in his follow-up book, It’s Called a Break-Up Because It’s Broken.

Greg has released his stand-up comedy on a CD called UNCOOL, as well as on two DVDs titled Greg Behrendt is Uncool and That Guy from That Thing. He also performs live and spread the laughs recently on Greg Behrendt’s Totally Into You Comedy Tour.

I discovered Greg Behrendt long ago on his half hour stand-up special on Comedy Central. Thinking of it now, it must have been at least five years ago. His genuinely funny jokes and cool personality have kept me a fan after all these years. So of course when I heard he had his own talk show, also some time ago, I watched it all the time. It was definitely one of my favorite talk shows and I was bummed when it was no longer on. If you want to laugh I recommend checking out Greg’s stand-up, old and new, because it always meets my expectations!
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March 24, 2010

Pete Lee: Innocent On The Outside, Funny On The Inside


Originally from the mid-west, comedian Pete Lee now resides in the city of New York, New York. Lee has become quite popular at the Montreal Just For Laughs Comedy Festival, and is a regular on the Bob and Tom radio show. He has a half hour stand-up special on Comedy Central, but his television premier was on Premium Blend on the same network.

Also familiar with prime time television, Pete made it as a semi-finalist on one of the seasons of Last Comic Standing on NBC. Pete has a CD out now called Gas Money, which was released in October of 2003. If his comedy doesn’t impress you enough, Pete is also a triathlete.

What I noticed about Pete immediately was his silly nature. Some comedians are vulgar, some are sarcastic, but Pete is innocently funny which makes him stand out. On stage he is a very likable and sweet person. When Pete’s jokes involve putting himself down, you almost don’t want to laugh because you like him so much, yet you just can’t help yourself because he is so funny. He also acts serious enough while he is telling his jokes that you believe every hysterical story, no matter how outrageous they are. Pete Lee is definitely one comedian to watch for!
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March 22, 2010

Joel McHale: Eat Your Soup!


Funny guy Joel McHale is originally from Seattle, Washington. Here, he graduated from the University of Washington with a bachelor’s degree in history. McHale also received a Master of Fine Arts degree, that is, from the Professional Actors Training Program at UW. After graduating, McHale moved to L.A. where he eventually got his foot in the door of show business.

McHale is most famous for being the host, writer, and producer of the show The Soup, on the E! television network. His career in television doesn’t stop there, as he is also the star of the sitcom Community. Other TV appearances of McHale include Robot Chicken and Pushing Daisies.

A man of many talents, Joel has also done some work in film with roles in Spider-Man 2, Lords of Dogtown, Open Season 2, and The Informant.

In his personal life, Joel is married and has two sons with his wife.

I know Joel from The Soup and I absolutely love him on it. He is what makes the show as great and funny as it is. As host, he criticizes and makes jokes at the expensive of other television shows. From reality TV to daytime talk shows, no program is safe from the sharp-tongue of Joel McHale. I am relatively new to his stand-up, but from what I’ve seen he brings his same charm, wit, and hilarity onstage as he does on The Soup. In his stand-up, more of his true self comes out which is nice to create that intimacy with the audience. Not to mention his jokes are hilarious. You can see Joel McHale on The Soup, but definitely be on the lookout for his stand-up as well!
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March 17, 2010

Chris Hardwick: Hard ‘n Phirm


Hailing from Memphis, Tennessee, Chris Hardwick left his “hick” roots behind in 1988 to move to L.A. There he attended UCLA and joined their Stand-Up Comedy Club in 1990. During the early to mid ‘90s, Hardwick hosted various shows on MTV including Trashed and Singled Out. In 1999 Hardwick began his full-time stand-up career.

Also musically inclined, Chris is part of the musical comedy duo Hard ‘n Phirm, along with Mike Phirman. Chris’s television career did not get left behind in the ‘90s, as he is the host, producer, and writer of Web Soup. He also appears frequently on Attack of the Show as the show’s resident Tech Correspondent. You can see him offering his comedic opinions on Chelsea Lately as well, where he is often invited to be a panelist.

I watch Attack of the Show on the G4 network all the time, which is where I first saw Chris. Even when he was just talking about technology, I could tell he was funny and had an engaging personality. I then started watching Web Soup when it came out, and here I saw more of Chris’s hilarity in action as he cracked jokes at viral videos on the internet. Recently I looked into his stand-up by searching for videos on comedycentral.com, and I liked what I found. His candid opinions and matter-of-fact jokes make his comedic style casual, yet still hysterical. Because of this I would definitely recommend him to anyone who likes comedy, and to anyone who loves video games and technology, watch him on Attack of the Show!
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March 15, 2010

Kyle Cease: “Like A Vagina”


Touring nationally throughout the United States, comedian Kyle Cease has been funny his whole life. At just 18 years old, Cease was the youngest headlining comedian in the Pacific Northwest. A mere three years later, Cease had already been on an international tour and won the International Giggles Comedian Competition.

Kyle has made various television appearances including The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson and Jimmy Kimmel Live. He has a half hour stand-up special on Comedy Central, as well as a new hour long special called Kyle Cease: Weirder. Blacker. Dimpler. Kyle’s CD/DVD is out and is titled One Dimple. Also an actor, Kyle has been in films such as 10 Things I Hate About You and Not Another Teen Movie.

Like the majority of comedians I blog about, I first discovered Kyle through his half hour special on Comedy Central. The way he spoke and acted engaged me right away, and his hilarious jokes kept me hooked. Kyle’s wacky personality was like nothing I had ever seen in stand-up comedy before, and I loved that uniqueness. The quote in the title of this post is from one of Kyle’s jokes, so that should clue you into the amount wackiness you will witness from Cease. Check him out and let the hilarity ensue!
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March 10, 2010

Doug Benson: Potheads Are Funny Too

Pot-loving comic Doug Benson was born in San Diego, California and later moved to LA to start an acting career. At the age of 22, he started stand-up comedy on a dare from his friends. People actually laughed at his jokes, and as they say, the rest is history and Benson has been performing comedy ever since.

Benson is no stranger to television with numerous appearances on Jimmy Kimmel Live. He has two half hour specials on Comedy Central, the second of which aired in January 2009. Back in 2007 Benson landed sixth place on the TV show Last Comic Standing, and plays a character on The Sarah Silverman Program.

Super High Me is the appropriate title of Doug’s documentary in which he smokes pot for 30 days straight. Doug is the creator, writer, and star of a live show called The Marijuana-Logues which has been performed in clubs and theaters nation-wide. He also has a CD out called The Marijuana-Logues and a book titled The Marijuana-Logues: Everything About Pot That We Could Remember. In 2006, Doug had the honor of being named Stoner of the Year by High Times Magazine.

Doug Benson’s half hour stand-up special from 2009 is definitely my favorite set of jokes of his. There was a lot of variety in the jokes, other than just pot-related humor. His pot jokes are still humorous, and you don’t need to be a stoner yourself to think they’re funny. In high school I knew lots of people who smoked pot, though I never have myself, I can still relate to all of Doug’s pot-humor because of that. If you want to see some of Doug’s stand-up I would recommend this website: www.comedians.jokes.com/doug-benson/videos. It is Comedy Central’s Official site with videos of Doug’s stand-up. Here you’ll find a greater variety than just the pot stuff. If you want more be sure to look him up on Youtube too!
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March 8, 2010

Stephen Lynch: Musician Meets Comedian

From Saginaw, Michigan, comedian Stephen Lynch will not only woo you with his sense of humor, but also with his musical talent. After graduating from Western Michigan University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in drama, Lynch moved to New York in 1996. There he got a day job, but also wrote and performed songs around Manhattan at night. Lynch acquired a huge fan following and started performing on the Opie and Anthony radio show, where he became a regular.

In 2000, Comedy Central asked Stephen to record a half hour stand-up special. It went over so well that Comedy Central invited Stephen back to do another special in 2008.
If Stephen’s comedic and musical talents aren’t enough, in 2006 he went on Broadway performing in the lead role of The Wedding Singer.

Stephen currently has four CDs out which are called A Little Bit Special, Superhero, The Craig Machine, and 3 Balloons. Stephen also has one DVD out titled Live At El Rey. Within the next year Stephen is supposed to have a new one hour special on Comedy Central as well as another DVD.

I have been a fan of Stephen’s for years and have collected three of his CDs and his DVD. Stephen’s songs are not only hilarious, but they also tell a story. Though he has the extra task of playing guitar, Stephen still adds performance to his songs through facial expressions and changes in his voice. Stephen Lynch is an old favorite of mine, but even years later I still love all of his songs. It is definitely worth checking him out for some good music and funny jokes!
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March 3, 2010

Nick Swardson: Not Your Average Comedian

A comedian, actor, and writer/producer, Nick Swardson started with comedy first when he was just 18 years old. At 19, Swardson was chosen to perform at the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival. After a few years Swardson moved to New York and performed regularly at comedy clubs such as the Comic Strip, Caroline’s, and Luna Lounge. He then moved to Los Angeles to work on acting and writing.

 Whether he is the writer, producer, actor, or a combination of the three, Nick Swardson’s film credits seem bottomless. The well known comedy movie Malibu’s Most Wanted was co-written by Swardson, and he also acted in it. Nick has also written and starred in Grandma’s Boy and Benchwarmers. Since Nick’s film career is so extensive, you can look him up on http://www.imbd.com/ to find out more.

Nick has appeared on television shows including Late Night with Conan O’Brien and Jimmy Kimmel Live. In 2000, Nick’s half hour stand-up special on Comedy Central came out. Nick also has an hour long special on the same network called Seriously, Who Farted? On the show Reno 911!, Nick plays the hilarious role of Terry the roller skating prostitute. Party, Nick’s latest CD/DVD is out now.

 I found out about Nick from his half hour special on Comedy Central. Instantly I was captivated by the way he delivered his jokes and stories. Nick's acting and writing skills are equally as humorous. Grandma’s Boy is one of my favorite movies and the character Nick plays in it is great. I just found out about his CD/DVD, Party, as I was writing this post, so now I will definitely be on the lookout for it!
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March 1, 2010

Kevin Hart: 6 Feet Of Comedy In A 5’4’’ Comedian

Despite his stature, Kevin Hart always commands audiences in a big way. From Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Hart once worked at an athletic shoe store as a salesman. After his first time performing stand-up at a Philadelphia comedy club on amateur night, Hart quit his day job to pursue comedy full time.

 Kevin has performed at countless comedy clubs across the nation including the Boston Comedy Club, Caroline’s, Stand-up NY, and The Laugh Factory to name a few. Spreading his comedic genius internationally, Kevin has also performed in both Amsterdam and London.

Not just a comedian but also an actor, Kevin has been in many feature films such as Scary Movie 3 and Along Came Polly. The list of Kevin’s acting work seems endless, with many films that have come out more recently. With television appearances to boot, Kevin has been on shows including Love, Inc., Barbershop, and Wild ‘n’ Out with Nick Cannon. Kevin also has his own hour long special on Comedy Central called Grown Little Man.

In Kevin’s life currently he has a daughter and a son, and is always working to advance his acting and writing careers, and of course, comedy.

When I saw Grown Little Man on Comedy Central, I did not stop laughing until it was over. Hart’s jokes are inventive and unique, and his physical performance is hysterical. Hart’s observations are spot-on, and his personal stories are even funnier. I have yet to hear a joke of Hart’s that I do not like. I definitely recommend Kevin Hart as a quality comedian who will not disappoint!
 

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