the thing about THE DAILY SHOW is that by its very FORMAT as a TELEVISION PRODUCT with PREDETERMINED SEGMENTS with LIMITED TIME CONSTRAINTS, COMPLEX ISSUES by definition get EDITED and CONDENSED for sake of BREVITY.  being that it is a COMEDY SHOW, there is also the FORMULA of SETUP and PUNCHLINE that must be somewhat adhered to as a STRUCTURAL ELEMENT.  the fact that HOST JON STEWART has so thoroughly mastered the ART of creating POIGNANT yet HUMOROUS DIATRIBES that have a DEPTH and SCOPE UNIQUE to his own PERSPECTIVE and VOICE as a COMEDIAN is a TESTAMENT to HIM and his WRITERS.

but it is LIMITING.

THE WEEKLY SHOW PODCAST, which is indebted to his FORMER APPLE-produced THE PROBLEM WITH JON STEWART PODCAST, is a LONG-FORM INTERVIEW PRODUCT that allows STEWART the TIME, OPEN STRUCTURE and IMPERATIVE to not be FUNNY (though he cant help himself), and just FOCUS on TOPICS that matter to HIM and his AUDIENCE through IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS from CURATED GUESTS such as the ACADEMICS, HISTORIANS, ADVOCATES, POLITICAL OPERATIVES and GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS he regularly INTERVIEWS.  it frees him to an extent and it is REMINISCENT of when HOWARD STERN famously departed TERRESTRIAL RADIO in the mid 2000s and made the TRANSITION to SATELLITE RADIO with SIRIUS.  suddenly he could seek his teeth into LONG-FORM INTERVIEWS that worked to his BENEFIT devoid of any FORMAT IMPERATIVE to cut such for time, allowing him and his GUEST to RELAX and really DELVE THOUGHTFULLY into a TOPIC, of which STERN is now CELEBRATED for.  that is my SENSE of THE WEEKLY SHOW having listened intently for an EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME as part of my PODCAST DIET driving to and from work MULTIPLE TIMES a week.  with both STEWART and STERN you get the PALPABLE SENSE that such EXTENDED INTERVIEWS allows for IDEAS to be presented ORGANICALLY and then SCRUTINIZED, DISSECTED and ANALYZED in REAL TIME by KNOWLEDGABLE GUESTS in a matter that presents ACTUAL KNOWLEDGE and INSIGHT.  for STEWART such may be related to ECONOMIC POLICY or the STATE OF POLITICAL POLARIZATION and LATE STAGE CAPITALISM, whereas with STERN such is the CREATIVE MOTIVATIONS of ARTISTS and POLITICIANS that brave his studio.

the result is that THE WEEKLY SHOW PODCAST is one of the most INFORMATIVE and THOUGHT-PROVOKING VENUES for UNADULTERATED DISCUSSION available at the MOMENT.  this is due in no small part to STEWART's SINGULAR GENIUS as a INTERLOCUTOR and PANEL HOST, where he provides his GUESTS with AMPLE SPACE to fully ADVOCATE their OPINIONS not HAM-STRINGED by OUTSIDE CONCERNS.  the whole point is the DISCUSSION and the QUALITY and TONE of that INTERACTION.  i cant recommend it any more ROBUSTLY.  THE WEEKLY SHOW is REQUIRED LISTENING in my OPINION.

GENE WILDER is one of the most BELOVED COMEDIC ACTORS of his or any other generation, due in no small part to the AUTHENTIC HUMANITY he imparted on his CHARACTERS.  to me he represents an often OVERLOOKED ASPECT of MASCULINITY that is secure in showcasing EMPATHY and COMPASSION unto others and acknowledging the UNDERLYING VULNERABILITY that in essence defines the COLLECTIVE HUMAN CONDITION we all share.  REMEMBERING GENE WILDER (HEALTH POINT, 2023) is a recent lovingly created documentary about his life from FRIENDS, PEERS and LOVED ONES still affected by his MEMORY almost a decade after his passing in 2016 from COMPLICATIONS associated with LATE-STAGE ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE (a DIAGNOSIS he kept HIDDEN from his FANS out of LOVE and not wanting to impart any further MELANCHOLY on the world).

and that core PEOPLE-PLEASING TRAIT is the through-line of both his CHARACTERS and his LIFE as argued in this film.  after his MOTHER returned home from the hospital after recovering from a HEART ATTACK, a PHYSICIAN told a YOUNG JEROME SILBERMAN (WILDER's given birth name) not to argue with his MOTHER as such may literally kill her.  from then on WILDER internalized his EMOTIONS and developed a certain COMPASSIONATE GENTLENESS and AFFECTIONATE QUALITY throughout his LIFE.  in the theater he could stretch out and showcase a FULL-RANGE of EMOTIONS, but offstage his CARING NATURE defined him.  enough anyway that his LATE CO-STAR on a BROADWAY, ANNE BANCROFT, suggested him as PERFECT for a PART being written by her THEN-BOYFRIEND MEL BROOKS that would later materialize in the LEGENDARY BLACK COMEDY THE PRODUCERS (EMBASSY, 1968). 

the rest is history.  

i dont believe this film is a HAGIOGRAPHY of WILDER, but it definitely has an in memoriam feel to it rather some HARD-HITTING EXPOSE on his LIFE and CAREER.  take for instance his WORKING RELATIONSHIP with BROOKS, which produced some TRANSCENDENT COMEDIES for the ages in the AFOREMENTIONED THE PRODUCERS as well as BLAZING SADDLES (WARNER BROS, 1974) and YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN (20TH CENTURY-FOX, 1974).  according to WRITER PATRICK MCMILLIGAN in his EXTENSIVE MEL BROOKS: FUNNY MAN (HARPER, 2019) BIOGRAPHY, WILDER felt that BROOKS had taken PUBLIC CREDIT for what was essentially his SCRIPT and chose never to work with him thereafter, effectively ending their WORKING RELATIONSHIP.  that WHOLE TOPIC is never broached or even suggested in REMEMBERING GENE WILDER, which makes sense given its AFFECTIONATE, NOSTALGIC and decidedly ROSE-TINTED TONE.  normally i would see such as a DETRIMENT to the QUALITY or OBJECTIVITY of the film, but given the PERSPECTIVE of this film, it is DIFFICULT to fault such an OMISSION.  WILDER himself seemed to possess a certain NAIVE AUTHENTICITY that gave him the ability to tap into a CHILDLIKE AMORALITY both in his CHARACTERS and in his interviews that affected his audience and rendered such MISGIVINGS as holistically relatively UNIMPORTANT in the long arc of LIFE.

my favorite part of this film are the TESTIMONIALS by CO-STARS who speak of his COMPASSION and GENEROSITY as an ACTOR, giving them CREATIVE SUPPORT and SPACE in what is normally quite a BRUTAL and INTENSE BUSINESS where MARQUEE STAR PERFORMERS are pampered and normally have little to no TIME or MIND-SPACE for the needs of others.  WILDER apparently treated his CO-WORKERS, regardless of their title, role or function, as EQUALS, or at least  such was attested in this documentary by FORMER CHILD ACTOR PETER OSTRUM who played CHARLIE BUCKET in WILLY WONKA AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY (PARAMOUNT, 1971) and BURTON GILLIAM who played LYLE of TAGGART'S OUTLAWS in BLAZING SADDLES among others.  OSTRUM, the PRODUCT of a WELL-REGARDED regional theatre program in CLEVELAND, was adjusting to the new TECHNICAL CONSTRAINTS of filmmaking and attests that WILDER was nothing if not SUPPORTIVE and exceedingly PATIENT with him to the point that he looks back at such, his only film, decades later as a POSITIVE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCE.  as is widely known, such is sadly not the case with most CHILD ACTORS.

the film likewise talks about the TRAGEDY surrounding his PERSONAL LIFE, first with his flowering if not COMPLICATED RELATIONSHIP with third WIFE GILDA RADNER that was cut short by her all-too BRIEF BATTLE that culminated with her DEATH from OVARIAN CANCER at 42 and later his own TERMINAL BOUT with ALZHEIMER'S after finding LOVE and HAPPINESS again with fourth WIFE KAREN BOYER.  what is presented is a LIFE brimming with the TRUE SURVIVALIST's capacity to choose and embrace CONNECTION and INTIMACY even after taking absolutely DEVASTATING PERSONAL LOSSES while soberly acknowledging whole-heartedly the DUAL NATURE of being ALIVE and PRESENT.  i can remember witnessing an EMOTIONALLY MOVING later life 2005 appearance on THE LATE SHOW WITH CONAN O'BRIEN promoting his UPCOMING memoir KISS ME LIKE A STRANGER: MY SEARCH FOR LOVE AND ART (ST. MARTIN'S GRIFFITH, 2006), where despite looking OLDER and noticeably FRAIL, WILDER appeared UNFAZED about his VANITY and reacted with COMPASSION and SENSITIVITY to a YOUNG O'BRIEN and provided EARNEST WISDOM on a living a FULL LIFE WELL-LIVED sans jokes with a sense of GENUINE HUMILITY.  when at one point he even held O'BRIEN's hand, you could sense how genuinely moved the COMIC HOST was at the EMPATHETIC GESTURE.  usually the FORMAT itself is less about establishing a sense of CONNECTION and more about presenting a PUBLIC FRONT or PERSONA in order to promote CORPORATE CONSUMERIST ENDS.  this was something RARE and DIFFERENT entirely.

and to me that is the WILDER i take in as an ADMIRER from afar.  he seemed more like a BODDHISTAVA, more concerned with the plight of others than a COMEDY GENIUS for the ages.  and to that end he represents a DIFFERENT, more ENLIGHTENED kind of MASCULINITY then the SHALLOW, VAIN boasting and EMPTY BOMBAST of today's TOXIC and thoroughly INSECURE variety.  his is one defined by concern for others, COMPASSION, COMMUNITY-BUILDING, and the INTENTION of making us collectively laugh as a TEMPORARY RESPITE from the ENDURING PAIN OF LIVING. 

that is GENE WILDER i take with me.

i should state straight away that i am a HUGE fan of the cable SKIT COMEDY program MR. SHOW WITH BOB AND DAVID (HBO, 1995-98) and virtually everyone associated with it, no matter how FLEETING, including BOB ODENKIRK, DAVID CROSS, SARAH SILVERMAN, JACK BLACK, KAREN KILGARIFF, JILL TALLEY, PAUL F. TOMPKINS, JANEANE GAROFALO, JAY JOHNSTON, MARY LYNN RAJSKUB, TOM KENNY and BRIAN POSEHN.  to my close friends, we very much quote and cherish that show like it was our generation's MONTY PYTHON'S FLYING CIRCUS (BBC, 1969-74), and such was my introduction to POSEHN and his uniquely AWKWARD COMEDIC PERSONA.  POSEHN has long been a SUCCESSFUL COMEDY WRITER and VETERAN small-part SITCOM ACTOR for decades now and his RECENT MEMOIR FOREVER NERDY: LIVING MY DORKY DREAMS AND STAYING METAL (DA CAPO, 2018) very much recounts his TRAUMATIC CHILDHOOD and early struggles to maintain his MENTAL HEALTH but only through his self-described NERDY OBSESSIONS with HORROR FILMS, COMIC BOOKS, STAR WARS, STEPHEN KING NOVELS, COMEDY and especially HEAVY METAL.

fate dealt POSEHN a seemingly bad hand in his youth where he experienced much TRAUMA through the DEATHS of MULTIPLE PEOPLE around him, including his FATHER, a SURROGATE FATHER, a BABYSITTER and the firsthand witnessing of a random BRUTAL roadside accidents from his paper route as a CHILD. to make matters worse, he seemingly had little EMOTIONAL support from his MOTHER during his formative years which only became more UNCERTAIN and VOLATILE as he got older and consciously acted out once he established a sense of AGENCY and INDEPENDENCE.  then there was school where he was MERCILESLLY HAZED and OSTRACIZED for being GANGLY and WEIRD.  in retrospect it makes absolute total sense that he felt CURSED as a kid.

and this is where his IDIOSYNCRATIC passions and seemingly IDLE PURSUITS comes into play in FOREVER NERDY.  even within the context of a particularly TRAUMATIC and LONELY CHILDHOOD, these self-described PERSONAL OBSESSIONS were sublimated acts in the hope of establishing a sense of COMMUNITY.  and that is key.  NERD CULTURE, even before such had a name and its PURSUITS marketed with literal conventions nationwide, is on some level about CONNECTING PEOPLE on a deeply EMOTIONAL level.  in POSEHN's case all of his aforementioned PURSUITS with regards to FILM, MUSIC, LITERATURE and COMEDY are really about sharing NARRATIVES and UNIVERSAL EXPERIENCES with others and identifying a common bond with such.  its rather touching that as an adult he found himself meeting his IDOLS, those figures that literally assisted him survive his FRAUGHT CHILDHOOD, who likewise knew him through his WORK and emotionally identified themselves to an extent  in his ART as well.  just a TOTAL FULL CIRCLE MOMENT.

and to an extent his PURSUIT of COMEDY and that COMMUNITY was what led him to find ultimately LOVE, CONNECTION, SECURITY and HAPPINESS with his spouse.  again, it makes sense that he steadfastly attests that he will maintain and stay FOREVER NERDY, since being TRUE to himself paid dividends both professionally as well as personally in the long-run.  what started out as a FRAUGHT and TRAGIC PERSONAL NARRATIVE dealing with ACUTE PHYSICAL TRAUMA and EMOTIONAL NEGLECT at the most SENSITIVE of one's FORMATIVE DEVELOPMENT, turns into a POSITIVE accounting of maintaining an IDENTITY in the face of RIDICULE.  that those hopefully and GENUINE attempts at COMMUNITY-BUILDING will hit pay dirt eventually in spite of HARDSHIP.  POSEHN is a testament to such and his MEMOIR is consciously geared towards those very much in the throes and vice grip of MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES exacerbated by TERRIBLE familial living situations.  the idea that life does in fact get better.

i really enjoyed this book, but then again i am completely biased being such a MASSIVE MR. SHOW fan.  or rather more accurately, nerd.

over the past week i practically binge watched all four seasons of the BRITISH period COMEDY series BLACK ADDER (BBC1, 1983-1989) starring ROWAN ATKINSON as well as a list of TOP-NOTCH CHARACTER ACTOS including everyone from TONY ROBINSON, HUGH LAURIE, STEPHEN FRY, MIRANDA RICHARDSON and IAN MCINNERNY.  the BASIC conceit of the series is that each of the four seasons take place during a DIFFERENT era in BRITISH HISTORY with the "BLACK ADDER" and what are presumed to be his DESCENDANTS being the only RECURRING CHARACTERS, of sorts.  the eras are roughly the FEUDAL MIDDLE AGES, the ELIZABETHAN ERA, the NAPOLEANIC ERA and WORLD WAR I. 

with the exception of the first series, the BLACK ADDER FIGURE is an OVER-EDUCATED and intellectually CURIOUS SERVANT of the ROYAL MONARCHY / ARISTOCRACY who despite his NUMEROUS attempts and INGENIOUS plans is largely the VICTIM to the whims of HISTORY.  in the first series he is the DIMWITTED and seemingly always PLOTTING spare heir of a FEUDAL king attempting to leverage his RANK and INFLUENCE to grasp at POWER.  in totality, the series is a HUMOROUS lambasting of both the COURT CULTURE and FALSE PIETY surrounding AUTHORITY, as well as the coordinated system of SUPPLICANTS and SYCOPHANTS that enable such to flourish UNABATED.   in the first three series the MONARCHY as an INSTITUTION is the OBVIOUS target of much of the IRE behind the HUMOR, but in the final season it is the BRITISH ARISTOCRACY and the COMMISSIONED OFFICER base that come from their RANKS that serve as the subject of some of the most BITING and AFFECTING critiques of the series.  this supposedly ELEVATED class of URBANE INTELLECTUALS and WELL-TO-DOS were cut off from reality so thoroughly, as ADROITLY portrayed by FRY, that the PEDESTRIAN INSANITY of knowingly sending a SUBSERVIENT OFFICER to their NEEDLESS DEATH in trenches for was deemed an HONORABLE STATE OF AFFAIRS as it didnt challenge the STATUS QUO.  this INNATE DOCILITY with regards to AUTHORITY and POWER and how such mercilessly intertwines with FORCED FEELINGS of NATIONAL IDENTITY comes off as distinctly BRITISH in nature.  that one should feel honored to DIE for their CROWN and COUNTRY, however SENSELESS and WANTON the circumstances.

it is that SPECIFIC relationship between the POWERFUL and the POWERLESS that makes each BLACK ADDER series such a COMPELLING viewing.  none more so than the closing scene of the final season which is one of the most emotionally AFFECTING and HONEST televised moments i have ever witnessed with how it handled the HORRORS OF WAR.  and the UTTER FINALITY of the closing of a long lineage of BLACK ADDERS for no CONCEIVABLE MILITARY ADVANTAGE.  just BLIND CRUELTY and SAVAGE INHUMANITY at the hands of an UNCARING HIERARCHY concerned more with APPEARANCES than the ACTUAL lives of REAL PEOPLE.  its all just so damning of BRITISH CULTURE and the supposed HUMANISTIC VALUES they attest to exhibiting as a VIRTUOUS BEACON to the rest of the world.  COMPLETE BULLOCKS indeed.

undoubtedly this is one of my FAVORITE television series ever.  ESSENTIAL viewing no doubt.

i was a LATE NIGHT WITH CONAN O'BRIEN (NBC, 1993-2009) fan starting back in middle school in the late 1990s.  i can remember distinctly bring with me and routinely wearing an embroidered, navy blue LATE NIGHT t-shirt upon entering my freshman year at a NEW ENGLAND boarding school a few years later.  it was like my armor going into what very much felt like a HOSTILE environment.  despite his INCREDIBLE INTELLIGENCE and ACADEMIC pedigree, there was something very DOWN-TO-EARTH and WORKMAN-LIKE about the HUMOR of CONAN O'BRIEN the COMEDIAN.  you got the sense that he thought long and hard and WORDSMITH and workshopped his lines like a CRAFTSMAN with his team and really valued his AUDIENCE.  i never felt pandered to.  as a person he seemed to be speaking from a perspective of SELF-DEPRECATION and even SELF-DOUBT, as if the AUDIENCES reciprocal response and continuing the loop empowered him to take bigger chances down-the-line.  unlike some of his LATE NIGHT peers how were not nearly as CLEVER, INFORMED or INTELLIGENT but certainly acted that way, O'BRIEN seemed the absolute inverse. 

his COMEDY was about INCLUSION and HUMILITY.

which is why when he lost THE TONIGHT SHOW in 2010 after only seven months the outpouring of support, not only from prominent ACTORS, MUSICIANS and fellow COMEDIANS in the immediate ENTERTAINMENT COMMUNITY but more importantly from AUDIENCES nationally, was so INCREDIBLE.  he resonated as an UNDERDOG PUBLIC FIGURE that got completely got screwed by a consortium of malignant corporate figures in JAY LENO, JEFF ZUCKER and other FACELESS NBC UNIVERSAL executives.  the documentary CONAN O'BRIEN CAN'T STOP (MAGNOLIA, 2011) follows the aftermath of that loss and how O'BRIEN freshly barred from being on television for six months per the terms of his separation agreement from NBC decided to concoct a national theater tour with his WRITERS and BACKING BAND.

SPOILER ALERT: the outpouring of support was OVERWHELMING and the concert series went very well in spite of O'BRIEN being burnt out at times.  what made the documentary INTERESTING is how a live performance in front of a live AUDIENCE in a theater setting compares to that of television.  television studios are FRIGID black boxes with ample lighting setups all focused on optimizing the viewer experience at home, not the in-studio AUDIENCE.  if anything, the in-studio AUDIENCE is just a prop, as group LAUGHTER cues television AUDIENCES on how to react.  seeing O'BRIEN improvise and work a live CROWD in-between prepared bits throughout the documentary gives you an incite into him as an ASTUTE ENTERTAINER that can seamlessly interact with his AUDIENCE.  that GENUINE interaction between ARTIST and AUDIENCE sans the medium of television is very much the crux of this film.  by the end O'BRIEN realizes the very real ALLURE of the road and the ADMIRATION and how draining such can be over a long stretch.  he seems ready to turn the page and be with his FAMILY as he turns the subsequent chapter with his team of WRITERS and BACKING BAND as he began his next cable talk show series CONAN (TBS, 2010-2021).

all that anger was seemingly sublimated and those whose livelihoods were caught in the crossfire had made the journey with him.  it is arguable that next to DAVID LETTERMAN and JOHN STEWART, O'BRIEN is one of the most BELOVED and RESPECTED talk show figures ever.  all three share a common ethos of HONESTY, RESPECT and AUTHENTICITY that is shared by their teams and AUDIENCES alike.  this film provides the EXPERIENCE of living and working with that sense of DIGNITY and DECENCY in action.  i loved this film.  would consider it ESSENTIAL and absolutely worth checking out.

you always got the feeling with COMEDIC LEGEND DON RICKLES that his ABRASIVE shtick wasnt entirely MEAN-SPIRITED, but rather counterintuitively WHOLESOME and done with some semblance of LOVE and EMPATHY.  it was as if poking fun at a CELEBRITY or a NO-NAME paying customer was an act of intimacy as if to suggest that we are all stronger than we give often ourselves credit for.  that our INDIVIDUAL INSECURITIES and INTERNAL SELF-DOUBTS can be transcended, even when provoked upon in a public setting.  at least that was the just i got from reading his consciously unimaginatively titled memoir RICKLES' BOOK (SIMON & SCHUSTER, 2007).

i say this because the whole book is a testament to his LOVE of FAMILY and FRIENDS.  first and foremost, as the only son of two WORKING-CLASS LITHUANIAN JEWISH immigrants, RICKLES pays tributes to his PARENTS MAX and ETTA and the childhood he had in JACKSON HEIGHTS.  his FATHER PASSED AWAY PRE-FAME and his MOTHER was the driving force of his career, tirelessly networking and advocating on his behalf and her support knew no limits.  then there is his WIFE BARBARA and the FAMILY they created.  probably the most INTRIGUING RELATIONSHIPS presented here to fans of RICKLES would be those of FRANK SINATRA, BOB NEWHART, JOHNNY CARSON, ED SULLIVAN, BOB HOPE and DEAN MARTIN.  its a UNIQUE perspective on a generation of COMEDY that is pretty removed from today's ELEVATED sense of CULTURAL BOUNDARIES and QUOTE UNQUOTE GOOD TASTE.  two generations ago during the postwar period when LAS VEGAS was in full swing and the country had yet to become divided by RELEVANT and LONG-POSTPONED debates over RACIAL and GENDER EQUALITY, this cohort of COMEDIANS reigned UNOBSTRUCTED with the world as their oyster.  and they seemingly did it with a sense of CLASS and TASTE that makes their COMEDY somewhat EVERGREEN in nature.

i cant say that such is the same for the INSULT COMEDY that came in the wake of RICKLES in the likes of later generations of COMEDIANS in ANDREW DICE CLAY, SAM KINISON, ANTHONY JESELNIK, GREG GERALDO, BILL BURR, JIM NORTON, COLIN QUINN and ROBERT SMIGEL (i.e. TRIUMPH THE INSULT COMIC DOG) who seemed more concerned with TRANSGRESSIVE SHOCK tactics than projecting any PALPABLE sense of empathy and COMMUNITY.  to me that is the SINGULAR GENIUS and UNIQUE SPIRIT of the COMEDY of RICKLES, that through shared LAUGHTER at our own individual expense came a more familiar feeling of COMMUNITY.  his INSULT COMEDY was INCLUSIVE rather than the more BRASH and ABRASIVE variant we see to day which feels more DIVISIVE and AGGRESSIVE, as if peeling off this layer of one's PERSONA would reveal a more SINISTER, SUBTERRANEAN agenda.  almost like a form of WAR or CHARACTER ASSASSINATION.  you look at those two cohorts of COMEDIC GENERATIONS and you can see where we have traversed as a CULTURE.  not to say that such is NEGATIVE, since one may be more HONEST and AUTHENTIC than the other, but it is INTRIGUING nonetheless to consider.

RICKLES' BOOK is pretty plainly written for a MASS AUDIENCE and does its job of position RICKLES in terms he appreciates relative to his FRIENDS and FAMILY, but i am interested in the book that really dives into his backstory and how his personal narrative intertwined with the changing tides of AMERICAN COMEDY and POPULAR CULTURE throughout his long career.  especially during the 1960s.  understandably such was effectively glossed over here since such was not the purpose of this book.  but that is the narrative i hope to read someday.  this book is perfectly SERVICEABLE but not recommended unless you are a true HARDCORE RICKLES fanatic.

PRINCETON NOBLE PRIZE-winning psychologist DANIEL KAHNEMAN (who INTRIGUINGLY won his award in ECONOMICS) is the famous for his innovation in the field of COGNITIVE BIAS and PROSPECT THEORY.   central to these theorems is the concept that our brain works on a two-tier system that is based on our physical movements. if stationary humans are capable of DEEP CONCENTRATION and the ability to CALCULATE and STRATEGIZE.  when in motion and involved in significant physical exertion this capacity is neutralized.  dont believe me?  multiply 234 times 81 in your head sitting down and again while jogging.  its a pretty INCREDIBLE phenomena.

and that two-tiered system is all i can think of when watching former SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE COMEDIAN KEVIN NEALON interview other COMEDIANS on GO-PRO shot hikes in canyons and parks in an around the LOS ANGELES region.  its one thing to get a participants views when they are WELL-NOURISHED, CALM and COMFORTABLE and another when they TIRED, SWEATY and DEHYDRATED.  NEALON himself was always one who shined in highly IMPROVISATIONAL COMEDY that was COLLABORATIVE and ENSEMBLE-based, so these interviews are GOOD-NATURED and meant to gain insight into what his peers find ABSURD and worthy of sending-up and mocking for our collective enjoyment.  COMEDY is a very specific to the individual and can often be an isolating pursuit, not unlike having to take on an imposing unending nature trail, so i appreciate NEALON traversing the same ground and using the opportunity to learn about how COMEDIC WRITERS  and PERFORMERS  tick.  especially under some physical hardship.  over the past couple years there have been countless participants, but some notable ones include SARAH SILVERMAN, TIFFANY HADISH, CONAN O'BRIEN, BOB ODENKIRK, OWEN WILSON, DANA CARVEY, JUDY GREER and JACK BLACK.

definitely worth checking out.

its difficult to downplay the cultural impact of THE NATIONAL LAMPOON on MODERN HUMOR.  what are now considered heralded comedic institutions such as SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE (NBC, 1975-present), ANIMAL HOUSE (UNIVERSAL, 1978), CADDYSHACK (WARNER BROS, 1980) and even THE SIMPSONS (FOX, 1989-present), were built on the collective INSPIRED work of generations of WRITERS (PJ O'ROURKE, MICHAEL O'DONOGHUE, GEORGE W.S. TROW, ANNE BEATS, SEAN KELLY, MIKE REISS, AL JEAN, TONY HENDRA), ARTISTS (SAM GROSS, CHARLES RODRIGUES, M.K. BROWN, RICK MEYEROWITZ, BRUCE MCCALL, GAHAN WILSON) and COMEDIANS (JOHN BELUSHI, GILDA RADNER, BILL MURRAY, HAROLD RAMIS, CHEVY CHASE) famously associated with the publication.  the publication, which was started by two preternaturally GIFTED HARVARD undergrads DOUGLAS KENNEY and HENRY BEARD in 1970, grew to be unrivaled in its INTELLIGENT deconstruction of cultural and political events, while simultaneously producing some of the RAUNCHIEST, borderline OBSCENE material meant to probe and titillate at the same time.  its beyond INTERESTING that they had both poles so expertly covered during a period of such cultural and political turmoil in the UNITED STATES with the VIETNAM WAR sill very much in effect as well as the aftermath of the FEMINIST, ENVIRONMENTALIST and CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENTS from the previous decade.

i feel i understand why the DRUNK, STONED, BRILLIANT, DEAD: THE STORY OF THE NATIONAL LAMPOON (NETFLIX, 2015) documentary came out when it did almost a decade ago.  the SAD reality is that those involved with THE NATIONAL LAMPOON are dying of old age.  in fact numerous PROMINENT WRITERS interviewed for this film have passed away just in the past three years.  in many ways this film is meant as a testament to their legacy in-their-own-words a la recent efforts to the same effect by other INFLUENTIAL upstart and/or legacy publications like MAD, CURVE, PLAYBOY, BIG BROTHER and CREEM.  not to mention the surviving members of MONTY PYTHON, who are a comedic universe and institution unto themselves to rival that of THE NATIONAL LAMPOON.  one aspect of this retrospective lens a work in this film that i found COMPELLING was how the HUMOR itself wasnt examined that deeply, i.e. all the SEX-CRAZED stuff from an obvious MALE GAZE perspective that would absolutely not play in recent decades.  it feels that such an examination is meant for another film by another party as DRUNK, STONED, BRILLIANT, DEAD seems more concerned with faithfully explaining their mindset as they saw it.  not how such somewhat RETROGRADE comedic tropes would fit into our current more INCLUSIVE era.  given how influential films like ANIMAL HOUSE and CADDYSHACK have been on subsequent decades of comedic films, a cottage industry unto itself, that examination would be fruitful if pursued elsewhere no doubt.

i appreciate this film for what it is: a timely reminder of the legacy of a major publication that helped mold AMERICAN HUMOR.  interview participants beyond the surviving WRITERS, ARTISTS and COMEDIANS included numerous ACTORS (KEVIN BACON, TIM MATHESON, BEVERLEY D'ANGELO, JOHN GOODMAN, BILLY BOB THORNTON & MEAT LOAF) and DIRECTORS (JUDD APATOW & IVAN REITMAN).  its an INSANE story but i still feel this film was a bit of a hagiography and a bit of a MISSED OPPORTUNITY to examine how their comedic perspective was reshaped, morphed or completely discarded down the line by subsequent HUMORISTS, COMEDIANS and WRITERS since the publication went under in 1998.

there were several points while reading CELEBRATED actor/director/comedian SETH ROGEN's IDIOSYNCRATIC memoir YEARBOOK (CROWN, 2021) that made me laugh so hard i needed to put the book away and calm down for fear of fainting.  not that i think his ambition or objective with this memoir was to HUMOROUS per se, more that it presented a COHESIVE WORLDVIEW throughout various anecdotal happenings in his life; from discovering drugs and pornography in CANADA to dealing with NICOLAS CAGE during meetings with an inexplicably forced BAHAMANIAN accent.  that and other MEMORABLE stories revolving around RIDICULOUS encounters with the likes of KANYE WEST, GEORGE LUCAS, TOM CRUISE, his grandparents, SACHA BARON COHEN, STEVE WOZNIAK, EDDIE GRIFFIN, JERRY SEINFELD and KIM JONG UN among many others.

whether dealing with anti-semitism or making sense of an absolutely INSANE situation (with or without the added variable of drug intoxication) the through line the connects all of these disparate anecdotal essays is ROGEN's VOICE.  it is readily apparent that he is a TALENTED writer and that one can effortlessly imagine him narrating this memoir as the combined CADENCE, RHYTHM and SARCASTIC TONE of his well-publicized public PERSONA is so effectively captured throughout these narratives.  one can only imagine that reading one his scripts would be a similarly hilarious experience.  you also get the sense that ROGEN at his core is an INCLUSIVE soul whose motivation is to entertain while diving headfirst into the absurd and find nuggets of TRUTH and HUMOR, rather than to trade on the character assassination of people.  even the celebrities he mentions in these anecdotal stories are mentioned, at times, due to the excessive lengths to which their ACTIONS and BELIEFS have led them astray from anything resembling a normal REALITY.  ROGEN in this sense is VIRGIL leading us on a curated tour through the various levels of WARPED realities encountered amidst HOLLYWOOD power players as well as the CONVOLUTED and INEFFABLE process by which the sausage of moviemaking is conducted.  for whatever reason (maybe his nuanced marijuana advocacy or public support of sex workers) ROGEN's public PERSONA would have him pegged as BUFFOONISH or an unreliable narrator, but within YEARBOOK he is a CONSIDERED, ARTICULATE, CREDIBLE and DELIBERATE voice of reason in a sideshow circus profession that is often too FARCICAL to be believed.

whether or not you are fan of his films like SUPERBAD (COLUMBIA, 2007), PINEAPPLE EXPRESS (COLUMBIA, 2008), THE INTERVIEW (COLUMBIA, 2014) or THIS IS THE END (SONY, 2013), his writing on the last season of THE ALI G SHOW (HBO, 2004) or his notable acting roles in KNOCKED UP (UNIVERSAL, 2007), DONNIE DARKO (UNITED ARTISTS, 2001), STEVE JOBS (UNIVERSAL, 2015) or ZACK AND MIRI MAKE A PORNO (WEINSTEIN COMPANY, 2008), YEARBOOK is well worth checking out as it unveils the CREATIVE mindset and HUMOROUS perspectives of an ENGAGING comedy mind.  that and its one of the funniest things ive read in a long time.

to call BILL HICKS a COMEDIAN is a bit REDUCTIVE.  its also misleading because his work at its peak functioned on an entirely different plane of consciousness than mere jokes and cheap laughs.  i liken him more to a PROPHET.  or even an ORACLE marking the cultural path for humanity to evolve as a species.  if that all sounds a bit HOIGHTY TOIGHTY and PRETENTIOUS, its probably because to his legions of fans, HICKS was a ONE-ONE-ONE. a true AMERICAN original.

AMERICAN: THE BILL HICKS STORY (VARIANCE, 2009), is a documentary that attempts to uncover and inform the viewer regarding the personal experiences and motivations that informed his legendary CONTRARIAN and CONSCIOUS-EXPANDING stand-up routines.  this is done through archival footage of HICKS, as well as more recent interviews with his peers and collaborators and most of his surviving family at the time of production.

HICKS grew up and went to school for the most part in HOUSTON, where his parents settled after a few years of peripatetic existence around the AMERICAN SOUTH when he was very young.  his family was part of the SOUTHERN BAPTIST church and he was raised in an EVANGELICAL community.  after a brief dalliance with the idea of becoming a veterinarian, HICKS discovered COMEDY while watching JOHNNY CARSON on television and subsequently thereafter reading a book about WOODY ALLEN. HICKS being the force of nature that he was, he very much took concept of being a COMEDIAN to heart and self-taught himself as well as local friend DWIGHT SLADE to write and perform at school.  this led to them trying out and becoming regulars at the recently built COMIX ANNEX in nearby HOUSTON as teenagers.  SLADE's family didnt like this and moved to OREGON abruptly, leaving HICKS to find his voice in isolation.

a failed stint in HOLLYWOOD where he couldnt get off the ground as a scriptwriter and a bought of alcoholism after returning to HOUSTON later, HICKS took his drug intake to the extreme and somehow walked it back.  that sense of SELF-DISCOVERY and SELF-KNOWLEDGE gained through experience, both physical and chemical (as well as a healthy sprinkling of EASTERN PHILOSOPHY), informed his new material that transcended the form.  this is the period of his career for which he is much CELEBRATED and has become something of a CULTURAL ICON and FOLK HERO for his acolytes, including ALTERNATIVE METAL band TOOL whose album AENIMA is an extended MEDITATION of sorts on the METAPHYSICAL CONCEPTS in HICKS' routines regarding the NATURE OF REALITY and the COLLECTIVE CONSCIOUSNESS being the manifestation of a single expression, a single vibration.  that WE ARE ALL GOD and that we are all of each other.

HICKS in his later years was causticly POLITICAL in his STAND-UP, being unnerved by the televised wanton death of the first GULF WAR and the ATF's alleged overreach in firing first on the nearby WACO BRANCH DAVIDIAN compound headed cult leader DAVID KORESH.  for HICKS, who had recently been diagnosed with late-stage PANCREATIC CANCER and had a failed appearance on LATE NIGHT WITH DAVID LETTERMAN (of which his brilliant turn was excised from broadcast due to supposed "standards and practices" by LETTERMAN himself), the two examples of government overreach for him translated to an infringement on FREEDOM.  we armed IRAQ during their war with IRAN and then turned on them when they got in the way of our oil interests.  footage shows that the fire that took out the BRANCH DAVIDIAN compound originated with the ATF contrary to reports at the time.  for HICKS, this all meant that if you were POLITICAL and monetarily WEAK, you had no voice or rights worth defending in the UNITED STATES.

in the years since its difficult to not see our current predicament with CLIMATE CHANGE, ANTI-INTELLECTUALISM and POLITICAL CORRUPTION in a HICKSIAN light.  in the aftermath of the 2008 economic meltdown, homeowners got screwed and thrown on the street while powerful banks restored despite their insatiable GREED being the root of the disaster.  and dont get me started on the second GULF WAR in the aftermath of 9/11.  the continued prescience of his ideas regarding the AMERICAN culture and politics is remarkable to say the least.  but his insight into the sad VANITY and stale MYOPIA at the heart of the AMERICAN DREAM is the dagger that continues to pierce the veil of our collective national SELF-DELUSION.  the ILLUSION that we are a force for good in the world, that we are somehow EXCEPTIONAL or WORTHY of the power and influence we've nurtured through the past two centuries.  for me, his pointing out and evisceration of that extended FALLACY for what it is, a DELUSION, is what cements his cultural legacy as a COMEDIAN of the first order and modern MORAL PHILOSOPHER in my humble estimation.  he is someone i continually check in on and reacquaint myself with his ideas, as they are always relevant to my identity as a QUESTIONING and INQUISITIVE AMERICAN.

seriously, i should have known better reading anything by NORM MACDONALD.

this "memoir" ironically entitled BASED ON A TRUE STORY: NOT A MEMOIR (RANDOM HOUSE, 2016). comes from none other than MACDONALD, a man whose job description is to DEFY EXPECTATION.  can't say it is not an accurate title, since being "based on true story" is an admittance of sorts that what you are about to enter is not entirely factual, true or based in any demonstrative reality that humans encounter on a daily basis.

the world of this "memoir" is one that allows MACDONALD to go on a series of inane trips and encounters that have NOTHING TO DO WITH ANYTHING.  things like going on a drug fueled bender in LAS VEGAS gambling away life savings to hopefully garner funds for a ranch in MONTANA while reminiscing about how you once took a MAKE-A-WISH patient to CANADA to help him fulfill his dream of stabbing a baby seal between the eyes.  and so on.  only interspersed between this seemingly random INSANITY are brief asides about SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE, meeting CHRIS FARLEY, hosting WEEKEND UPDATE and his film DIRTY WORK (MGM, 1998).  and how did he go about securing the much heralded WEEKEND UPDATE gig you may ask?  through peddling opiates to show producer LORNE MICHAELS, of course.

reading this book is akin to listening to MACDONALD's legendary "moth" joke (embedded below from a celebrated CONAN appearance).  in fact, the joke is included in BASED ON A TRUE STORY as being said by a doctor at a hospital before getting into a fight with MACDONALD.  

this non-memoir is in essence an ENDURANCE TEST.  all premise and no punch line or paint.  but maybe that is the joke.  the joke is on me for spending time and energy to read it expecting anything.  and that is why i love MACDONALD.  just the fact that he would write a memoir that defied all expectations of the genre.  talk about playing the long game.  well played sir, well played. 

​you are still missed.

RIP NORM MACDONALD

touring is an activity that often gets romanticized in the public consciousness since it reeks of personal freedom and the seemingly endless enticing possibilities that come with a constant change in scenery.  the REALITY is much different, as witnessed in NEW YORK CITY comedian TODD BARRY's tour memoir THANK YOU FOR COMING TO HATTIESBURG: ONE COMEDIAN'S TOUR OF NOT-QUITE-THE-BIGGEST CITIES IN THE WORLD (SIMON & SCHUSTER, 2017) which effectively journals his time on the road at small secondary and tertiary stateside markets. 

this memoir is less about his craft as a writer and comedian and more about trying to not get ripped off by small-time promotors, enduring multiple connecting flights and combatting BOREDOM on tour by seeking quality COFFEE and FOOD, as well as small museums and eccentric roadside attractions.  the nearest comparison i could relate to this memoir is HENRY ROLLINS' similarly constructed GET IN THE VAN: ON THE ROAD WITH BLACK FLAG (review linked HERE) which follows the personal hardships of a life on the road with no guard rails or safety nets.  BLACK FLAG at the time was trailblazing a new path and establishing a network of nontraditional venues and communities and ROLLINS account gets into the MINUTIAE of what said travails meant on a day-to-day basis.  it also gets at the PERSONAL TOLL of such an extreme NOMADIC existence, which is similarly relayed in BARRY's less extreme memoir. 

you really get the sense in THANK YOU FOR COMING TO HATTIESBURG, that the sheer REPETITION of the experience is what leads to all these cycles of experiencing new physical situations, such as commenting on the quality of hotel accommodations, backstage green rooms, bathroom cleanliness, venue layout and REFRESHMENTS available on site.  i imagine once you have your jokes down and your routine polished, the routine physical details of your predictable  day-to-day existence are what take over, which is the opposite of the romanticization of being on the road for a living. 

which is the point.

but i think BARRY is doing a service in promoting and, in essence, glorifying these small venues in out-of-the-way cities and towns in his memoir.  it shows that meaningful ART and CULTURE can happen anywhere, even ASBURY PARK or rural MISSISSIPPI.  kind of ironic it took a NEW YORKER to make that point.  THANK YOU FOR COMING TO HATTIESBURG is definitely a quirky yet thoroughly enjoyable look at life on the road and as a solitary entertainer.  i dont know how standup comedians do it, i would be absolutely petrified having to walk into new surroundings and attempt to make a room full of strangers laugh.  respect.

​in VACATIONLAND (PENGUIN, 2017), writer/actor/humorist JOHN HODGMAN presents a bittersweet memoir concerned with the inevitable struggles of growing older while simultaneously surviving summers on vacation at his second home in MAINE.  he full admits how at length how WHITE PRIVILEGE that all sounds.  and he's right.  it is.

HODGMAN, of course, is primarily known for his work as a contributor to THE DAILY SHOW WITH JON STEWART as well as his famous stint in APPLE commercials, playing the role of a PC. his humor is dry, eccentric and bitingly clever.  but this book in tone veers clear of what i would consider his persona.  instead he focuses on what MAINE means to him, which is an extended metaphor for coming to terms with yourself and your own DEFICIENCIES.

you see, HODGMAN is a NEW ENGLANDER and only child from a comfortable suburban town outside BOSTON.  after the death of his mother he inherits her house in WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS, which is really his introduction to home ownership and by extension ADULT RESPONSIBILITY.  he adroitly mentions that apartment living in BROOKLYN is an extended adolescence free of the headaches of homeownership, as any and all problems are taken care of by the property superintendent.  being a home owner by contrast requires some semblance of AUTONOMY, PREPAREDNESS and SELF-RELIANCE.

eventually he and his wife purchase a second home in MAINE.  he presents a vision of MAINE as a serene, beautiful and thoroughly harsh place that creates a certain breed of individual.  privacy is so widely respected that help is only given upon request.  HODGMAN provides examples of help rendered by the local community with little regard for niceties such as etiquette or even extended conversation.  

its difficult to read about this mode of existence without thinking that this "LIVE AND LET LIVE" mentality reverberates in HODGMAN's own SELF-IMAGE.  growing older means effectively coming to terms with who you are and not what you think you are.  its a painful realization that comes with the finality of being near death, as he experienced vicariously through his mother's passing.  endings somehow bookend a sense of MEANING or mission in your life.

i remember years ago in NIGERIA attending a wedding for one of our gardeners.  there was an elevated stage with the bride and groom, each on their own side.  and both were facing the family of the other.  before they wed there was a roast of sorts whereby each family member basically stated for all to hear everything that was wrong with them PHYSICALLY, INTELLECTUALLY, EMOTIONALLY, PSYCHOLOGICALLY, etc.  i remember hearing someone say that the bride's hips were too narrow, that she'd only be able to birth no more than four children.  it was BRUTAL yet in a ABSURD sense very POIGNANT, because what they were doing was publicly accepting them into the family as they actually were.  warts and all.

i hear echos of that line of SELF-REALIZATION in this memoir.  of realizing that you are not as clever, cool or knowledgable as you thought you were and being fine with that.  i'm not gonna lie, i used to live in WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS, so its always interesting for me to read someone's thoughts on the area, especially NORTHAMPTON, GREENFIELD, AMHERST and the like.

this is a unique and eccentric book but ultimately rewarding because of its focus on SELF-ACCEPTANCE and BUILDING COMMUNITY.  a compelling read.

i first became aware of AMY POEHLER via her short-lived cable show UPRIGHT CITIZENS BRIGADE (COMEDY CENTRAL, 1998-2000).  in essence i was such a big fan of MR. SHOW (HBO, 1995-1998) after the fact that i went back in search anything similar from that period which led me to shows like THE STATE (MTV, 1993-1995) and KIDS IN THE HALL (CBC, 1989-1995).  i was made aware of her again when i discovered the UCB THEATER in NYC when a friend from graduate school and his improv group did a show there in the late 2000s.

her memoir YES PLEASE (HARPERCOLLINS, 2018) is a playfully sarcastic take on being a woman in COMEDY.  she tackles everything from WRITING, DIVORCE, MOTHERHOOD, CHILDHOOD, THE ART OF IMPROVISATION, CREATIVITY,  DOUBLE STANDARDS, WRITING ROOMS, SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE, SECOND CITY,  TOXIC MASCULINITY, FORGIVENESS, OWNING YOUR MISTAKES, WHITE PRIVILEGE and the like with poise, dignity and more than a little self-flagellation.  she comes across as someone cognizant of greater forces that affect her psychological and emotional well-being and seems somewhat on top of combating such with humor and grace.

for me the most interesting aspects of this book revolve less around her career and more around her personal and professional relationships.  reading about how she interacts with COLLABORATORS, FAMILY and even her EX-HUSBAND really gives you a sense of the impossible complexity of maintaining the balance of a career and family life.  you also get the sense that while she seeks outside affirmation and the "pudding" of winning awards, she similarly gets equal gratification from devising up some group hijinks among the nominees to combat the misogynistic trope and bad optics of woman battling each other.  awards are dumb and ultimately meaningless compared to the work itself and the collaboration between partners and ultimately the shared communication with an audience.  that interaction seems to be the heart of this book, POEHLER's efforts to communicate the COMMON HUMANITY of her characters, whether on SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE (NBC, cast member, 2001-2008) or PARKS AND RECREATION (NBC, 2009-2015) among her previously mentioned projects.

my only gripe with this book is how she seems to routinely quote and lionize LOUIS C.K. as some sort of zen master who has a pithy quote for every difficult life situation.  obviously that didn't age so well and is a little awkward to read,  yet entirely understandable given their past collaborations pre-scandal.

what did age well is everything related to frequent collaborator and "wifey" TINA FEY, who as a writer and producer seems to utilize her platform(s) to promote women (and men) that she feels deserving of the opportunity.  i think ultimately that is the model that POEHLER wants for her legacy as evidenced by her grassroots involvement with IMPROVISATIONAL COMEDY and the UCB THEATERS in both NYC and LOS ANGELES (along with their associated training centers).  IMPROVISATION by definition is the giving of oneself to the premise of an absurd collective identity that only works with total commitment.  seems as fitting a metaphor as any other for her efforts.

its funny how that concept of "paying it forward" never gets brought up with all the biographies i've read concerning male artists and musicians.  must be a guy thing, i guess?

HELLO CLEVELAND!

arguably the greatest parody film of all-time and the most painful for touring musicians to watch.  i can't even count the amount of musicians in interviews i've read who namecheck this film as the most painful thing they've ever seen.  SLASH himself said that THIS IS SPINAL TAP (MGM, 1984) ruined an entire GUNS N' ROSES tour for him since it hit the mark with such precision.

where this film excels is in its mocking of the utter ridiculousness of nearly all forward-facing aspects of ROCK N ROLL, everything from album covers, lyrics, gear, stage set design to JESUS-complex surrounding musicians that drank the kool-aid on their image.

in my estimation all the classic lines of this film have that core ribbing as its moral center.  i remember once GENE SIMMONS saying that all bands (at the time he was referencing the then-current GRUNGE bands out of SEATTLE) were in the KISS business.  they all sold records and merchandise.  such is true.  no matter how "serious" or "artistic" your band is and no matter how respected they are by those whose opinion carries sway, at the end of the day you are a product that is being sold.  THIS IS SPINAL TAP showcases a band that didn't get that memo and seemingly trample over every fault-line a band has to negotiate throughout their recording and touring cycles.  having been around musicians in studios to some extent, the ridiculous nature of it all has never been lost on me.  that is what makes it compelling and not part of the straight world.

the music is also classic.  its obvious they are mocking specifically post-OZZY BLACK SABBATH and DEEP PURPLE and late 70s/early 80s METAL in general with their silly set designs and focus on the macabre.  but my favorite song in the movie is their send-up of BRITISH INVASION-era songwriting in "GIMME SOME MONEY."  never fails to make me smile.

classic movie with classic lines that still stings its subjects.  quite an accomplishment.

leave it to AARP of all places to produce this gem of a YOUTUBE series where the late comedic legend DON RICKLES (R.I.P.) gets taken out to eat and talk shop with various comedians including ZACH GALIFIANAKIS, AMY POEHLER, JUDD APATOW, SARAH SILVERMAN, SNOOP DOGG, ROBERT DENIRO, MARTIN SCORSESE and MARISA TOMEI.

i know his insults were not exactly the most politically correct or compliant with our current age's cancel culture, but shit that guy was funny.  and sharp.  even in his late 80s which in a sense makes the AARP thing make perfect sense.  here is an elderly dude giving these young bucks a run for their money.  you see him not missing a beat with witty comebacks and razor sharp barbs.  its totally endearing.  you also just get a real sense of how much he was loved and cherished by comedians, actors and directors.  almost like a surrogate family.

definitely worth checking out if you haven't already.

side note:
i remember when living in VLORA, ALBANIA during my time as a PEACE CORPS volunteer i told new, incoming sitemates that there were three rules to being a good volunteer.  now you have to remember that PEACE CORPS had all these maxims and without a doubt, they were all effectively  bullshit.  here were my three rules.  rule #1: don't be a dick.  rule #2: dont be a dick.  rule #3: whatever you do, don't be a dick.

i remember going around town and hearing different ALBANIANS i knew complaining about my sitemate, the fact that he said all these nasty things to their face.  i had to explain to them that he was just repeating things that i already said to them earlier a few weeks back.  their response was "yeah, but you didn't mean it."  i would tell them they knew i meant it and we'd all laugh.

i feel like what RICKLES did was similar in that he tore down the walls that we put up against each other in order to inhibit honest communication.  in a sense he was creating a shared sense of affection through his comedic barbs.  i almost see it as a kind of empathy in the way that the ALBANIANS i knew really felt i saw things from their perspective because i was so adept at mocking it and throwing it in their face repeatedly.  it definitely went both ways and it was all love.  for my sitemate they werent convinced he knew where he was and it came off as spiteful and full of hate.  oops.

i've already made explicit my love for comedian CHRIS FARLEY and his all-too brief career (check out that article HERE), but after reading this loose oral biography THE CHRIS FARLEY SHOW: A BIOGRAPHY IN THREE ACTS (VIKING, 2009), co-written by his older brother TOM FARLEY JR and compiling quotes from his friends, family, colleagues, childhood acquaintances and peers alike what becomes apparent was his complex humanity that far transcended his public persona.

what struck me about this book was not the stories of his kindness towards strangers or even the revelation that he was a vulnerable, deeply empathetic person that drew strength from his catholicism.  no what struck me about this book was his relationship with his father.  in my estimation this book is not about CHRIS FARLEY, it is about TOM FARLEY SR and CHRIS FARLEY.  TOM SR was an academic standout who graduated from GEORGETOWN and was a rising talent with within the WISCONSIN GOP, even knowing then-SENATOR JOSEPH MCCARTHY.  he was destined to become a lawyer but shortly after beginning law school had two heart attacks a promptly moved back to WISCONSIN and supported his family by running a company that paved roads for the local government.  his job was basically to take people out to restaurants and schmooze them over lunch/dinner.  he'd do this several times a day throughout WISCONSIN depending on the clientele.

in essence, CHRIS (much like his brothers) adored his father and sought to please him throughout his career.  CHRIS' only ambition was to be on SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE, the show whose member JOHN BELUSHI was a favorite of his father.  throughout this narrative of his life, CHRIS made fateful decisions based on the flawed logic of his father.  whether that be delusions about whether or not they both had a problem with food or alcohol (both were alcoholics that were morbidly overweight).  even when he got to 600 pounds, his father held psychological sway over CHRIS, who wouldn't lose weight as a means of solidarity with his father.  even creative choices that were detrimental to his career, and against the advice of peers, agents and his own better judgement, were made by the outsized influence of his father.  for one, he did BEVERLEY HILLS NINJA (SONY PICTURES, 1997) not because of the quality of the script but because TOM SR had convinced him to take the money.

to me this makes sense given that they had an IRISH-CATHOLIC clan mentality and again, for CHRIS his goal in life was to make his father laugh.  its just tragic that he didn't get help because his generosity and sense of humor was inclusive and such a positive force in an unseen number of people's lives.  there was a vulnerability to his work.  a humility.  this was a sad painful book to read if only because he was such a singular talent that was beloved by his peers at every step of his career and to this day he is still such a beacon of unbridled joy.

​the fact that he self-destructed so spectacularly and was such a lonely figure is heart-wrenching.  selfishly, like so many others i would have loved to see the DAVID MAMET-directed "FATTY" ARBUCKLE biopic that was in development at the time of his death.  what an apt project.

anyway, this book was beyond compelling and well-worth seeking out if you are interested in SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE or the history of AMERICAN COMEDY.  its a tragedy that is so GREEK Its uncanny.  what a sad, sad story.

i think character development is overrated.  SEINFELD made a killing by having multi-dimensional characters that from the get-go we recognize as archetypes for friends, neighbors, colleagues and family members we've come in contact with in the past.  and then they put them in crazy situations that they largely wondered into unknowingly but somehow with hubris and passion.  each show is concluded and nothing is carried over from episode to episode.  nothing gained.  nothing referenced later on (that i can remember at least).  each episode is its own universe.

for me IT'S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA has that same basic format going on accept in their reality, each one seeks a downward trajectory of moral depravity and dehumanization in futile hopes of clawing their way out of the psychic morass they collectively created.  the writing is ingenious and you get the sense that the bar is lowered significantly from season to season.  each episode attempting to out-pathetic and the one before with no carry over.  no lessons learned.  no character development.

since there are three sets of real-life marriages represented in the actors that portray the characters, there is an interesting subtext utilized for comic effect that i've never seen beforehand.  One main character (CHARLIE) is routinely rejected by his love interest (THE WAITRESS) in increasing savage and emasculating fashion (the two are married in real-life) while another main character (SWEET DEE) who is visibly pregnant is essentially called a tramp all season by the cast (including her real-life husband) who question who the father might be. 

its brutal.  but that is what makes the show work.  it showcases modern AMERICAN life as pugilistic with little to no safety net or realistic professional opportunities.  the only thing constant in this show is conflict and, oddly, family.  this group is a family unit of sorts, dysfunctional beyond repair, but a cohesive surrogate family nonetheless.  they all can be counted on to mock, injury and defame one other.  its almost enduring.  given that the growing economic disparity and structural racism in our country has pushed our democracy to the brink and left any notion of our AMERICAN EXCEPTIONALISM as a sad biting joke, in my eyes this show is right for the moment.  it both displays what moronic self-interest leads to on a micro scale as well as mocks the development of that depraved worldview from inception to execution.  itd be funny if it wasnt so real since we are all living through a REALITY TV show right now.  a shitty one at that.

oh check out the songs from the show though.  they're great.  embedded below

for me the FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS (HBO, 2007-2009) is indicative of a definite place and time.  the wildly popular TV SERIES, which only lasted two seasons, followed the antics of newly transplanted KIWI musicians to QUEENS and their inability to acclimate to their new surroundings.  essentially its THE BIG LEBOWSKI premise minus the whole film noir plot line.  in essence all the plots are excuses to showcase the inventive genre parody songs the duo had built up in their preceding standup career.  once those songs, and their corresponding albums, were all published, the series ended.

as someone in the late 00s who had moved to NYC to attend graduate school at COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY, the themes of displacement and isolation and the problems of integration with new surroundings was very prescient to me at the time.  there is also a slight undertone of gentrification and hipsterdom that follows this film, as the music is wildly eclectic and relays an interest in global sounds and rhythms.  in real-life INDIE ROCK bands such as VAMPIRE WEEKEND were being criticized for cultural appropriation at the time, much like PAUL SIMON had a generation before.  i think in the contexst of the show FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS got away with it 1) because they were foreigners and 2) the songs were explicitly homages that paid respect to their origins with an eye for details.  with INDIE ROCK bands of the time these corresponding sounds just smelled of rank opportunism and the use of foreign tropes as a way selling "exotic" music to a conservative white audience.

its still interesting to rewatch the show and see how they handled that dubious territory that is the intersection between PARODY and HIPSTER CULTURE.  in many ways we are still living through that prism today as notions of WHITE PRIVILEGE and INSTITUTIONAL RACISM have only become more apparent in the decade since.  i really wonder at times how this show would look like if the duo had come from SENEGAL, PANAMA or THAILAND.  is there something about an anglophone country like NEW ZEALAND that gives them the ability to navigate this divide while still being foreign themselves?  just a thought.

for me the songs still stand and the TV SERIES is funny and reminds me of the years i was constantly a foreigner in a foreign land.  beyond ironic that i feel that way now in my own country after returning to TRUMPLAND after being abroad so many years.

regardless, great show worth revisiting.

arguably the greatest buddy comedy of all-time, CHEECH & CHONG's UP IN SMOKE (PARAMOUNT, 1978) is a classic film that draws on the systematic oppression of hispanics by the AMERICAN political class and police apparatus and the rejuvenating power of ROCK AND ROLL and counterculture lifestyle as the spring from where its humor is rooted. 

​that and marijuana.

its almost as if the cultural exchange that occurs as a result of immigration is part of what makes the fabric of american society so compelling and rich.  its our strength and what truly makes us "exceptional" to borrow a phrase from my lug-headed compatriots on the right.  culture is what unites us.  the flow of ideas and information and the constant reaffirmation of core principles and beliefs over generations and geography.

my favorite part of this film is when CHEECH needed to attend a wedding in TIJUANA, so he called INS and got a free ride.  him and all his cousins are dressed up in suits ready to party.  what a great scene. 

being originally from southern CALIFORNIA, it was part of my social studies classes in elementary school the level to which our culture and history was intimately intertwined with our neighbors to the south.  that is why i never understood the hardliners i was surrounded by growing up who demonized hispanics yet paid them to do unskilled labor off the books.  its beyond hypocritical.  i was there when former governor PETE WILSON promoted PROPOSITION 187, which sought to deny education to the sons and daughters of unregistered foreign aliens.  out of all my friends' parents, only one was against it.  just them and my parents.  all my teachers spoke in favor of it.

probably the greatest gift my parents ever gave me was getting me the hell out of ORANGE COUNTY and exposing me to the world they seemed so bent on shutting out.  when i watch UP IN SMOKE, i am just reminded of the fear of these WHITE SUBURBAN SOCCER MOMS, those being that these blazed-up hispanics and their seductive music and alternative beliefs will seduce and ultimately corrupt their daughters.

so yeah, huge fan.  and i don't even smoke.  honest.