I never thought I would be writing this, but I want you to watch this video of Norm Macdonald hitler jokes.
I never really cared for the comedy of Norm MacDonald, but there was one night while I was gaming, with YouTube playing in the background. The Christopher Hitchens debate ended, and Norm MacDonald fired up on auto play. I was busy gaming so I went with it.
Call it Stockholm Syndrome if you must, but after awhile I just busted out laughing. It wasn’t the Hitler jokes, it was a truly filthy conversation with Gilbert Gottfried regarding Angelina Jolie.
Give it a look/listen. You can totally just listen to this as you toil. I was surprised how much I laughed.
I know, I know. Russell Brand. But stop it. He’s really really smart, and really really funny.
Messiah Complex is a manic ADD tour de force. Brand is no longer a drug addict, so there’s no longer anything mitigating the mania. And it’s brilliant. This particular Russell Brand standup is delivered almost in one long breath. It’s fast but he keeps tying it all together as he goes. He capitalizes on his own narcissism and compares himself to Gandhi, Che Guevera, Malcolm X, and Jesus. He succeeds wonderfully.
He weaves filthy sex stories with stories about tv appearances gone wrong, and drug addiction, well… addiction in general really. It’s wild and frantic. It’s heavily anglophile. There are some jokes that may fall flat because Noel Gallagher references don’t really scan in the USA, but never you mind. You’ll be laughing. He is a machine gun assault of jokes. If his charm does get you, simple erosion will wear you down to grudging admiration.
Let it be said that I haven’t been a Russell Brand fan before, although I did loveGet Him To The Greek. I watched this on a whim, while surfing YouTube. I’m so glad I did. It’s treasure. It’s a keeper. I have watched this more than once. Take a look at this clip (below). If that makes you laugh, you’ll like this. If not, then ok.
I’ve watched other stand up specials of Russell’s and they didn’t do it for me like Messiah Complex. I laughed my ass off throughout most of it. If you do as well, then cool. Maybe you’ll like the rest of my blog. It’s new still but it’ll fill up. Until it does, watch this russell brand standup now, or the monsters will eat you.
I was walking home from work the other day, and as I turned onto my street I saw a film crew, tents, trucks, and a million people standing around intensely inactive.
Living in Portland, I immediately thought “Portlandia?” because I knew they were filming, and it didn’t look like it was Grimm (the other show that films in Portland). I was intrigued.
I ran into Fred Armisen at a record store (how Portland is that?) a couple years ago, which was cool. I also know a couple people who either have been on, or are still on, the show. Yes, I’m cool but not because of that. Portland is a small city. Everyone knows someone who’s been on Portlandia or Grimm. Grimm sucks. Do not speak of Grimm.
The creative process.
So I stop across the street from the crew, and see the super funny and awesome Carrie Brownstein standing with Jonathan Krisel (co-creator, writer and director of Portlandia). I bore witness to a snippet of a sketch which involves a giant dog statue/device that sits on the front lawn of the house in the right of the photo. Why a giant dog?
For Pooping!
Over the several takes I stuck around to watch, a man (an extra) walks his little dog down the sidewalk, only to pause before the giant dog totem, which then squats and “poops” out about a half dozen softball sized balls of “poop”, which roll down a track. Think of a six foot wide contraption from the game Mousetrap. Like that. Once the poop rolled down, the extra walking the strokes his chin. And scene. Ah, art. I’m certain that everyone involved in that scene (except the extra) makes more money than me. That includes the guys in orange vest who would announce what manner of vehicle was approaching. “Bike! Got a bike coming through, guys.”
I did not take a pic of the dog device, as I tried not to be an intrusive fanboy. However, think of Clifford the Big Red Dog. Now make him brown. Kinda like that. See? You’re not missing much.
As mundane as it was, it was still neat to see a show I like filming, literally, a few hundred feet away from where I sleep and poop. It was cool. AND NOW YOU KNOW. When you watch season 7 and see this sketch, think of me. I’ll know if you did.
I came across this gem during a late night YouTube spiral. I think I started off listening to a very engaging lecture by Christopher Hitchens, then somehow it was then Norm MacDonald, which then led to Conan O’Brien on The Late Show, back in 2010, right after getting suuuuuuper fucked by NBC and Jay Leno, over the Tonight Show.
I think the longer we just sit here, the more uncomfortable it’ll make Jay.
So begins the wonderful, groundbreaking, extremely intense,interview between two direct rivals. Conan and Letterman. This is around 2010/2011, while NBC is in a public relations death spiral over the Conan/Leno Tonight Show debacle.
Conan O’Brien goes rogue, and goes on The Late Show with David Letterman. This is after an extremely messy departure for Conan O’Brien, after more than 20 years with the network. Jay Leno, a man whose reputation as a nice guy is key to his success, is exposed as a… well, a showbiz asshole. He pulled a power play and won, but messily; making his bosses look bad.
Conan and Letterman impersonating Jay Leno. WATCH THE VIDEO!
Game of Thrones
Conan took his visible rage on the road, and on the Legally Prohibited From Being Funny On Television Tour, Conan was reborn. He somehow became cool, and not in the nerdy cool way he’s been forever. Real cool. Fonzie cool.
Conan and Letterman both share the sting of being outfoxed by Leno, and fucked over by NBC. The relish with which Dave listens to Conan rant is plain. “There we go! Now we’re getting somewhere!” He exclaims as Conan starts to let out some of his rage.
Conan seems almost diffident. He’s so wary of being used as a pawn again that his guard is way up. No need to worry. Dave treats Conan as a comrade in arms, and this whole interview is GOLD. It’s a solar eclipse level rarity, this confluence of rival late night legends. Watch the video. Conan and Letterman vs Leno. It’s totally worth it.
