Take My Wife -- $20, SAIT

May 12, 2010 4:45 PM

...and, and what about those--those... "MeFite comedians," anyway? Yooouu know the ones I'm talking about: stand-ups, sketch comedians, "kooky performance artists"--I mean, come on, who *are* these people and are there any links to their stuff? Really!
posted by not_on_display to MetaFilter-Related at 4:45 PM (53 comments total)

The band I am in, Courtney McClean & The Dirty Curls, is a comedy band. Although lately all we seem to be doing is pissing off stand up comedians.
posted by Astro Zombie at 4:47 PM on May 12, 2010 [1 favorite]

I've been in a few comedy videos And I do bi-weekly M.Cee/hosting duties, but I'm not really a stand-up comic. I'm a sit down, at the bar, buy me a beer and tell you how the story of The Nicest Kidnapper Ever.
posted by The Whelk at 4:51 PM on May 12, 2010 [1 favorite]

I mean, come on, who *are* these people

The guys delivering your pizza!

But seriously, folks....
posted by jonmc at 4:59 PM on May 12, 2010

The Aristocrats!
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 5:05 PM on May 12, 2010 [5 favorites]

> The guys delivering your pizza!

I thought you worked in a book store.
posted by loquacious at 5:11 PM on May 12, 2010

"I thought you worked in a book store"
posted by loquacious

I don't get it. BOOOOO!
posted by not_on_display at 5:12 PM on May 12, 2010

jonmc works in a bookstore
posted by Kattullus at 5:30 PM on May 12, 2010

[APPLAUSE]
posted by not_on_display at 5:31 PM on May 12, 2010 [5 favorites]

I was the main character of a surreal comedy show that ran for three seasons in the early '90s. But my wardrobe got all the credit.

But the guy behind the pseudonym, on the other hand... not so famous.
posted by The Winsome Parker Lewis at 5:57 PM on May 12, 2010

revmitcz and msalt are both standup comedians who have video of their acts on their websites.
posted by idiopath at 6:19 PM on May 12, 2010

At a recent meetup, Greg_Ace and I were brainstorming some jokes about the fact that I once dated a mime:

"Honey, it's like there is an invisible wall separating us lately."

"I swear, it's like we never talk any more."

I swear there were more and better jokes but they escape my memory now. And I would never perform standup, its way too brutal for my fragile ego.
posted by idiopath at 6:24 PM on May 12, 2010

Eponytragicomic reporting for duty.
posted by Kinbote at 6:49 PM on May 12, 2010

I'll quote Andy Rooney:

"I'm funny sometimes, but I'm the only one who thinks so."

posted by The White Hat at 6:58 PM on May 12, 2010 [1 favorite]

I'm in a band that people point at and laugh when we play out in clubs. I guess technically we're in the comedy genre.
posted by Kskomsvold at 7:02 PM on May 12, 2010 [3 favorites]

I just got back from my semi-weekly casual drop-in improv group/workshop. We don't perform publicly though. Not yet anyway.

(any Boston metro funny people want to join us... me-mail me)
posted by bondcliff at 7:20 PM on May 12, 2010

Lipstick Thespian used to do comedy improv and is starting to experiment with standup, just a little ways north of you. No links as yet, but some web serials, which maybe he'll come along and post.
posted by Miko at 7:45 PM on May 12, 2010

I did some comedy video for Wired, but budgets got cut and I stopped. I still write and illustrate a weekly column for them, though. Bad Gods is a central directory to my online humor offerings.
posted by lore at 8:33 PM on May 12, 2010 [1 favorite]

lore also has a very funny book of ratings.
posted by The Whelk at 8:36 PM on May 12, 2010

Oh and above above re: comdey videos, this is one where I'm actually doing a skit (in drag)
posted by The Whelk at 8:47 PM on May 12, 2010

And uh ...me singing.
posted by The Whelk at 8:49 PM on May 12, 2010 [1 favorite]

The previous comment by The Whelk is the reason why MeFiArt needs to be birthed.
posted by not_on_display at 9:28 PM on May 12, 2010

I am Andy Kaufman.
posted by mr_crash_davis mark II: Jazz Odyssey at 9:30 PM on May 12, 2010

Haven't performed in ages, but my current claim to (non)fame, Never Not Notes, is the official show notes site for Jimmy Pardo's Never Not Funny.

Also, look for me on an upcoming Jordan, Jesse, Go! (created by and starring Metafilter's own Young American) from MaxFunCon defending myself against my daughter in a case before Judge John Hodgman. (SPOILER: she's way cuter than me and bribed Hodgman with eye drops earlier that day.)
posted by The Deej at 9:50 PM on May 12, 2010

Once you realize what a joke everything is, being the Comedian is the only thing that makes sense.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 10:17 PM on May 12, 2010 [1 favorite]

I am Andy Kaufman.

So what's it like hosting the Glenn Beck Show?
posted by trondant at 10:28 PM on May 12, 2010 [4 favorites]

Thanks for reminding me that is has now been over 20 YEARS since I did anything considered 'performing comedy'. And my last direct connection to any professional comedic endeavor was as a writer for a radio comedy service, where I replaced some guy who quit to go work for his wife (Tom Arnold). Since then, I had a severe staph infection in my left arm and I'm fairly certain that during surgery to clean out the infection, the doctor permanently dislocated my funny bone. But there was nothing in the quality of comedy I had done previously that would suggest I had a valid claim for malpractice, ifyouknowwhatimean...
posted by oneswellfoop at 11:12 PM on May 12, 2010

I was a big ha ger-on of the NY Stand-Up scene a decade ago, and directed a few shorts as a result, but I realized long ago just how awful I would be at stand-up myself. (It was a tough epiphany. Stand-Up was my first dream-career as a child.)
posted by Navelgazer at 11:28 PM on May 12, 2010

I did improv for a while. Now I write songs, and make web pages dance for checks. Buy me some drinks and I'll tell you some terrible jokes, and they'll only get worse as I age.
posted by davejay at 11:34 PM on May 12, 2010

I worked with the writers. i thought about going on stage with a very particular shtick but sold out when i joined Bschool though I never stopped being funny ;p
posted by infini at 1:11 AM on May 13, 2010

Mefi Art = MefArt
posted by frecklefaerie at 8:07 AM on May 13, 2010 [2 favorites]

No no no no..it's called MefArt and each post is called a toot.

like toot your own horn!


faaaaarts
posted by The Whelk at 8:08 AM on May 13, 2010 [2 favorites]

I see your humour and walk out the cafe without paying for the beer
posted by infini at 8:13 AM on May 13, 2010

by the by, standup comics near east coast, i run a pretentious comedy/music monthly show in DC. if you'd like to come down/up/over and tell jokes for hipsters sometime let me know via memail.

i dont think i could be a standup comic, i have little patience for people who dont get it and a massive ego. i tell jokes on a weekly podcast but that's a lot easier because the audience is my cohost and a few stoned friends who think everything is funny even Steve Ward impressions.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 8:16 AM on May 13, 2010

every time I see PA's user name I have a little funky dance party in my head "get down tooooo..Po-tam-ic ave-n-ue. It brightens my day. That is all
posted by The Whelk at 8:21 AM on May 13, 2010

In the mid-90s I co-founded a comedy group that is continuing to operate, Punch 59. The current heads are looking to put up a work at the upcoming NYC Fringe Festival. My website someoneexactlylikeme is to make up for the fact that I'm not able to be directly involved in such efforts now.
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 8:40 AM on May 13, 2010

I was in a sketch comedy group in college. From the beginning.

And hey, they're still together, so that's something.

(I do really hope I have time to get back into improv when I'm back in NYC this year)
posted by Eideteker at 8:49 AM on May 13, 2010

I used to be in a sketch comedy group here in Seattle. We had some fairly successful shows, one of which we toured to Vancouver for a sketch festival. It happened to be the week that 9/11 happened. Our theme of the show was that it was set in an airport. The show ended with the explosion of said airport.

TIMING!

I did occasional writing for the group too, but I think my tastes are a little off from what most people enjoy. Among the sketches I wrote were things like "Fluffer," which was really nothing more than taking the theme song from "Flipper" and making it about backstage blowjobs; and then the non-immortal "Knock Knock" series of sketches where a man is divorced, kills himself, and then finds himself in hell arguing with Sartre, all told via knock-knock. The silences were palpable.
posted by Skot at 8:58 AM on May 13, 2010

Goddamnit does that wig itch. Previously.
posted by applemeat at 9:25 AM on May 13, 2010 [1 favorite]

In part at the urging of the MeFi community via an AskMe I posted a couple years (?) back(...ahh here it is), I started taking improv classes.

Improv classes lead to workshops, lead to being invited to join a team...etc. Right now I'm on 3 improv teams, a writer for some scattered sketch comedy projects, I co-produce a monthly comedy show and have probably performed a dozen times in 2010. I've started finding more opportunities for writing and performing, both projects with buds and paid work. It's basically the best.

A big help along in getting going was going to MaxFunCon last year, also. Which was a fairly MetaFiltery event too. So thanks, Mefi, for a comedy career.

I'm not posting links for various reasons, but if you're in/going to visit Toronto, MeMail me and come check out a show!
posted by SassHat at 9:27 AM on May 13, 2010

I am a "kooky performance artist", by which I mean I masturbate on public transportation. I have an extra trench coat you're welcome to borrow if you'd like to come with some time.
posted by little e at 9:55 AM on May 13, 2010 [1 favorite]

I was once hanging out with the headlining comedian at a club one night (I'm friends with his wife), and at the table were the two opening acts and a bunch of other people. There was much alcohol present and at one point, and to that end, my friend's husband got up to use the bathroom.

One of the other comedians, grabbed the camera from the empty spot, turned to me and said "Shit, Doug left his camera! I'm going to give him a nice big closeup photo of my dick as a surprise when he looks at these tomorrow! He's going to freak when he realizes that every time he put this up against his face to take a picture, it was after I had by balls on it!"

"Yeah, that would be quite a surprise." I responded as I watched him struggle in the booth to get his pants adjusted in such a way to violate the camera, "There's just one problem..." I continued.

"What's that?" He said, getting ready to thrust the camera down the front,

"That's actually my camera." I said, after a beat.

After a long pause, he slowly sat back up and set the camera in front of me. "Fucker." He said, "You've had better timing right then that I had all night."

At which point the rest of the table absolutely lost it with hysterical laughter.

So no. I'm not a comedian, but under the right circumstances, I can make them laugh.

That said:

"Everybody laughed when I said I wanted to tell jokes for a living. Well, now I'm a comedian, and they're not laughing now!"

Shamelessly stolen and paraphrased from somewhere that I can't for the life of me remember right now.
posted by quin at 10:00 AM on May 13, 2010 [4 favorites]

I told a story at my father-in-law's memorial service and I fucking KILLED.

Now that I think about it, my two best times performing were at memorial services. I should start getting up in front of the living.
posted by bondcliff at 10:21 AM on May 13, 2010

quin I think that line might be whatsisname's
posted by infini at 11:00 AM on May 13, 2010

I have been in some sketch groups and have performed stand-up in some various capacities. I've also written some plays, sketches, shorts, etc. Herp de derp.
posted by Sticherbeast at 11:24 AM on May 13, 2010

I wrote & produced a radio comedy show in the '80s for a number of years, which morphed into a talk show back in '93 which is still on the air. People seem to like it. I have co-author credit on two plays which have been produced, co-wrote a book, did improv 2 shows a week for six years and, after a four year hiatus, will be starting with a new improv troupe next week. (Whee!)
posted by Floydd at 11:45 AM on May 13, 2010

Sim never told me she was a mime
posted by lysdexic at 1:17 PM on May 13, 2010

I was the fall guy/character actor for my college theater troupe. I got a reputation early on and it stuck. In the course of four years, I was:

kicked, beaten, dropped off a platform, stuffed in a garbage can, dressed in drag, dressed in black face, bereft of pants, and peed on.

I think I died in about half the shows I was in, too. I wonder what they thought of me?
posted by backseatpilot at 2:37 PM on May 13, 2010

The previous comment by The Whelk is the reason why MeFiArt needs to be birthed.

Yeah, but then someone would post a roguelike they made to MeFart and we'd all get into a big fight over whether games can be art.
posted by edbles at 9:24 AM on May 14, 2010

chess is an art

so is go

there you go...
posted by infini at 9:57 AM on May 14, 2010

I'm always going to love lore for Brunching Shuttlecocks.

Internet nostalgia is so weird.
posted by fiercecupcake at 12:43 PM on May 14, 2010 [1 favorite]

yeah, try to tell kids today about Mahir... they just don't understand... damn kids
posted by Kattullus at 6:02 PM on May 14, 2010

I just did standup for the first time this past Tuesday.

They told me I was (really and/or pretty) good for a first timer. No pause between good and for. And people actually laughed.

I might do it again, but I think I might enjoy improv even more.
posted by bilabial at 5:53 AM on May 15, 2010 [2 favorites]

I love lore for everything.
posted by Lesser Shrew at 10:06 AM on May 16, 2010