popular thinking

My main blogging happens at The Comic's Comic

2008-01-21T14:51:00.001-05:00

I had something to say today about journalism, and that didn't really seem funny or in any way related to comedy. Otherwise, I would've wrote about it on my main site, The Comic's Comic. That's where I've been since November, in case you were wondering why you hadn't seen anything new here in a while.

Of course, after launching into the media and its priorities, now I'll just feel even sillier when I post something this week about American Idol.

I have something in common with David Simon?

2008-01-21T14:33:00.000-05:00

David Simon, who worked for the Baltimore Sun from 1983-1995, and now is best known as the creator of HBO's groundbreaking series, The Wire, wrote a lengthy piece for Sunday's Washington Post wondering what happened to the newspaper business. It's a good read. Well, perhaps good is not quite the best way to describe the wholesale decline in values and standards in our modern media.

The fifth and final season of The Wire uses the Sun newsroom as a way to probe how the media has or hasn't done its civic duty in covering poverty and crime in our country. Some TV critics have griped that Simon doesn't get the newsroom right. They're missing the point. Plus, I think he gets it close enough. I'm sure police officers and others would have something to say about how the show has portrayed their inside worlds, too. The point, though, is how serious problems in our communities get marginalized or overlooked for trivial matters.

Just look around. Daily coverage devoted to the comings and goings of Britney Spears? Why, exactly? TV shows and "news" stations that justify the paparazzi by buying their photos and using their new-media video coverage as "news."

One of my former haunts sent two reporters to the Sundance film festival. Not to cover film, mind you. Just gossip.

Even the campaign coverage, in this 2008 presidential race, with so much on the line for the future of our country, the mainstream media has paid little attention to what the candidates believe or where they stand. Instead, it's just as it has been in every election cycle in modern history in America. Polls, polls, more polls. And pundits offering predictions or spinning the polls. Only now, the candidates themselves have become savvy enough to play into all of this, so we have even less reason or opportunity to know how they'd serve us as leaders.

In talking with another comedian, I mentioned, only half-jokingly, that we could be reliving the fall of the Roman Empire here. America's role as a world leader, could be in danger as we slip into an abyss. Of course, I'm oversimplifying. It'd take a lot more than a blog post to go into the particulars of our nation's priorities and its standing in the world.

But the media certainly isn't helping any.

Steve Martin on Charlie Rose

2007-12-31T01:32:00.001-05:00

The Waltham Tavern: A final farewell to an old neighbor

2007-09-15T22:26:00.000-04:00

It has been three months since I headed down from Boston to Brooklyn, but I couldn't help but glance at this story in today's Boston Globe -- the end of the end of the road for the building that formerly housed the Waltham Tavern. Or, as I knew it, my next-door neighbor. The dive bar still operated at full tilt when I moved into the South End in 2005, and I'd heard the warnings about the joint. Can't say they ever caused problems during my tenure, although the cops said otherwise. The bar shut down. The liquor license got sold. And what do you know, the new owner will turn the site into even more million-dollar condos. Just what the South End needs.

I'm over at Funny Business

2007-08-30T21:27:00.001-04:00

As you may have noticed, I'm not regularly blogging here since my big move to NYC. I may still pop in from time to time with personal non-work observations, but for regular weekday updates, head to my work blog.

It's called Funny Business. And you can find it here. Thanks.

How does Lindsay Lohan's career look?

2007-07-26T23:21:00.000-04:00

Right now? Lohan's future prospects? Not. So. Good.

I have a new comedy blog

2007-07-25T01:19:00.000-04:00

With great power comes great responsibility. Not just for Spider-Man anymore, it also applies to professional journalists who want to cover comedy. Here is my new work blog about the funny business. Read it. Bookmark it. Put it on your blogroll. Tell your friends to read it. Email me with comedy news and tips. And other things I haven't mentioned. Thank you.

This summer's new must-see TV

2007-07-25T01:15:00.000-04:00

After an original list of 25 shows to watch and chat about this summer, I got the official NYDN list down to 10 new TV shows this summer worth watching, recording and talking about -- for better or worse. Here they are.

I'll take things I don't like about Canadian money for a $2 coin

2007-07-25T01:05:00.000-04:00

1) It doesn't go as far as I remembered it. Instead of Canada cheap, it's Canada expensive! Boo.

2) If you fly back into the U.S. with $8.70 in Canadian money, the exchange center won't accept it, and the person behind the counter will tell you that no bank will take your silly Canadian coins. Wait. Did I say silly? I meant "loonie" "toonie," as their $1 and $2 coins are known up north. Yes. Their coins are loonie toonies. No wonder the U.S. won't accept them. Argh. So I'm stuck with these coins until I go back to Canada. What a sneaky little trick, Canadia! If I hadn't bought that soda at the airport, I would've had a perfectly good $10 colorful Canadian bill that could've been exchanged. Argh. See you soon, Canada. See you soon.

Was I supposed to phrase that in the form of a question?

Want to know how Harry Potter ends?

2007-07-19T10:42:00.000-04:00

Muggles!

Blogging in Brooklyn

2007-07-18T23:30:00.001-04:00

If everyone else already is blogging about my neighborhood, what's left for me to say?

A few things I like about ny new neighborhood

2007-07-12T23:37:00.000-04:00

So I've been living in Brooklyn for a month. Certainly, I miss some things about my brownstone apartment in Boston's South End, but not a lot, considering how welcoming the big city has been thus far. A lot going on, for sure. Not "the city that never sleeps" for nothing. And just think about some of the things going on outside my door...

Across the street, a joint that offers indoor bocce alongside a place that Dave Hill says serves the best fish-and-chips in the city.

A few blocks in one direction, they're getting ready to open Brooklyn's first Trader Joe's.

A few blocks in the other direction, a brilliant view of Manhattan from either the Promenade or the new free floating barge pool and beach (watch NBC Nightly News video covering the opening).

For a few days last week, the British Royal Navy was walking by my building to get drunk!

Plus, the mayor is temporarily hanging out, er, um, working, a few blocks away.

There are more reasons to love my new digs, but I'll get to those later.

Video of me performing stand-up comedy

2007-07-06T10:55:00.001-04:00

On second thought, I may not look at all like my Simpsons character. Or do I? If this video of me from April is any judge, not really. But that's not why I posted this. Rather, I finally got around to figuring out how to turn my Comedy Studio DVD from April into a YouTube video. And here it is. If you've never seen me tell the jokey jokes or say other words of relative amusement and amazement into a microphone whilst standing onstage in front of living, breathing, willing human audience members, then, well, this is your chance to make things right in the world. Plus, there are people in this little-known universe who may not have understood nor believed that I'd done it before, this comedy thing. So, without much further ado, five minutes with me (preceded by about 30 seconds with Rick Jenkins of the Comedy Studio saying nice things about me). Enjoy? No. Enjoy! :)

Make your own Simpsons character

2007-07-03T19:42:00.000-04:00

Is this how I look in the world of the Simpsons? Perhaps. The Simpsons movie site lets you create your own avatar, so try it on for size to see how you'd look (or think you can create a better me). In related news, the Sunday New York Times ran a story about how some video gamers spend way too much time on their avatars.

Hot-diggity-dog, it's almost the Fourth of July!

2007-07-02T19:20:00.000-04:00

What are the two things you most look forward to about the Fourth of July? That's right. Hot dogs and fireworks. And who has the inside scoop on both the Nathan's Famous eating contest (including a coworker who made it into the finale!) and New York City's fireworks display? That's right. I do. You're welcome.

My Daily News

2007-06-27T18:58:00.000-04:00

Hey there, readers of blogs. I haven't updated quite as often as of late, so I need to fix that. In the meantime, here are some clips of mine from recent editions of the New York Daily News.

Today: In the wake of Evan Almighty, I imagine some other folklore film ideas (the studios should credit me or pay me on the back end if any of these ideas hit the screen, wouldn't you agree?) such as the Tooth Fairy, Mr. Sandman, Venus, Aphrodite, Bigfoot and the Ten Commandments.

Saturday: A new federal sex survey! How does your sex life stack up?

June 15: My exclusive interview with radio jocks Opie and Anthony.

More to come, people. More to come. And if you're good at dot-connecting, you can figure out where I've moved and what I may be doing in my new locale. But more to come.

Another landmark June 22

2007-06-22T22:50:00.000-04:00

Success. A good Friday for me. No blasphemy intended. But it is June 22. And as I've said before, a good time for change. More to come.

A week without cable...or Internet?!

2007-06-07T13:15:00.000-04:00

In about two hours, Comcast will stop by my apartment to remove my cable TV and Internet hookups. I'm moving tomorrow. But Time Warner, my new home provider, won't be hooking me back into the matrix until next Thursday. So for the next seven days, I'll be running around with my laptop in search of free WiFi every so often. Or I'll just drop out for a week. Who knows. Wish me luck!

Bryan Callen enters Cook-CK debate, but why?

2007-06-07T10:48:00.000-04:00

Last week's episode of Live At Gotham featured some very funny comedians. I know because I was at the taping back in March. And yet. And yet, I saw that Comedy Central chose to air a bit by Bryan Callen about how he'd change his name to a couple of sounds -- sounds more than a bit familiar. Especially to fans of Dane Cook and Louis CK. I wrote about the issue last summer. Dead Frog also weighed in, and includes audio from Steve Martin showing the bit predated both Cook and CK.

So why would Callen, a TV and movie vet, even go near this bit? It's not on the Comedy Central site, but Callen has uploaded a previous version of his take on it...

Watch This Channel | Channels by Bryan Callen
View more Comedy channels | More VMIX videos | Embed this channel

The more the Red Sox change...

2007-06-07T09:39:00.000-04:00

Please, God, not another June Swoon. Through June 6, the Red Sox record this month is 1-5. Ugh. Ick. Egads! Yikes! Someone stop this madness.

Silver Surfer quarters?

2007-06-05T17:38:00.000-04:00

I wondered the same thing when I saw the new Fantastic Four movie promoting Silver Surfer on the sides of U.S. quarters...is this legit? No. Not legit. Curious why they thought they'd sneak this past the government. Then again...

On the move again

2007-06-01T12:01:00.000-04:00

Yes. I know. A week has passed, things happening -- Lindsay Lohan and A-Rod on the front pages! So you think you can dance? Other things -- and no posts from little ol' me. What's that about? I'm moving. Kind of distracts a blogger, even though the subject itself, moving, provokes all sorts of thoughts and emotions worth blogging about. Just cannot get to it today. Plus, a college reunion? Sort of. Developing. Please remain patient. More goodness to come. Thank you. That is all.

Keith Richards: Rock star, pirate, actor

2007-05-25T11:50:00.000-04:00

So how did Keith Richards do in his much-ballyhooed cameo as Johnny Depp's pirate daddy in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End? Read my story in today's New York Daily News and find out.

Micah Sherman and Big Papi on TV!

2007-05-24T18:29:00.000-04:00

The Globe misses the story about the new D'Angelo's TV ads with David Ortiz. That's not "a talking sandwich." That steak and cheese is Boston-based comedian Micah Sherman. No wonder Big Papi kept cracking up on camera. Funny stuff, Micah. Funny stuff.

UPDATED: Thanks to Adam, Mr. Universal Hub, for reminding me to include the video!

TV season finale roundup: Lost

2007-05-24T18:20:00.001-04:00

Wow. I could barely contain my excitement for hours after the two-hour third-season finale of Lost came to a close at 11 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. So, so good. Lindelof and Cuse promised fans they'd be rewarded with a so-called game-changing episode, and they delivered. I wanted to complain about a fake-bearded Jack driving around with a RAZR phone, but then, hold on a second! I wanted to make fun of the fact that it looked as though Ben marked a spot on the map for Rascall Flatts, but then, what's this? Hurley came through in the clutch...who said he was bad luck? Walt comes back, although we all know he's just Mr. Smoke Monster (or Jacob, if they're even different beings), and rallies Locke, who threatens to...well, anyhow. Flash-forward, shall we? Huzzah, we shall! Who do you think the funeral was for? My money is on Ben. But I'll have to wait until 2008 to find out, and I'm OK with that. Charlie also gets bit by the hero's bug. Patchy surprises again and again...what's with this guy?! Desmond comes oh so close to Penny...again. That shot of Jack with the South Pacific poster and all of the push pins? Priceless. Wow. Did I say wow? Wow. Take notes, 24 and Heroes.