Friday, November 6, 2009

The Boys Consider the State of American Comedy / Also: Metal Pick of the Day

Richard tries hard to stay abreast (Chip: "Abreast is a sexy word") of everything important in popular culture but occasionally certain things fly under his radar, such as the extreme popularity of comic/ventriloquist Jeff Dunham. Aside from his hugely popular new Comedy Central program, Dunham is, according to a recent NY-Times piece, "the third-highest-earning comedian in America, after Jerry Seinfeld and Chris Rock" and THE highest-earner based on ticket sales alone.

So what has Richard been missing? Let's take a look at some quotes from the Times profile regarding Dunham's act:

"Peanut, a hyperactive purple Muppetish dummy, kicked off his portion of the show just by saying different words for breasts — “bodacious ta-tas” got the biggest laugh — and closed with a bit about ordering Chinese food, done in a preposterous Fu Manchu accent."

"...a shtick with a skeleton in a turban named Achmed the Dead Terrorist — is currently the ninth-most-watched video of all time on YouTube."<

"Dunham’s live audiences spend $8 per head on merchandise, which is more than most rock bands average...Vahldick, a mustachioed automotive instructor in his 50s, was about to drop $100 on two plush dolls. He couldn’t help himself. “Peanut’s a stitch,” he told me. “Absolutely a stitch.”

Richard: "Certainly at the LC we have no problem with 'dummy' humor, since 'Chip' is essentially our dummy, but I like to think we're using him to interrogate aspects of the culture whereas Dunham is just using his dummies to reinforce offensive things which much of his audience actually believes."

Chip: "I thought I was just here to make stupid boner jokes. I mean, look at that parenthetical statement from me up above. It's simply there to make a joke about titties. Anyway, in Forttt Scottt, my friends have some of those plush Achmed dolls and they often sit around of an evening acting out the Dead Terrorist routines. It's absolutely a stich. People don't need to go and see Dunham for some clever interrogation of cultural foibles. We've got Dane Cook for that."

Richard: "Well, at least the theater remains our last bastion of intellectualism, as one can tell from this line regarding a new work on Broadway starring Willem Defoe: "[Defoe] will don a frilly 18th-century costume and lead a giant anthropomorphic duck around the stage by its genitals in Richard Foreman’s surrealist play “Idiot Savant.”


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If you're a metalhead, you don't need us to tell you that Valient Thorr is at the Jackpot tonight. But for the rest of you hipsters, surely you can't resist a band from Venus in Viking costumes with band member names such as "Dr. Professor Nitewolf Strangees" and a devoted following known as "Thorriors?"

See you in the mosh pit!

5 comments:

cl.thier said...

Dunham was actually on 30 Rock last week as an "exemplar" of "real American comedy". What did the Los Angeles Times have to say about Dunham? Well, according to LAT, Dunham is "apocalyptically unfunny". Ouch. And apparently the episode was seen critically (and ratings-wise) as a dud.

And as for the highly typical Free For All quotation...

Don't most students do homework disinterestedly and out of sheer obligation? Hot!

giant anthropomorphic duck said...

I didn't see the Dunham episode of 30 Rock.

But I love experimental duck theater!

Dr. C said...

I think the duck'd have to be anthropomorphic to be lead around by its genitals. I'm not sure, but I think ducks are like chickens in that there is no actual intromission. The drake just spouges on the outside and the little buggers have to swim from there.

I hate the Drake! said...

Haha...Seinfeld reference!

Also, I miss Dr. C's Science Corner and wish Pleasure Domes was still open for business!

Anonymous said...

Hmm, Kip = dummy... = inflatable fucktoy!

Well, he was already inflated, so OVERINFLATED FUCKTOY!

--I'm not sure what exactly will have to be done to make Kip look himself up on here and see the Gay Icon he has become, but Adam and I will find a way!

Also: Who doesn't break for duck gonads!?