PRE-TAPED CALL IN SHOW

One of my favorite sketches from one of my favorite troupes. Mr. Show, we hardly knew ye.

LOOK AROUND YOU

I've been neglecting this space a bit this week, but I've got a perfectly good reason why... and I'll tell you about it tomorrow.

But for now, enjoy this educational film. I learned all sorts of things I never knew before.

HEADS UP: THE DAY TODAY

A little more snooping around the internet has produced evidence of another British news spoof show that appears to be made by the same people who did "Brass Eye."

"The Day Today" appears to be an early ancestor of "The Daily Show," and it is brilliantly funny. In this clip, watch out for a brief (less than one second) cameo from Steve Coogan.

HEADS UP: BRASS EYE

Through a random set of circumstances, I've been made aware of a British spoof news program called "Brass Eye." It aired about 10 years ago, and it's quite good.

For your consideration this evening, may I offer the first 7 minutes of Brass Eye's "Crime" episode. I'm sure many of you don't have that much time, so just watch the intro if that's all you can spare.

"UK used to mean United Kingdom. But ask anyone today and they'll tell you it stands for Unbelievable Crime wave."

THE WRONG PALIN

Ever since John McCain announced his running mate, I've had that sinking feeling that he had gotten the whole enterprise wrong.

I mean, Sarah Palin? Come on! If there are any Palins who should be our vice president, it should start with Michael. Known as the friendliest member of Monty Python, Michael Palin helped redefine sketch comedy in the 20th century. Later he became the host of numerous BBC travel shows and has circled the globe many times.

With just those two facts, Michael far outpaces Sarah in the race for vice president.

I have seen both Palins on Saurday Night Live, and there was no comparison. Michael triumphed, especially in his "feeding the fish" sketch. Sarah's appearance on SNL was nothing short of an abomination. That woman had no business walking the same stage where comedy legends like Gary Kroger once stood.

And with the travel shows, Michael Palin once again shows that he's got a lot more foreign policy understanding than Sarah.

Not surprisingly, I am not the first person to believe that McCain selected the wrong Palin for VP. A search on Google or YouTube for "Michael Palin for president" returns a lot of results. So I'll leave you with a video produced by the good people at michaelpalinforpresiden.com. I only wish I had thought up the idea first.

The photo of Michael Palin comes courtesy of Chipps and is used under a Creative Commons license.

CALL CPS... OR DIE!

This probably makes me a sick person, but the commercial below is perhaps the funniest thing I've ever seen. It's an ad for a security company that claims, through song, that there may actually be a killer in your home at the very moment you're watching.

It is both hilarious, and disturbing. Give it a watch and join me below...

(Note: it gets funnier the more times you watch it.)



Now admit it, you're going to be singing that song for the rest of the week. "Your life could be on the line..." Pure poetry, I tell you. And what about the dad? He comes home to see his family butchered in the living room and reacts like his dog has just taken a dump on the carpet. At the very least, it looks like this is not the first time this has happened to him.

It's awful, but I can't stop laughing. No matter how hard I try, I just can't stop laughing.

(I promise I'll post cute kid pictures tomorrow, really. You'll love it. Unless of course, you're murdered by cat burglar between now and Tuesday.)

CLARKE AND DAWE

Yesterday, a coworker showed me a piece of video someone had emailed to her. The email said it was an Australian politician trying to explain away a oil tanker crash. Whoever sent the email thought the video was legitimate, but the comic timing in the interview was a little too good for an actual politician. So we dug around the Internet a bit and discovered that the video was, in fact, a sketch from Australian comics John Clarke and Bryan Dawe.

I must admit, I had never heard of Clarke and Dawe before last night, but there is a lot of video of them online, and it's quite funny. Their deadpan delivery reminds me of American comedy vets Bob and Ray.

Check it out. This clip is from the early 90s...


And this is a more recent clip on the subject of the Iraq War...

BEE AGGRESSIVE

So my friend Sam entered some contest where you make a video cheering on our Olympic athletes in Beijing. I guess he won, because I'm told this video is playing on a billboard in Times Square.

And kudos to Sam, who looks like he nearly broke his leg while shooting this 30 second video.

JAPAN + TV = AWESOME

A friend showed this to me today and it was one of the greatest things I've ever seen. This cat weightlifting competition is enough to make me turn off all my American TV channels and watch nothing but Japanese television. They do strange like nobody else...

BREAKIN' WITH FRED

When I heard it was a video of Mr. Rogers attempting break dancing moves, I just assumed it was another one of those delightful YouTube video mashup things. But I was wrong, it really is Mr. Rogers doing some break dancing. Internet be praised!

http://view.break.com/549229 - Watch more free videos
This video was found on Maximumfun.org, who found it here.

S--- HAPPENS

There's a new entry in my "Favorite News Story of All Time" competition. I was surfing the Internet moments ago and found the headline, "Inflatable Art Escapes From Museum." I was duly intrigued, so I clicked on the story and learned it was so much more wonderful than I could have imagined.

Turns out, the art in question was a giant dog turd that was installed under the name "Complicated S---." The turd took out a power line and eventually broke a window at a children's home.

A story like this is a headline writer's dream. UPI went with "Giant Dog 'Poo' Attacks Neighborhood." But I'm giving the award to the utilitarian yet utterly absurd headline from the Russian News and Information Service: "House-Sized Inflatable Dog Turd Wreaks Havoc at Swiss Art Show."

The full story can be found at the above link. It makes me thankful I still live in a world that can produce such wonderfully absurd scenes.

MITCHELL & WEBB

I need to write a full blown post about Mitchell and Webb while they're still in BBC America. I've said it before and I'll say it again: they may well be the second coming of Monty Python. Here's another great example...

FILLING SPACE

Spotty internet service and an insane work schedule have kept me from posting anything here. The internet situation may have resolved itself, but work goes on until Wednesday. So until I get a moment's peace, please enjoy another sketch from Mitchell and Webb. They are the funniest thing on TV right now.

MAKING THE MAGIC HAPPEN

Several months ago, I posted about Elna Baker, the performer and author of the soon-to-be-published memoir "The New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance." I had heard a piece of hers on "This American Life" and thought it was amazing.

So I wrote a little post on her and it is now the most popular search term that leads to this site (even more than Thomas Storesund). I was amazed to find an example of someone who is both Mormon and funny and wholesome and even a bit edgy. There's not a lot of that going on.

In keeping with my role as a taste maker, some friends of mine read the post and decided to convince Ms. Baker (based in NYC) to perform a show in LA. Tonight, that show happened. Of course, I wasn't there. A plane ticket from here to LA currently runs somewhere in the neighborhood of $600. I'm not made of money, you now.

But by all accounts, the show was a big success. I'm told there were some agents and casting types in the audience. It's obvious the woman is heading places, so allow me to take credit for the success of the show and any future successes Ms. Baker may have in the future.

You're welcome.

REVIVAL HOUSE: SHOPPING CARTS

The year was 1997. Electronica was the hot new musical genre, the Internet was spawning all sorts of wacky companies, and the Lewinsky scandal was just a twinkle in Kenneth Starr's eye.

Into this whirlwind of optimism and opulence stepped three young men, specifically me, Thomas Storesund, and our friend Kevin Monk. We were tasked with producing a short film to show at an Oscar party. (Trivia: did you know that "Thomas Storesund" is one of the most popular search terms leading to this site? The man must be in demand.)

What we came up with was a mock documentary about shopping carts. It became a minor sensation in the rarefied world of Los Angeles Mormon singles. Various tapes of it are floating all over the place, and I ran across my copy a few weeks ago. So I thought I would dump it on YouTube and allow the world to see what all the fuss was about. Unfortunately, it's a dub off an 11 year old VHS tape, so sound and picture quality aren't all that great, and you really need higher resolution to grasp the full grace and majesty of my comic performance. But this is what we've got, so enjoy... (the video runs about 6 1/2 minutes)

WORN DOWN AND SILLY

An extremely long day at work yesterday will be followed by a 14 hour work day tomorrow (people actually care about the Oregon primaries, who knew?).

So the point is I have to get some rest. But in the meantime, please enjoy a little silliness from the Flight of the Conchords. Even though I'm dead tired, it made me laugh hard.

HILLARY CLINTON: PINING FOR THE FJORDS

God bless Dana Milbank.

He's just posted a campaign story about what surely are the last days of the Hillary Clinton campaign. He used one of the funniest Monty Python sketches ever to frame the story of Ms. Clinton's imminent demise.

One of the funniest pieces of political journalism I've read in years.

BUSH V. ZOMBIES

A friend showed me this the other day. Quite funny. Very well made.

(With apologies to thirdworst who can't get video at work... that should be a basic human right.)

10-4, GOOD LEWIS

This is the time of year when TV networks are sorting through pilots and deciding what to put on the fall schedule. Most years, this process would be well underway, but this isn't most years. The writer's strike delayed most TV development for the coming season. In some cases, networks are having to make decisions based on a script or a short video presentation (as opposed to a full pilot episode). Rumor has it everyone is desperate for ideas.

With that in mind, I thought I'd drop this little gem. You see, I was given a series idea in a dream last week (I'm not making this up), and it might actually be worth producing (I'm probably making that up). Alas, I no longer live in Hollywood, and my access to entertainment decision makers is non-existent. So instead of pitching it over lunch at The Ivy, I'll just post it here. Anyone interested can take the idea and run with it. All I ask for is Executive Producer credit.

Without further ado, I give you: "10-4, Good Lewis... Featuring Buddy Lewis." In this show, Buddy Lewis is a former cop who becomes disillusioned with law enforcement and decides to become a long-haul trucker instead. I see Bronson Pinchot in this role. It may be a bit of a stretch, but I think he could pull it off.

Buddy drives a truck to get away from all the crime and lowlifes he dealt with as a cop. But no matter what he does, he always finds himself in situations where he has to put his law enforcement experience to work. Crimes are solved, punks are put town, and women are loved and left. And his deliveries always make it to their destination on time.

To keep things from getting too heavy, Buddy Lewis peppers his language with the kind of CB talk that was briefly popular in the 1970s. Thus a cop is a "bear", the highway is called "the super slab," and his rig is an "18-legged pogo stick." (Writers can just use this guide to CB slang to fill out more dialogue.)

Each episode would end with Buddy leaving the town where he solved some crime (kind of like those old episodes of The Incredible Hulk). Some grateful townsfolk would stop buddy and say (trying to mimic Buddy's CB talk), "10-4, good Buddy." And he'd reply, "Make that '10-4, good Lewis.'") Several episodes in, it will be revealed why he doesn't like to be called buddy, but we'll save that detail for now.

So there you go, that's my plan to save network television. Anyone else pitching any shows?

TV MAGIC

A long week at work and a bout of illness among most people living under this roof have left me too tired to write much of anything. So let me offer you a minute or two of silliness from Mitchell and Webb. (These guys may well be the second coming of Monty Python... something I must write about as well.)