'Tube Treats: RIP Richard Jeni

The casual fan of standup comedy has probably never heard of Richard Jeni. He wasn't really one of the better-known comics; he's had a career as long as Seinfeld, or Foxworthy, or Rock, but he's never quite reached their level of mainstream notoriety. But he was excellent. Being a bit of a student of the form, I've followed Rich's career for years. His special, "Platypus Man," is one of those specials that I've kept with me on VHS, part of a library that dates back to junior high (hey, you taped 90210, I taped HBO comedy specials). It's a good go-to when you need a laugh.

So you can imagine my surprise, and sadness, when I learned that Rich died earlier this week, of apparent suicide. Tragic. So as a tribute of sorts, and for those of you who weren't fortunate enough to see his material before, I found a couple of clips to put up and give you a sense for how good he was.

First, some older stuff:


And a more recent bit, from "A Big Steaming Pile of Me":


He will be missed.

'Tube Treats

Had a request for some stand-up, so I went looking for a couple of my favorite comics to sample from. This Viacom telling YT to pull all the Comedy Central clips down is pretty annoying, and kind of silly on their part. Apparently, they didn't like all of the potential viewers they were reaching, and would much rather piss off their target demographic. Brilliant business move, Viacom suits. Nice job. But we press on.

Jim Gaffigan, on Kimmel


Stephen Lynch, "D&D"

Two 'Tube for Tuesday: Denis Leary, Rocker

If you've listened to Denis Leary's No Cure for Cancer, then you're undoubtedly familiar with his classic song, "Asshole." What you may not realize, if you didn't spend the kind of time watching MTV that I did as a kid, is that Denis actually had his very own episode of MTV Unplugged, with his very own band (that backed him up on "Asshole"). They've shown up with him at various events (hosting gigs and whatnot, particularly Comics Come Home, as I recall) over the past few years, and are apparently still playing together at shows.

First, a clip from the original Unplugged show, "Traditional Irish Folk Song" (which was also on No Cure for Cancer, I think, but gets a little added bonus here):


And second, the real reason for this post, a recent (by virtue of subject matter) performance, which also marks the first grab from the MySpace video collection, "Mel Gibson Blues":
Mel Gibson Blues

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Good, wholesome, family fun. It's just the Leary way.

Two 'Tube for Tuesday: Thanks KassyK

I almost skipped this week, because of a pileup of work and grad school, but then I saw the title of Kassy's post today, and I just couldn't.

The "Choppin' Broccoli" song is quite possibly the funniest thing Dana Carvey has ever done (that didn't involve a funny wig and nerd glasses). It was made into an SNL skit, but my memory of it has always been from his stand-up. Here is the stand-up version, which gets a little more of an intro to the idea.


And if we're talking about Dana Carvey, then of course we have to have a moment with the funny wig and nerd glasses.


Party on.

Two 'Tube for Tuesday: Classic Carlin

I have been a fan of George Carlin for years. That is, when he was still doing comedy, as opposed to what he's been doing on stage the last couple of years or so. In rememberance of the comic genius that was, I offer the following.

First, one of my all-time favorites, about losing things:


And second, one of the best versions of one of his best, "Stuff," from the '86 Comic Relief show:


I miss funny George. Angry screaming George just isn't the same.

Tasty nuggets of awesome

Found this on Youtube today. Excellent JT parody, "Paxilback".


While we're parody-ing, we might as well give a nod to the master.
The latest, "White & Nerdy":


And the original, "Eat It":


And some more musical chuckles for your arse:
Flight of the Conchords, "Business Time"


Stephen Lynch, "Superhero"


And finally, this isn't musical, but it's absolutely hilarious. Check it out.