Someone Define “Alternative” Comedy for me

By: Eli Sairs

“My mother-in-law is quite over-bearing,” “my, how white folks misunderstand our culture,” “what if (insert thing someone at a profession does) did that thing in an OTHER situation, like (insert crazy mis-matched situation, rendering former activity outrageous), that’d be like, whoa!”

So it’s great we have an escape from this kinda stuff, in the form of what alota folks call “alternative” comedy. But I wish those alota folks could clearly define for me what that is. Here are the surface differences, as far as I can tell:

A. Performances are often at music venues, or places that aren’t specific to comedy.

B. You get to/have to stand up.

C. The subject matter and style are consciously different than what you’d find at a mainstream comedy venue.

So A and B are mostly based on Comedians of Comedy/Invite Them Up type shows I’ve seen/been to. The third is the main issue I want to explore. Some comics and fans I’ve talked with claim to prefer alternative comedy, some say it’s just an arbitrary label. I can see where they’re coming from. How different is it? “what if (insert Star Wars/Goonies reference) did that in an OTHER situation, like (insert location from a semi-obscure movie/comic)?!” -or- “Here’s Gandalf as a crossing guard: YOU. SHALL NOT. PASS!!!...and now, Gandalf as a teacher flunking a student…). Of course, there are more than just references (which can be enjoyable, even if a bit esoteric). Some alternative comics play around with structure, which I really do respect. Jon Benjamin and Jon Glaser do two-man hybrids of sketch and stand-up, and play around with characters, which comes as a relief if you’ve sat through too many slick, mass-appeal comics and predicted every twist half-way through the premise. I think it was Hampton who I talked to about how discovering the “Invite Them Up” album was a minor revelation for both of us. “There are people who get my sense of humor!”

[hit the jump for more from Eli's take on comedy from the fringes]

Eugene Mirman (brilliant) claimed that he knew from the get-go that only a specific portion of comedy crowds were going to be into him, and he focused on appealing towards this demographic. Sorry to weave personal details into this, but I’ve deliberated fairly hard on this statement. Some comics and crowd members have referred to my “comedy” as “alternative.” When I try to figure out why, I’ve been given vague answers like “it’s quirky” or “off-beat” (which I do appreciate, though others could claim ‘weird to compensate for lack of talent’). At the Improv competition, I had fun, but the crowd wasn’t really feeling a lot of it. I’d never say it went over their heads, cause then I’m an ass, but at the same time, I’ll defend the material. I’ll say it sometimes goes to the side of people’s heads. All comics can relate to this. I realize that all crowds vary, but I have noticed that mainstream (again, a hard word to define in this context) crowds don’t react the way younger crowds (age-ism!), people who I may relate to more personally, react. Should comics like this take after Mirman’s claim, and say screw the people who don’t get it? Why perform at the Improv for 150 people if you only care to make the 20 or so of “your people” laugh? A laugh from someone who I can’t relate to, with a different sense of humor, is much more of an accomplishment. I want to learn how to bridge that divide. Emo Philips is as weird as it gets, and he could appeal to the mainstream. For his time, was there anyone more alternative in approach then Steve Martin? He became a national phenomenon.

A lot of this seems to be putting down the idea of alternative comedy. I would like to say there’s no difference. But when it comes down to it, if given the choice between seeing or performing a show described as alternative, or a packed, rigidly produced comedy club, I would choose the former in a heart-beat. For some reason, I enjoy the thrill of snagging the attention of a conversing and indifferent crowd at College Perk, with no stage or promise anyone’s there to see comedy, more than I like going up at a place that’s comedy-specific, with lights, a great sound system, and an audience waiting attentively for the first joke.I think lots of “alt” comics could kill at the Improv, and similar places. Funny is funny, it’s the comic’s job to communicate why, even if the communication line is harder to find due to an off-center approach. However, if Zach Galifianakis, who’s said he doesn’t like comedy clubs, feels more comfortable at music venues, in front of the people more likely to be open to his style, should he jump through hoops to impress people looking for something obvious and easy to digest? This just leads to asking what drives the comic to do comedy, and what he/she considers to be “success.” It’s becoming increasingly obvious that this post offers no kind of answers; it’s just a question I wanted to frame, and I’d like to hear how others would pose or answer it.

Read more!

Maria Bamford: Too funny for soap?

I just came across this hilarious tidbit about Maria Bamford's Dad running a campaign against the use of soap. His substitute for soap? A block of wood. Unfortunately, I think he's still pro-showering.
As you may have read on this blog, Ms. Bamford is currently DCC4N contributer Jason's crush du jour. Will this have any impact on his feelings? Word on the street is that he likes his ladies smelling good. This is the most Page Six-like post I have ever written. And it feels gross. But not gross enough for soap. Read more!

Comedians of Comedy of Memories Past....

This picture is the what my brain told me I felt like last night...on the inside.

Jason commented on the Comedians of Comedy show that we went to last night. I actually bought Jason’s ticket so it was like a date (Jason didn’t put out). I agree with Jason’s comments, with the exception of the “I think Brian Poshen isn’t funny.” I like his comedy. I think he’s funny. Jason is biased because Jason was raped by a “scary man” when he was little.

Anywho, the point behind my blog is that I felt a familiar feeling at last nights Comedians of Comedy show, and I’m going to blog about it. Yaaayyyy!! While some of your people (a.k.a. readers of this blog) might think DC is a shitty place for comedy, we have all witnessed some great comics get their start here. And that’s what I saw last night: I saw great comics in their element. And that’s what made me so nostalgic; I’ve felt the exact same way at local open mics, showcases, and club shows where I’ve watched my friends and I perform. It’s getting to watch something great. It’s getting to be in the right place, at the right time and be totally amazed at the magic someone creates with the curveballs their thrown (wow, that was an odd metaphor). I’ve been lucky enough to be friends with a lot of great comic, and I’ve seen them all crush (and bomb), and last night just reminded me of that. I don’t know why I felt so nostalgic last night, but it made me start thinking about all the kick ass comedy moments I’ve witness personally and then talked about on a smokey car ride home.

If you don’t value comedy…you should Read more!

Comedians of Comedy @ The Black Cat (Last Night)

You know what I love about the Comedians of Comedy? There is no smoke and mirrors. There is no in-your-face personas, basking in the glow of their own huge head caked with 2 pounds of hair gel. There are no “catch phrases”. There is no intro music by “Blur”. There are just 4 incredibly funny comics who don’t know how to put on an act. They are incapable of acting too cool for school. They are humble to be in front of you. That is why I can’t help but feel instantly connected to them.

Patton Oswalt is a fantastic jolly little man. I love the way he can instantly make a fool of himself. He made an awkward entrance and immediately called attention to it. “Oh, the little goblin had a problem finding the staircase.” Great!! If the audience can see, then don’t ignore it. It is always more funny to accept the reality of the moment and make it work. That is basically what Patton does all night. He makes it work with what he's got. The guy is super smart. I was in awe of his crowd work, because he is so sharp he can cut anyone up but is still silly enough to never truly offend an audience member. He is just so lovable! I was this close to SQUEEEEZZING him!

I had never really warmed up to Maria Bamford before I went to see the show. I watched the Comedians of Comedy television series and the movie and something never stuck with me. But, I knew there had to be a reason for her to be a part of the tour for so long. I found out as soon as she got on stage. The woman is incredible. She does characters so well that I found myself lost in them. Literally, I was surprised it was the same woman. She has such a quiet & awkward “normal” voice on stage that when she shifts to a character it is quite the surprise. I am sure she does that on purpose, which only adds to how wonderful she is. For a comedian who enjoys playing a lot different characters in a show myself, I really identified with her style and enjoyed it very much.

Someone I didn’t think I was going to enjoy but did was Eugene Mirman. I saw him in Brooklyn about 2 years ago and didn’t really like his stuff. He had a lot of notes and even went as far as to bring a laptop to show off some sort of power point presentation. Needless to say, I don’t remember it being too funny. But last night, I knew Mirman would be bringing his “A-Game”. Well, he is great. So smart and quick. He printed out the survey form from www.classmates.com and read his answers to each question to a great response. His attention to detail, it reminded me of George Carlin. Maybe, I was too drunk and uncomfortable to like him in NYC. But, now I am a fan.

I wasn’t that big on Brian Posehn. He has the highest creepiness/nerd/”rapey face” rating of all of them. It was just too awkward for my tastes.

Even still, I was incredibly happy with the whole show. I have liked Patton for a while now and it was great to see him live. I was so won over by the other comics of the night that I can’t wait to start exploring more of their material. For anyone who missed the show do yourself a favor, check these guys out please. Buy tickets when they come back into town. Buy their CD’s. Buy Ratatouille on DVD and Blue-Ray disc. Buy everything. They all deserve it. Read more!