comedy
Latest
WoW Moviewatch: World of Warcraft stand-up comedy routine
Yeah, I couldn't believe it myself. Rosacrutian, who apparently plays an Undead Warlock on the Moonrunner Realm, promised a buddy of his that he'd do an entire 5-minute stand-up routine on World of Warcraft. This is one of those things that gets funnier as it goes on, because it's so painfully unfunny. I hope this guy got a ton of free beer afterwards from his buddy.Cheers to you, Rosacrutian, for swallowing pride and dignity and doing that routine. You are now legendary.And that's what you get on a Saturday night.
Comedian Jimmy Carr takes act into Second Life
Irish funnyman Jimmy Carr is set to become the first major comedian to perform stand-up in Second Life. On February 3, as Carr takes the stage in London, his routine will be simultaneously broadcast to a select audience in the virtual world. Will his signature deadpan survive the translation?Carr is giving away tickets to the event through a competition on his MySpace page.[Thanks Joe](Note: the BBC story grossly exaggerates the size of Second Life's user base. See: Analyzing the press' Second Life obsession)
Because you can never be too safe
You've heard the stories. Seen it on the news. Nintendo Wii consoles, on a rampage. Decimating joints, impaling innocent television screens, and taking candy from babies. We here at Nintendo Wii Fanboy place your safety at the very tippy-top of our list (but right below Twilight Princess), and thus, we'd like you to peruse this new and improved safety catalog for the Wii.Some things on this list were obvious, like not skydiving with the Wii and attempting to use it as a parachute. But did you know that the Wii cannot toast bread? Fooled the hell out of us. We beg of you: for your own safety, take a glance at these helpful pictures.The more you know.[via GameBrink; thanks to all those that sent this in!]
NBC looks to resurrect Must-See TV with all HD lineup
NBC is shuffling its lineup and to make Thursday a "Must-see TV" night again, it is pairing two of our favorite HD comedies My Name is Earl and The Office, with returning -- and now HDTV-ready -- series Scrubs, and new show 30 Rock. There's also some show called E.R. at 10 p.m. but does anyone really watch that anymore? 30 Rock moves to Thursdays beginning November 16th as it joins with Earl and The Office in super-sized 40-minute episodes, but the block trule comes together on the 30th with the arrival of Scrubs in the 9 p.m. slot. That seems like a pretty powerful lineup to us, but it remains to be seen if easter eggs, emo hipster doctors and a british comedy transplant can bring back memories of the Seinfeld / Friends lineup of yesteryear.[Via TV Squad]
Dead Rising humor: I hate you, Otis
Here's a little bit of comedy for Friday, courtesy of Something Awful. For those of you who have played the game, you know of the security guard Otis. He's the guy who gives you a transmitter -- quite possibly the biggest mistake you can make. Otis will provide you with "scoops," which are essentialy the side missions of the game.However, it seems that Otis only calls you when you're being swarmed by a group of zombies and, when he calls, you can't attack (as you're holding the phone while the text is displayed on the screen below). Doing so will hang up on Otis but, no worries -- he'll call back. "Don't hang up on me," he says, "it's rude." Way to be understanding there, Otis, you fu ...... you know, we'll save the rant for Something Awful. It's pretty funny, so click on the link and enjoy.
Improv sketch comedy at Pokemon Day
The wacky sketch-comedians over at Olde English were going to film a sketch in New York's Bryant park this weekend when they ran smack dab into Nintendo's Pokemon Day. Instead of going home dejected, they made the best of the situation and did some improv Pokemon comedy on the spot. Die-hard pokefans might not like the disrespectful tone of some of the jokes, but anyone who can't laugh at the kid who's jealous of the level 200 Rayquaza probably has no soul.
In the groove with Elite Beat Agents
You've seen it in action -- now see it in stills, courtesy of Gameworld Network! Or at least in a regrettably short preview. For such an intriguing title, there seems to be a tragic dearth of footage of Elite Beat Agents out there, so we'll take what we can get. This latest preview focuses largely on comparisons between the original Japanese title Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan and the unconnected "sequel" Elite Beat Agents scheduled to hit in November. The game features all new stories created just for the English version, but from the levels listed in Gameworld's preview, they're just as filled with wacky hijinks as the original. In the two stories mentioned, players have to assist a dog mistakenly shipped far from home and a teenage girl forced to babysit when really, all she wants to do is snuggle with her boyfriend and talk about going steady. When the distress is too much, these sad individuals call for help and those saucy men in black, the Elite Beat Agents themselves, show up to help out with a little hip action, Bob Fosse-style.A limited amount of attention is given over to the controls, which is fitting, since things don't seem too complicated. There are circles that need to be tapped. Tap the circles. Keep the beat. Save the day. And keep it all cool and superfly. Right on!
Switched On: A direct hit
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about the future of technology, multimedia, and digital entertainment: "Hey there. Is this place new? I've been to this mall many times and never saw it before." "Yes, sir. Welcome to The Hewlepsmark Inkjet Printer Cartridge Experience." "No kidding. A whole location devoted to just to printer cartridges?" "Not just any printer cartridges. Only Hewlepsmark inkjet printers. You see, after some failed early experiences with tech manufacturer-direct stores from Gateway and Microsoft, the past few years have seen Apple, Sony, Nokia, Palm, Nintendo, and now Pioneer move forward with their own retail stores. Even Dell and Samsung are using their own retail space to showcase their products. Soon we're bound to see Coby Corner, Craighead, and jWINdow Shopping. It's all the rage. "So, we thought, as one of the world's premiere printing companies, why not develop an environment where we can really reinforce the brand identity and provide a showcase for our great variety of inkjet colors, the best printer cartridge shopping experience possible. We also have weekly seminars, like the one next Wednesday about the link between third-party refill kits and gingivitis."
"The only thing that would have made the original NES better is if it had worked"
Kyle Cease, a stand-up comedian who also had roles in 10 Things I Hate About You and Not Another Teen Movie, covers NES sub-culture in this clip from one of his acts. Kyle sends up everything from out-of-touch parents ("MOM! PRESS THE B BUTTON!"), the fragility of the cartridge slot and the "suspenseful" music made out of bleeps.Before you click continue to watch the video, be aware that this is definitely NSFW.
Sam Suede: making gamers laugh, one wedgie at a time
In an interview with Gamasutra, Leisure Suit Larry creator Al Lowe (who, judging by the photo on his website, is really just Rob Reiner in a poorly thought-out disguise) decries the game industry's "copy rut," whereby publishers see a successful game or genre and emulate the hell out of it. That's where iBase Entertainment, Lowe's new studio, comes into play. After a decade of retirement, Lowe has returned to develop Sam Suede in Undercover Exposure, an "action comedy" that uses jokes instead of violence (e.g. taking out guards with wedgies, and not by slicing their throats). You can check out the amusing teaser trailer here.We would love to see more humor in gaming. A few games (Psychonauts, Rayman Raving Rabbids, Sam & Max) are attempting to buck the trend, but the current landscape is predominantly ultra-serious (and, in most cases, ultra-violent). How do you think the industry as a whole could incorporate more humor into its work? What are some recent comedic titles that we have missed?Sam Suede in Undercover Exposure is set for release in 2007 for all current and next-generation platforms, the PC, and the Sony PSP.
Switched On: Boot Camp - The Miffing Manual
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a weekly column about the future of technology, multimedia, and digital entertainment:"All right! Listen up, maggot! Welcome to Fort Dragg. I am your Commanding Microsoft Office-er Sgt. Pepper! How do you like that for trademark infringement, Apple Corps? I bet you came here today because you wanted to serve your computer company by beta testing Boot Camp? Well, let me tell you something. It ain't gonna be easy, you puke!"Over the next 50 minutes, I will become your father, your mother, your Apple Specialist, your third-tier tech support person, and your best friend! Your heart may belong to Apple but your butt belongs to me! Your precious vendor won't support other operating systems, so you better be quicker than a FireWire 800 port, because if you ain't, you just may blow your disk up with your laser mouse."You come here as a sack of rotting apples unfit to touch a scroll ball! But I will tear down your hard drive into partitions until you cry. You will feel the burn like a driver CD. You will break like compatibility with classic Mac applications. Your identity will be so far gone that Spotlight won't be able to find it. Remember, there is no Windows ME in 'team.' If you can reset your system clock, you will leave with a time-killing, dual-booting, PC game-running machine! Do you hear me!?""Sir! Yes, sir!"
Apple employee gets fired for hilarious standup/poetry routine
I love the 'six degrees of everything' effect of the world wide web. I especially love it on a Sunday morning that is the second day of my spring break, as I have the time to check out this hilarious video of a standup/poetry routing from a talent show on the Apple Campus (thanks to TUAW commenter Mike). While the routine is a riot, what (apparently) came out of it is not: the employee says Apple's VP, who was hosting the event, fired him for it.I have embedded the video from Google Video in this post, and you'll need Flash to view it. I'd recommend actually going to the post at Google Video and downloading it while you can, before Apple legal attempts to obliterate it from the 'net.
Apple adds Comedy genre to iTMS, or: why I'm going broke
Apple has sealed my death sentence by adding an all-inclusive Comedy genre to the iTunes Music Store. I call myself a dead man because this top-level genre covers everything from audio and video content to audiobooks from all the big names, and as soon as my fiancé finds out how much I'll be spending in the ITMS from here on out, I fear my days are numbered. Highlighted names and comedians include Lewis Black (a personal fav), the Blue Collar Comedy Tour, Chris Rock and the Family Guy Live in Vegas album. Laugh it up boys and girls.[via iLounge]
Switched On: Burning love
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a weekly column about the future of technology, multimedia, and digital entertainment:Baby, on this Valentine's Day, I want you to remember that our love is as rare as an Xbox 360 on a retail shelf and as deep as Gizmondo Europe's debt. You know I'm someone who appreciates the best that life has to offer -- as long as it's offered at a reasonable price. When I rolled up in my Kia Amanti ("the Kimmer," as i like to call it), put that sweet chunk of cubic zirconia on your finger and read you the love poem I'd written on my Brother GeoBook personal digital notebook, I knew you'd be mine forever.This year, I wanted to get you something romantic, something sophisticated and something substantially under $25. I thought candles might be nice but, as you and my parole officer know, I am not allowed within 30 feet of a blunt object since the incident regarding the $399 notebook at Wal-Mart last Black Friday. So I considered getting you a Philips Aurelle LED candle. The key to the LED candle is a light source that flickers to approximate its fiery counterpart. I bet the LED candle story is a lot like the one that led to the development of Post-It notes, you know, where the engineer developed a weak adhesive for which no one could find a use. "Hey, Klaas, I can't get this darn LED to stay lit!"The Aurelle candles are available with a choice of three frosted glass candle holder cups -- in round, square and triangular shapes -- for about $20. The amber lighting units have rechargeable batteries and, in an interesting twist, several of them can be charged simultaneously from the same charger by daisy-chaining them together magnetically. Could anything symbolize our love more than multiple hook-ups? Unfortunately, though, it's relatively easy to see the metal contacts even in the cups, which compromises the effect. And, baby, I need the look to be right when I'm putting out my best Chinette for you.
Switched On: Enter the lay tricks
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a weekly column about the future of technology, multimedia, and digital entertainment: The scene: A hotel room on a rainy night. Pentius and Duo face each other near large, comfortable red chairs that look like leftover props from Pee Wee's Playhouse, yet no one is filming a Radio Shack commercial. "Pentius! It's an honor to meet you!" "Please, have a seat, Duo. The honor is mine. I imagine that right now you're feeling a bit like a noob in the middle of a large computer store. You're here because you feel something that's eating at you that you can't explain. Do you know what I'm talking about?" "What is..." (squinting at the badge on Pentius's computer) "V eleven v?" "It's pronounced 'vive." Do you want to know what it is?" "Actually, there's this E! True Hollywood Story about "Who's The Boss" that I -""VIIV is the hype that surrounds the industry. You can see it in every computer magazine, in Intel's booth at CES, in keynotes from Microsoft. Soon it will be in your living room, your bedroom, anywhere you have an Intel-based desktop. Duo!" "Yes?""Were you listening to me or staring at that big pile of co-op funds from Intel?""I was, uh... OK, so this vi'iv thing? What is it again?"
Switched On turns one: The Maven
Every Wednesday Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, an opinion column about consumer technology, multimedia, and digital entertainment. Today's Switched On's first birthday, so as a present we gave Ross his very own banner. Wish Switched On a happy birthday, why don't you? Once upon a midnight madness sale I sauntered, steeped in sadness,Through the shiny piles and aisles composing my computer store.Suddenly there came a rapping. "Skeet skeet skeet." Had I been napping?Energy, it had been sapping from my soul for weeks or more.Yea, those loathsome customers had chilled my being for weeks or more.Back-to-school had drained my core.Soon the winds would bring the winter - time to sell each mouse, each printer."Profit!" said I, "Thing of evil? Nah," applying Avacor.For while came the rare exception, money flowed from deep deception.Ignorance would find reception warm throughout each corridor.From these fools I'd find the dollars flow down every corridor.Idiots I did adore.There I saw him, by the mobos, dressing like those unkempt hobos -Greasy hair atop the fat and pimples that adorned each pore.Mannerisms quite absurd, he stood there mumbling, looking nerdy,Yet I could not find the word he brought to mind inside the store.In that squalid rust of malice did he slither through the store,Saying naught and nothing more.Fate approached him as a customer who seemed at once to trust him."Are these cameras any good? I've never shopped for one before."Glasses thick, stubble unshaven, spewing trivia like Cliff Clavin,On he went, this crazy maven bragging of his Slashdot score."If you read my blog, you'd know my postings rate above a four.'Funny' and 'Insightful' are the words you'd see with five or four."After which she fled the store.Then a man who lacked acumen caused his targeting to zoom in."Windows spyware drives me nuts. Removing it is such a chore."This Mac mini sure looks swell so buying it would end my hell, no?""Apple's switching to Intel so I would wait a year or more"And you'll want new software too if you don't wait a year or more."Quoth the maven, "Leave the store."
