Comedy's newest whipping boy

Why the constant drama, comedy?

It seems stand-up comedy needs a whipping boy. One day it's Dane Cook, another day it's Carlos Mencia. Today (the last few weeks, anyway) it's Kyle Cease. It started with Doug Stanhope's post lambasting comedy classes in general and Cease's Stand-up Boot Camp in particular.

I have no horse in this race since I have no strong opinion on comedy classes. I tend to think you can't teach funny, but having never been to a comedy class, I don't know if that's what they're trying to do. You can't teach someone to be a good painter or jazz musician, but you can give him the tools if he has a modicum of innate talent to begin with. (And please substitute 'her' and 'she' where applicable.)

Hearing comics railing about the issue is funny. But not in a ha-ha way. It sounds, from an outsider's perspective, a bit like they want us all to know they're truly special and what they do can't possibly be taught. So don't even bother. Yes, I know, they're not really saying that, but that's part of it. They're also saying any information you can get in a class, you can get for free from your fellow comics so a class is nothing but a cash grab. So be it. But isn't any kind of class a cash grab? You can pay thousands of dollars to hear a famous screenwriter give a seminar, and lots of people do. Will any of them go on to become famous screenwriters? Maybe a tiny percentage of them, but they'd probably excel without the class, too.

People attend classes and seminars for whatever reason. Some just need a kick-start. Some use it for networking. Who knows? Who cares!

But this Boot Camp costs three thousand bucks, they scream! It's a rip-off! Hey, caveat emptor, baby. If someone's willing to pay it, it's obviously worth it to them.

Who none of the critics are slamming is Louie Anderson. I don't understand that. Why does he get a free pass? Apparently he's well respected for his years in the business even though in my opinion he has never been funny. And I can't see what 30-year advice he can give that would be relevant to today's comedy wannabes. Then again, as I say, I haven't attended the boot camp so I can't be sure.

Another free pass is given to Eddie Brill, who does these kinds of classes all over the place. Maybe the particulars are different. I did sit in on one of Eddie's classes once and it looked great. Comics would perform for each other and critique each other's act, which I think is useful. But Eddie's words of advice held more sway. Now, Eddie is a peach of a guy who everyone loves. Plus he is the gatekeeper to the Holy Grail that is the Late Show with David Letterman and comedians would no doubt be wary of biting that opportunity in the butt.

If it isn't completely obvious, let me state that I don't think Eddie Brill should be slagged for his classes, just as I don't think Kyle Cease should be. I just think comics should be consistent and honest. If it's classes they don't like, you can't pick and choose. And, not that it's relevant, but Doug Stanhope is another peach of a guy (seriously!) and one of my favourite comics on Earth.

I heard Kyle on the Comedy and Everything Else podcast. He was way more serious than he was the two times on What's So Funny? but he had a bigger point to make. He was defending himself. He found himself a pariah in the only community he's been a part of for 20 years. Still, I thought he wasn't as serious as some are saying. He made lots of jokes but in a completely dry way. I had no problem with Jimmy Dore's interviewing technique, either. Some thought he was confrontational and constantly interrupting, but I thought he was respectful and interrupted no more than he does on any other episode (which, granted, is a lot but that's part of his charm).

As I mentioned, Kyle was on our program twice. The second one is lost but one remains and you can hear it on iTunes. Or right here, if you'd rather. It's a completely different Kyle Cease than you'll hear on Comedy and Everything Else. He's animated and constantly joking. Then again, it was in 2005 and he wasn't yet the outcast he's become.

Episodes 185ish & 186ish

Here are two enjoyable episodes for your collection. You do collect all the podcasts, don't you? And trade them with friends? I apologize that they're slightly out of order but the station was having download issues. Whatever, they're timeless. Who cares if one originally aired before the last couple? Not I! Oh, and because of said station issues, I must also apologize publicly to Carter Hortie. He joined us on air several weeks ago and if you missed it, you missed it. That episode has been lost forever. I hate when that happens, especially when the episode is a good one. We've lost a few over the years. We'll never get back Rob Pue or Kyle Cease's second appearance or Sugar Sammy's first two appearances. Sigh. So sorry Carter, but you're in good company.

I can't post the episodes for you right here on the blog due to a problem with the server I use and my ignorance of other ones. But fret not, it's still easy-peasy. You can listen over at the Comedy Couch podcast page. And here's the link to all the shows over at iTunes. There are 186 (and counting) to choose from. But here are the latest, with individual links to the episodes.

Episode 185ish: Sean Kent talks about history, his two seasons on Last Comic Standing, his bout with cancer, politics, and a bit of basketball in an on-location interview downstairs at Lafflines Comedy Club in New Westminster, between shows. The show aired on April 11, 2010.

Episode 186ish: Local boy Jy Harris somehow managed to sneak by all these years without ever having done the show before. But we eventually got him. He brought the Polish Princess with him, who provided us with a nice distraction during the show. We talked about why he doesn't drink and his two experiences on The Jerry Springer Show, among other things. This show aired on March 28, 2010.

Saturday night in Seattle

I am back from our whirlwind trip through Washington and British Columbia. I didn't have time to blog (excuses, excuses), so this is late. Last Saturday night sitting in my hotel room I checked out three entertainment options. 1. Jazz Alley, a block from the hotel. It was some high school band. 2. Giggles comedy club. A competition. Just what I didn't need. 3. The Comedy Underground. Two-time What's So Funny? guest, Kyle Cease.

My mind was made up. I hopped in a cab down to Pioneer Square. Kyle was standing outside the club and kindly offered to comp me. Bonus. That's the perks of co-op radio, folks.

It was largely a good show. I particularly liked Stu Baker, who was assisted to the stage by two men. Turns out the 54-year-old Stu has Muscular Dystrophy. He killed. Sometimes comics with disabilities get an extra level of laughter and applause because the audience really wants to be supportive. This may or may not have been the case with Baker, but he deserved all he got and more. The guy is really funny. Here's a clip:



Next up was the headliner, Kyle Cease, who I'd seen twice previously, both times at Yuk Yuk's. He had a gorgeous Vancouver actress girlfriend who accompanied him to the radio show both times. Unfortunately, the couple broke up, which is one reason we haven't seen Kyle back in town. Too bad. The guy has a crazy frenetic energy. Too often, such energy is a substitute for comedy chops, but he makes me laugh. On this night, he performed a completely new set, including about 10-15 minutes on Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett, who had died only 48 hours earlier. His closer, wherein he recaps the evening in slow motion, was the only thing the same, and even that is inherently different each time.

Here's a clip of Cease in action. For those of you wondering where you've seen him before, he played Bogey Lowenstein in 10 Things I Hate About You, as well as the slow clapper in Not Another Teen Movie. Or, more currently, maybe you saw his Comedy Central special, Kyle Cease: Weirder. Blacker. Dimpler. Either way, this is him:



I just checked the What's So Funny? podcast library and for some reason there's only one of the episodes with Kyle Cease. The other one, I guess, is lost forever. No problem because this first one was the better one (I have no idea, actually, but let's go with that). So here's Kyle Cease on his first appearance on What's So Funny? from October 25, 2005:

Two-time WSF? guest does good

I just read that Kyle Cease has won the Comedy Central Stand-up Showdown. If you don't believe me, see for yourself.

Good on him. Kyle has been on our program twice before and is the only guest we've had who's essentially done his act in studio. I like it, but it's different. I think that's an American style thing. Down south, stand-ups get invited on to radio shows and usually it's a morning zoo kinda deal where everything's wacky. The comic works in a bit and the hosts cackle and ring bells and blow buzzers and all that. Obviously on our show, we don't do any of that. Hell, we hardly even laugh. But he was a great guest. I just checked our podcasts and see only one of his appearances is up. I'll have to look around to see if I have the other one. Meanwhile, if you haven't heard it already, you might enjoy Kyle Cease live in our studio from September 25, 2005.

Speaking of podcasts, as some of you may have noticed, the last one we uploaded is from December 2007. What can we say? We were distracted in '08. It flew by. This very morning I awoke to not one but two e-mails (one from a total stranger, the other a former guest) who asked when we were going to be posting more. Let me just say that's a new record besting the old mark of zero. So let that be my New Year's resolution. I know we had some great guests last year. So I'll work on getting some up for you and I'll let you know right here when that happens. But don't, as they say, hold your breath. Unless you have the hiccups, in which case by all means hold your breath until they go away.