Jacob Sirof: He shows off his multiple Star Wars tattoos, explains the difference between a geek and a nerd, and riffs on Buddy Holly, a reference sure to enrapture the show's target 18-34 year old audience. Too bad his second set--complete with "no fat chicks" jokes--didn't earn him a trip to the semi's because I would've loved to have heard some cutting edge satire about the Big Bopper.
Erin Foley: She mused about locksmiths why they're always cranky because their equipment sounds like REEREEEERERIIIIRIIEEEE. I think she got the ticket just so they wouldn't have to hear that sound again, since it has Ark of the Covenant-style face melting properties. She got a lot of screen time for her showcase set, which was shaky at first (Mississippi digs the statutory rape, yo) but finished strong with a bit about Wachovia bank's "we're absolutely obsessed with customer service slogan" that was, quite possibly, better advertising for the bank than their shitty commercials.
Jackie Kashian: I admit it, I didn't initially dig her but during the second round, I learned that she's my fave type of comic: the stellar writer who has excellent stage presence. She had a great set about Civil War reenacters that included the phrases "dork forest", "hard tack with weevils in it", and "Jackie Kashian puts out for pelts". She reminds me of Kathleen Madigan (although K-Mad is a bit more fashion forward) which can only be a good thing. My all-around favorite.
Eddie Pepitone: He's a shouter, an "I remember Sam Kinison" kind of shouter. He wears a newsboy cap backwards. His teeth look like they all raced from the back of his mouth to the front, colliding in the most violent way possible and I wouldn't be surprised to learn that he smells like salty meat. But he's funny. He did a shouted rap (complete with obligatory camera shot of a black audience member laughing) and it involved anti-depressants and his cats. I'm pulling for this guy.
Although this one's gonna be hard to beat.
Ruby Wendell: My notes were "She's a hugger. Hugs aren't funny". She talked about auditioning for a Valtrex commercial and how she'd "never wanted herpes so bad". Meh. To her credit though, she (and Amber Tozer) are true "amateur" comics and--unlike several other second setters including Buddy Holly--she hasn't appeared on Comedy Central or late night TV. That makes me like both of them a lot and hope they can ride this bit of pub for a while.
Ben Gleib: He compares women and fire. Angela liked him, Oscar wasn't impressed. Angela could've been overcome with his t-shirt and blazer combination. Since he's dressed like the headshot of every early '90s comic, he HAS to be funny, right? Right? He had a few obvious punches about computer viruses and "Girls Gone Wild" and if someone had offered me a $5 pitcher of Bud, it could've been an open mic at Mr. Chucklepants' Comedy Hut. After googling these people (not a euphemism), it seems the ones with the most acclaim are the ones I liked the least.
Jennifer Murphy: She giggled through her entire set and said she wears two shirts because she sweats a lot. That's all I could even think about.
Esau McGraw: WE HAVE A YELLER! And also a fantastic name for a Neo-Christian country singer.
Meghan Hounshell: She played acoustic and sang a song about vaginas. She's probably very popular at Borders bookstores.
What? No vag songs? NEXT!
Avi Liberman: I really liked his delivery. Every interview with Angela talked about how she was looking for a "polished" set and this guy was smoother than a freshly waxed baby. I'm not sure if his set was too El Lay though. He told jokes about comedy. He told jokes about Los Angeles. But he won a bit of my heart with a line about how if a teacher notes that you're creative on your report card, it just means you can't do math. It's funny because it's true. Sob.
The semifinalists from Los Angeles were Erin Foley, Ron G, Eddie Pepitone, and Jackie Kashian. In my head, Jackie is the best of the show. I was a bit surprised by Ron G's call up--Amber, Avi, and even Jacob had stronger sets--but Google told me that he's played on Bill Bellamy's "Who's Got Jokes?" show. Cross-promotion? Conspiracy? You make the call.
A quick note to the participants: You're not supposed to cry when you're not chosen. You're supposed to blog about it.
The second hour kicks off in Houston, where some of the early auditioners don't understand that doing impressions (of Mike Tyson, Robin Williams, or a Charo-stripper hybrid creature) don't make you a comedian.
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Comments (3)
I thought only two out of Houston was weak. And in my opinion, Andi Smith sucked and had the "my agent told me to look surprised when they put me through to Vegas" look on her face.
The show is rife with conspiracy theory, but after accepting that it's not truly a shot for an amateur to make it, it becomes watchable.
1 of 3 | Posted by EZ Rider | Posted on June 2, 2008 10:46 AM
Argh, thanks for spoiling that last episode of House I haven't watched yet.
2 of 3 | Posted by mareneli | Posted on June 3, 2008 7:28 AM
This show is so worthless. Have there been any people trying out that we would recognize? That's all I ever tune in for. A comic actor looking to break big; one of those guys who tells jokes on Best Week Ever.. something like that. Otherwise, a complete waste of time.
3 of 3 | Posted by Memememe | Posted on June 3, 2008 9:40 AM