Louis Ramey's joke-per-minute ratio is the highest of anyone who's auditioned so far. His material skews from the original (Bringing a taser on a first date because "I need a guarantee") to the cliché ("Once you go black, you can't get credit.") He's good at building a comedy pyramid, stacking punch on top of punch on top of punch, especially in his bit about, um, tickling his own Elmo IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN.
Canada's own Sean Cullen is next. He describes Vegas as "where dreams come true if your dream is to lose money, marry a stranger, and get drunk." Dude, that's not even a joke. I think that's what they tell you at the Visitor's Center. He also sang a song about porn that provided fewer laughs than this month's J. Crew catalog. Sorry Sean, but men who wear madras shorts are HILARIOUS. You are not.
John Evans did this bit about how he looks like Count Chocula and followed it up by talking about when his mother wrote the President it was "cute in a child's letter to Santa kind of way". He then threw in a dig about Prez Bush that got a mixed reaction. Regardless, I think he's a good writer, very original, and I would pay to see his show, especially if he would introduce me to Frankenberry.
Heath Hyche's entire set--with its costumes and silly voices--is made of the kind of goofy shit you do when it's Friday night and you're drunk and talking to yourself in the mirror. He does an impression of a World War 2 movie, complete with airplane sounds, a leather helmet, and A JAPANESE MASK WITH SLANTED EYES.
Yes, Heath, let's celebrate racism. Richard Belzer tears into him for dredging up "1940's ethnic stereotypes" and Judge Steve says he would kill himself if he had to watch Heath for 45 minutes. Wow. That's going to leave a mark.
Not. Amused.
I'm sure the very Asian Esther Ku appreciated Heath's set, even though she makes essentially the same jokes without the racist-looking mask. She says that even Koreans think all Koreans look alike and mentions that "a lot of guys want to buy me dinner". Of course they do, Esther. You dress like Chun Li from "Street Fighter 2".
I didn't think she was funny, but this is the same show that unleashed Dat "LET ME REMIND YOU THAT I'M VIETNAMESE AND SO IS MY MOTHER" Phan on the world, so she'll probably end up winning. Richard points out that Esther's jokes are totally PC because "it's legal for a member of an ethnic group to make fun of that same ethnic group." It's legal? Someone please tell Richard that he's not really a cop.
Next is Jackie Kashian, whose audition set remains my favorite of the year. Her opener was hilarious, a line about her hometown inventing the plastic bag that covers your dry cleaning so their motto is "This is Not a Toy". But then she detoured into a bit about her parents that wasn't quite as top shelf. She was still good, but seemed way more relaxed in the first rounds.
In his pre-show interview, Pete Lee described himself as "adorable". Yes, he is. I want to invite him over to bake some gluten-free cookies and then talk about Oprah's book club. What I don't want to is hear him make fun of his own name for a minute. He says he teases his sports loving friends about baseball catchers flirting with the pitchers during the game and does an impression of this interaction for twice as long as he should have. It's OK, Pete, we can still be friends. And make out a little.
When Jim Tavare said that Anne Boleyn died "when her head fell off", he became my favorite. He was also fantastic in Powder.
The lights dim and Bill uses his dramatic voice to announce tonight's finalists. They are Marcus, Jim Tavare, ESTHER EFFING KU, PAPA CJ (here is where I paused to throw the remote across the room), SEAN CULLEN (and I made another dent when I winged one of my shoes against the wall), Iliza Shlesinger and Louis Ramey.
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Comments (2)
I've only seen this one episode, but you were spot on. Jackie Kashian should have been picked over any of the three you named. I especially didn't like the Indian guy - partly because his humor is so limited by his accent. Ku seemed limited, too, but at least I like how she looks.
Ramey and Tavara are my early picks. (They should do this sort of thing for a living.)
Most of these people seem pretty likeable. And it's such a tough business - my hat's off to them for having the guts to get as far as they have.
1 of 2 | Posted by fire@will | Posted on July 16, 2008 8:00 AM
I agree with your picks...
The indian dude pisses me off to no end! I find his delivery very condescending, like he is (not-so-discreetly) calling the audience stupid with every punch-line...
Iliza & Tavare are my early faves... :D
2 of 2 | Posted by KrispyDixie | Posted on July 16, 2008 9:25 AM