7/31 LCS Show Discussion

[pg13]

I'm watching this as it airs here on the West Coast...and I can't believe how CRUEL this show is being in how they're making the comics perform...and THEN telling them if their performance last week was good enough for America to vote for them again.

Last year, it was bad...they'd tell the comics one by one that they'd made it and then, immediately upon being told they'd made it, they had to perform...BUT THE ONE'S THAT WERE OUT DIDN'T HAVE TO PERFORM.

The crowd in the room tonight doesn't know WHY they don't go on--since they're not being voted on by the performance that they JUST SAW THEM DO!!!

Awful and cruel.

pg--...but any comic would do anything for a chance at a quarter of a million dollars.--seattle

[Google]

 

[Harvest]

Nobody has mentioned Iliza's twice-their-normal-size boobs. I think she kept the "cutlets" from the Playboy challenge. I thought she might pull them out as part of a joke, but apparently it was no joke, just an insecure Texas girl who is now working on a dowager's hump. We did think she had the best performance tonight, along with Jim.

Originally Posted by Krom

Jim is charming, but that really IS all his act is. Charm. The jokes range from so-so down to... kinda lame. But because of that charm he's more watchable than he should be with those lame jokes. Up until the Jimmy Hendrix/carrying his Bass stuff, which was actually kind of a nice comical idea.

And now we have to listen to the WORST comic on the show--Bill Bellamy. Ick.

We actually thought Jim's jokes were funny, and very polished, except for the Hendrix joke. I still gave him most of my votes (hubby voted for Iliza).

We agree about Bill Bellamy. Not only was he never funny on the show, but if he were a contestant, I'd have voted him out.

Originally Posted by Krom

I got called out of the room for about half of Adam Hunter's set. But what I heard of him was far funnier than anything that came out of Louis Ramey's mouth.

That was the funniest I've seen Adam, but too little, too late. The viewers sent home the 3 I picked to go home, but it was still uncomfortable to see their hopes crushed like that. One thing about this show, it is not predetermined like so many other "reality" shows. You could see how much they all wanted to win, or at least make it to the final five.

[pg13]

So, here's my take on the sets tonight...

MARCUS: I've seen Marcus perform dozens of times in person, so I knew this chunk of material very well...and, as he always does, Marcus brought a solid performance to the stage. (Trust me, when he did his Pearl Jam impression in the Seattle area, it totally popped the crowd.)

One odd thing that I've noticed Marcus do...is that he's picked up a little bit of Jeff Dye's vocal mannerisms since he's been on the show. Not anything that you guys would notice--but as someone who knows both of them and their acts very well, it's interesting... It's in how Marcus is saying certain things that is different than it used to be--different in a way that reminds me a lot of how Jeff says certain things.

Marcus' talent is in being a mimic...and, like a sponge (not a slam, by the way), he absorbs things and has the ability and skill to use what he absorbs and incorporate it into his own performance style. (Marcus was cool enough to give me a CD of the rock band that he'd been in...and I knew that his favorite singer of all time is Chris Cornell of Soundgarden and Audioslave...and Marcus' singing with his band exhibited this same ability--to absorb the things that he enjoys and to incorporate those things in his own performances.)

I think Marcus will always be fighting for respect against charges that he isn't as original as he should be--but I think he's also smart enough to know that he is a powerful performer that people truly enjoy...and as long as he's honest in trying to present original material the best way he knows how, he shouldn't ever have anything to worry about...

...but, it WAS weird to hear Marcus doing an unintentional Jeff Dye impersonation tonight.

RON G: Ron is another strong performer...and, like Marcus, I imagine that he rarely leaves an audience unsatisfied with his efforts and his energy. I wish I liked Ron more, though...as I find him quickly falling into repetitive and static act-outs...that his set rarely amounts to much.

I was, however, surprised to learn that Ron didn't get enough votes from America to be considered for voting tonight. I thought that he was charismatic enough to get the votes necessary. I guess this suggests that some people in America ARE voting in significant numbers based more on comedy stylings than on charisma.

(Or it suggests that the voting isn't completely legit--but I won't feed the tinfoil hat wearers further with any of that sort of talk...)

JIM TAVARE: He had a stronger set tonight than he had last week. The girlfriend (last night I can call her that, by the way, as I'm getting married tomorrow!) said that Jim reminded me of her favorite LCS alumni, Jay London...and I can see that, as they both have that untethered one-liner style. Jim gets enough laughs quickly enough that it doesn't matter so much that his act doesn't have a narrative thread...and I do like how he incorporates the unusual element of his double bass.

I wouldn't have guessed that Jim would have been voted in by America. (Repeat my comments from Ron G above, here...as I thought that Jim's spot in the final five was going to go to Ron G.) But, America DOES love a prop comic, doesn't it?

ADAM HUNTER: Watching Adam's personality package before his set, it's funny...as it totally feeds into my stereotypical feelings regarding wrestlers that Adam Hunter does the kind of comedy he does. Drug using, strip club frequenting, self-body-image obsessed, sex-centric empathy deficient. Adam seems like exactly the kind of guy I think he'd be...

That's not necessarily a bad thing in comedy...as you can find lots of laughter from the perspective of people you might not necessarily enjoy or relate to... A clear presentation of who you are gives the audience a stable perspective with which to appreciate your observations.

That said, I'm still not that much of a fan of what Adam's done tonight... Too often, he gets one obvious laugh for each obvious comment he makes--and that's the definition of shallow humor. It's worked for him so far because it's easy and obvious--but that will only take him so far (...for example, it took him this far...and no further.)

As he continues to do comedy, hopefully he'll challenge himself to dig deeper and find more... Otherwise, he'll just be another bitter comic who doesn't really like the women he sleeps with...and heaven knows there are enough of them going from gig to gig.

Not surprised he didn't get America's vote for last week's set.

LOUIS RAMEY: I recognize that Louis is the most professional comedian that made the house this year. He's smooth, solid and unflappable. He delivers his material like he's done it hundreds of thousands of times before--which, I believe he has... The problem with this is that I felt precious little connection to what Louis was saying... It was a perfectly perfunctorily professional comedy set...but, as such, it felt inconsequential and a bit generic.

...and the term "pandering" came to mind as he started talking about how great America is...even if there was a swerve (obvious as it was) towards the end of it.

I wasn't certain that America was going to recognize Louis' strengths and professionalism to make up for his lack of energy or connection...but he did, in fact, make it to the final five. Will tonight's set win enough respect to push him past the younger, more energetic, more engaging and more charismatic options?

Frankly, I doubt it.

JEFF DYE: Those teeth are genetically predisposed to be on network television, weren't they? And he cut (and flat ironed?) his hair this week...meaning that he looks less like Chuck than he has lately.

I liked that Jeff Dye did material about his family right near the top of his set. It humanized him...it seemed less like he was performing a collection of jokes from his act...and more like he was in the moment and sharing funny things that he was thinking about...WHICH IS THE KIND OF MAGIC THAT WE WANT FROM A STAND-UP COMEDIAN. Of course, every comic has an act...but a good comic makes you think that each time is the first time he ever noticed this stuff...and Jeff's opening really exhibited that skill tonight.

And the jokes about "Guess Who?" is an example of Jeff Dye being smart enough to know where "the line" is when it comes to minefield topics. He's a white guy--and it isn't easy for white guy's to talk about anything related to other races without risking offending the crowd. (As Richard Belzer might say, "that's illegal...and just the way it is...") Yet, I think Jeff managed to do that in a way that didn't lose his connection with the crowd.

I assumed Jeff would make the final five...and he did...and I think he's got a good chance to win this whole thing (if not Marcus...who I think is the other favorite.)

...oh, remember what I said about Marcus accidentally absorbing a little of Jeff's vocal styling into his performance? There was one joke that JEFF did in his set that included a moment that was very reminiscent of something that another Seattle comic (the extremely funny Andy Peters--google him and watch some of his videos) does...

This isn't some sort of Carlos Mencia thing--no one is purposefully stealing anyone else's stuff...it's just that when you hang around comics, you subconsciously pick up little things that they do...and sometimes it comes out when you do what you do. (Trust me, if you work with Jim Gaffigan over a weekend, you have to work really hard not to do that sotto voce commentary thing that Jim does...)

Marcus wasn't trying to pick up things that Jeff does and Jeff wasn't trying to pick up something that Andy does--but it's wild watching it happen on national television!

SEAN CULLEN: Sean is an amazingly funny man, he's got a certain style of performance that collapses many of my friends into hysterics. I don't think he's the best at the three minute showcase format, though...and I thought that his "Farm Song" wouldn't be enough to move him on last week (although I DID think that his reputation, and his work with Corky & the Juice Pigs on Mad TV, would have him in close competition with Louis Ramey for a spot in the final five anyway.)

This week, he tried to do impressions on a show that features a hot young impressionist...he did impressions of someone who isn't all that current and is someone who "everyone" does an impression of, without bringing anything truly new to it...and he did music-based impressions on the same night that the other impressionist on the show did music-based impressions.

That was a strategy doomed to fail.

ILIZA SCHLESINGER: We know what we're going to get from Iliza. Some like it, some don't. Some are rooting for her because she's the last woman...and some are rooting for her because they feel she got picked on...and some are rooting for her because she puts her cleavage on national television display nearly every week.

I figured she'd make the final five...and I don't think it matters whether or not this particular set is any better or worse than any of the others that she's done. She hasn't repeated material and she's stayed true to her comedic voice...so, good on her...but she's not changing anyone's mind at this stage of the game.

My prediction for how America will vote?

5) Jim Tavare
4) Louis Ramey

This could be flipped around, with Louis 5th and Jim 4th, but I just don't think that either of them will set too many fingers tapping out votes for all of the email accounts the way that the others will.

3) Iliza Schlesinger.

I've rarely been as certain about anything as I am about Iliza taking third.

And now the tough part. Personally? I think the top two will be very close in votes...and I believe it could go either way... In fact, in my heart of hearts, if I were to make the decision, I might flip these next two around...but this is based on America voting...and, I think it will be...

2) Jeff Dye
1) Marcus

America's Got Talent-ishness gives Marcus the edge in voting...but I could also see Jeff Dye winning over hearts and minds over the course of this show...

...but I've been wrong about these things before, so, we'll come back in a week and see...

pg--seattle

PS--I had to sign a release to allow NBC to use some of the photographs that I took of Marcus during this week's show... It was fun seeing a few of the photos I took of Marcus during last year's Seattle International Comedy Competition in the montage (the black and white one taken behind Marcus in front of a huge crowd was one of mine...there was at least one other one...)

...but I think I saw some photos of mine in Jeff Dye's montage, too...but they went by pretty quick...and perhaps some of them were actually taken by my good friend Heather Christianson (a Seattle comedian in her own right...) One of the photos of Jeff was taken when Jeff was a cast member in a weekly variety show that I produced...and that was cool to see.

I also want to give props to my friend Brian Moote...the guy standing next to Jeff Dye's parents in the audience shots during the show. He's now based in Boston and he's definitely a comic on the way up himself!

PPS--We spent too much time in the audition process looking at people in costumes...and far too little time with the talented performers who actually made it to what was supposed to be "the show."

I don't know if there'll be a Last Comic Standing 7...but it's very cool knowing that there is a 40% chance of the winner of this year being someone that I know and like very much.

[shoepie]

Jim Tavare- He makes me laugh before he opens his mouth. His look creates antcipation of what will come. I don't like prop comedy and wish he would drop the bass. His sets fall a little flat for me though I like the guy. I want more.

Sean Cullen-I like his sets better without a song though he has as great voice. The song contents are one joke and tend to go on too long. He obviously shines with a longer set. I thought he did well last night but I was not surprised to see he didn't make the cut. He is a witty man, as I saw in the very few scenes in the house, but it didn't come across in these short sets.

Ron G- I just never liked anything he did. His facial expressions are too similar for each character, as well. Not that changing that would make me like him better.

Marcus- I can see he is accomplished and I want to like him more than I do. His eyebrows are distracting.

Adam Hunter- I don't like his material. It tires me.

Iliza Schleslinger- I like her but and her material is pretty good but she doesn't drive me to call.

Louis Ramey-Very good comic. I like him.

Jeff Dye- He is my favorite. I love his material, delivery and presence. He is a breath of fresh air.


I predict:

1. Jeff Dye
2 Louis Ramey
3. Iliza



Hey, pg, congratulations on your marriage today!


.

[Marysafan]

thought Jeff Dye knocked it out of the park last night. His "Guess Who?" bit was laugh out loud funny.

Is it just me or does Adam's timing seem to be just a tad off. It seems like he comes in too quick with the punch line. I get that he's rapid fire...but sometimes the brain needs a second to absorb the question before you give the answer. It's a rhythm thing...and Adam desperately needs some.

[Harvest]

Originally Posted by pg13

I'm watching this as it airs here on the West Coast...and I can't believe how CRUEL this show is being in how they're making the comics perform...and THEN telling them if their performance last week was good enough for America to vote for them again.

That did seem cruel to us, but what is the alternative, telling them they are out and then immediately making them perform, like they do on American Idol? That would have been unbearable!

But given the weakness of the three ousted comics' sets, and the look on Sean Cullen's wife's face that they showed right before he was booted out, I'm not entirely sure that the "losers" hadn't been advised of their status ahead of time.

Originally Posted by Marysafan

thought Jeff Dye knocked it out of the park last night. His "Guess Who?" bit was laugh out loud funny.

The gag went on way too long, and racial jokes are so trite. I was rooting for him before, but he did not give the best performance that night. He is definitely TV-good-looking, however, which should take him far.

Originally Posted by shoepie

Jim Tavare- He makes me laugh before he opens his mouth. His look creates antcipation of what will come.
...
Hey, pg, congratulations on your marriage today!

He reminded me of the tuxedoed, bald-headed comic/magician Handsome Jack, seen at the Magic Castle in LA. Part of his gag was to wear thick black googly glasses so his "look" would contrast with his talking about what a hot stud he is (don't know if that sounds right, but he was very funny, and talented!)

Wow, pg, congrats!!!

[CAdreamin]

I absolutely loved Marcus and Jeff last night. I'm sure one of them will win.

Jim reminded me of Jay London as well. But I like him a lot more than Jay.

Louis and Iliza were both pretty good but I doubt either will win.

I'm so glad Ron is gone. He needs to find another job imo.

I thought that Sean was really funny last night. Too bad last week he did that awful farm song.

No surprise that Adam left. He just wasn't my cup of tea.

Congrats pg, have a wonderful wedding!

[pg13]

Thanks, everyone, for the good wishes on my big day today.

(What am I doing on the FORT, you wonder? It's the calm before the storm.)


As far as the cruelty of telling them that they hadn't made it last week after they'd just performed this week--someone wondered what they should have done... Well, that's easy. They should have not had the eliminated comics perform and, instead, given more time to the comics who are still in it.

Tell them at the top of the show who is in or not.

Or, have them all perform...and then announce the eliminations at the end.

The way they did it last night was nightmarishly mean.

pg--I voted last night. Did you?--seattle

[CAdreamin]

I agree with you pg...either way would have worked far better than what they did.

[Krom]

Nobody has mentioned Iliza's twice-their-normal-size boobs.

I seem to recall that in the audition show, they seemed that size. I think its just that she wore looser clothes in the "house" episodes.

That did seem cruel to us, but what is the alternative, telling them they are out and then immediately making them perform, like they do on American Idol? That would have been unbearable!

I disagree. Making them perform after telling them they are eliminated saves face for them more than the reverse. Why? Because then they can take the attitude of "I'll show them how wrong they were". Even if its NOT true, there's more chance of them coming out of it looking like winners than being shot down after their set. And on Idol, the singers are usually amateurs who get very emotional over the chance at stardom and know that losers frequently fall into obscurity. Whereas on LCS, the EXPOSURE of being on the show in the first place is probably as much or more of a reward and boost to their careers as winning. They have a much better motive to not take it personally, to buck up and do a killer set after feeling the elimination axe.

Or, have them all perform...and then announce the eliminations at the end.

That wouldn't have been a bad idea either. It would give some distance from their sets, and a sense of equality to the finalist announcements. No cheap shots that way. Even if Ron G. and his Yooge ego kind of deserved it.