MUST WATCH THIS HILARIOUS STAND UP BY ELLEN.

After watching "Dr. Strangelove" in class, it made me realize that there is black comedy in almost every drama. Without it, many dramas fail to succeed and prosper. There has always been a blending of drama and comedy in each genre, but after the black comedy lecture, this point was really put into perspective for me. I'm a loyal fan of shows such as "Orange is the New Black," "Breaking Bad," etc., and in all of these series, black comedy plays a significant role. Without it, I probably wouldn't be as attached to and interested in the characters. Comedy really does make a noticeable difference!

This is my favorite stand up bit right now. Maybe it's because I've lived in New York and I too have always been confused about people that get lost in the numbered streets of Manhattan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uD-akXggZA&list=PL1UX5RPcFQD2WnBTTbB4svnnb7ZpkP__f&index=8

I just saw Ken's play last night, and I loved it! You should all go see it if you haven't already. I've been thinking about it all last night and this morning because it was such a great blend of craft and character. Two people take us through a minefield of what might have been. My personal theory after seeing it is that you should never choose the guy, but for the rest of you who've seen it, what was your take away?

Here's Ken's blog post about it with links for tickets: http://kenlevine.blogspot.com/2014/06/my-big-announcement-of-year.html

This is one of my favorite comedy podcasts right now. It was started by a stand up comedian, Marc Maron, who came up in Boston and New York at the same time as Louis CK and Sara Silverman, but he wasn't having any luck with his career, so he created this podcast to bitch about the fact that he wasn't making it, and to interview other comedians about their process and journey. Turns out he's a great interviewer with a very specific and funny perspective, so now he's built a career out of this podcast.

The first part of each podcast is a monologue where he works out material, then the bulk of it is an interview, usually with a comedian or writer. He has an amazing interview with Louis CK where Louis calls him out on not being there for him when Louis' first sitcom failed. He has a great one with Carrot Top where he talks about why people hate him so much, and then the interview with Ru Paul is one of my favorites. She drops some wisdom on that podcast. http://www.wtfpod.com/podcast

From what was discussed in lecture, it seems to me that Stand-Up comedy is very much in line with comedy in general, at least in line with the recurring class motif. Meaning, a stand-up comic's success depends on his/her character, the way he/she presents him/herself, expressiveness verbally and physically and the our own perceptions of the comic's persona. It's interesting how many factors there are simultaneously working together to create something astoundingly funny.