The Mature Thing To Do [Simpsons Clip With Celebrity Cartoonists]

via videosift.com

In this video: By re-showing a clip The Daily Show took out of context, Bill O'Reilly proves that The Daily Show had judiciously re-packaged the clip in a pretty accurate and funny new context. Then some CNN pundits ignore that fact and say inane things.

[UPDATE] Horror Stories From SNL in 1995

A choice excerpt, because I don't feel like I have sold this piece well yet. Skip to the end, if you don't like Roseanne, but do like stories about Norm MacDonald punching people:

Lately, the extracurricular action in the writers’ room has been more colorful than a lot of the writing.

The show hosted by Sarah Jessica Parker, in November, included a song contrasting love’s higher and lower impulses. Michael McKean sang chastely to Parker, plunking an acoustic guitar; then Sandler cranked up his electric guitar to underscore sophomoric lines like “I’m gonna give ya the wood!”

During rewrites of the piece, Kightlinger jokingly suggested to the group that the song be made even more explicit—and found herself the target of a crude barrage. “A couple of them turned on her,” says a close friend of Kightlinger’s, “with these really vicious, mean sexual things. . . . She’s one of the strongest people I know. Very tough to faze. And it made her cry.”

Kightlinger, who wrote for Roseanne last year, has been reciprocally shocked by the thin skin of her new colleagues. “I’ve had to pare down my sarcasm big-time,” she says, adding that she now feels “really positive” about SNL. “In the writers’ room at Roseanne, you could shit on each other and everybody would laugh. But here, it’s like, ‘Wait a second—that’s a piece I’ve worked on, dah, dah, dah.’ It gets personal in a hurry.”

In December, Ian Maxtone-Graham, a self-described anti-smoking zealot, complained about Norm MacDonald’s lighting up in the writers’ room. MacDonald shrugged it off. So Maxtone-Graham extinguished the cigarette by squirting MacDonald in the face with a water pistol. MacDonald punched Maxtone-Graham in the head, knocking him to the floor.

I Did An Interview With Peep Show Co-creator Jesse Armstrong

It's up at the website for the PRI-syndicated radio show, The Sound Of Young America. Here's the opening blurb:

Jesse Armstrong is one of the co-creators and writers of the BAFTA-winning BBC sitcom Peep Show. (A BAFTA is like a British Emmy.) Now entering its sixth series, with a US version in development at Spike TV, Peep Show is a funny, but cringe-inducing, depiction of the lives of two twenty-something flat mates, played by past "The Sound of Young America" guest David Mitchell and comedy partner Robert Webb. No less an authority on UK comedy than Ricky Gervais called it "The only British thing that I was really blown away by in the last few years."

Armstrong has also written for other acclaimed television series, including the sketch series That Mitchell & Web Look and the political satire The Thick of It.

[Hey, TSOYA visitors: Wh's'happening?]

Someone I Know Was On The Colbert Report

This is semi-old news in the world of my acquaintances, but I just thought I'd post Jon Golbe's November 3rd, 2008 appearance on The Colbert Report. This will probably be the last time (for a while) I'll get to use the "Election 08" tag on this blog:

Andy Rooney Game

Everyone already knows about this, but me.

Here's the original!

Posh Nosh

I saw this cooking show parody while staying up late and watching public television in the Untied States, where I live.

From the show's BBC2 website:

Welcome to the world of POSH NOSH. For me, this is a dream come true. All my life, I've wanted to bring extraordinary food to ordinary people.

This website contains some of the recipes featured in our award-waiting BBC2 series. You may find some of them difficult at first. The techniques are complex, true. And, yes I agree, the language is unusual and hard. But I know you wouldn't want it any other way. Extraordinary food should never be simple. And it certainly mustn't be cheap. One of the lovely things about having a website is that it keeps out people who can't even afford a computer!

[via BBC2 Posh Nosh]

Here are all eight (there may be nine), 10 minute episodes on Your Tube and My Space:
1. Architect's Fish and Chips.
2. Birthday Parties.
3. Paella.
4. Beautiful Food.
5. Bread & Butter Pudding.
6. Leftovers.
7. Sauces.
8. Comfort Food.
9. (which allegedly exists, according to the imdb, but I doubt it) Gilled Sole.

Also and Lastly: Here's an unusually thorough Wikipedia entry. (Bless you, Wikipedia.)

MOVED A DAY (CUZ OF RAIN)!!!! THIS SUNDAY!!!!!! August 31th!!!!!!! 2:30pm!!!

THIS SUNDAY!!!!!! August 31th!!!!!!! 2:30pm!!!

I'm subletting my apt. to pursue cartooning (and general journalistic/historical/scientific weirdness) FULL TIME!

WHICH MEANS there is only one weekend left to throw an amazing BBQ STUNT* SPECTACULAR on my roof celebrating my 25 and 3/4's years of being alive!

Even though I haven't thrown my own birthday-related party since inviting my whole class to see "Back to the Future Part II" in the theater — I will attempt to have lots of delicious things for everyone! (but please bring Foods and Drinks, also, to meet demand.)

ALSO: There will be music, and a kids' pool on the roof. Does that cover everything?

IT DOESN'T: MESSAGE ME ON MYSPACE OR FACEBOOK FOR DETAILS.

*Due to a recent Park Slope Council ordinance, an area-wide moratorium on spectacular stunt permits is in effect until the next calendar year. In compliance with this there will be no stunts at Matthew Phelan's 25th and 3/4 Anniversary Stunt Spectacular.

Banksy Comes To New Orleans

Weirdly touching graffiti bullshit from a gentleman I frequently debate the earnestness and relevance of. Ever since his secret (nerdy) identity has been allegedly discovered, everything about him feels just slightly more endearing and slightly less Nathan Barley.

THIS SATURDAY!!!!!! August 30th!!!!!!! 2:30pm!!!

I'm subletting my apt. to pursue cartooning (and general journalistic/historical/scientific weirdness) FULL TIME!

WHICH MEANS there is only one weekend left to throw an amazing BBQ STUNT* SPECTACULAR on my roof celebrating my 25 and 3/4's years of being alive!

Even though I haven't thrown my own birthday-related party since inviting my whole class to see "Back to the Future Part II" in the theater — I will attempt to have lots of delicious things for everyone! (but please bring Foods and Drinks, also, to meet demand.)

ALSO: There will be music, and a kids' pool on the roof. Does that cover everything?

IT DOESN'T: MESSAGE ME ON MYSPACE OR FACEBOOK FOR DETAILS.

*Due to a recent Park Slope Council ordinance, an area-wide moratorium on spectacular stunt permits is in effect until the next calendar year. In compliance with this there will be no stunts at Matthew Phelan's 25th and 3/4 Anniversary Stunt Spectacular.

Hey, Buddy? Ergonomic Cup Of Joe?

"The shape breaks free of a nearly universal design constraint of cups, the linear vertical axis."

Designed by award-winning artist David Pier, this ergonomic coffee mug has no funny sayings on it or anything. Plus, it looks weird. According to Pier, from the website:

By using a different approach to the design process I developed a revolutionary cup that is unusual and beautiful in appearance and superior in function. The form flows from the shape of hand and mouth, the weight and volume of the contained fluid, and the relations between these. The undulating rim fits the lips better and prevents spills on the side opposite the handle. A level rim would be easy for the factory but would lessen the user’sexperience. The design no longer is dictated by the manufacturing process. The oval body brings the center of gravity closer to the hand. The shape helps make the strong porcelain even more resistant to breakage. The shape is attractive and interesting from any angle. The handle and body can be held in several ways, all more comfortable than traditional mugs.

[Thanks, Jess! This is, excuse me, a damn fine cup of coffee.]

More Funny Things [Banner Ads]

[Via Gallery of the Absurd]

Rove/Edwards September Smackdown!

I am super excited about seeing these titans debate in a college auditorium: John Edwards & Karl Rove — Friday, 9/26/08, 8 pm, Alumni Arena University at Buffalo!!!1!! Tickets go on sale tomorrow morning! (I'm already practicing my "Don't Tase Me, Bro!")

Milbank Fucks Up

WaPo's Dough-faced snark merchant, Dana Milbank, flubs a very lazy attempt to put his own imprint on the recent GOP talking point, "Obama's doing a victory lap: that dude's arrogant." As funny as Milbank can be sometimes, I have to admit that his whole "pointing out the absurd theatricality of Washington" shtick is wearing thin. It's not exactly a well-developed tool for critical analysis. In fact, why do I feel like this guy is auditioning to be a Daily Show correspondent every time he's on MSNBC?

Oh, right — because he does shit like this:


[When covering the time Cheney shot his buddy on a hunting trip]


[I have no idea what the context was for this.]

I say "Blergh" to you, Dana Milbank.
Stop being the political equivalent of Dave Barry.

Batmobile To The Dark Side

It looks like political jerks have figured out my main qualms with The Dark Knight and are touting them all as a good thing. For example, the WSJ's Andrew Klavan:

There seems to me no question that the Batman film "The Dark Knight," currently breaking every box office record in history, is at some level a paean of praise to the fortitude and moral courage that has been shown by George W. Bush in this time of terror and war. Like W, Batman is vilified and despised for confronting terrorists in the only terms they understand. Like W, Batman sometimes has to push the boundaries of civil rights to deal with an emergency, certain that he will re-establish those boundaries when the emergency is past.

Thanks, doofus. Remember that time Bush personally put himself in harm's way? Oh, wait he didn't ever.

You Have To Learn To Crawl Before You Can Walk

Fallon to start `Late Night' online, not on air

High Speed Video Of Man Blowing Raspberry

Where's my animated GIF, internet!?

Stuff White People Hate

White Whine is a pretty funny tumblr of white people complaints, e.g.:

Complaint #222
“I hate political LOLcats.”
-Whine by Lindsay

[Via, Alex P.]

Alleged Photo Of A Young Banksy From 1989

Is Robin Gunningham (seen below in his 1989 class photo from Hogwarts) the radical chic enigma and guerrilla graffiti artist known as Banksy?



The UK's Daily Mail thinks so — as does the YouTube commenter who beat them to this scoop 9 whole months ago. (Ctrl+F for "Robin" on the YouTube thread until you get to it.)

"Iranian Missle Test" Photoshopping Contest

[Click this to go to it.]

[UPDATE: Gizmodo posted my image! Yay!]