Feb092006

Rock Wins Third Grammy, Pryor Gets Lifetime Achievement

Filed Under Awards, Records

As predicted, Chris Rock won the 2006 Grammy for Comedy for his album “Never Scared”, his third after winning in ‘99 for “Bigger & Blacker” and in ‘97 for “Roll With the New”. Richard Pryor also was posthumously awarded a lifetime achievement award, which was accepted by his widow Jennifer Lee Pryor who recalled what Richard said about the honor: “It’s about fuckin’ time.” (The guy won five Grammys for albums that are sadly mostly available only in the boxed set: “And It’s Deep Too”)

I think the real winner from the Grammys might be Rick Moranis and his li’l bit country/li’l bit comedy album “Agoraphobic Cowboy”, which has seen a bit of press in his native Canada (including Ottawa Citizen and Toronto Star - What? No Backbacon Journal?). The backstory of his dropout of the entertainment industry due to his wife’s death and his subsequent discovery of this little sidepath makes for some fascinating reading. I haven’t picked this up yet, but I’m curious after reading about it. Being recognized for a lark is a wonderful thing.

Chris Rock deserves all the accolades he gets, particularly since comedy, perhaps deservedly, doesn’t have an award show of its own. I don’t think Grammy judges know what’s funny, but I’m divided about whether we need awards for comics anyway. Though it’s cool to get recognized by your peers, comedians are supposed to deflate high status but ridiculous events like winning an award for having the genetic material to make your vocal cords that vibrate just so. Roasts are the perfect comedy awards as far as I’m concerned. Do we need a comedy awards show or not?

Previously: And the Grammy Might Go To...

Dec212005

And the Grammy Might Go To…

Filed Under Awards, Records

Grammy Nominations are in for best Comedy Album of 2005. They are:

• The Agoraphobic Cowboy - Rick Moranis
• Family Guy Live in Las Vegas - Seth MacFarlane & Walter Murphy
• Luther Burbank Performing Arts Center Blues - Lewis Black
• Never Scared - Chris Rock
• The Right to Bare Arms - Larry the Cable Guy

I imagine it’s pretty likely Chris Rock is lock for this (considering he’s won twice already and still putting out quality material ), with Larry the Cable Guy a close second. Lewis Black has an outside chance, considering the Daily Show audio companion to America the book won last year. I’m a little surprised Dane Cook’s Retaliation, with it being the biggest comedy album in years sales-wise, didn’t make it. Of course, Dane lives in a strange fame forcefield - a number of blog posts I read about his recent hosting of SNL started with “I’ve never heard of him, but...” And of course, it’d be a bit more interesting to see something a bit more experimental and independent on the list, like The Absurd Nightclub Comedy of Eugene Mirman or Todd Barry’s Falling Off the Bone. I know, I know. It rains puppies and gumdrops in my chocolate Shangri-La!

Any favorites in this group? Anything else that should have been nominated instead? Comment below.

Jun022005

Vote in the ECNY Awards

Filed Under Awards, Sketch Comedy

The 2005 Emerging Comic of New York Award nominations have been set and are now open for voting. If you lust after a particular downtown comic, this is the best way to get their attention, outside of a balloon bouquet sent to their temp job. Vote now!

Feb022005

Does Comedy Lack Social Importance or is Sundance Too Self Important?

Filed Under Awards, Movies

On Blogging Sundance, Jason Calacanis wonders if there should not be a separate award at the Sundance Film Festival for Comedy, citing that funny films just can’t compete against films that are “socially important.”

I’m of two minds on this. I can see the value of having an award… comedy is far too often overlooked, not just for awards, but as something that does contribute to society in valuable ways. Having a separate award would certainly give some well-deserved attention on people not grinding out ha-ha films for Hollywood. And it could start creating a higher standard for film comedy, which tends far to often to rely on premises that are only sketch-thin.

But I dislike putting comedy aside, like it’s something incapable of reaching the heights of a dramatic film. It can and has (see “Doctor Strangelove"). Look at how powerful late night monologues have come about defining our political leaders, traits that were broadly stroked by Johnny Carson have become pinpointedly defined by Jon Stewart. There’s no reason why film comedy can’t be as effective in defining our times.

I’m also well aware that a reason why comedy can reach people better is that they’re guard is down. They aren’t expecting something good for you… something “socially important.” Let dramatists beat people over the heads with “points” and receive the accolades. Far better to be ignored and have the ideas sink in the back way.

Dec162004

This Post Runner-Up in the Lakeside Mothers’ Auxiliary Bake-Off

Filed Under Awards

Comedy and award shows never seem to work together. Award shows, by nature, are full of themselves, even when being “irreverent.” The American Comedy Awards has been dead for nearly three years now and Comedy Central’s attempt to supplant them with the first annual ”Commies” has fallen faster than the actual Commies did.

The web is picking up the slack, online (and soon to be print) stand-up comedy zine Two Drink Minimum has just named it’s “Goddammies,” which is like a Christmas list for comedy geeks (including the Seinfeld DVDs and the Lenny Bruce CD Box Set). The focus on stand-up sees rewards for new faces (Last Comic Standing’s Jessica Kirson), comebacks (LCS’s Kathleen Madigan), dirtiest (nearly-LCS’s Jim Norton) and, perplexingly, hottest (Dane Cook and Sarah Silverman, who are too good looking to need LCS).

Though Two Drink’s selection are already completed, Cringehumor.net is still taking nominations for their year end awards on its boards. The CringeHumor crowd loves darker comics, considering them to have more integrity. So don’t expect to be suggesting the most attractive comic. And best of all, you can indulge your angry impulses and share the “awful comedian of the year” and the “worst moment in 2004.” To give you an idea of how different the two sites are: Jessica Kirson has several nominations for “awful comedian.” If you’re just as opinionated, you can make nominations here.

Sep202004

Emmys: Not So Hideous After All.

Filed Under Awards, Late Night, Sitcom

I normally can’t stand award shows… self-congratulatory excess is one of Hollywood’s worst traits, but awards for comedy writing went exactly where they should (and needed) to go. I’m hoping Arrested Development’s Best Comedy Emmy annoints it as the next Seinfeld, with the subsequent ratings explosion to follow. And in some ways, I wonder if that’s exactly what the voters were thinking too. The show definitely deserves it, but as far as I can see, that doesn’t factor too much in voters’ decisions. Everyone imagined that Sex and the City would get it, as congratulations for such a great run (no matter how much limping to the finish line they did). But with so much concentration on how network TV comedy is over, giving an award to a comedy that was over or nearly over (in the case of Raymond) would have been acknowledging the genre’s best days were behind it. Even if this was a factor, Arrested was the best sitcom on TV last year. Period.

As for the best part of the show, the parody of the Swift Boat Veteran Ad written by the Daily Show writers was amazing. If you missed it, Wonkette has a transcript of it here. Congrats to the Daily Show and its writers (particularly buds Jason Ross and Rob Kutner) on their second Emmy. Also highly-deserved.