Sacha Baron Cohen's "Borat" follow-up Bruno has gotten an initial rating of NC-17 from the MPAA. No need to get up in a tizzy, as it's far from final. The harder footage will likely make the DVD.

Why did Patrice Oneal drop his website and Facebook? Patrice: "I think if you like me or you don't like me, you should have to work just as hard to tell me as I work to do my (stuff)... I don't know if somebody should feel like they should be having MySpace conversations with Robert De Niro." (Times Herald-Record)

New on CD: John Mulaney's "The Top Part", Dana Gould's "Let Me Put My Thoughts in You" and Stephen Lynch's "3 Balloons"

New On DVD: The complete Andy Richter Controls the Universe and the stand-up specials from Dana Gould (Let Me Put My Thoughts In You) and Craig Ferguson (A Wee Bit o' Revolution)

Thanks to fans, "Colbert" wins a NASA poll on what to name a space station module. NASA may still not live up to the dictates of the Colbert Nation when they pick the final name in April.

Cartoonist Dan Meth has a series of maps of sitcoms that show where in the USA and in NYC they take place. Plus: where the kitchen is in the house. (Hmm, left or right?)

Stand-up Steve Hofstetter is on the road 300 days out of the year. "The other two months I'm in my apartment in NYC. It's the world's most expensive mailbox." (CollegeHumor)

This evening, President Barack Obama will appear on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, a rarity for a non-campaigning politician. Still doubt it'll be talked about as much as the Jim Cramer / Jon Stewart interview.

Gervais won't be appearing on the U.S. version of "The Office." Rumor started with a Scottish paper. Maybe they have it confused with some other country's version of "The Office"? There's like 20 of them.

It sounded like a joke last night, but The Colbert Report is actually going to tape a week of show in the Persian Gulf as part of the USO. What's also true: that can't tell us when or where exactly.

Brian Regan on Steve Martin as a Wild and Crazy Guy: "I think he became so big that he became this thing, and that can be a dangerous line to cross in comedy -- 'Oh, he's the guy who does this.' Where's the surprise, you know?" (mlive.com)

Louis C.K.: "The Greatest Generation gets too much credit... It's just circumstantial. It's what you're called on to do that makes you great. We haven't been called on to do anything but buy shit and get fat." Vanity Fair via Videogum

Reality-TV-sodden MTV actually thinking of order up to five comedy pilots. Included are a couple based on web series including Private High Musical and Dan Levy's Long Distance Relationship.

Jay Leno will perform a free show for Detriot's unemployed, billed as his "Comedy Stimulus Plan." Tickets will be handed out Monday on a first come basis. Your employment status is on the "honor system."

2008 is history, but the Comedy Smackdown lets you pick your faves for the year in stand-up, videos, websites and, quaintly, text pieces.

After canceling four shows due to shortness of breath, Robin Williams needs heart surgery. Though his brother died during heart surgery in 2007, Williams issued an optimistic statement stating he "can't wait to get back out on the road after a little tune-up." That would be in the fall, as the rest of the tour has been postponned.

Charlie Murphy making a web-series for Sony's digital portal Crackle. The first video conclude with "That's comedy, bitch", demonstrating Murphy doesn't worry about being Rick-James-ed like Chappelle.

Kevin Smith will direct Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan in a detective comedy with the literal title "A Couple of Cops." With Smith oeuvre why they can't go with the original title - "A Couple of Dicks" - is beyond me. (Variety)

Christopher Guest: "One time, we had The Folksmen open for Spinal Tap... the audience looked completely bewildered, like 'What the fuck is going on here?' It was great." (Wired)

The fake metal band of Spinal Tap will return with a new tour, but Michael McKean, Christopher Guest and Harry Shearer won't be getting into costume. Hence the title: "Unwigged and Unplugged." Tour starts April 17 in Vancouver.

After reports of stalled negotiations over budget, Comedy Central announces an order for a third season of "The Sarah Silverman Program." The network will share production costs with Logo, its gay-focused sister network, which actually raises the budget for the show. Nicely played, producers.

1 in 6 residents of Tennessee have told jokes about Obama's race but just 15% of the same residents say those jokes are funny. There's a 1 to 2 percent overlap there who like to tell unfunny jokes, right? (Nashville Post)

Chuck Lorre's sitcoms aren't dying. CBS is looking to give both "Two and a Half Men" and "The Big Bang Theory" multi-season renewals. Now can someone else make a hit sitcom?