Chelsea Peretti on World’s Dumbest TruTV

Welcome back to The Expressionist Magazine

Usually when one may become a comedian later in life, it’s fairly obvious at an early age.  The typical M.O. of a future comedian would be the typical “straws up the nose” gig at the cafeteria during lunch, or the produced bodily noises during the silence of the teacher’s lecture. It’s all for a laugh; it’s what makes the class clown.  Yes, comedians often start at an early age, usually popular through school for their antics, and one you don’t want to turn your back on because you never know if there will be a sign stuck to it.  For Chelsea Peretti, she didn’t fall into that category at an early age, she did come out of her shell in the 8th grade, she was destined to make a mark on the world.  “I figured out being funny was a good survival skill in school.”

However, like anything good, you can’t rush it. It takes time to brew and get to perfection before its grand reveal, and that is exactly what happened to Peretti.  Her “class clown” phase didn’t start till she was in 8th grade when she really started to joke around with her classmatesl, but despite her funny side, Peretti really wanted to be an actress; comedy was the cherry on the cake.

It wasn’t until college when she realized how free you are in comedy.  For instance, you don’t have to wait to be told what to do; you have the ability to take the bull by the horns, and with comedy you have more freedom of expression.  Finally, a friend convinced her to try an open mic night at a local New York club called the Parkside Lounge and from that point on, her destiny was carved in stone.  Like it or not, she was a comedienne.

All in all, Peretti has performed on many a great stage doing stand up comedy, but still falls in love with the smaller, more intimate venues.  Making people laugh, breaking the vicious cycle of drama in people’s lives, helps inspire this comedienne to keep doing what she loves best.  Peretti is a skilled artist.  Her canvas is the stage on which she stands.  The paint Peretti uses is a colorful collection of her many jokes.  And her masterpiece?  Making you laugh till you have your drink blow out of your nose.  Ah, the special moments that only a comedienne can treasure.

World’s Dumbest on TruTv

Chelsea Peretti is probably best known right now for her cameo role on TruTv’s hit series, World’s Dumbest.  The series, “in a nutshell,” has videos captured by real people doing, well, dumb things.  The show’s categories include partiers, drivers, and criminals.  As the video plays, celebrities get on and mock the people by making witty observations.

The clips really sell themselves, but these celebrities enhance them even more so with their observations.  Sometimes the funniest part of the video is something they see and point out that we, as viewers, didn’t even catch.

When Peretti originally did the spot, she wasn’t supposed to be on there as permanent, but after only one taping, the show’s producers asked her to come back… and I’m glad they did.

Peretti’s expressions, mixed with her sarcastic tone, helps make World’s Dumbest a success and she’s one of my favorite personalities to watch on the show.  Peretti isn’t alone on the hit show.  There are other celebs such as Danny Bonaduce, Todd Bridges, Leif Garrett, Judy Gold, Tanya Harding and more, and when you get them together, it’s an hour of pure craziness.  Just be sure not to drink anything while watching this show because it very well may come out your nose.  Okay, you’ve been warned.

The episodes run on Thursday nights at 9PM.

Other Projects from Chelsea Peretti

Peretti created a series called All My Exes, a web based video series where she sits down with her ex-boyfriends and interviews them like Barbara Walters. What you get is a hilariously awkward video where she makes these guys squirm with questions that would make your mama blush.  Peretti dives deep and personal, describing why she broke up with them and pursuing their answers for why they behaved like they did.

The series doesn’t actually portray her real life ex-boyfriends, but watching the videos you’d swear they were.  According to Peretti, the reason behind the series is, “ I can’t find a decent, lasting relationship to save my life. I thought it would be fun to poke fun at it.” It makes you wonder though if these scenarios are real or not… but we’ll let that be Peretti’s little secret. {wink wink}

You can see this series at www.myspace.com/chelseaperetti

Peretti also created Black People Love Us, a website that hilariously satirized a white couple using black people ”to be cool.”   To check that out go to www.blackpeopleloveus.com

Ralphie May – Tastes Good, In My Mouth

It’s been a little over a year since Ralphie May came to Tampa. Last time he was here he sold out three days at Side Splitters Comedy Club in Tampa and left to a standing ovation. He came back again this March, selling out four days Thursday to Sunday, with the 9:00 PM show over sold by 41 seats.

If you ever have seen his show you’d understand why he sells out. Ralphie May is a master of turning obvious,everyday occurrences into a “pee your pants” laugh. He’s tons of fun, literally, at almost 400 pounds.  May incorporates his appetite and love of food into a hilarious act.

He is also known for his over the top rendition of sexual comedy.  May can make a porn star blush and he does it with almost no shame in his face. Only a true comedian can do that because the rest of us have a hard enough time repeating those kinds of jokes without getting embarrassed. Politically correct is something May is not and that makes the other half of his routine just as shocking. While your drink spews out your nose you might shout out, “Oh no he didn’t!”

May is a long time veteran of comedy, but the world really got their chance to know this amazing comedian only a few years ago. It was then that May appeared on the hit TV show on Comedy Central called “Last Comic Standing.” May was the second runner up in the very first season of the show (2003), and from that day on he never looked back.

Since his television victory, he has appeared on HBO and the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, in addition to Comedy Central. May also has a few DVDs out called Ralphie May-Girth Of A Nation, Ralphie May-Prime Cut and Ralphie May-Just Correct, and he is about to release his new album/DVD, Austin-Tatious.   All of his DVDs and CDs have become best sellers and I can easily predict Austin-Tatious will follow in the tradition.

May has seen both sides of the success pendulum. He started out in clubs traveling across the nation, playing in front of 25 people or less and doing shows in sold out theaters in front of 21,000 people. I got a chance to spend some time with the comedian while he was at Side Splitters Comedy Club in Tampa and I asked him what his most memorable show was. Without a flinch, May was quick to reply, “I have played shows in front of thousands and in front of a handful, but either way my shows are memorable. Just because it’s not a large crowd doesn’t mean it’s a bad show; some of my best shows were in front of small crowds. My best show, however, is always my last show.”

May also took the time to lend some advice to aspiring comedians; advice that anyone can apply to their dreams of success. This advice comes from a man who worked hard to get himself where he is today, and it’s a proven formula for success. “ To succeed in comedy you must write material, go to all open mic nights you can, and practice, practice, practice. You won’t be good at first, but the more practice you get, the better you are. Nobody gets on a bike and rides it perfectly the first time. Nobody does anything perfect the first time, so don’t be afraid to have a bad show; comedy is no different. You will never get anywhere in life if you sit around waiting for things to fall in your lap; everything you do takes a lot of hard work and dedication. Success comes with time and the more effort, the sweeter the success.”

In addition to putting on a great show, May loves his fans. He credits them for his success and says he would be nowhere without them. He always brings merchandise to his shows, but stresses that if it comes down to buying something from him or tipping the wait staff well, do the latter of the two. He always has some free stuff available for his fans such as a handshake, a photo opportunity, an autograph or even a hug after the show. May will please his fans at all costs which is refreshing coming from a popular television personality. Instead of charging for the simple things, he gladly gives them to you for a smile.

I had a blast watching him perform live, and getting a one on one interview (which is also a podcast on our magazine) with him. I learned a lot, I laughed a lot, and can honestly say he is well worth the night out. If you want to see if May coming to your town, go to www.ralphiemay.com/myspace. You can also visit the comedian, buy his merchandise or see his schedule on www.raphiemay.com. If you want to see some of the free stuff, visit him on YouTube by  just searching Ralphie May!

George Lopez – Mexi-CAN

George Lopez’s career has been outstanding, and every so often when I watch his stand-up routines I hear him credit that he is one of the few Mexican comedians who can say they hosted their own sit-com.  He’s right.  In 2005 he broadcasted the hit show “George Lopez” of  which he is the co-creator, writer and producer. The show now airs on Nick At Night.

Most of Lopez’s comedy is based on his childhood, growing up in a poverty stricken family living in Mexico with his other siblings.  To the average person these stories would be sad, but Lopez has a way to turn them into hilarious puns that will make you laugh and laugh.  His execution of the jokes really creates the essence of his performance, with those slap stick poses, sounds and looks he gives while throwing a punch line.

His story is an inspirational one as well, proving no matter where you come from, if you work hard, and are determined enough you will achieve your goals; and he has done just that with a Grammy nominee in 2004 for his CD “Right Now Right Now.” his television appearance on HBO’s, Inside the NFL from 2003-04, and he won the 2003 Imagen Vision Award, 2003 Latino Spirit Award for Excellence in Television and the National Hispanic Media Coalition Impact Award. George Lopez broke the race barrier by being the first Latino to host a spot on the Keystone Morning Radio Spot owned by Clear Channel.  Another accomplishment by this fantastic comedian is he authored a best selling book “Why You Crying,” an autobiography of his life.

Today Lopez is just as busy acting in movies such as: “Balls of Fury” and most recently released by Disney “Beverly Hills Chihuahua,” which he is the voice to the gardener’s dog.

To me, George Lopez is one of the funniest comedians of our time, I adore his show and he’s proven to be one of the most successful Latino performers of the 20th century.  He had a line in his show “George Lopez.” where Max said I can’t and George Replied…. “Max your Mexi-CAN not Mexi-Can’t.” and he certainly lives up to that very quote each and every day.

Lynne Koplitz at the Tampa Improv

I love to laugh, that’s one of the reasons I enjoy patronizing comedy clubs as much as I do.  Life is too serious for all the drama, sometimes you need a break to just sit back and laugh and that is exactly what I intended to do when I went to the Tampa Improv on Friday July 25th to see the headliner “Lynne Koplitz.”  Over all I had a wonderful experience, the food was great and so was the performers for the most part; meaning 2 out of the 3 shined. 

The Opening “BOMB” Act

The opening act was about 15 minuets or less and honestly it was way too long.  I could not wait for that lady to get off the stage.  I can’t even remember her name that’s how unimpressed I was with her. Throughout her act, she stood there after telling a joke waiting for some kind of laughter or response, yet all you could hear was the sweat dripping off her face splashing onto the stage, oh and maybe some crickets chirping. Can you say “awkward?” Her entire bit was about bashing Republicans, who filled most of the room, and voicing her hippy ways upon us by bashing religion, glorified same sex marriage, and war jokes all within her show. She would’ve made Pelosi proud had she been there.  I don’t know what part of California she came from but her act did not go over well here in Tampa. My advice for her, choose better topics to joke about and don’t use the comic stage to voice your radical liberal opinions, thats what a protest line is for.

The “Featured Act” – John Rathborne

The featured act of the night was John Rathborne.  He was actually amusing, a pleasure to watch on stage. His goofy looks, his sharp one liners would easily catch you off guard.  I personally loved when he would tell a joke that these two guys in the front row didn’t get, he would try to explain the joke to them sarcastically!  My favorite bit of his from the act, was his smoking jokes.  ”Ah.. You smoke Camel Lights, so that’s like… I know I’m still going to get cancer from this, but I am in no rush to obtain it.”  I love it.  The people loved him too, his act lifted the spirits of the crowd, shocked from the opener.

The “Headliner” - Lynne Koplitz

Finally the headliner took stage: Lynne Koplitz.  Here is a fantastic comedian whose gorgeous and funny at the same time.  Lynne’s act was based on the woman’s point of view with sex and the family life of today. She effectively took real life situations from the past and present and told the joke without lying; the truth is what made it so funny!  Men and women alike could easily relate to her truthful comedy and laugh. Quite honestly, with all the male comedians picking fun of the women with sex, it was a nice reprieve to hear a woman’s point of view and joke around about the men!

Another part of Lynne’s act was based on her childhood here in Florida and her mom’s carefree parenting style.  She brought to life what parents did back when she was little, like lock the kids up in the car while shopping.  If you did that today you would go to jail, back then it was not uncommon, nor illegal… Lynne made great humor of those exact type of situations.

Lynne Koplitz was a great act to watch, she made me laugh throughout the act.  The beauty of Lynne’s performance is that she effectively takes things we do everyday, and shows us how funny we actually are doing it.  She compares how simple yesterday was to today, making you laugh at how critical and complex we made our lives to be.  A brilliant act, and someone I would love to see again next time she rolls through the Tampa Bay area.

Side Splitters Comedy Club – Tampa Starts To Laugh

Since the early 1990s, Side Splitters Comedy Club has been one of the premier places in Tampa to enjoy stand up comedy from both amateurs and professionals alike. The walls are filled with the comp cards of these numerous great performers. Side Splitters Comedy Club even was the birthplace to a few popular comedians, most notably Larry “The Cable” Guy. This was the feat that helped turn Side Splitters into the club it is today.

It wasn’t long before the owners realized the potential this club had, not only for the Tampa Bay area but aspiring comedians too. For years they held an open mic night, where anyone who brought in some of their own people could get on stage and perform. This was later revamped by the owners of the club to be a competition that would make Side Splitters Comedy Club the number one spot in Tampa for amateur comedian’s to develop.

Now the Open Mike competition is a 6 round contest that birth’s one winner who receives a $1000.00 prize pot. This competition is also heavily scouted for comedians who show they are ready to take their act to the next step. If a comedian looks like they have an organized act, write their own material and are moving toward a professional status, Side Splitters will host a special event for them called the “Stand Up Stand Up Comedian Competition.”  Similar to the Open Mic, the winner will still get a $1000.00 prize, but they also get a paid gig in another city.

Side Splitter’s doesn’t stop there for amateur comedians. They created a workshop that the owner says takes the comedians from “soup to nuts.” In other words, they will make comp cards, show how to hold the mic, and stand on stage, help tighten up the act and learn promotion and networking.

So with the development of these programs and workshops, Side Splitter’s Comedy Club is the place to be if you are an inspired comedian looking to break into the market. Before you decide to jump in, they gave us some simple tips to follow that will make your start easier and will be information needed down the line anyway.

1. Get yourself a website, if not a website at least a MySpace page.  Everyone is on the Internet; it’s a great way to promote yourself.  Without one, “you might as well be dead.”
2. Have some tapes of some of your act. Taped at your home, or something you have done on stage preferably, this will help the booking agent see where you stand, and what your act is about.
3. Don’t be shy to promote yourself.

Tommy Blaze – Side Splitters Comedy Club

A veteran of the comedy stage, Blaze has appeared in every gas station, residence, warehouse, farmhouse, henhouse, outhouse, and doghouse in the country.

In addition to comedy clubs, private corporate events, casinos, cruise ships and colleges, Tommy was a series regular on the nightly comedy series, The Newz, appeared in the hit show Friends, and has starred in the movies Rumpelstiltskin and Viewer Discretion Advised.

His comedy is opinionated, thoughtful, controversial, and admittedly one-sided. If you are married, single, divorced, parents, gay or lesbian, confused, young, desperate, misguided, lost or easily offended, then you need Tommy.

Tickets

July 17, 2008    8:30 PM
July 18, 2008    8:00 PM & 10:00 PM
July 19, 2008    6:00 PM, 8:00 PM & 10:00 PM
July 20, 2008    7:00 PM

Buy your tickets in advance at www.sidesplitterscomedy.com or at the door.  Prices are $16.50 for preferred seating.

Tom Simmons – Side Splitters Comedy Club

Tom Simmons
of Comedy Central and BET!

July 10 – 13
Tickets on sale at the box office or online at www.sidesplitterscomedy.com

Experiencing a Tom Simmons show is like watching your best friend entertain you with today’s top headlines and issues. He has appeared on Comedy Central, Showtime, BET, NBC, and has written for numerous comedians. You will see the entire gambit of comedy, the energetic, the detailed story, cleverness that is quick and effecting all with a sheepish grin and a disarming edginess that leaves attentive audiences knowing both the man and themselves a little better. Quite simply, Tom Simmons is one of the funniest comedian you have never heard of. All three of his CDs are played regularly on both XM and Sirius and are available on iTunes.

Tampa Improv – Return Of The Average White Guy

This week at the Tampa Improv…

Return Of The Average White Guy
Staring Roy Johnson & Al Romas with special guests… Patrick Melton & Mike McCarthy

7/2 – 8:00 PM
7/3 – 8:00 PM
7/4 – 10:30 PM
7/5 – 7:30 PM & 10:00 PM

All shows are 21 and up except Friday at 10:30 PM, 18 & up. Tickets are $14.00 for full menu showroom. Tampa Improv is a non-smoking facility. No admittance 1/2 hour after the show starts.

Purchase Tickets: http://www.symfonee.com/improv/tampa/attractions/index.aspx

The Tampa Improv is located at:

1600 E. 8th Ave
Centro Ybor
Tampa, FL 33605

Get directions

Chris Rock at TBPAC for Two Shows

Former star of Saturday Night Live, movie star, and stand up comedian extraordinaire Chris Rock is coming to Tampa for July 2nd and 3rd at 7:30 p.m. at Carol Morsani Hall at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center in downtown Tampa.

His new act, “No Apologies World Tour,” has been getting rave reviews and has plenty of new content with topics touching (and slamming) politics, culture, and anything else that he deems worthy of stabbing fun at.

Tickets are $55.50-$99.50 and can be purchased at TBPAC, tbpac.org, or 813.229.7827.

A Sad Day For Comedy- Carlin Dead at 71

Sunday a legendary comedian, who brought his sarcastic humor to the millions died suddenly of a heart attack in St. John’s Health Center in Santa Monica California.  George Carlin arrived on Sunday, complaining of chest pain, something that is not uncommon to Carlin who has a history of heart problems.  He died at 5:55 PM according to his publicist.

He was still performing up to the day he died, just having finished a show in Orleans Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas last Sunday.  Last Tuesday he received the news he was being awarded the 11th annual Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.

Carlin was 71, and the comedy world will surely miss him.

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