I got to go on before my buddy Damon Wayans up in Pleasanton, Ca this weekend. He sold out every single show and then some. He’s so strong as a stand-up. He’s in rare air. I’ve seen very few people kill at that level. Every show. Dealing with life and race and current events in such a unique way. It was a master class in stand-up. I know the audience felt it too. We’ve been friends for so many years, we made Blankman together, (which put me in movie jail for almost four years.) and started at The Comedy Store years before that, but I’ve never seen him as strong and unique as he is now on stage.
It’s so great to see someone you’ve known so long just keep on growing as an artist. Taking the craft so seriously.
I had a good time on stage once again. I really do love being back doing stand-up. Especially working with good friends, and a legend to boot.
This is a piece from Damon’s 1990 HBO special. The Last Stand, just to remind you of the old days.
This is from another great earlier special. What he’s doing now is light years away, but there’s nothing of the new stuff. What he needs to do is a Netflix Special (Hint, hint)
All of the old stuff pales in comparison to what he’s doing now.
Also, here’s a clip from MY Saturday night set. I still got a lot of work to do, but it’s fun.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RroQ9dtiJY
Go see Damon live. He’s playing all over the place. You’ll laugh your ass off.
Yamaneika Saunders is the quintessential comedienne for our time. She’s sharp, quick-witted, versatile… and of course, hilarious! Her brutally honest anecdotes and surprisingly candid delivery will have you rolling in the aisles asking the dreaded question, “Did she really go there?” In a review by Avalon UK, she is described as ‘one of the most talented, unique, and multifarious multi-hyphenate artists.’ No wonder too as the list of talents on her repertoire is as long as the trek from Cape to Cairo!
You may recognize her as the panelist on the Meredith Viera Show or as the correspondent from the Jimmy Fallon Show, but she is a truly a classic Renaissance Comic. Her talents extend far and wide over the entertainment sector and include acting, writing, hosting and even voice-acting. As a stand-up comedienne, her humor is relatable and fitting; touching on topics as sensitive and relevant as race, family responsibility and gender roles.
She often takes the audience on a journey with her captivating storytelling and comedic timing. Her material is blunt, open and direct interwoven with a self-deprecation that is both charming and refreshing! Although her gift for the funny is unquestionable, her journey to the stars has been long, arduous and winding and is a true testament to her boldness and courage.
Born Yamaneika Torae Saunders in Aberdeen, Maryland USA, she attended the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts and moved to New York in pursuit of her dreams at the tender age of 21. She has cited her mother as her inspirational campaigner; a role model who raised and encouraged her to follow her dreams. Her first official win was working with Gladys Simone in the Comedy Room and the rest, as they say is history!
You may have seen her perform at the Just for Laughs Festival in Montreal, or caught up with her on the NBC’s hit show Last Comic Standing in 2014, where she finished strong as a semi-finalist. Included in her portfolio are bouts of collaboration alongside other multi-talented stars such as Caroline Rhea and Amy Schumar. However, if you’re prone to derive your comedy fix from audio platforms, then you may know her voice as the therapist in Flatbush Misdemeanors. Also critically acclaimed in that category is her provocative, relatable and funny weekly podcast Rantin’ and Ravin.’
She’s incredibly prolific. She has done a half hour special on Comedy Central and has also been featured in TruTV’s Comedy Knockout. Oh.. And she also does a web series with Kandi Buruss called Kandi Koated Nights, where she hilariously spills all the tea about love, sex, relationships and other “taboo” topics. If you’re a reality TV fan, a personal favorite will be her feature in 2015 on Oxygen’s Funny Girls, where she plays a lead role in this work of art that analyses the behind-the-scenes lives of female comedians.
In her appearances on TV Shows it is evident that she has a beautiful way with audiences across the divide from every walk of life. She’s made an appearance on The Jim Gaffigan Show as well as The Nightly with Larry Wilmore. Her versatility also has even seen her featured on the animated online series In Security. As if that’s all she does!Already mentioned she’s a writer? A darn good one. If you love the Eric Andre Show and That damn Michael Che, then chances are that you’ve already had a sumptuous taste of her humor in writing as she is one of the staff writers on both shows!
Despite all the “meanderings” her true home is the stand-up comedy stage. If you sit in the audience at one of her shows, you’ll be confronted with an active outspoken and alluring comedienne. To your excitement (or dismay!) you‘ll notice that nothing is off limits- absolutely nothing! Expect a candid conversation about taking her wheelchair-ridden grandfather to the bathroom or about hating the fact that she has to attend her best friend’s wedding! Think that’s bad? Wait till you hear the public service announcement that she is on her periods! Her spunk and confidently appealing attitude has remarkable parallels to Tiffany Haddish, yet her uncensored honesty and refusal to be politically correct echo the sweet sentiments of Dave Chapelle- is this greatness in the making?
Some interesting fun facts to tickle your fancy. Many people are not aware that at some point, a career in the clergy was on the table for discussion and debate with her grandparents both being chapel priests. Her birthday in early November (3rd) makes her a Scorpio. Traits associated with this Sun sign include fearlessness, fierce loyalty, passion, creativity and even unending energy. This we certainly know to be true!
Many people are not aware that at some point in her career, she was booed off the stage at the Apollo. According to her own testimony, people booed her even as she climbed into her car to travel home! This is evidence of her true courage and fighting spirit, as she is now bookmarked as one of the top-rising comediennes of our time. If you visit any of her shows and performances, you’ll notice the crowd doing a lot of things: Rolling on the floor laughing or cocking heads back in delirious merriment. You may see them nudging one another with glee or leaning expectantly forward in anticipation of her next outrageous words. Booing is certainly one thing you will not hear! If anything, Yem’s resilient spirit and effortless ability to laugh at herself inspires us to contemplate the words of the great Christopher Fry: “Comedy is an escape, not from truth but from despair; a narrow escape into faith.” And who doesn’t need a little bit of that?
Man did I have fun jumping up this weekend at Cobb’s. I hadn’t played the legendary club in years. Shane Gillis was good enough to let me go up and do some guest sets during his sold out run while I get my stage legs back. I had such a great time. I love San Francisco audiences and there’s something magical about that room.
Shane is so great to watch. Truly one of my favorites comics right now. He just seriously sold the place out, six shows, not a seat to be had. A budding master monologist in the realm of Louis C.K. or even Bill Burr. He’s really special.
I’m sure I’ll write more about him up the road. A lot more. But really this post is about me. Myself and Cobb’s. (Fuck Shane.)
Oh, I will say, Andrew Yang came in. He and Shane are pals. That was fun to hang with him. And he brought Shane up second show and was pretty damn good on stage. Has something close to Obama level comic timing, which is high praise. Apparently they met when Shane was in SNL hot water over some old Asian jokes he had made and Andrew publicly came out in Shane’s support. I love that!
Jim MacCambridge the house photog for Cobb’s and the Punchline took all these pics and a portrait sitting in the basement. I really had a fantastic time. Love that club. Thanks to Shane and Jim, and Cobb’s. If you’re up there, or live there, support that room. It’s epic.
To me Orny Adams is a great modern show business story. Most people know him from the legendary documentary ‘Comedian’, that Jerry Seinfeld did. He was set up by Jerry to be the up and coming version of Jerry himself, but for some reason, through the force of Orny’s personality at the time, or choice editing, whatever happened, he didn’t come off all that great and the years washed over him. As historic as it was, the documentary made him ‘that guy’, and he ended up stranded on some version of stand-up hell for a long time. (By the way, I could be wrong, I don’t know, this is just my sense of it.) Whatever happened, either he wasn’t protected in the edit in anyway, or he didn’t know enough to not push as hard as he came off pushing.
The point is, he’s been forced to pay his dues. And he’s paid in full. As Orny has said in the press, his struggle made him so much stronger. He’s a balls to the wall funny as hell stand-up. A truly polished veteran. Someone that I love the depths he goes to take his art seriously. He’s a stand-up warrior in the finest sense. Orny, from what I have seen, hasn’t the least bit of fear to do whatever is necessary to make a room laugh it’s collective ass off.
Very soon I’m going to be doing interviews on my substack with comics and I know that Orny is going to be one of the first comics I’m going to try and talk into having on because I just think his whole vibe, from his work ethic to his sense of pride about his craft and the finished product he represents appeals to me. I’m done with mealy mouth humble bumble fucks that don’t want to admit that they want and hope to destroy every single time they get up on stage. That a comic tries too hard. The goal is to make people laugh, really fiercely. To shock, surprise, convince, and cajole them into fits of convulsive laughter. Laughter is as healthy or more, than other activity we all do every day. Including fucking. That may be because I’m at the age I don’t do that much fucking these days, but it is true.
Comedians that give it up with no holds barred are being of service. Orny Adams gives it up. Loves to give it up. Is he super dirty? Not really. Does he push a lot of buttons? Yes. He does. He’s a rascal. A stand-up rascal. He roams the stage with weird, wild, energy asking crazy questions about the way we all live from a position and with a patter that can sometimes seem hackneyed at first glance. Almost like you’ve seen it before. Because you have. He’s doing you if you were a stand-up. He’s complaining, and labeling and libeling everyone he doesn’t like. With wild hair and big eyes he’s the town crier for everything that’s gone out of whack. The only thing he’s missing is a big bell to clang. I find the guy entertaining as hell. Check out his three specials, and his instagram stuff, and also look over his tour schedule and if he’s coming close check him out. If you hate his act, email me at Mike@standupworld.com with a copy of your tix and I’ll refund your money. That’s how sure I am you’re going to have fun. And laugh. Hard. Which will keep you healthy. Get out there and laugh.
Dave Coulier stars in a great new show called Live+Local. The former Full House star has another hit on his hands. His new show Live+Local is a perfect vehicle for Dave. A warm, weathered, guy, who can’t help but say the wrong thing at the right time which is only exasperated by the fact that he usually has a microphone in front of his face. It’s a great show and a fun little vehicle for Dave a sharp group of comic actors. You only have to watch one episode to not only see all the work and the episodes acting on Full and Fuller House have brought to his tool kit, but also the confidence and ‘set-sense’ he’s gotten from directing episodes of Fuller House.
Full Dis-‘bro-sure’ Dave is one of my best friends in the whole world. I love him so so much. He was the best man at my wedding, he is my daughter’s Godfather, was my roommate for seven years and the person I have laughed the hardest and the most with in the whole world.
Dave and I as kids in a 1985 HBO Special I did called, THE DETROIT COMEDY JAM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvyUGODhNnQ
Everyone on the planet knows Dave as ‘Uncle Joey’, a lot of folks know him as a seasoned stand-up comic, but some may not. I met Dave at the very, very start of his career when he opened for me at Mark Ridley’s Comedy Castle and blew the door off of the room to the point I could hardly follow him. He was fantastic. He’s truly one of the most naturally likable performers on stage I’ve ever seen.
If you want to have some fun, watch some pieces of Dave’s very first show OUT OF CONTROL. A spoof on talk shows on Nickelodeon that was really ahead of it’s time. And super fun. I remember people loved it. He shot it in this tiny little studio in a strip mall out in the valley. A place that could just as easily been shooting porn rather than a kids talk comedy show. (Out of Birth Control.) Sorry.
I can’t believe how many people over the years have told me how much they loved Out of Control. It had a Second City vibe to it and Dave was a natural.
Not a lot of people know this, but he was also in a Cheech and Chong flick
I got to see Jeremy Piven at the Irvine Improv last night. Although I’ve always been a fan, and no doubt Ari Gold is a serious piece of American television history for kingdom come, I didn’t really expect much out of him as a stand-up. Over the years at The Comedy Store, I have seen at least three dozen people who were actors on a hit sitcom or well known for this and for that come in and get up and try to make magic happen in the form of an act that could maybe make them a bucket full of dough on the side.
It never ever happens.
For one thing, just because you’re a good actor doesn’t mean you have the chops, guts, brains, balls, or foolishness to make it in stand-up. It’s like Michael Jordan playing baseball. Yeah, ….but, no. The other thing, and maybe more important, is they realize very quickly, not only how hard it is, but how long it will take to get good. Invariably, over the years, they all came and went. Either they didn’t intrinsically have it, or they turned and ran after they realize the dedication it takes to be even a ‘good’ stand-up.
Jeremy Piven is a great stand-up.
That really blows my mind to write that. I would have bet against it. I thought he’d be, okay, tell some funny celeb stories, and get over. Fine. I was dead wrong. (As usual.) First off, he’s put the time in. He’s worked it. Banged it out in nightclub dates for a good four years. Done the time. Note; Comics reading this will think, no way. Four years isn’t enough time to be great. Agree. It probably takes more like ten to twelve years. It wouldn’t happen in four for most of you, or myself. Even if the core talent was off the charts. This guy is different though. He’s been on stage since like nine years old. He’s been doing comedy and telling stories forever. He’s trained, seasoned, and has been blessed with so many long marianating performing skills, that he’s been able to easily cut the line to the head of the class.
Authenticity-
There’s more to it though. If you’ve read enough of my essays you know that I’ve come to believe that the number one thing that makes the great great and the not so great, not so great but good, is authenticity. That sense that’s sure and solid in the mind of an audience that the person onstage doing an act, may well be doing an act, but offstage he’s exactly the person we’re watching onstage. There’s no artifice to their comedic personality. That’s them up there, one hundred percent. That’s who they are, what they think, what they believe. There’s a sincere bond that gives audiences a reason to really love a stand-up, and I have to say, Jeremy is, or feels, (since I don’t really know him.) hyper authentic. You’re seeing him up there, exactly as he is. Hook, Line, and sinker.
He’s exactly what you’d expect, and more because, again, he brings all of his tools from all of the years up there with him. At the same time he’s readily bearing himself, showing his craziness, sharing his bitterness, and his ego-driven insanity. You know damn well that that’s who he is, the guy up there. There’s no air being put on. He’s telling stories and doing routines, breaking into perfectly pitched characters, and not so much impressions, but renditions on people he’s met. Mike Tyson done in a way only a razor-sharp comic actor can do him. Not what you see from a Rich Little or even younger performers doing celebrity Mike Tyson. There’s something about his innate acting talent that seems to be perfect for stand-up comedy. It sure seemed perfect to the two sold-out crowds last night. I’ve seen very few people make a room laugh that hard as I saw him do twice last night.
Having fun being onstage.
There’s the other secret. You have to succumb to the hard work, you have to be absolutely, undeniably yourself up there, but just as important, you have to love being on stage. It has to be a warm bath for you. That seems to be the easiest bell for Jeremy to ring. It so apparent that he adores being up there making folks laugh. Getting laughs. He’s taking it in, lapping up the laughs and the love like a beagle in a warm soapy bathtub. He’s happy up there, and that makes the act a lot of fun to watch. It’s not a one-way deal either, as much as he loves to be on stage, as much as the crowds that come in and line up afterward to have their photo taken with him love him, Jeremy loves his audience too. His roots are thick. The midwestern penchant to see people as for the most part, pretty damn great is right there in his aura. Baked into his DNA.
This isn’t always what I see and feel by the way from a lot of other stand-ups. I often sense, even some of the stand-ups I work with who have become mega-stars, arena acts, truly do not like the cut of the jib of the people that pay to see them. May even detest them. It isn’t this way here. This Chicago fuck likes his crowd. They feel it. That’s the final ingredient that I think makes him so good.
Go see this guy in a club, soon. You’ll be as surprised as I was, maybe even more.
For those of you that have never been there, you have to go check this club out. It has so much stand-up history. Everybody in Stand-up plays there and has played there going back almost 50 years. An iconic American comedy club.
In order to appreciate how many of today’s top comics got started, it helps to look where their inspiration took root. And Phyllis Diller is definitely on the list for many modern comedy acts.
Familiar names including Ellen DeGeneres, Rosanne Barr, and Joan Rivers (who actually wrote jokes for Diller) have recognized Phyllis as a huge inspiration in the pursuit of their comedy careers. Phyllis Diller broke all kinds of glass ceilings for future generations of comedy talent.
To truly appreciate Diller’s rise to fame, you’ve gotta start at the beginning. Phyllis was born in 1917 and raised in Ohio. She attended two different colleges after high school to pursue her musical education. Diller had a real talent for playing the piano, but she lacked confidence when performing. That quickly burned out any hope she had of playing professionally.
In 1939, Phyllis married Sherwood Anderson Diller and the couple welcomed six children. The comedian found that she had a knack for coming up with one-liners about the mundane life of a mother. She would let the jokes fly when she was with other mothers who encouraged her to make a go of writing comedy.
By the time her family found their way to California, Phyllis had been working on her own comedy routine. She got herself a job at a SanFrancisco television station and worked on getting the courage to pitch her act.
The hosts at that television station loved it and they put her on their show in 1955. Little did Diller know that this opportunity had put her on the fast track to an outstanding comedy career.
When Phyllis was in her late 30s, she got a gig performing at The Purple Onion nightclub in SanFrancisco. The engagement was supposed to last for two weeks. But Diller ended up performing at the club for more than a year and a half.
All of the exposure she got at the extended performances led to appearances on talk shows and variety acts. She brought her one-liner barbs to banter with some of the time’s top comedians including Jack Benny, Red Skeleton, and Jack Paar. Diller also became a contestant on You Bet Your Life, hosted by the renowned Groucho Marx in 1950.
Despite going through difficult personal relationships throughout her career, Phyllis’s comedy was unstoppable. She took her divorce from her first husband and managed to come up with one of her favorite topics in her routine- “Fang”, her fictional husband. To quote this hilarious lady, “‘Fang’ is permanent in my act. Don’t confuse him with my real husbands. They are temporary”.
Once the entertainment opportunities started rolling in, they never seemed to stop. You could see Phyllis appear on The Tonight Show starring Jack Paar, A Bob Hope Comedy Special, What’s My Line?, What’s This Song?, The Jack Paar Show, That Regis Philbin Show, The Andy Williams Show, The Carol Burnett Show, The Match Game, The Joey Bishop Show, The Ed Sullivan Show, The Bob Hope Show, The Dean Martin Show, The Hollywood Squares, and so many more.
Diller’s versatility and relatable content kept the talk and game show appearance opportunities rolling in for several decades in her career. She was known to describe her act as “tragedy revisited”.
In addition to her sharp wit, she also combined over-the-top costumes, wild, untamed hair, and chintzy makeup, along with a contagious, loud cackle for a laugh—she created an unforgettable performance every time. She also used a cigarette holder as a prop for her routines during the 1960s and 1970s, but Diller was a lifelong non-smoker.
The loveable comedian would also go on to have several facelifts and cosmetic procedures throughout her career and use the experiences in her act. On a more serious note, Phyllis agreed to pose for some risque photos that were intended for publication in Playboy magazine. While the photos never did make it to print, one can be viewed in her autobiography, “Like a Lampshade in a Whorehouse”.
Diller’s ability to grow and adapt to a changing entertainment landscape provided opportunities for the comedian to try her hand as an actor. During the last decades of her career, she acted in The Bold and the Beautiful, Family Guy, Boston Legal, 7th Heaven, Even Stevens, and The Drew Carey Show. Diller appeared in too many shows to count, but you can head over to a site like IMDB to scroll and scroll and scroll through her filmography.
Another area in which Diller excelled was in voice acting. She has credits in a large number of animated television shows, but A Bug’s Life(both 1 and 2)was arguably her most recognized voice-acting role as Queen.
Ultimately, no one was able to poke fun at themselves quite like Phyllis Diller. Some of her best quips are “I once wore a peekaboo blouse. People would peek and then they would boo,” “You know you’re old when someone compliments you on your alligator shoes and you’re barefoot,” and “I still take the pill because I don’t want any more grandchildren.”
Phyllis Diller decided to retire from her active Hollywood career in 2002. While she made a few appearances here and there, she never fully returned. Phyllis passed away in 2012, leaving laughter, inspiration, and a legacy that will last for a long time.
Diller poses with a photo at her Los Angeles home in 2005.
This lady was skilled at many things, but comedy will always be at #1. If you’re new to Phyllis Diller or haven’t seen her work for a while, you can chip away at watching your way through her filmography. You might not be able to view everything, but you’re guaranteed to step away with some new favorite jokes in your arsenal.
http://lajolla.thecomedystore.com/
