Speech: Amy Poehler at the 2011 Power of Comedy Awards

Watch Amy Poehler's acceptance speech.

For more videos from the 2011 gala, you can check out E's collection of vids here. 

Book: Shockaholic

Once you finish Kaling's book, read this one! Actually, read her first book Wishful Drinking and then read this one.

Book: Is Everybody Hanging Out Without Me?

This book is the best. I highly recommend it.

Comics: Hark! A Vagrant

Recently, I found myself reading strip after strip of Hark! A Vagrant on my computer. As much as I love the strip, I wanted a more 'efficient' way of reading consecutive strips (less clicking allows for more laughing, you know), and so I figured out an elegant and simple way of doing so in Google Reader. But the easiest way to enjoy the comics are actually on your iPad (if you've got one). Read on to learn how!

For those who aren't familiar with Kate Beaton's work, you're missing out! If you've ever wondered what figures such as Jane Austen, F. Scott Fitzgerald, or Sherlock Holmes would be like in comic form, here's your answer!

Beaton makes smart little pieces that usually get a laugh out of me (and quite a lot of others too).

Linked from The Mary Sue

I get a lot of the literary, science, and pop culture references, but not a lot of the history ones. And even though I'm not a history buff, it's not a problem because Beaton always provides a little note/entry for each comic post in which she often explains the origin of the joke (Clearly, history was not my strong point in school).

Here are some of my favorites (I've also included links to the original comics below each strip in case you want to read her own notes about the strip. I highly recommend it for context and humor!).

See annotation here below the comic

See annotation here below the comic

See Beaton's notes here below the comic

Now, for those who are interested, Beaton recently published a book with some of her strips. You can view it here on Amazon.com.

But, you'll be glad to know that while it'd be awfully nice for you to buy this book and support Beaton, you can read all her comics online for free!

If you're interested in viewing them by topic, you can click here and choose strips accordingly. Or, you can read them in the order they were released by viewing the chronological archives. 

After a couple of minutes hours of reading her comics, I found out a better way to take in Beaton's little masterpieces. The secret? Google Reader! Using the right settings, your laptop can become the perfect for-personal-use comic strip theater!

How best (I think) to read Hark! AVagrant! on your computer (and iPad!) with Google Reader:
[1] Go to http://www.google.com/reader


[2] Log in with your Google username and password.

[3] On the top left corner, click on Subscribe and type in http://www.harkavagrant.com. Click Add.

[4] Now, Hark! A Vagrant should appear on your main page. Click on it.

[5] Go to Feed Settings... at the top of the page, and click on View in Reader Play.

[6] The window should now appear with a black background, and the comic will likely appear zoomed out. At the bottom of the window is a side scrolling row, which gives previews of all Beaton's posts in reverse chronological order.



However, if you leave the reader in this setting, the comic is too small to read! Do not fret, however! This probably can be easily solved.

[7] To make viewing easier (why waste time clicking when you could be reading?!), click on the Book icon on the left hand of the screen (see rectangular figure outlined in pink above). At this point, each comic will fill the width of the screen, giving you a more readable comic.

Update: After experimenting with Google Reader some more, I have found out what exactly the icons do. The Book icon shows the scrolling row at the bottom of the page. Clicking it will either open or close that row. The Eye icon zooms in on the strip. This is what makes the image fit the width of the screen. 

To make the viewing experience even more whiz-bang-wow, go to View > Enter Full Screen (depending on your browser, the exact steps may vary. I use Chrome, so those are the menu options I have.)



In this new format, you can easily scroll up and down along the strip. Then, after you've finished reading the comic and the commentary that follows, you can click on the right hand arrow to move to the next strip. It's so easy!

Look how nice and big it is! A simple scroll can move us down the page. 

Ta-da! Scrolling!

Finished with this first comic? All you gotta do is click on the right hand arrow...

...and now you've quickly jumped to the next comic! 

[8] And for those of you with an iPad, reading Beaton's comic is even easier than doing it on your computer.

Update: After playing around, I've learned that Google Reader only shows the last 10 entries for the site. This isn't that fun. The other trouble is that using Google Reader on the iPad is actually slightly problematic. A simple swipe left or right (even one that's tiny!) will move you between comics. Your best bet for reading the comic on you iPad is simple to visit the site URL in Safari. 


With that, I'd advise to disregard the directions below. However, there are some links to interviews at the bottom of the post! Skip down to check them out! 


All you have to do is log in to Google Reader (http://www.google.com/reader) in Safari, and the comics  fit the width of the screen, and you easily scroll down to read more. When you finish the strip, you simply click tap on Next entry back at the top of the page, and it brings you to the next comic! And then you can read for as long as your heart desires.

Open Safari. Log in to Google Reader on your iPad 

Click on any of the posts.

Enjoy current comic, and then tap on Next Item to move to the next comic. 

And voila! You can continue your uninterrupted stream of comic goodness.

And that's it! Now you can enjoy Beaton's comics with the greatest of ease on your computer's browser or your iPad. 

For those of you who are interested in hearing Beaton talk about her work firsthand, you can read her interview with The Onion A/V Club, or listen to the MaximumFun.org Sound of Young America podcast (If you follow this blog, you know how much I love this show!)


The Sound of Young America

Community: Operation

So. Much. Fun. I tell you, this is how real doctors work.

New Yorker: Mindy Kaling & "Flick Chicks"

Mindy Kaling wrote this hilarious piece for the New Yorker. She basically points out how ridiculous the world of romantic comedies is, and her equally ridiculous love for them given their often times flimsy premises.

In Mindy's own words:
I regard romantic comedies as a subgenre of sci-fi, in which the world operates according to different rules than my regular human world. For me, there is no difference between Ripley from “Alien” and any Katherine Heigl character. They are equally implausible. They’re all participating in a similar level of fakey razzle-dazzle, and I enjoy every second of it.

In the rest of the article, she enumerates the archetypes and patterns found in rom-coms (such as The Klutz and the Ethereal Weirdo), and goes about nitpicking them with great wit and humor. I am (even more) excited for her new book if this is a sign of what's coming! 

To read the whole article from The New Yorker, read here. 

New York Magazine: Upright Citizens Brigade Interview

Amy Poehler and Matt Besser around 2000.

Look, it's Amy, Amy, and Amy! 

I don't know much about the improv scene, but from what I do know, Second City (based in Chicago) and Upright Citizens Brigade (based in NYC) are two big powerhouses.Tina Fey, Dan Aykroyd, Stephen Colbert, and Jane Lynch are all graduates of Second City. Amy Poehler, Aziz Ansari, Rob Cordry, and Ellie Kemper are all UCB alumni.

New York Magazine recently covered how the group came to be, and many of its members got together to talk about how it all began. Notable participants in the reminiscing love fest include: Amy Poehler (Parks & Recration), Ed Helms (The Office), Ellie Kemper (The Office), Jack McBrayer (30Rock), Andy Richter (Conan), Aziz Ansari (Parks & Recration), Seth Meyers (SNL), and more! Crazy impressive, right?

To read the original article, click here.

Some of the highlights:
HELMS: A comedy community is comprised of a lot of people who have not thrived in conventional social circles. And that just makes for a giant pool of awkward sexuality. 


ADAM PALLY, Happy Endings: I remember seeing Ellie [Kemper], because she’s the nicest person, getting trapped and literally having to make her way from nerd to nerd to nerd to get out of the theater. 


RICHTER: For the next 20, 30, 40 years in this country, the comedy that we will be purchasing as consumers will have some UCB on it. 


SETH ­MEYERS, SNL: They were all sort of exceptional. Besser was doing stuff that was aggressive and unique—he was a guy that everybody talked about in reverent tones. Ian is one of the purest improvisers, as far as never being out of the scene. Whereas Walsh always seemed a little out of the scene, in a way that let the audience know how much fun he was having. And Poehler was probably the most feminine and most masculine performer. Masculinity—that’s probably not the right word. She’s an alpha performer. I think that’s ingrained in her, but it got trained very well, being with those other three guys. 
RICHTER: In the comedy world, a woman that strong and funny is worth ten funny guys. 

Graham Norton Show: Hugh Laurie and Bear Grylls

Enjoy! I found Hugh Laurie's bit to be particularly hilarious. Thanks to the Baker for relaying me more Graham Norton! He's my favorite talk show host by far.

Interview: Mindy Kaling

Baby Mindy

NYT does an interview with Mindy Kaling. Particularly memorable moments involve talk about Kaling's hilariuos tweets.

Mindy states: “You know the whole thing where if it takes a long time to write a poem, then you probably shouldn’t be writing poetry? With Tweets, if you’re sitting around for more than 45 seconds, it’s probably not the medium for you” 


To read the full article, click here. Mindy's twitter account is @mindykaling. 


Here are some old posts I have about Mindy: here and here. 

Graham Norton Show: Ricky Gervais

I really love Ricky Gervais. I feel like I could hear him talk about anything. His inflections are just too hilarious. Not to mention his unabashed expression of his opinions.

Warning: Explicit language is used.

Video: Ricky Gervais on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon

Man v. Wild: Will Ferrell Guest Stars

I know. Way to milk the posts. So like I mentioned before, Will Ferrell on Man v Wild is hilarious!

Video: Walk On the Wild Side 1

This video is too funny. I could not stop laughing throughout the entire clip. A huge thanks to the Night Owl for sending this to me. God, what a way to brighten my day.

Alan. Alan. Alan. Alan. Alan. You'll get it after you watch the clip.




This clip comes from a real show called Walk On the Wild Side, which plays on BBC One. You can see the programme's page here. 

Youtube: Star Wars Parody & Stand Up To Cancer

Thanks to the Baker for sending this to me. This video is SO HILARIOUS. My favorite part is Bill Hader as a Tauntaun. Basically, a bunch of actors (Emma Stone, Aziz Ansari, Ken Jeong, Bill Hader, Seth Rogen, Andy Samberg, and more) play out bits from Star Wars. All for a good cause--cancer research fundraising.



To read more about the video, click here for an article from The Hollywood Reporter. 


And for some more Star Wars goodness, check out these characters' likeness carved into Crayola Crayons. (Linked from Vulture)

The Tonight Show: Amy Poehler

Amy Poehler is her usual hilarious self. Special things are revealed--specifically, that the Emmy's bit was actually pre-planned! For those who didn't watch, all the nominees walked up on stage, and the winner, Melissa McCarthy, was crowned queen of the ball. It was pretty funny and quite a surprise. Poehler also delivers her opinion on Steve Carrell losing the Emmys for Best Actor in a Comedy.

Video: Jimmy Fallon on the Colbert Report

I love Jimmy and Stephen.

The Colbert Report
Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,Video Archive

Graham Norton: Stephen Merchant, Jo Brand, and Bradley Cooper

I love this show so much. I especially love when Stephen Merchant appears.

Graham Norton Show: Stephen Merchant and Ricky Gervais

Stephen Merchant and Ricky Gervais appear on The Graham Norton show much to our benefit. I love Gervais' play-by-play of how this cartwheel's about to going to go down. Ricky Gervais giggling like a little school boy is too much. I love it!!!

Interview: Chris O' Dowd

Chris O'Dowd appears on The Graham Norton Show and talks about playing 'Would you rather...'

Trailer: Everything Must Go

Will Ferrell appears in Everything Must Go. Costars include Laura Dern (Jurassic Park) and Rebecca Hall (The Town, Vicky Cristina Barcelona). The movie looks good, and I hope to watch it soon! For those who check with Rotten Tomatoes, it received a 76%.

Update: I watched it! It was very good. My only experiences watching Will Ferrell have been Stepbrothers (a little too boys' club for me), and the special episode for Man v. Wild (so hilarious). Ferrell did a good job, I think, of not playing the typical comedy role he has taken so many times in the past. The three actors who really carry the film are Ferrell, Rebecca Hall, and Christopher Jordon Wallace. If you watch, prepare to be greeted with Will Ferrell sleeping on his lawn, serious struggles with alcoholism, and the heroic rise of the once fallen.