S08.E09: Challenge 2: Talk Show

[Tara Ariano]

The comics learn about mastering talk-show interviews when they visit "The Ellen DeGeneres Show." Wanda Sykes serves as the mentor. Appearing: Ellen DeGeneres.

[Actionmage]

I was hoping Nikki would win, but I'm okay with Rod Man. I liked that they found his wife's tape, too!  You could kind of tell who Wanda thought actually listened in the pre-interview. As usual, though, Joe Machi got into a weird mode and threw her off her stride. Monroe was okay in the interview, but was more concerned with the dancing. Rod Man movin' to the groove was okay, but then he sat down and got to being funny. Nikki was in heaven, but her set didn't go over as big as Rod's did. I did like the Grandma bit, but was sorry she seemed to miss the opening for the diet pajamas.

 

Man, I felt for Lachlan during the vote.  I don't care who you are, that voting statement has to be hard to hear, even if you don't believe it.

 

I liked the head-to-head this week. DC Benny was funny and I do want an 'Umagi Power' tee! Lachlan made me actually laugh and nod a few times during his set, so I enjoyed his set more.

 

I am excited to see the tour guide challenge and see Howie mentor. It should be fun! Karlous Miller should be good, as he's the guy who told Wanda and Amy Schumer he doesn't rehearse, iirc.

 

I have an irrational love for the comedy theater; it's the Jon Lovitz Comedy Theater.

[possibilities]

I'm not really a Rod Man fan; I find his rambling style highly annoying most of the time. But I thought he was the clear winner this week. He killed on Ellen's show. Nikki was too nervous and missed the cues for her own jokes. Monroe wasted too much time and didn't have enough energy to connect with the audience-- even though his material is more interesting to me and in general I would rather watch him do a set than anyone else on the show. But for the interview? I bow to Rod Man who handled it perfectly.

 

That was rough, seeing almost everyone go after Laghlan. But I thought his set was better than DC Benny, so I agreed with the judging panel's decision.

 

A problem with this format is that the comics perceived to be strongest actually get the least airtime, since no one challenges them in the head to head challenges. This means we might actually see less of the funnier material in the pool.

[leighdear]

Rodman just destroyed it with Ellen.  He slid right into his set from her questions and didn't miss a single beat.  I think he's a very intelligent guy.

 

He's not my favorite, but his material is really strong.  And that naked baby doll bit was absolutely hysterical. 

[ae2]

I'm not really a Rod Man fan; I find his rambling style highly annoying most of the time. But I thought he was the clear winner this week. He killed on Ellen's show. Nikki was too nervous and missed the cues for her own jokes. Monroe wasted too much time and didn't have enough energy to connect with the audience-- even though his material is more interesting to me and in general I would rather watch him do a set than anyone else on the show. But for the interview? I bow to Rod Man who handled it perfectly.

 

That was rough, seeing almost everyone go after Laghlan. But I thought his set was better than DC Benny, so I agreed with the judging panel's decision.

 

A problem with this format is that the comics perceived to be strongest actually get the least airtime, since no one challenges them in the head to head challenges. This means we might actually see less of the funnier material in the pool.

I've noted this problem with the format, and seen others bring it up as well. But I think it may be an intended consequence. It means that the front runners are burning through less of their material and will be less likely to have to repeat or fall back on weaker routines. Some of the guys have been doing standup for 10+ years and probably have more to work with, but the younger ones less so. 

 

As much as I also don't like Rod Man's delivery, this is the second time he's been a clear winner. (I believe one or two episodes ago he was one of three in the elimination standup.) He was actually much funnier to me when sitting down being interviewed and not doing standup because he didn't lean so heavily on his repetitive, stuttering shtick.

 

Outside of Finding Nemo, I have never been a huge Ellen fan. But I can see why she is so popular. She came across as very personable and likable. 

 

I know that there is a difference between judging and coaching, but when Wayans went backstage and gave practical advice to the two comics I was surprised. Most of their commenting as judges - like other reality shows - is surface level feedback that is generic and rarely beneficial. Roseanne's, "I feel like you didn't want it enough." Wayan with, "you talk about the mundane things in life that others don't talk about, and that is what makes you so good." (I recall this one being said to Rod Man as well, and possibly one other comic earlier in the season.) And I can't count how many times they have called someone "edgy."

 

I thought Lachlan was better than DC Benny in this face-off, but I might have voted to keep Benny just to see where else he could go with his character impersonations. 

[attica]

I agree that Lachlan's set was better than Benny's, but that might just be because four minutes of boner jokes don't hit my funny bone.

 

"I'm not Baby Alive's babydaddy!" is a very funny line. Props.

[Primetimer]

How will our comedians fare in their talk-show debuts?

Read the story

[bentley]

 

That was rough, seeing almost everyone go after Laghlan.

It was obviously planned ahead as some sort of strategy, but it didn't make much sense to me. He's one of the stronger comedians and his material connects well with the audience. He's not the one I would have tried to gang up on.  I'm hoping for a Lachlan/Rodman final two.

 

As for DC Benny, I knew he was a short timer the moment he admitted that he needed to do characters or voices to come across as funny, rather than be conversationally funny. That seems pretty limiting for a comedian. I once read something similar about Mike Myers.  I also think the comedians who choose to tell one story for their set are setting themselves up for getting voted off. DC's Asian impression was funny the first time, but he must have repeated it 20 times during the set. It just doesn't stand up well to an opponent who can tell multiple funny jokes in the same period of time.  Rodman got away with it in week one because his competitors were off their game.

[Ohwell]

I also think the comedians who choose to tell one story for their set are setting themselves up for getting voted off. DC's Asian impression was funny the first time, but he must have repeated it 20 times during the set.

Agreed.  I like DC Benny, but I thought he overdid the Asian accent to the point where it was getting kind of painfully embarrassing to listen to.

[BeatrixK]

Rod Man had us in tears over that Baby Alive/Baby Daddy story, and takin the kid to get help on public assistance.  He handled the Ellen interview like a pro.

 

I feel like me and Mr. Bea are in the minority:  We just don't find Nikki very funny.

 

Lochlan is improving more every week - and, as one who works on web-based stuff...he had me rolling. 'Well, I guess I won't be using Chase any more.'  *snort*

[beedub]

Rod Man. So easy to assess his faults, yet so hard to resist laughing at his stuff! Mrs. beedub and I were in absolute fits during his Ellen interview. I can't see how anyone else, good as some of them are, have a hope in hell at winning this thing with him in it.

I did enjoy Lachlan's set in the head-to-head, it was really well thought out. DC Benny was fun, but I agree that he could have risen above that subject matter. (Yes, I did just say that.)

[Amarsir]

Nikki was thrilled to be on the show, and in that regard I'm happy for her. But I don't think she deserved one of the spots. She was weak on the pre-interview and clearly didn't have her head in the game when talking to Ellen.* Rocky seemed like he was doing better in the pre, for one. Monroe misjudged but got into the groove. But Rod Man killed it.

I think one of the problems with DC's performance was that it's a 4-minute story crammed into a 3-minute set. Not that more Sushi Chef voice would have saved him, but if he'd paced the telling, spread the voice out, and made the ending less obvious, it would have worked better. Lachlan was good though. I wonder if the others were voting for him not because he's weak, but they consider him a threat and wanted to make him use up material.

* Nikki: I've got this joke about working in a fried chicken place.

Pre-screener: OK we can use that.

[later]

Ellen: So you work any other jobs?

Nikki: Nope!

Edited July 11, 2014 by Amarsir

[Ohwell]

Nikki isn't funny and I don't understand how she made it to the top 10.  Fried chicken jokes can only get you so far.  There were funnier females shown in the top 100 jokes show. 

[daughtersofanarchy]

Yes, I couldn't believe how badly Nikki dropped the ball on her interview.  I like her, and can't understand how she could be so clueless about what's expected of a comic being interviewed on a talk show.  As mentioned above, the cues Ellen gave were so obvious.

 

I agree that Rod Man's baby doll jokes were hilarious, and that he was the best at the assignment.

 

Also agreed with the judges about who should go home.  DC telling only the one long joke was just too big a gamble for a competition, and as noted above, the joke was repetitious and the punchline wasn't worth the trip.

 

Can't wait to see how they deal with the madness that is Howie.

[bilgistic]

Lachlan bugs me, even if I giggled at his set. When Nikki said something smelled like "corn chips and vinegar" and he playfully sniffed his own armpits, it struck me that he looks to me like he indeed smells bad. I'm not sure why.

No love lost here for DC Benny. I thought the "Japanese" impression was borderline offensive.

My vote's for Rod Man. His style's a little weird, but I dig the everyday, it's-funny-because-it's-true "writing", as the judges call it. Also, Southeastern U.S. pride.

I fast-forwarded through J.B. Smoove's yelling this week, or I'd have put a shoe through my TV. I officially don't like him anymore. He lost all the goodwill from Curb Your Enthusiasm--every drop, and I flove that show.

Also, that "Housekeeping!" shtick got old after one take, Show.

Edited July 12, 2014 by bilgistic

[NikSac]

And I can't count how many times they have called someone "edgy."

 

No kidding!  I think "edgy" might be annoying me even more than "tell it to my balls" was.

 

They are famous comedians, presumably they've been a lot of places and seen/heard a lot of things, but there's really so much stuff that's brand new to them, edgy, never seen before, etc? Really?

[Kromm]

Benny and his race-based accents just seems like a total hack to me. SO glad he's gone.

 

Overall the order of eliminations this season has seemed surprisingly right to me, although at the same time I have issues with people like Benny, Rodriquez and Shubert (ALL of who I said even before the finals I didn't find funny) even being IN the finals instead of some of the FAR funnier people we saw in the auditions.  

 

If my gut feelings from those audition shows (admittedly heavily edited) bear out, then Nicki Carr, Rod Man and Joe Machi are our final three, and the rest are just biding their time.  

 

Rocky LaPorte DOES have an outside chance though, because people DO love a "dumb guy" routine when it's done well, and he does a beautiful Barney Rubble, doesn't he?  So he could be a dark horse.  Of those other three, he'd probably edge out Carr--who's timing and CPQ (Crazy Personality Quotient) is a hair less than Rod and Joe's (who aside from great timing, have these nutty personalities that are funny even when they aren't telling jokes).

Edited July 12, 2014 by Kromm

[themadman]

Am I the only one constantly annoyed by J B Smoove's style of speaking that resembles Captain Kirk on too many Red Bulls? 

[EagleMorph]

DC Benny was on Comedy Central Presents about 10 years ago. During that special, he did the heroin addict/tai chi joke that he used to advance to the Last Comic Standing semifinals and the sushi chef/unagi joke in his last appearance.

If you can't update your material as a comic in 10 years, maybe you've gone as far you can go in your career. The great comics may revisit material (George Carlin revising the "7 Words You Can't Say on TV, et al) but telling the same bits year after year isn't going to cut it.

Benny is a talented impressionist but it was time for him to go. His material isn't at the same level as his vocal work.

[WhineandCheez]

I don't know why so many are writing off Lachlan.  He has a Jerry Seinfeld type humor that is modern.  I don't know why he couldn't win. So many of the others come off as old hacks, he is fresh and new.  Rodman is endearing, that Baby Alive bit killed.  DC came off as dated to me, with the kamakazee fake Japanese accent seems so 60s-70s.

[Kromm]

I don't know why so many are writing off Lachlan.  He has a Jerry Seinfeld type humor that is modern. 

Not to knock Seinfeld's humor overall, but his humor is hardly modern at this point.  He introduced it as a style decades ago, and there have been so many followers that it's not like Lachlan is unique.  He's... okay.  But none of it quite comes up to Seinfeld's level.

DC came off as dated to me, with the kamakazee fake Japanese accent seems so 60s-70s.

Yes, DC Benny is not only dated, the whole basis of much of his humor is dated as well.  Note that in earlier episodes instead of doing a racist Japanese accent he instead did a racist African-American accent.  Not that I think it's impossible or forbidden for a white comic to ever do impressions of people of another race,  but when it's the underpinning of your ENTIRE act, that's when it swings from an amusing impression to being racist. And It's not like he's doing impressions of Sammy Davis Jr., he's "typifying" kinds of race with certain voices.  He's a hack--getting a few laughs legitimately to be sure, but where the underpinnings are kind of rotten.

Am I the only one constantly annoyed by J B Smoove's style of speaking that resembles Captain Kirk on too many Red Bulls? 

Yes, you are the only one!

 

(kidding;.. why do people ask that rhetorical question when they know they aren't!?!)

 

I suppose on some level it's part of a persona, the way being a bit laconic and repeating stuff is Rod Man's persona. Or being nervous is Machi's persona.  So Smoove is hyper and "give me some noooooooise-ish".  But the difference is that Smoove's gimmick is more intrusive.  You can't tune it out even if you wanted to.

[trow125]

I didn't particularly care for Rod Man before, but he KILLED IT in that Ellen challenge, and the Baby Alive story was hysterical. I think he's the one to beat. Doubt we'll be seeing him in the head-to-head anytime soon.

 

I was surprised the judges said they had to go over the head-to-head routines "line by line" and what a tough decision it was, since I thought Lachlan was better by a mile. Maybe they were just trying to be diplomatic? The whole unagi bit made me really uncomfortable. Kromm's comments above were spot-on.

[BoogieBurns]

The editors are making an obvious effort to familiarize the audience with Rod Man. He is the one I associate with this season. Maybe the only one. A distant second would be Lachlan. Maybe I'm not watching it close enough, but I'd guess that those are the two we will see more of. Maybe the Ross Matthews guy, but I doubt his style is funny to a wide range of people.

I do wish they would have tried to have more women in the top 10. It feels like this is the "Last Male Comic Standing" and there will be another season called "Last Female Comic Standing." I know there is one lady left, but the deck is stacked against her. Girls are funny too, ya know.

[ae2]

I do wish they would have tried to have more women in the top 10. It feels like this is the "Last Male Comic Standing" and there will be another season called "Last Female Comic Standing." I know there is one lady left, but the deck is stacked against her. Girls are funny too, ya know.

I agree with you on this, but out of the comedians we were shown, there weren't a whole lot of strong female contenders. With Wanda Sykes as an executive producer and Roseanne as a judge, I'd hate to say there is anything nefarious going on. Also, a woman won S6. I'd say it is more representative of the general dearth of female comedians than anything.

[Kromm]

I really like Rodman.  His style reminds me of Andy Griffith's routines in the 60s.  Kind of a wide eyed innocent looking at the world around him in a slightly different way that is told in a laconic, stuttering style. He's got my vote. (not that I get one, but still)  I am not familiar with JB Smoothe but he annoys the crap outta me and I don't find him funny or charming or engaging at all. He's the part of the show I have to tune out if I can.  Machi (he's the wide eyed nervous stiff one, right?) I can totally live without.  I find his routines very uncomfortable and kind of disturbing, and not in a good way.  I hope he goes soon, but I'm pretty sure he won't.  DC seemed like a nice guy but definitely was the right one to go home this episode. I thought Lachlan did a great job on his head to head. Very funny.  But overall, I think Rodman kills it every week.  Suggesting his little girl get on public assistance, heh.  

I agree totally on Rod, but I like Machi's shtick a lot.  It's uncomfortable, yes, but that's the source of the comedy.  I get the sense that when there's no camera on him, he may be rock solid confident, and the "I'm freaked out" thing is all just an extension of the energy his voice and inherent mannerisms broadcast anyway, so he capitalizes on it.

I just don't know why Lachlan doesn't do it for me. He's not BAD, but for some reason what he's doing seems so well tread by previous comedians to me.

.I do wish they would have tried to have more women in the top 10. It feels like this is the "Last Male Comic Standing" and there will be another season called "Last Female Comic Standing." I know there is one lady left, but the deck is stacked against her. Girls are funny too, ya know.

They really fell down with the female casting, but I DO think Nikki stands a pretty good chance of Top 3, even if her chances of winning after that are small.  Yes, the food/fat humor is old hat, but she's VERY good at it, and that kind of wide pop-eyed delivery is something I think that builds an inherently funny seeming "character" to a lot of people.  Again, it won't win, I think, but it's the kind of thing that will get her fairly far, but won't have people's hearts in the end when it comes down to home viewer voting eventually (we ARE getting that at the end, I presume?)

 

And the one I've come around on a bit is Rocky LaPorte.  I was originally batching him with icky DC Benny and even ickier Jimmy Shubert in terms of old white guy-itus, but I do think there's more to him.  That whole super-dumb-guy thing is the kind of thing that, again, done well, strikes a chord in people.  Again, I don't know if its a winning formula, but it'll keep someone around longer than someone like Monroe Martin, for example, who doesn't seem to have any interesting "hook" at all.

Edited July 14, 2014 by Kromm

[Guest]

(kidding;.. why do people ask that rhetorical question when they know they aren't!?!)

 

For confirmation that we are not alone.  I'm not the only one that thinks that am I?  :P

[Traveller519]

Monroe reminds me of Columbus Short's character from Studio 60 (there's a quality reference). He's a smart young guy who has good material to work with, but doesn't have the general stage presence required of a presenter. I like the material of his that I've seen, but he struggles when he goes off script.

 

I hope he gets a writing job out of the show.

 

I'm surprised to see DC Benny leave so early. He seemed to me to be a long shot to go far with polished material and a lot of confidence in what he was doing. His material wasn't great but it seemed consistently strong enough to get him by. Lachlan clearly had the better set (usual editing caveat) though and he deserved the win.

[Ohwell]

I think the reason that Lachlan doesn't connect with some people is that he comes off as creepily handsome--or handsomely creepy.  He can't help it, but it takes a moment to get past his looks and focus on his set.  At least that's the way he comes off to me.

[trow125]

 

I think the reason that Lachlan doesn't connect with some people is that he comes off as creepily handsome--or handsomely creepy.  He can't help it, but it takes a moment to get past his looks and focus on his set.  At least that's the way he comes off to me.

 

He reminds me a little bit of Gary Gulman from an earlier season. Gary wasn't QUITE as handsome as Lachlan, but he was still a pretty good-lookin' guy for a comedian.

 

As for female comics... I wish Kimberly Clark, who had at least 3 jokes in the Top 100, had made it farther in the competition. 

 

 

Monroe Martin, for example, who doesn't seem to have any interesting "hook" at all.

 

His hook seems to be "terrible childhood/foster care." The one I can't get a handle on is Karlous Miller. He seems to have gotten very little screen time so far (I had to look up his name, because I'd forgotten it!).

[Kromm]

His hook seems to be "terrible childhood/foster care." The one I can't get a handle on is Karlous Miller. He seems to have gotten very little screen time so far (I had to look up his name, because I'd forgotten it!).

Maybe his hook is "African-Americanized version of a Hispanic name"!!!

 

Okay, not really.  

 

It's why I take Machi, Laporte, Mr. Man, and Nikki Carr more seriously.  As much as they run the gamut from weird to cliched, they've all got hooks you remember. You can pitch them like TV shows--with two words.  Love it or hate it, I think that's what it takes for mass appeal out of a format like this.

[iMonrey]

Monroe Martin seems like kind of a one-trick pony to me. I realize it's a lot of editing but it's the same foster-care joke over and over again. But then, NBC is probably pushing that angle pretty hard because they think it's inspiring or something. I really don't feel like he should have made it this far.

 

Humor is such a subjective thing - Joe Machi totally cracks me up but it's hard to imagine NBC trying to market him. And you have to believe they have a big say in this, because they're going to want someone they can market to a mainstream audience. (Not that a "development deal" will necessarily go anywhere; everyone in Hollywood and their brothers have "development deals" somewhere.)

[Ohwell]

He reminds me a little bit of Gary Gulman from an earlier season. Gary wasn't QUITE as handsome as Lachlan, but he was still a pretty good-lookin' guy for a comedian.

Gary might not have been as pretty, but he was more masculine handsome and not creepy handsome, IMO.

[bilgistic]

FWIW, I don't think Lachlan is handsome at all. He's just creepy. That he "looks like a mannequin" isn't a compliment--mannequins are creepy.

[beedub]

Gary might not have been as pretty, but he was more masculine handsome and not creepy handsome, IMO.

I see the comparison (I've made it myself), but I'd say that generally, in terms of material and personality, Gary was a little more likeable. Lachlan has some of that, but is perhaps a bit more (here it comes!) "edgy". I'd characterise his appearance as, "good-looking Frankenstein". (Sorry, Lachlan.)

[Amarsir]

Monroe reminds me of Columbus Short's character from Studio 60 (there's a quality reference). He's a smart young guy who has good material to work with, but doesn't have the general stage presence required of a presenter. I like the material of his that I've seen, but he struggles when he goes off script.

I hope he gets a writing job out of the show.

Same impression! Any day now I expect D.L.Hughley and Matthew Perry to come in with a God complex, insult the man, and then invite him to a walk-and-talk.

[Raspberry2012]

and, as one who works on web-based stuff...he had me rolling. 'Well, I guess I won't be using Chase any more.' *snort*

I was CRYIN' during that bit - I can't tell you how many times I've lost a password and just thought, "Okay, I just won't ever use this account anymore." Really glad Lachlan survived. DC Benny's routine just seemed boring to me. A cheap asian accent through the whole routine and tired dick jokes. I thought, "If Lachlan doesn't survive, there's something wrong with this show."

[iMonrey]

FWIW, I don't think Lachlan is handsome at all. He's just creepy. That he "looks like a mannequin" isn't a compliment--mannequins are creepy.

 

He kind of reminds me of Norm McDonald, both looks-wise and delivery-wise.

[Kromm]

He kind of reminds me of Norm McDonald, both looks-wise and delivery-wise.

Can't see it personally. They're both tall white guys, that's about all I got.  Norm's delivery is FAR dryer than this guy's (part of Norm's career problem--a lot of people don't always know when he's joking, it's so dry).  Lachlan is far more observational humor (the comparison someone made earlier to Seinfeld's style isn't totally off-base... he's just not as good).

[Ohwell]

I'm glad a caught the repeat last night because I missed Lachlan's set the first time.  It was really good, and like Roseanne said, he did seem more comfortable on stage.

 

I, too, was snorting about the password crap; I've got about 22 different usernames/passwords that I've used over the years, and I actually keep them on an Excel spreadsheet, locked in a safe place.  I forget them, so I'm constantly unlocking the drawer.  And, like he said, they shame you when they let you know your password is too easy.  Then there are the ones I've deleted because I thought I wouldn't need to that site again--and then I have to revisit the site for some reason and click on fucking "Forgot Password?"  Yeah, that joke really hit home.

 

Lachlan scored some points with me after that.  I still like Rod Man the best overall, but I wouldn't mind at all if these were the final two.

 

Also, did I miss something or have we not heard much from Rocky Laporte?  I remember liking him but it seems as if it's been awhile so I've forgotten his stuff. 

[Grammaeryn]

I call Karlous "the idiot who told an offensive lesbian joke to Wanda Sykes." Ugh, I hope he crashes and burns! I really like Lachlan's material so I'm glad he made it. Since Damon and Russell loved DC, I thought he'd stay. Because c'mon the only reason why Rocky is around is because Russell is such a cheerleader. My top two are Rod Man and Joe. Monroe Martin has a huge range in his material like that baby shower being a celebration of a mistake joke (dark) to tutoring kids (light). So yeah I totally agree he could come out of this with a writing gig!

 

The thing that kills me about passwords is when you need a reminder and there isn't one, just a reset email. There's a site called LastPass that securely stores all your passwords, can autofill, and generate strong new ones.

[Tabasco Cat]

I'm very leery of LastPass and any other online service that proposes to handle my passwords. This was from only a few days ago http://www.net-security.org/secworld.php?id=17111 Yeah, they patched the vulnerability quickly once it was made known to them, but how many more weaknesses are still in their scheme that they don't even know about yet? Security is hard. Be very careful who you trust your stuff to.

[Ohwell]

Yeah, I wouldn't trust another site to "secure" my passwords.

[DrSpaceman]

I thought Rod Man winning was the clear choice and Lachlan winning was correct as well.  Rod Man was just a natural on the set of ellen, the others were pretty tight and not that funny. 

 

I like DC Benny OK but funny voices just get tiresome, he needed more than that to win. 

 

I am not big on Nikki.  She is OK, nothing special. 

 

I have thought as well Lachlan reminds me of GAry Gulman, but their styles are different.  Gary comes across kind of arrogant and strong.  Lachlan seems like a genuinely kind and nice person.  Not that Gary is not, not what I mean, but Lachlan is more soft spoken, less animated, just really seems like a guy everyone probably gets along with

 

ALso Rod Man reminds me a lot of Tracy Jordan, or at least the Tracy Jordan character on 30 Rock.  that is good and bad in many ways

 

Sorry I was on vacation and just getting caught up on the show

[aradia22]

I thought Rod Man clearly did the best with the challenge. He was the most natural and he was able to listen and let the conversation flow naturally while the other two seemed more nervous. Though thankfully no one was as big of a hot mess as they all were in the sketch challenge. I've always thought this about Ellen but she's kind of an awkward host. It's almost like a Jimmy Fallon thing. I get why people like her and she's able to get some good interviews out of people and do sometimes do fun segments but I could never watch her show regularly. I don't dislike her but if we're judging people on natural hosting ability she's not that great at it. She also kind of frowns when she's thinking which is a bit offputting when you're interviewing someone.

 

I liked Nikki's little rhyme when she voted for Rocky. Is that a Dr. Seuss meter? It sounded familiar.

 

Not my beloved Lachlan! If he gets eliminated early, it's going to be so hard to watch this show.

 

I enjoyed Keenan's talk with Lachlan and DC before they went on. As always, he actually gave useful advice (unlike Russell).

 

I don't think either one of them went out with their strongest set but for me, Lachlan was clearly better. I love accents but DC kind of wavers over that offensive line a bit too much.

[Kromm]

 I love accents but DC kind of wavers over that offensive line a bit too much.

Right. He does a stereotypical "big and black" voice in a previous week and nobody on the show calls him on it.  He switches to an Asian voice so stereotypical it might as well have had the infamously racist "oriental riff" playing behind it... and nobody on the show calls him out on it.

[aradia22]

 

I do wish they would have tried to have more women in the top 10. It feels like this is the "Last Male Comic Standing" and there will be another season called "Last Female Comic Standing." I know there is one lady left, but the deck is stacked against her. Girls are funny too, ya know.

I've started listening to comedy albums on Spotify. Tracey Ashley's album was pretty good but I kind of got the sense that she would run out of material if she'd been on the show longer. I stumbled across Giulia Rozzi's album and while she might be a little too vulgar for network TV I enjoyed it. It was nice to hear a smart female comedian talk about something other than dating or being weight conscious or being borderline alcoholic, cause am I right, ladies? Ugh. Not that you can't talk about something that's true for you. Jim Gaffigan talks about his family and his weight a lot. Anyway, random shoutout for Myq Kaplan's (who placed 5th in another season) new album Short, Dork, and Handsome. I think it's the funniest complete album I've listened to so far.