Tara Ariano August 25, 2015 Share August 25, 2015 The semifinal round continues with 21 additional comics competing for a slot in the Top 10. Wanda Sykes serves as guest mentor. Link to comment
grumpypanda August 27, 2015 Share August 27, 2015 (edited) I'm confused, does anyone know how this show is going to be structured this year? Last year when we got to the top ten the comics lived together and had to do challenges before two people were put up to go head to head but the previews for next week made it look like they're only doing stand up this season. Maybe I'm wrong. Anyway, I'm not happy that the only female comic that made it through this round was Dominique. I don't think she's very funny or original. I'm so over black comics making fun of white people. White people put peas in potato salad, omg, that's so hilarious. We also like to do crazy stuff like skydiving but we're to chicken shit to drive through the hood. We so crazy. Anyway, I was hoping Amy Miller or Andi Smith would make it through but Norm shut that down. I get the feeling that he doesn't like women in general. I like Joe List and the guy that did the virgin in heaven joke so I'm glad that they made it. I'm surprised that Shakir (spelling?) didn't make it. He's set wasn't amazing tonight but I still think he has the potential to be awesome. I don't get what was so great about Ian Bagg. Some of his stuff was alright but he lost me at the tit punch. Overall, not a bad way to spend my Wednesday night. Edited August 27, 2015 by grumpypanda 6 Link to comment
LADreamr August 27, 2015 Share August 27, 2015 I don't get what was go great about Ian Bagg. Some of his stuff was alright but he lost me at the tit punch. Yeah, not sure why that's supposed to be funny. It turned me off of him completely. 10 Link to comment
WickedTuna August 27, 2015 Share August 27, 2015 I wish Norm had decided to just focus on chicken and left judging alone. For me it seems like he's trying to be cerebral and deep when stand up isn't that way. Not that comedy can't be clever. I guess I should just be happy he seems a little more alert. I missed Ian talking about a tit punch ~sighs~ I was really loving the guy too. He was the only one out of those going through. Oh well, at least I have Sheng from the other group. 1 Link to comment
candall August 27, 2015 Share August 27, 2015 So the three women are peas in potato salad, kitty meow meow and the one I liked but can't remember any of her jokes. Hmm. I thought "Jesus could have been in AC repair and the book would be exactly the same" was an original, funny premise, but then he lost me. Likewise, I thought the concept of a grandmother who doesn't grasp foreign languages for her international brood could render some pretty funny observations. I haven't seen this show in the past and it's interesting to consider writing comedy versus performing comedy versus performing as an actor. I, too, am hanging my hat on Sheng Wang. 2 Link to comment
ClareWalks August 27, 2015 Share August 27, 2015 Norm has shown himself to be surprisingly useless. I NEVER agree with what he decrees "the best joke of the set," and some of his criticisms are completely incomprehensible (like the Harry Potter/Bible one from another episode). I agree that he seems to be of the old "women aren't funny" school of comedy. His taste tends to lean toward more hacky or child-like humor rather than edge, which is where female comedians are going nowadays. 6 Link to comment
Amarsir August 27, 2015 Share August 27, 2015 Some polarizing comics in that set. Andi Smith for example. The audience liked her, but I was with Norm. You know how comics build a story up to the big punchline, weaving smaller jokes along the way to keep it entertaining? I felt like she was doing that, but without the punchline. For example, she had a build that was going somewhere when she was talking about marriage and said "someone had to establish ownership". But what did that marriage build-up end with? "Can't I just text you?" Also I couldn't help but notice that the audience had a bad ratio of "whoo" to laughter. Always a bad sign to me. I also didn't like Ian Bagg's "tit punch" bit. It's absurdist in a way that isn't fun to imagine. But I liked his overall presentation and felt like he was working for laughs, so I'd watch him again. 1 Link to comment
Amarsir August 27, 2015 Share August 27, 2015 I get the feeling that he doesn't like women in general. For what it's worth, when Norm was on the Tonight Show to promote this season he said (appropos of nothing) that he thinks Amy Schumer is the funniest person on the planet. Could be legit, could be blowing smoke, or could be underlying something else. I don't know. But I'd say that if he's biased against female comics it would have to be a subconscious thing. 2 Link to comment
LADreamr August 27, 2015 Share August 27, 2015 I also didn't like Ian Bagg's "tit punch" bit. It's absurdist in a way that isn't fun to imagine. But I liked his overall presentation and felt like he was working for laughs, so I'd watch him again. It was sexist, juvenile and tone deaf. He's not getting any support from me. 8 Link to comment
Primetimer August 27, 2015 Share August 27, 2015 The second round of semifinals looks just like the first round, but with different people. Read the story Link to comment
saber5055 August 27, 2015 Share August 27, 2015 (edited) Dominique was one I did not like at all, female or male. I've never heard of peas in potato salad, plus even if I did that, it's STILL not funny. Everyone makes potluck dishes a different way, and that's funny ... why? Because I'm black? Or not? Please. I did LOL at the woman who said her spouse was like living with a wasp, you shut the door on it and hope it dies. But I guess that's only funny if you've lived with someone you wished would die ... The host guy really likes ranking on Roseanne's marriage partners. I get the impression she's starting to get a bit irritated about it. Frankly, I was offended by Ian Bagg. Not funny, just plain off-color and rude. It wouldn't be funny either, if a woman comic said she lined men up to punch them in their dicks, like a picket fence. So I'm not being sexist about it. I just want him to stop it. And go home. I must see humor differently than these judges since my favorites haven't made it through any of the rounds. One or two here and there, but that's it. Maybe the sets are edited so I don't see the dreck. But based on what I do see, my show would be different. Count me as one who thinks Norm needs to be removed from this show. He's really ... odd. And I say that as someone who appreciates the odd. I just don't appreciate Norm. He's almost scary in the way he swings from funny to cross-carrying, all without changing expression. Edited August 27, 2015 by saber5055 4 Link to comment
Dave in Chicago August 27, 2015 Share August 27, 2015 Why is anyone surprised about Norm? He's funny, but his presentation has always been sleepy and "seems annoyed to be here". I can't imagine he loves the long days and multiple takes needed for a show like this. (Not that anyone would, he just seems particularly ill-suited.) 1 Link to comment
ClareWalks August 27, 2015 Share August 27, 2015 Frankly, I was offended by Ian Bagg. Not funny, just plain off-color and rude. It wouldn't be funny either, if a woman comic said she lined men up to punch them in their dicks, like a picket fence. So I'm not being sexist about it. I just want him to stop it. And go home. Totally agree. That was the "what the fuck" moment of the night, for me. Everyone was laughing and I was like "am I missing something?" I'm not the type to be easily offended, but it just wasn't even funny. Punching women in the boobs? .....okay? 6 Link to comment
iMonrey August 27, 2015 Share August 27, 2015 Anyway, I was hoping Amy Miller or Andi Smith would make it through but Norm shut that down. I get the feeling that he doesn't like women in general. I understand that comedy is very subjective but I thought both Amy Miller and Andi Smith were much funnier than any of the three guys they picked to go into the top 10. Joe List, Ryan Conner and Michael Pascak just seemed very pedestrian and bland to me. I can easily see Amy Miller going on to be the sort of comic Lisa Lampanelli is - probably very vulgar in a comedy club but also hilarious. I did like Dominique but I get the feeling she's there to fulfill some kind of quota. And I don't know if Norm is sexist but I do know he has made some homophobic comments in the past so it would not surprise me. 3 Link to comment
Gregg247 August 27, 2015 Share August 27, 2015 Norm's comments are sometimes incomprehensible, but he does kind of drill down to the essence of each comic's persona. A couple of times, his insights about a comic have been on-target (mainly when he was telling them why a specific joke didn't work). I find his input fresh and interesting, whether I agree (or understand) or not. I'd rather hear Norm's comments than Roseanne's boiler-plate response of "You're such a good writer. Your set was hilarious. HEEHAW HEEHAW WOO WOO WOO". 8 Link to comment
ae2 August 27, 2015 Share August 27, 2015 Also on the pro-Norm chain. Even if he's sometimes wrong or doesn't make sense at least he's trying to contribute actual, useful feedback to the comedians. That's more than can be said for Roseanne. I get why people find him strange and irritating, but I tend to think most of his feedback has been spot on. I think I said this about a hundred times last season, but I really wish they would publish the entirety of all the sets online. Even if some bits don't make the cut I'd love to watch them. (They have started putting sets from the top 10 on NBC's website if you're interested. We'll never see all the invitationals though.) 5 Link to comment
backformore August 27, 2015 Share August 27, 2015 I like norm, and some of his critiques, I think are spot-on, but reduced to a few second soundbyte, so there isn't time for him to explain it well. He is obscure at times, but when I get what he's saying, I usually agree with his point. I think he'd be a great coach, going over material and presentation, and helping comics to really hone their skills. He makes a distinction between commenting on the jokes and the way the jokes are told, and he's often right in saying a particular joke should be dropped, or put first, things like that. He's certainly better than Roseanne, who could be replaced by a Tickle-Me-Elmo doll, only one that said "Haha! I LOVED IT!" 2 Link to comment
generate789 August 28, 2015 Share August 28, 2015 So are they not doing the challenges and "I know I'm funnier than ..." things they've done in the past? I actually kind of liked some of those. 3 Link to comment
DrSpaceman August 28, 2015 Share August 28, 2015 I found nothing at all funny about Dominique last night. She seemed to be all attitude, her jokes just fell completely flat for me. I wasn't that impressed with Amy Miller or Andi Smith. I liked Andi the first time. This time, another one with a nice style but jokes just were not funny. Plus she strikes me as a bit full of herself I don't know why a gold vagina is funny. I guess its a funny visual, but other than that, not much in that joke I find funny. I thought Michael Ian Bagg's jokes about the expensive apples or Whole Foods was funny. Delcined from there. Still no one stands out to me. I don't have many problems with any of them advancing except Dominique. Roseanne is useless as a judge. I get the feeling some of Norm's criticism one liners at least are scripted for him to say. 3 Link to comment
candall August 28, 2015 Share August 28, 2015 I don't know why a gold vagina is funny. I guess its a funny visual, but other than that, not much in that joke I find funny. I thought Michael Ian Bagg's jokes about the expensive apples or Whole Foods was funny. "Vagina made of gold" was good because we were fully expecting another self-castigating remark about being fat. But no! She only tips the scale high due to. . . I liked seeing a big woman reverse and assert her excellence. I forgot about the Whole Paycheck apples and how the judges might not understand the reference. That was good. (Transparent yoga pants crotch, no.) 1 Link to comment
needschocolate August 28, 2015 Share August 28, 2015 (edited) I wish Norm had decided to just focus on chicken and left judging alone. For me it seems like he's trying to be cerebral and deep when stand up isn't that way. Not that comedy can't be clever. I guess I should just be happy he seems a little more alert. When Norm commented that that some comics try to show how smart they are instead of showing how funny they are, I thought "Hey Norm, do you realize you are talking about yourself?" - the Harry Potter and the Bible, the "why did you say upsetting, when it wasn't upsetting?" (although I agree that "upsetting" wasn't the right word for her to use, the joke didn't hinge on it). I'd rather hear Norm's comments than Roseanne's boiler-plate response of "You're such a good writer. Your set was hilarious. HEEHAW HEEHAW WOO WOO WOO". Roseanne has given negative feedback ....but only if Keenan says something negative first. I wouldn't mind getting rid of Norm and Roseanne. I'd rather have Russell Peters than either of them. Let it be Russell, Wanda Sykes, and Keenan. Edited August 28, 2015 by needschocolate 3 Link to comment
Ohwell August 29, 2015 Share August 29, 2015 Dominique had one good joke when she was on the Tom Joyner Morning show. It was when she got bills she couldn't pay, she would write on them "I KNOW!"--and send them back. Other than that, I never thought she was funny. 1 Link to comment
MiseryIndex August 30, 2015 Share August 30, 2015 My frustrations They barely say anything that's actually critical or negative. They constantly show just the judges talking about comics that we didn't even see their set. And then show entire sets of people who aren't even that good. How are we supposed to grow attachments and pick our favorites if we don't see them all? Also that top 3 punch line thing before commercials but they weren't even punch lines. Confusing. 3 Link to comment
JocelynCavanaugh August 31, 2015 Share August 31, 2015 This entire season just feels phoned in, and it deserves better. If they don't believe in the show they should just cancel it. But I'd rather see them go back to longer episodes, more comedy, and more challenges. I like all three judges but Norm seems to be the only one really trying to give useful feedback, even if it doesn't always land. 4 Link to comment
DrSpaceman August 31, 2015 Share August 31, 2015 So when rewatching this, I thought Ian Bagg set was overall pretty good, though I agree the sexism appeared at the end with the boob joke. I came to the conclusion while I find him funny in this episode, in the long run, I think his act will wear thin. We shall see. ALso his name always makes me think of Michael Ian Black, a totally different comic/actor Also I heard some of Sheng Wang's stand up over th weekend on Sirius Comedy Central channel......was just OK. I liked it, but actually not as much as what I have seen from him so far on this show. But they typically play older clips and repeat one or two bits of comedians, so we shall see, he might have better stuff and may have added some things since that was done. This entire season just feels phoned in, and it deserves better. If they don't believe in the show they should just cancel it. But I'd rather see them go back to longer episodes, more comedy, and more challenges.I like all three judges but Norm seems to be the only one really trying to give useful feedback, even if it doesn't always land. I completely agree about this. I think the problem with this type of show is doing it yearly can deplete the potential talent pool unless you are inviting people back year after year. I think they had some good comics they hit on last year and not repeating it again now, they may just be short on who to choose from. It may work better every 2-3 years or so rather than yearly. 3 Link to comment
Ohwell August 31, 2015 Share August 31, 2015 I completely agree about this. I think the problem with this type of show is doing it yearly can deplete the potential talent pool unless you are inviting people back year after year. I think they had some good comics they hit on last year and not repeating it again now, they may just be short on who to choose from. It may work better every 2-3 years or so rather than yearly. I've been thinking this was the problem for quite some time now. I think they periodically just run out of good talent and wind up scraping the bottom of the comedy barrel *cough*Dominique*cough* Link to comment
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