Jump to content

Type keyword(s) to search

S09.E08: The Finale


Recommended Posts

First guy:  I'm embarrassed for him at how far away I was from cracking a smile.

Ian Bagg:  I'm embarrassed for me at the guffaw I gave out when "the plane went into the cloud bank."

 

 

I don't believe that this 'skilled panel of comedic judges' can dissect and explain what's funny about each person, except Dominique.  'You rocked it.'  'You know what it's like to be younger and older.'  Umm, yeah, me too.

 

 

Nutsy girl's stammering during her interminable sheep joke was excruciating.  Was the whole thing just a really long setup for 'I'm going to tell it again, right now!'?

 

 

Clayton English:  obvious foregone conclusion, but he was definitely the cream of this crop.  Too bad we couldn't see a Sheng Wang Project Runway "decoy collection."

 

 

[This is the first time I've seen the show and the selection process left me a little sour.  Has it really been on so many years that nutsy Andy was watching when she was a kid?  From the posts, the older format sounds MUCH better.]

 

 

  • Love 1

I thought Clayton was the front runner as well and he did a good job.  It seemed like someone told Ian he could not make as many jokes about boobs or vaginas and that cut out about eighty percent of his material.  He still slipped in the vibrator bit with planes.  I think I have heard him make the switching teeth to keep a marriage fresh joke before.  The finale is not a good time to repeat yourself, unless you have a fresh take on old jokes.

Edited by qtpye
  • Love 3

I'm not even done watching the show, and I came here to point out that Douche Bagg ONCE AGAIN made a fuckin' vagina joke. His vibrator joke was so unfunny, and it was all based on how unsexy a vibrator sounds to him. Yeah, dumbass, women don't use vibrators to turn YOU on. Holy shit, I am glad I don't ever have to see that horrible bastard ever again.

 

I see Clayton English wins, no surprise. I'm sure Andy's set will annoy the shit out of me, as always. Michael and Dominique were okay but very generic.

  • Love 9

Douche Bagg

 

 

Ha ha! Best joke of your set, ClareWalks. You go on to the next round. "You ROCK!" --tm Roseanne  I wish I could "like" your post a bazillion times. I couldn't hate Bagg any more than I do, and I am thrilled that he has "so many bills he's needs to win LCS twice" to pay them all. I hope by next year he needs to win three times because clubs quit hiring him.

 

Clayton's set was the best of the night, so no surprise. Andy has never bothered me, but that sheep "joke" ... please, it was insufferably long and then not even funny. The first guy was okay, Mike Somebody? but he needs a name that's easier to remember.

 

Ms. Pat was on Bob and Tom's radio show this morning. She is milking the "as seen on LCS" thing. I didn't hear all of her appearance, but she did reveal she had never heard of Steven Hawking, didn't have a clue who he is. Gah. I guess Mike Somebody has also been on Bob and Tom, I just don't remember hearing him since I can't even remember his name from seeing him last night. 

 

I did like Norm wearing a tux. But that one rambling discourse he gave after someone's set ... holy smokes. I was waiting for Roseanne to "What the HELL?" him.

Edited by saber5055
  • Love 4

Only 8 replies the day after the finale? I think the show may not be as popular everywhere as it is in our house.

 

I was so happy that Clayton won; he was my pick from the very first time I saw him. He had the best set of the night, and he had his best set to-date last night.

 

I actually thought Michael & Dominique were tied for second, as I found both of them pretty well brought their A-game. I know Dominique wasn't poplular on this board, but I found her funny last night, and thought she outperformed Sheng on the semifinals (based on that performance alone).

 

Ian is just unfunny to me. He's more offensive than funny. We called him in fourth place. I was so scared that he was going to win, though, because the judges seem to like how he involved the audience. Such a relief that he didn't.

 

Andy was dead-last. She should've been on her couch like I was watching the show. She is just so unfunny that I am furious that comics like Sheng Weng watched the finale at home while she performed.

 

I hope they go back to the format from last year if the show comes back. We do really enjoy it, so I'd like to see it come back.

  • Love 4

 

I was so happy that Clayton won; he was my pick from the very first time I saw him. He had the best set of the night, and he had his best set to-date last night.

 

I definitely think they got it right with Clayton winning.  It just seemed to happen so fast that we didn't get to "know" the finalists like we have in the previous years.  Please go back to last year's format! They definitely needed another show before the finale with the contestants doing a few things out of their comfort zone.  It was great seeing Rod Man, even if it was way too briefly.

  • Love 6

What does it say about this show that way back in week one, the first time I saw Clayton English in the invitational round, I said to myself "That's who they're going to pick to win." I did not think he was the funniest comic to compete this season and maybe not even one of the top ten, but the first time I saw him, I knew it was a foregone conclusion this was going to be the show's pick this season. I can just tell the type they're going for, and that's him. Sort of a very safe, mainstream type of choice. Someone NBC thinks could have a shot at a sitcom - or maybe someone the judges think has the most realistic shot at a sitcom. Someone just generic enough to have the broadest appeal. Bland and blah.

 

I wonder if the other four had any reaction to the fact that Clayton a.) went last and b.) was positioned right in the middle for the results. Talk about making it obvious. I don't even think it mattered what they did in their sets tonight. I think the judges were looking for reasons to verbalize for not picking the other four.

 

If I end up watching again next season (if there is one), I think I'll just record it then watch the sets and fast-forward through all the judges comments, interviews, clips, etc. because basically I think the "competition" aspect of this show is a farce.

Edited by iMonrey
  • Love 7

I've thought Clayton had the Winner's Edit since the beginning, so I wasn't surprised at all. He probably deserves it the most too.

 

I definitely get the feeling that he wants to do more political humor but was warned off it for a national competition.  Which is smart - why do something that would alienate a portion of the audience, whatever your point of view?  But anyone seeing him live, that's my prediction.

The first guy whose name I can never remember had a good set though. I would be interested in seeing him and Clayton.

Michael Palascak.  I think I had more separate laughs at his set than anyone else's. And yet I had to double-check his name and doubt I could pick him out of a line-up.  Says a lot about the format of the show when I can watch every week, discuss it here, yet barely remember someone from the top 5.

 

And speaking of format - this was the first time they mentioned "development deal" all season, right?  I'm guessing NBC wasn't sure if they wanted to be on the hook for that until they saw the ratings.  (Here it was only mentioned in talking heads or what could have been ADR, I watched specifically.)

 

[This is the first time I've seen the show and the selection process left me a little sour.  Has it really been on so many years that nutsy Andy was watching when she was a kid?  From the posts, the older format sounds MUCH better.]

The first season was 12 years ago.  I don't know how old she is, but a 27-year-old could fairly refer to "being a kid" at 15 so it's not implausible.

 

And the format has pretty much been different every year, because they've never really been happy with the ratings.  

 

  • Season 1 they were sequestered in a house which prohibited experienced comics with scheduled appearances. Decisions were by local audiences so the winner just used the same material every time since voters never saw him twice.
  • Season 2 the judges (notably Drew Carey and Brett Butler) staged a protest that the 10 finalists didn't match who they selected.
  • Season 3 took place 5 minutes after Season 2, using zero new people. 
  • Season 4 they kicked out Gabriel Iglesias for calling his girlfriend on the phone. The season eliminated very slowly via call-ins with few sets filling an hour (or two!) of showtime.
  • Season 5 was similarly paced but without sequestering, and showed the flaws of call-in votes when it resulted in John Reep winning over Amy Schumer (4th) and Doug Benson (6th).
  • Seasons 6 & 7 I barely remember, which is probably the nicest thing anyone  has said about them.
  • Season 8 (last year) was IMHO the best format, being mixing judges, coaching, challenges, and a good pace.  Naturally they didn't repeat it.

 

Also the show was cancelled in 2004, and 2008, and 2010.  And 2015 if it were up to me.

Edited by Amarsir
  • Love 8
Ian is just unfunny to me. He's more offensive than funny. We called him in fourth place. I was so scared that he was going to win, though, because the judges seem to like how he involved the audience.

 

That reminds me, the judges said a few times how the audience was hostile to Mr. D. Bagg and then he got them to warm up and laugh. That's something we couldn't judge at home, where editing and sound effects are used to create the show they want. But perhaps it did show that not everyone loves the D. Bagg and his ill attempts at being funny.

 

As for Sheng watching at home, all the cast-offs were in the audience. The editing showed them laughing and clapping. No doubt filmed during the M.C.'s pre-show stand up! *snark*

 

I like watching this show every season it is on, I like seeing something that is suppose to be funny and, most times, it is, and I can appreciate the humor and some of the skilled writing of the comics. I can't stand any sitcom that is on, IMO all of them are dreadful. So this reality show is some fresh air for me, even if it is scripted or winners pre-chosen. I'm good with that, as long as I like the guys performing. Bagg ruined each week for me, leaving me slack-jawed that the judges would put him through. Maybe he has some blackmail thing on one of TPTB.

 

I did like the suggestion to Clayton that he stay UN-controversial so his set appealed to all genres. That was appreciated by me. Those old, old black-and-white tv shows are still funny, and none of them had to resort to sex jokes or bathroom humor. It CAN be done, folks!

Edited by saber5055
  • Love 3

That reminds me, the judges said a few times how the audience was hostile to Mr. D. Bagg and then he got them to warm up and laugh. That's something we couldn't judge at home, where editing and sound effects are used to create the show they want. But perhaps it did show that not everyone loves the D. Bagg and his ill attempts at being funny.

 

I'm glad Douche Bagg is catching on! It was an easy joke, but I had to go for it. I did notice during his vagina-riddled set that there were some women in the first few rows with total bitchface on. They were totally representin' for me out there, so god bless them.

  • Love 7

Woof! I hated this format. How bad is it that by the final, there was still one comedian that no one seems to be able to remember his name. 5 episodes of invitationals was way too much.

Last season certainly had the best format. I liked seeing them branch out into other forms of comedy along the way, and see a bit of what goes into constructing comedy. The House/Challenges shtick works because you can see who is actually funny and who just has some jokes to lean on.

I seem to remember Season 2 had a house (there was the joke of Kathleen Madigan's reflective body tanning next to Tammy Pescateli's olive skin, and I remember John Heffron coming back to the house in tears after he defeated Bonnie in week 1). I think it was Season 6 that had a house too, but it was much shorter. I believe that was the season Illiza Schlesinger just tore through the entire competition. I'm guessing those seasons had more flexibility in being able to go and do shows in and around LA for the comedians.

  • Love 2

I seem to remember Season 2 had a house (there was the joke of Kathleen Madigan's reflective body tanning next to Tammy Pescateli's olive skin, and I remember John Heffron coming back to the house in tears after he defeated Bonnie in week 1).

You're correct. I block out a lot of early season 2 because it had too much Ant. And although John certainly brought heart to it, I seem to recall an Ant/Tammy/Todd Glass effort to make challenges and votes as dull and strategic as possible.

  • Love 1

I think it was last year the comics were tasked with different jobs. I remember them driving a Universal Studios tour bus, where the best improv-ed and were hilarious. To me, a true comedian is a person who is naturally funny with a great sense of humor, this over being able to write, memorize and perform lines on stage. I would have like to have seen the five finalists drive a tourist bus through LA. Imagine D. Bagg trying to be funny in front of a group of conservative, retired Midwesterners in California on vacation. Ouch!

  • Love 5

Norm MacDonald didn't keel over from drug use. And Maria Bamford didn't sneak behind Andy and whack her with a steel chair. Minor victories, yes?

 

I think this might have been the worst LCS season . . . and that's saying something. Sure, Clayton was a likeable winner, but we didn't get to journey with him throughout the season, as we did with, say, John Hefferon. Or Josh Blue. While American Ninja Warrior is taken to task for going with the personal stories too often, we wind up identifying with them as a result. With Clayton, all we got were four sets.

 

Anybody else surprised that the comics could ID Rod Man right away? I'm thinking the comics were given a "heads up" about him before he entered the room. [insert joke about Dat Phan working at a Burger King here]

 

I know it's late, but my cable was screwing with me big-time tonight. If you're reading this and you want to catch Anthony Jeselink's act, his "Caligula" special runs on Comedy Central at 3:41 a.m. tonight. He can go very dark very fast, so be warned. Maybe he could get another show after The Jeselink Offensive didn't last past two seasons.

 

ETA: Rod Man is working on a deal with NBC, while Iliza Shlesinger (LCS6) is set to host a show on TBS.

  • Love 3

This was just a pretty dull season overall. 

 

I am fine with Clayton winning, but even he I did not think was that great.  He was good, solid, that was it. 

 

That was not one comic the whole season that I thought had a great or amazing set start to finish even once.  There were some great jokes.  The best I still think is Sheng's credit card joke about buying marijuana.  But no great sets start to finish. 

 

I liked Michael and Clayton last night.  The rest really sucked

 

Andi is officially my least favorite comic ever on the show.  That was previously Jay London.  She wins now though.  Seriously I could just ask a 5 year old to tell me some jokes and get the same entertainment value and hear the same jokes with bad puns.  Probably better ones, and with better delivery. I hope that is truly an act by her otherwise I think she much have some sort of mental disorder. 

 

Still think the best thing about this season was Anthony Jeselnik hosting. 

 

This show definetly works best when they give it 2-3 years in between "seasons".  I think they were just short on quality stand ups to choose from.  I hope that is the case.  The alternative is that NBC is just really BAD at picking who to be on the show. 

Edited by DrSpaceman73
  • Love 2
  • Season 2 the judges (notably Drew Carey and Brett Butler) staged a protest that the 10 finalists didn't match who they selected.
  • Season 3 took place 5 minutes after Season 2, using zero new people. 
  • Season 5 was similarly paced but without sequestering, and showed the flaws of call-in votes when it resulted in John Reep winning over Amy Schumer (4th) and Doug Benson (6th).

Wow!  Thanks, Amarsir.  That level of controversy is much more stimulating than "no one can remember the first guy's name."

 

I regret I wasn't watching this all along.  In big city days, I used to force my friends to go to comedy clubs instead of bar-hopping.  The first act or two would be stressful as we tried to be supportive of the wait staff or other anxious unknowns making their debuts, but then the drinks kicked in just as the delivery improved and it was loads of fun.  (Once Jerry Seinfeld "dropped by"--before he had a famous show on tv--and I had tears literally dripping off my chin from laughing so hard.)  I guess I thought the talent pool would mainly be the former.

 

Oh, wait. . .did this show ever have a big guy named Ralphie?  I did watch a couple of episodes and elected to move on.

  • Love 2

 

Bagg ruined each week for me, leaving me slack-jawed that the judges would put him through. Maybe he has some blackmail thing on one of TPTB.

 

I think it's as simple as casting. There are five specific types that make it to the final five:

 

Clayton English = Rod Man

Dominique = Nikki Carr

Ian Bagg = Rocky LaPorte

Andy Erikson = Joe Machi

Michael Palascak = Lachlan Patterson

 

It's like there's a call sheet and all the comics are auditioning for these roles:

 

a. Non-threatening black guy

b. "Sassy" big black woman

c. Older guy with an "edge"

d. Weirdo/"character"

e. Generic white guy

 

See a pattern here? Which is how I pegged Clayton as this year's Rod Man from week one.

  • Love 16

I did not like Ralphie May at all during the show, but I have heard some of his stand up on Comedy central and he is OK.  I don't like all of it, but some of it I find funny. 

 

I actually thought Rod Man last year was pretty original in his delivery and style.  I don't view him at all as the same as Clayton, other than them both being African American

 

I do certainly think they have demographics they look for though in who advances during the show

  • Love 1

That was previously Jay London.

 

 

Thanks for making me remember the guy I had forced out of my memory bank. I'll take Andy over Jay, though. He was just unbearable. 

 

iMonrey, your comparisons are indeed compelling. Well done.

 

I've heard Rod Man on the radio, and he is funny IRL, doesn't need a script to go off of when he's just talking and being himself. That, to me, is a real comedian. Glad he's getting a show, hope it works out.

 

Some comics I've heard on the radio are asked leading questions, then their voices change so you know they are going into a rehearsed monologue. So much ... ugh to that.

 

When there were comedy clubs here, I used to go often, and would laugh so hard and long, I hurt afterward. Funny (not!) that I cannot remember a single name. Some of them might be famous now!

  • Love 3
I actually thought Rod Man last year was pretty original in his delivery and style.  I don't view him at all as the same as Clayton, other than them both being African American

 

I think they are also the same as far as being in the "non-threatening black guy" category as iMonrey pointed out.  The huge difference is that I think Rod Man is much funnier.

  • Love 2

All Star would be great.  Just off the top of my head, in addition to those listed above, I would like to see Dave Mordahl/Roch Vos rekindle their bromance, Gary Gulman, Tammy Pescatelli, Tommy Johnagin.  I'm sure some others will come to mind later.

 

Just as an aside, Lavell Crawford has done pretty well for himself.  I last saw him as Huell in Breaking Bad but he's done other stuff as well.

GAry Gulman!!! Forgot about him, that would be great. He and Anthony could hold a competition, whose the bigger smug bastard. I think they are both hilarious, but they give off that vibe.

I had forgot Lavell was in Breaking Bad. Also did a great episode of Its Always sunny in Philadpelphia, basically played himself, The Gang Breaks Dee

Edited by DrSpaceman73
  • Love 2

Clayton is a good comic, but he was FAR from the best of the five. I can't say I get the audience going nuts. The judges (even if they wouldn't have agreed up till that point) kind of had their hand forced by the live audience reaction.

 

I do think Clayton had one of his better sets and some of the people there who are normally much funnier than him had sets that weren't their best. But that's not saying he's either the funniest on average, or even on that night.  I'm not sure either of those were true.


Has anyone who has won in the past ended up with their own TV show ?

 

Last year's winner, Rod Man, got as far as creating a pilot. I haven't heard about it since then.

 

Did they do the development deal before last year? That was the first season I consistently watched the show, but I think it was the first time they awarded that.

Nobody has (even successfully gotten a show), but they've had that theoretical prize every single season since the start. I'm not guessing on that last bit--I always specifically remember them saying/describing it every time. They still technically get the prize, because the money is the payment for the show development contract, basically, and that's all that's guaranteed. Not a show, a CONTRACT (ergo: money).

 

Not that people who appeared on LCS never got shows.  Just not off that prize (and it hasn't been the winners anyway).

 

My prediction: in the next few years Andy Erikson will get some successful sitcom gig and nobody else on this season will have been heard from again (outside of the comedy clubs and a few of them, most prominently Clayton, getting a Comedy Central stand-up special). It's not even that she was consistently the best here (because she had some real lapses), but she's the easiest to transition to TV.  Not as a lead, of course (so that prize would have been awkward) but as a ridiculous side character (aka "The Kramer").


I think they are also the same as far as being in the "non-threatening black guy" category as iMonrey pointed out.  The huge difference is that I think Rod Man is much funnier.

Rod Man is a dozen times funnier than Clayton, IMO.

Edited by Kromm
  • Love 1

Nobody has (even successfully gotten a show), but they've had that theoretical prize every single season since the start. I'm not guessing on that last bit--I always specifically remember them saying/describing it every time. They still technically get the prize, because the money is the payment for the show development contract, basically, and that's all that's guaranteed. Not a show, a CONTRACT (ergo: money).

 

Not that people who appeared on LCS never got shows.  Just not off that prize (and it hasn't been the winners anyway).

Well in the early years there was the prize  of a half-hour special on Comedy Central. I do think that was technically delivered. But then CC would have done that anyway since it's what they do, so it was never that big a deal.

I've been listening to a stand-up comedian who hosts a radio show at night. She's been working for several years trying to get a tv show. One show she pitched, it went into consideration and she had to wait SEVERAL YEARS, waiting to hear if it was accepted or not, and could not work on developing or pitching another show while that one was in consideration. It ended up not being "sold." So now, three or four years later, she is pitching a new show, which appears to have been picked up, and might progress to filming a pilot. Whether that pilot will air or the show gets sold to a network, anyone's guess. So the same might have happened to past winners, like Rod Man. Perhaps he was selected to be in some sitcom that ended up not being sold. So, there's the end of LCS's commitment to him.

 

Just because these guys MIGHT get a shot at being on a sitcom doesn't mean we'll ever see them on one.

 

I think an All Stars competition would be a fabulous show, all the past winners/top five (plus others funnier yet "not selected") come back to compete in a variety of ways, audience vote. Great idea!

Edited by saber5055

Well in the early years there was the prize  of a half-hour special on Comedy Central. I do think that was technically delivered. But then CC would have done that anyway since it's what they do, so it was never that big a deal.

It's not an either/or though.  The prize was the CC special AND the development deal. I don't know if the CC is still in the prize spiel they give now, but chances are they still actually get one (and the money for the development deal--which of course was always the real prize, since nobody ever got an actual show get past the early talk stages).

After 14 seasons without producing a contender for America's next top model, the Tyra prize has changed from a contract with a prestigious agency to "a chance" for a contract.  Ouch, what's that, an interview?

 

These people were smart not to name their show "America's Funniest Comedian."

Well then this show does better than Tyra.  They get the contract here. They just don't get any promise of actual work appearing in front of the public. NBC locks up the rights to them so they don't wind up anywhere else either, so in a way it's a win-win for NBC even if nothing happens (while the chances are low of them having had a successful deal going to a sitcom with ABC or Fox or CBS or TVLand, there's at least a theoretical one which is closed down).

Do you know how many people in Hollywood have "development deals" with studios or networks? All of them. It really doesn't mean much other than a network or studio has agreed to a meeting with that person wherein they can pitch an idea for a show, movie, etc.

 

The development deal the comics win on LCS is specifically with NBC. And that undoubtedly has as lot to do with the types of comics the judges (or whoever) choose to move forward. They are looking for someone they know would be considered NBC-friendly. They're not looking for someone who's going to do something really edgy and different, they're looking for someone who is mainstream enough for a broadcast network.

  • Love 1

The development deal the comics win on LCS is specifically with NBC. And that undoubtedly has as lot to do with the types of comics the judges (or whoever) choose to move forward. They are looking for someone they know would be considered NBC-friendly. They're not looking for someone who's going to do something really edgy and different, they're looking for someone who is mainstream enough for a broadcast network.

 

I agree.  IMO, Clayton, and possible the first guy, are the only ones that NBC would consider doing a show around and the other three were in the finale to give some variety.  I think it would be more interesting competition if they took the development deal out of the prize package. 

I agree.  IMO, Clayton, and possible the first guy, are the only ones that NBC would consider doing a show around and the other three were in the finale to give some variety.  I think it would be more interesting competition if they took the development deal out of the prize package.

They're unlikely to do a show with Clayton. Not that they're totally unfriendly to the idea of a "black sitcom", but they're not going to go out of their way. They made a deal for Jerrod Carmichael's "The Carmichael Show" entirely outside of any stupid talent contest, and while the ratings actually have been surprisingly good (something you KNOW they didn't expect given how they doubled up the episodes), they're not nearly good enough for them to expand on that (not to mention the huge failure they had with Craig robinson and HIS show). And if they did? Rod Man is probably a lot more up their alley than Clayton English. Actually if the damn deal didn't seem to specify a LEAD role, I'd think Rod Man would slot into any number of pilots in a second banana role. That's what they did with Ron Funches.
  • Love 2

I remember the pitch challenge from S2 that Tammy Pescatelli won and I thought that would have been a good show (it was called "The Goddaughter" and it would have been a wacky family sitcom centered on an Italian family).

 

 

I wonder if the other four had any reaction to the fact that Clayton a.) went last and b.) was positioned right in the middle for the results. Talk about making it obvious. I don't even think it mattered what they did in their sets tonight. I think the judges were looking for reasons to verbalize for not picking the other four.

 

Going last is probably the best spot to be in for a comedy contest -- I say that having participated in them as a contestant and an audience member. And it felt like Clayton won because the judges had nothing to criticize him for. As for his positioning, I heard from one of the finalists that they filmed multiple endings a la "RuPaul's Drag Race". 

Edited by JakeyJokes
  • Love 2
×
×
  • Create New...