All Episodes Talk

[Guest]

A place to discuss particular episodes (that do not have specific episode threads), arcs and moments from the show's run. Please remember this isn't a complete catch-all topic -- check out the forum for character topics and other places for show-related talk.

[Kromm]

Here's the total list of ALL 100 comedians participating (which might be necessary as a reference, because some of them may only be on camera for seconds):

 

http://splitsider.com/2014/05/here-are-the-100-comedians-competing-in-the-new-season-of-last-comic-standing/

 

 

 

Nate Abshire
Keith Alberstadt
Dave Anthony
Tracy Ashley
Tony Baker
Greer Barnes
DC Benny
Chase Bernstein
Gloria Bigelow
Vinnie Brand
Guy Branum
Nikki Carr
Rob Christensen
JC Coccoli
Kendra Cunningham
Billy Wayne Davis
Drennon Davis
Nore Davis
Sean Donnelly
Dana Eagle
Tyree Elaine
AJ Finney
Mike Gaffney
Emily Galati
Luis J. Gomez
Nick Guerra
Tim Harmston
Chloe Hilliard
Kellye Howard
Adrienne Iapalucci
Sabrina Jalees
Brian Jian
Erin Johnson
Zainab Johnson
Erin Judge
Gerald Kelly
Lynne Koplitz
Ben Kronberg
Bob Kubota
Dave Landau
Rocky LaPorte
Mike Lawrence
Jamie Lee
Pete Lee
Randy Liedtke
Jared Logan
Carmen Lynch
Joe Machi
Mary Mack
Fluffy Mamba
Rod Man
Monroe Martin III
Shane Mauss
Kurt Metzger
Karlous Miller
Alington Mitra
Jackie Monahan
Aparna Nancherla
Adam Newman
Frank Nicotero
Mark Normand
Tim Northern
Michael Palascak
Christina Pazsitzky
Lachlan Patterson
Chip Pope
Tommy Pope
Kelly Pryce
Jasper Redd
Pat Regan
April Richardson
Erik Rivera
Phoebe Robinson
Aida Rodriguez
Tommy Ryman
Ken Rogerson
Johnny Sanchez
Yamaneika Saunders
Jimmy Shubert
Andrew Sleighter
DeAnne Smith
Michael Somerville
Shakir Standley
Alex Stone
Dave Stone
Patrick Susmilch
Wil Sylvince
Geoff Tate
Jim Tews
Shane Torres
Angelo Tsarouchas
Brooke Van Poppelen
Mike Vecchione
Sheng Wang
David Waite
Aaron Weaver
Andy Woodhull
Tony Woods
Hampton Yount
Joe Zimmerman

[Monty]

I know some of them because they've been on @midnight (April Richardson, Mike Lawrence), but the only ones that I'd say I'm familiar with are Jasper Redd (he has a podcast called The Goosedown) and Chip Pope (he's been on the Comedy Bang! Bang! podcast, but I think it was back when it was called Comedy Death Ray. His character "R.O. Manse" entertains me.

[Maverick]

Aren't Pete Lee and Jared Logan on VH1's Best Week Ever?

[millahnna]

So Phan keeps coming up and how a lot of folks disliked him when he was on and I just can't remember him that well at all.  I remember a lot of complaints about Phan's material being trite and/or offensive racially but 1) can't recall if that was from his first appearance or the season where previous contestants competed against each other and 2) can't recall any of his material at all nor whether I liked it.  I'll get around to googling myself a refresher of his stuff eventually out of curiosity but the fact that it's so non-memorable for me makes me wonder if the hate didn't stem mostly from a case of a better comedian getting ousted for Phan.

[Monty]

It was two things, as I remember:

 

1) Dat Phan had about twenty minutes of good material. So the television audience saw him repeating a lot of material, but the live audience was always seeing it fresh.

 

2) He beat the beloved Dave Mordal, who was great.

 

(EDIT: Oh, and was he the guy with all the charts? If he was, that struck people as being weird.)

Edited May 26, 2014 by Monty

[millahnna]

I don't think he was the charts guy.  I know he had a crazy Asian complete with accent schtick that a lot of people really hated.  I still haven't watched any of the old clips though. 

I do remember Mordal.  He was hilarious.  So I guess for me Phan's biggest crime is being completely forgettable. 

[Kromm]

So Phan keeps coming up and how a lot of folks disliked him when he was on and I just can't remember him that well at all.  I remember a lot of complaints about Phan's material being trite and/or offensive racially but 1) can't recall if that was from his first appearance or the season where previous contestants competed against each other and 2) can't recall any of his material at all nor whether I liked it.  I'll get around to googling myself a refresher of his stuff eventually out of curiosity but the fact that it's so non-memorable for me makes me wonder if the hate didn't stem mostly from a case of a better comedian getting ousted for Phan.

I think it's fair to say though that if you don't remember Dat Phan, you don't remember Season 1 at all.  Because he pretty much defined it, for good or ill.

 

I get though that what you actually mean is that you simply don't remember his jokes (which IMO, in a way is hardly any more complimentary of his comedy than what anyone else has said about him).

 

ETA:

 

 

So I guess for me Phan's biggest crime is being completely forgettable.

Yes, actually that might be a fair way to put it.  Of course being forgettable is hardly a good thing for a winner of a show claiming it's looking for the funniest person.

Edited May 26, 2014 by Kromm

[millahnna]

The only thing about him from broadcast I could recall before I started looking was the hide and seek bit.  That crap cracked me up. 

[DrSpaceman]

I recall Dat Phan and its not just he was forgettable.  He seemed to rely mostly on talking in a funny asian voice that was supposed to be his mom, which I didn't find funny.  What he was saying wasn't funny and giving it an asian accent didn't make it funny. 

 

But then I feel the same way about George Lopez.  I know he wasn't on the show, but just for comparison because I think they are similar.  For the life of me I don't get all his fans.  He does half english/half spanish/half spanglish (yes I know thats three halves) speeches and when you listen to what he is saying, its not that funny. I hear him on the XM radio and the fans are cracking up and for the life of me, I have no idea why.  I can't undersand half what he says and the half I do understand is mildly amusing but far from hilarious 

 

I felt the same way about Dat Phan. 

[Monty]

I just realized what a tough job JB Smoove has. Normally, the host just has to come on between acts and keep the energy going, right? But on Last Comic Standing, each set is followed by judging, which just has to kill the room. We don't get to see any of it, but I imagine he has to do a lot of work to get the crowd back into things.

 

Unless they do all the acts and then all the judging, but that also seems like it would be pretty boring for the audience by the end.

[Kromm]

I just realized what a tough job JB Smoove has. Normally, the host just has to come on between acts and keep the energy going, right? But on Last Comic Standing, each set is followed by judging, which just has to kill the room. We don't get to see any of it, but I imagine he has to do a lot of work to get the crowd back into things.

 

Unless they do all the acts and then all the judging, but that also seems like it would be pretty boring for the audience by the end.

This wouldn't be any different than lets say... American Idol though, would it?  Perform. Judge.  Perform. Judge. Etc.  

[Monty]

Stand-up comedy is more dependent on the crowd's reaction. You can sing a song regardless of whether there's an audience. But if you tell a joke and no one laughs, that messes up the comic's rhythm as they go on to the next line. 

[Ohwell]

In addition to Rod Man, I'd also like to see these comics in a club somewhere:  DC Benny, Jimmy Shubert, Lachlan, Rocky, and maybe Nikki if she can come up with some other bits besides food.

[DrSpaceman]

Seriously I think JB Smoove probably has Tourette's, multiple motor tics he exhibits onscreen he cant control. Likely has some vocal tics too, maybe he talks like that to cover them up some.

Not making a joke, probably does have some problem causing him to act like that onscreen

Edited July 2, 2014 by DrSpaceman

[Actionmage]

What the Hell, NBC? You already played the Top 50/55 Jokes "...So Far" between segments on the special that aired just last Sunday!   If these folks/Jokes were so funny, why were they not shown during the auditions? Surely 1 extra Invitation episode would have ended up with essentially the same folks for Top 10? So why kill time with 2 "specials" in the same week? I'm not buying the day before July 4th excuse either.

[Ohwell]

Well that was a waste of time last night.  They must do some editing because there were several who had a few jokes in the top 100 whom I'd never seen, like the twentysomething black woman with the braids. 

 

The one joke that stood out that I'd never heard before, was the one about Tom's deodorant.  That guy was spot on, because that deodorant does. not. work. 

[possibilities]

My listings can't tell the difference between a new and a repeat of this show, and neither can I, so I didn't catch whatever they aired last night. It just seems like everything is so half-assed, they're not even trying to fake that they give a shit about what they're doing anymore.

[bilgistic]

Seriously I think JB Smoove probably has Tourette's, multiple motor tics he exhibits onscreen he cant control. Likely has some vocal tics too, maybe he talks like that to cover them up some.

Not making a joke, probably does have some problem causing him to act like that onscreen

Well, he doesn't yell like a fucking maniac on any other show I've ever seen him on. That seriously just about makes me stop watching. I cannot take his yelling. Edited July 6, 2014 by bilgistic

[BoogieBurns]

like the twentysomething black woman with the braids.

 

Do you mean, "I thought you were Keisha?" She was funny. 

[Ohwell]

Yes that one.  I thought she was funny too.

Edited July 6, 2014 by Ohwell

[Traveller519]

The one joke that stood out that I'd never heard before, was the one about Tom's deodorant.  That guy was spot on, because that deodorant does. not. work.

 

 

Todd Barry does a great bit on Tom's of Maine on "Super Crazy." 

 

It's unfortunate when I  see a a good bit like that but know I've seen it done better by a more polished comedian because it looks like rip-off even if it's not intended as such.

 

In other cases, I cringe. Brian Reagan does a far better smoke signals bit than Jimmy Shubert.

[trow125]

The show has been picked up and will air again next summer.

Last Comic Standing, revived for an eighth season, returned with host JB Smoove and judges Roseanne Barr, Keenen Ivory Wayans and Russell Peters. The Wanda Sykes-produced revival returned on par with its last outing four years ago thanks to a steady lead-in from Hollywood Game Night. It will return next summer for season nine.

[Ohwell]

That's good.  Now if they can only find someone to replace J.B. Smoove.

[Ohwell]

So I'm channel surfing this morning, and I see a 2009 B-movie called The Greatest Song, and Aida Rodriguez is one of the main characters.  She plays a "strict church girl" who falls in love with a music producer.  She is really tall.

[rujasu]

That's good.  Now if they can only find someone to replace J.B. Smoove.

 

Has this show ever had a good host?  Going all the way back to Jay Mohr, they've all been pretty bad.  At least with Mohr, while he was an unfunny hack and kind of a lame host, at least you could tell the show was his baby and he really did want to promote the comics who were on it.

[BoogieBurns]

Craig Robinson is a good host. But his energy level did make the show seem dull. He's hosted other things and done better.

[Kromm]

I don't get why Wanda didn't host the show herself.  I'm kind of annoyed by her constantly showing up on the show as it is now, but if she'd actually been hosting (and then could have mentored as well), that would have been a different thing entirely.  

[Ohwell]

Yeah Craig Robinson was surprisingly dull.  I also wonder why Wanda isn't hosting.  I think she'd be a far better host and I'm sure she could have gotten someone else--possibly one of the comics from the past LCS seasons--to be a mentor.  I'm sure he or she would appreciate the exposure.  For example, I wouldn't mind seeing Gary Gulman again. :)

[DrSpaceman]

Really at this point going into the final if anyone but Rod Man or Lachlan wins, something is wrong with the show. Its those two and everyone else.

And I would love to see them paired in some sort of buddy sitcom

[Kromm]

Really at this point going into the final if anyone but Rod Man or Lachlan wins, something is wrong with the show. Its those two and everyone else.

And I would love to see them paired in some sort of buddy sitcom

I have to confess to even still not getting Lachlan. On stage he's not BAD, but to me he's kind of interchangeable with a hundred other comedians with similar styles to him. Off-stage he's a non-entity.

For me it's long been between Rod and Joe (although I could also see how Nikki is somewhat marketable, even if she's not in actuality even close to the best comedian there--ditto for Rocky--who's gone now but if this was JUST about how easy it is to build a show around someone, Rocky had elements to his "character" that would make it easy).

[ae2]

I agree with others that Lachlan seems very generic. When my SO and I discuss the show or quote jokes a few days or a week after a show airs, it doesn't tend to include him. It isn't that he's bad. I enjoy his sets, and he was good on some of the challenges, but the routines have not been particularly memorable.

 

Meanwhile, Joe and Rod Man are both unforgettable. We're still bringing up some of their jokes from a few weeks ago. Rod Man's rambling style has grown on me a little bit, though I still wish he'd have a little less repetition and "uhs."

 

Nikki has never been all that funny to me. Her ex-boyfriend, horror movie baddie set was her best so far and the only one I've particularly liked, and she was good at the roast.

 

But if we assume the judges/producers are choosing the winner based not solely on their comedy, but on their marketability for a sitcom... take a look at NBC's current show lineup and tell me how Rod Man or Nikki fit into that. (And let's be honest, NBC doesn't have a great track record for creating successful shows of late. Many of the shows on that list are not coming back next season.)

[Cramps]

I think this has turned out to be the strongest season of LCS talent wise they've had. There is no one in the top five I don't like, and two members of it that I love. Definitely a first!

[BoogieBurns]

tell me how Rod Man or Nikki fit into that.

Well, the lineup would fit them in. Parks and Rec is gone after 13 episodes, Community is cancelled, and every sitcom that premiered on Thursday night got the ax. 

(And let's be honest, NBC doesn't have a great track record for creating successful shows of late. Many of the shows on that list are not coming back next season.)

 

Having a new show with any sort of media interest would "fit in" to NBC just fine.

 

These are hypothetical shows, so what are you picturing them to be?

[trow125]

I suspect "development deal" just means they'll have the opportunity to pitch a show. I'm guessing the chances of a sitcom making it to the air are very, very slim, unless it's some kind of cheapo production that they could air during the summer (perhaps the 9:30, pre-LCS time slot, paired with the just-renewed "Welcome to Sweden"). Much as I have come to enjoy the comedic talents of Rod Man, Joe and Lachlan -- and to a lesser extent, Nikki -- I just can't see any of them anchoring a sitcom. I would be willing to bet that the winner will be added as a mentor next season, though.

[Kromm]

Yes, the point here is to get ratings for Last Comic Standing.  They couldn't care less how the winner reflects on a sitcom that's well... very very likely never going to happen.

That said, they still WOULD favor big 'characters' over generic stiff types like Lachlan.  They may not plan to actually make sitcoms with the winner, but like any talent show they have to hang that winner around their franchise's neck and display them when asked.  So if the winner is a big character, there's far more chance of them succeeding elsewhere, and that will reflect well on NBC, Wanda Sykes and this show.

And yeah, I agree that one of the ways they'll use the winner is to show them off next season.  At the very least they'll have gotten a Comedy Central special under that person's belt by that time.

[EVS]

Really at this point going into the final if anyone but Rod Man or Lachlan wins, something is wrong with the show. Its those two and everyone else.

And I would love to see them paired in some sort of buddy sitcom

I would prefer a Rodman/Joe finale, but I suspect it will be Rodman and Lachlan. I think Joe is losing steam, partly because of that 3 round elimination a few weeks ago. I think he peaked too early in the competition. I think a lot will depend on how Joe and Lachlan perform this week. Nikki is a nonfactor for me, but the judges may feel differently.

Personally, I think Joe and Rodman would be even funnier than Rodman and Lachlan in a sitcom!

[DrSpaceman]

I'll agree Joe is unique, but I just don't think his jokes are that strong. He has had some good ones, but overall, joke to joke, he missed on some too. I thought he could have been elimated a couple of times already in the head to heads.

This has been a good season though. Top to bottom I think its been the strongest group of contestants.

[Traveller519]

I'll be interested to see the post-show success of this group. Rod and Lachlan probably have the broadest appeal, Joe and Nikki have their quirky hooks, Monroe is a great writer, Aida has good stage presence but needs to work on material, DC I could see improving his stock.

 

Looking back over the previous seasons in terms of success coming out of the show, Season 2 appears to be by far and away the strongest (though I still have scars from endurring the comedy of Ant and Tammy Pescatelli). Alonzo Bodden, John Heffron, Gary Gulman, Kathleen Madigan, and Todd Glass have all enjoyed strong careers coming out the back end. Season 5 also had lots of talent. Biggest individual successes are probably Gabriel Iglesias (S4) and Amy Schumer (S5).

[trow125]

I think one of the biggest benefits for comedians who do well on this show is that they can instantly headline clubs anywhere in the country, and get the sort of jobs they would never have gotten before LCS -- Comedy Central specials, gigs at festivals and cruises, big corporate shows, etc. For comics who aspire to a career in stand-up, as opposed to people who see it as a stepping stone to sitcom-ville, that can be a huge boost.

 

Whether or not he wins, I hope Ellen has Rod Man on as a guest for real when her show returns this fall!

[Monty]

I think one of the biggest benefits for comedians who do well on this show is that they can instantly headline clubs anywhere in the country, and get the sort of jobs they would never have gotten before LCS -- Comedy Central specials, gigs at festivals and cruises, big corporate shows, etc. For comics who aspire to a career in stand-up, as opposed to people who see it as a stepping stone to sitcom-ville, that can be a huge boost.

That's what Doug Benson says. His profile went way up after season 5, and he was cut pretty early.

[Ohwell]

I hope Ellen has him back, too.  I love how he walks out on stage like he's looking for something or somebody.  He kind of sucks you in even before he starts his set.

[Cramps]

Joe's material is genius, absolutely unique. In my opinion he is the most original voice to ever come out of the show. The problem is that he's used up most of his strongest bits already.

[trow125]

One nice bonus for the winner right off the bat: he or she will be a guest on "The Tonight Show" on Aug. 14, right after the finale.

[Kromm]

That's what Doug Benson says. His profile went way up after season 5, and he was cut pretty early.

I think Best Week Ever is what did it for Doug more than LCS, and he kept that interest alive and stoked it some more since then with very good use of Net Media (a series of podcasts and such), combined with making himself a real go-to-guest star for every OTHER podcast and bit of Net Media.  They ALL have him on because he's proven to be strangely reliable for a guy who's supposedly "always high".

[Monty]

Doug's been very good about raising his profile in a variety of ways. But for what it's worth, he posted this on another forum.

 

doesn't matter who the judges are. more people will see the comics who participate than on any other tv show that has stand-up comedy on it. i mean, ANT was a fucking judge when i was on and having 5 million people see me each week was worth it.

[Lantern7]

I don't want to be too mean, but is anybody going to remember this season? I like the comics just fine, but a. I DVR the episodes and I don't hurry to watch them (I wound up catching the Monday night repeats until Bear Whats-His-Face's new show popped up), and b. The only real opinion I've held is that Joe Machi looks like a deer in headlights when he performs. Granted, he could be doing ethnic humor and whatever the hell Jay London was doing in LCS2, so I guess things could be worse. And he did dig out a crap-ton of material for the judges.

 

Speaking of the judges . . . I'd like a fan vote. Otherwise, it's just in the hands of people who may have made up their minds a long time ago. I don't get that impression, but it could happen in a future season. I like the judges . . . the most offensive thing I can thing of is Rosanne and her muted screaming. And that's about it.

 

For any fans of The Mole . . . wouldn't it be funny if another "Rod Man" wins a reality show?

 

ETA: I now want to high-five Doug Benson for dismissing Ant. Now that guy was a hack.

Edited August 13, 2014 by Lantern7

[Amarsir]

I don't want to be too mean, but is anybody going to remember this season?

I think it will be more memorable than some. The other day Iliza Shlesinger was referenced somewhere as "Last Comic Standing Winner" and I had to go to Wikipedia to confirm that she'd actually won her season.  At which point I was reminded that the season with Amy Schumer and Doug Benson was won by Jon Reep with runner up Lavell Crawford.

 

Which I think is why we don't need audience votes.  I think home viewers are much more likely than judges to pick an early favorite and get fanatic in voting for them forever.  And if it's just studio audience votes then the comics are encouraged to use the same material every time: a la Dat Phan.  There's no guarantee that judges will be impartial, but they'll do better than random people on the street.

Edited August 13, 2014 by Amarsir

[whatsatool]

I enjoy the stand up but wonder if there are any tangible benefits.

[trow125]

Amy Schumer would probably say "yes." And Alonzo Bodden, Joe Machi, Iliza Schlesinger and several other hard-working road comics have been able to build solid careers as headliners after their experience on "LCS." I think it has had a huge effect. Like with "American Idol," not everyone is going to go on to fame and glory, but the exposure has been a definite boost for many comics.