S08.E02: Invitational 3

[Lisin]

No description. 

[Ohwell]

They keep showing in the promos for this week some guy who's doing a bit about how he looks with his hat on or off.  Based on what little that's shown, he is not funny.  It'll be interesting to see what else he's got.

[Kromm]

I assume this is called "Invitational 3" because the first episode was technically two parts?

[Ohwell]

I think so.

[leighdear]

Ok, I want Rocky LaPorte to win the whole thing.  I absolutely adored him.  I didn't care for the DC guy, but the rest very varying levels from OK to pretty damn funny.  Lumberjack was good. 

[Ohwell]

Last week was much better.  This week fizzled.  It could be the editing, and the fact that many of the comedians only get TV time for one or two jokes.  On the other hand, I would assume that those jokes are their best ones, and if so, then if that's the best they've got then the rest of their stuff must be pretty lame.  

 

I liked DC Benny.  I grew up in DC and I remember seeing  three white kids and one Asian kid in my entire high school.   I also liked Emily can't think of her last name, who told the Arizona jokes.  I'm glad they made it through.

 

Most of others who got through just weren't funny to me, including the Indian guy and the black woman who grew up in the Jewish neighborhood.

 

I hope next week is better, since it's the last elimination round.

[LakeGal]

I was disappointed Indian guy made it.  I pretty much figured out his jokes before he said them.  I don't think that is funny.  I want to be surprised. 

[Lantern7]

LakeGal . . . at least that guy wasn't Papa CJ. That guy was a straight-up hack. I was hoping he'd die on stage so he'd be reincarnated as a better comic.

 

I never got around to seeing last week's episode on DVR, and I'm on the fence on whether I'd be interested since I'm watching The Challenge (not proud about it, just sayin'). I kinda liked what I saw, though I do miss judges tearing up a time-wasting asshole. Then again, inviting people onto the show would make it better. Now if only I can get used to Roseanne's cackling.

[Monty]

I don't wish to be a jerk about this, but the line about "any openings it might fill" is almost word-for-word in Mel Brooks's movie History of the World, Part I.And I liked it better when it was done by Gregory Hines and Madeline Kahn.

[DrSpaceman]

The Lumberjack guy I didn't think was that funny.  Might as well have had someone doing a rimshot for him after every joke. 

Also didn't like the housewife they profiled very well

 

No one stands out to me yet, but I like almost all the ones they have advancing.  Will be able to tell more about their acts when they have more time to perform. 

[millahnna]

Also didn't like the housewife they profiled very well

 

 

 

She's a weird one for me.  I didn't like most of her act that much (not hate, just meh) but I thought she had potential from the bits of it I did like.  But I thought she was kind of low key hilarious in the actual profile. 

[Ohwell]

Funny, I liked Roseanne's cackling last week, but last night it did start to get on my nerves.  

[millahnna]

I always respect a person with a big laugh being unafraid to gaffortle at will, even if their particular big laugh makes me want to claw at my ears.

[attica]

Might as well have had someone doing a rimshot for him after every joke.

 

God help me, I love this kind of thing. I was dying during his set. Give me cheap puns and I'll never complain.

[Ohwell]

The Lumberjack guy I didn't think was that funny.  Might as well have had someone doing a rimshot for him after every joke.

I didn't think he was funny either, but I wondered if it had to do with his timing and demeanor?  I usually like rimshot jokes--I think Henny Youngman's jokes (I'm old) were like that, and I thought he was hilarious, one of my favorite comedians of all time.  I thought Lumberjack guy's delivery was just too slow and creepy.

 

The last guy was kind of funny, but he was just a little too heavy handed for me.  Funny grampa.  I get it. 

[ari333]

I must be a pushover because I liked the show more than I thought I would.  

 

Dangit my caps key. Sorry.

 

I even like Roseanne's cackling. She seems supportive when she's earned the cred to be a bitch.

Edited May 30, 2014 by ari333

[millahnna]

Funny thing is she's not really all that bitchy outside of that one incident in the last episode.  So far, she's the soft and friendly judge.  She's had something nice to say to everybody (so have the gentlemen, really, but she gives off this super supportive "go you" vibe that tickles me).  It's very sweet.

[Tara Ariano]

Here's Sean's post on the episode!

[Kromm]

I just realized... I HATE this announcer guy.  Something about his voice totally annoys me.

 

I'd actually even prefer JB Smoove to do the announcer bits.  He's annoying too, but it's more what he says than his voice.

[DrSpaceman]

I have been pleasantly surprised at Roaseanne. I have never been a big fan of her personally even though I liked her show growing up. I am shocked to say, first of all, she actually looks pretty good for her age and I find her rather pleasant on the show.

And I don't mind puns, but I thought Lumberjack guy did bad puns, and then after his delivery played them up too much.

[Kromm]

I have been pleasantly surprised at Roaseanne. I have never been a big fan of her personally even though I liked her show growing up. I am shocked to say, first of all, she actually looks pretty good for her age and I find her rather pleasant on the show.

She's had "work" done (although in her case, it's been money well spent).

[Kromm]

What was the deal with the bald girl with the IMPOSSIBLY long legs?  She was literally like 4/5ths leg.

[gryphon]

Lumberjack guy was not original to me at all-which is too bad because I love puns.   No one really stood out to me this round.  Still can't stand the host yelling at me.  

One can never tell what will make people laugh. I'm in for the season and I hope I find someone to really get behind.  

[Kromm]

No kidding.  I missed most of the show because I had it on in the background while I was doing other things, but I saw her a number of times in the previews.  She reminded me of one of those big, plastic, odd-looking creatures flailing about in car sales parking lots.   

[Ohwell]

I wasn't going to say anything, but long-legged lady just looked weird, like she was on stilts.  It was not an attractive look.  The bald head didn't bother me so much because it's not that unusual nowadays and she does have a nice face.

[millahnna]

High waisted pants, high heels, cropped shirt: adds to the illusion.  She can rock a bald head--she had a stunning face.

[Maverick]

Are we sure she's not on stilts?  

[Turtle]

Ha - yeah, she definitely was rocking some seriously high-waisted pants to accentuate her already-long legs.  I like the look, but it's not for everyone.

 

I cannot stand JB Smoove.  His voice irritates me, and I do not get his whole schtick.  Not a fan of his comedy, and I'm glad we only have to endure short spurts of him.

 

I was not a huge fan of the lumberjack guy, but otherwise I thought this was a good group.  I heard somewhere (RHAP, maybe?) that they are going to do the house for the finals, which I have mixed feelings about.  Although, it will be hilarious to see OCD lady in the house with some of these folks.

 

All in all, I think they're lining up some good comics, and I'm looking forward to seeing what they have to offer.   And so far, I like the judges and the way they are giving supportive feedback, but also constructive criticism.  The judges all seem, to me, like folks who are not only judging, but also know what it's like to be up there trying, and want to help out.  They don't seem to be trying to get a dig in or a get a laugh for themselves at the expense of the contestants, which was a complaint I had in years past.

[Cramps]

Agreed-I'm loving the judges. They aren't making it about themselves. They really know comedy Their criticisms are helpful, not cruel, and they are trying to be supportive.

[ari333]

Agreed long leg lady was dressed to make her legs look even longer. The thing for me is, she went a tad too far, imo.

 

I liked DC guy, guy with teen son/gym, Indian guy and a couple others I can't recall right now. Some seemed  funnier in their video setups than with their onstage performances, imo. The a couple of them made it through that I can't recall seeing their comedy bits. Maybe it was in the montage. I wish they'd show all of them instead of a whole set of some and a snippet of another, when the "another" ones make it through IDK who they are. I like to know who made it and why they made it other than one 20 second clip.

Edited May 31, 2014 by ari333

[Ohwell]

It just seems so unfair to the viewers that some comics get more onscreen time than others.   It annoys me that the judges see all of the performances but we don't, so that we don't always understand why one comic got through over another.  I guess the producers think it doesn't matter since the viewers don't vote anyway? 

[DrSpaceman]

Is there a way to see more of the comics on the nbc website? I thought in past seasons if you went online you could see longer segments and they tried to use that to drive higher website traffic numbers, but I could be wrong

[aradia22]

It was a bit of a slow start and a weak night overall. Alingon Mitra had OK material but not much charisma. The jokes weren't that new but in the hands of a better comic, I think they would have landed better. This show really invites you to overthink comedy and when you see all these snippets of people's acts you really get a sense of what works and what doesn't and gain an appreciation for people who have it all, the jokes, the charisma, the delivery, etc. DC Benny had a decent persona (though I think after episode 1 there are enough guys like this) but his material wasn't great. Kelly Pryce seemed like she had stronger material but she didn't have the time to work up to it and the first bit about body image in L.A. isn't that original. 

 

Randy Liedtke was a bit more fun.

Vinnie Brand fell into that same category of guys I think we get too many of but I liked the joke about the 6 kids.

The two guys in the middle were underwhelming. I've heard the Scar joke before and Louis C.K. does a better version of the dating joke.

I wish I liked Emily Galanti more than I did.

 

I don't think Chloe Hilliard's material was that great. I wish we'd seen more of Gerard Kelly, Keith Alberstadt, Kimberly Clark, and Zainab Johnson.

 

For me, Rocky played dumb a bit too much but he was good.

[DrSpaceman]

rewatched last night. Thought Rocky really had OLD jokes. "Contact the doctor in case of emergnecy"......one of the oldest jokes on earth.

And when you think about it, they must be picking what they think is their best material for the opener.

None of them really stand out yet, even on rewatch. Mitra's act is slow........needs to speed it up.

[Amarsir]

Rocky and DC Benny have both been doing the circuit for a long time.  And their material shows it, sad to say.  They do know how to structure a joke well but the judges  were right about moving faster.

 

I'd have liked to see Randy Liedke (Lumberjack) get another round.  He wasn't so much the funniest, but he's trying different angles and I'd like that to be encouraged.  At minimum, he's succeeding in the quirky approach that Kronberg utterly failed at the week before.

 

I have been pleasantly surprised at Roaseanne. I have never been a big fan of her personally even though I liked her show growing up. I am shocked to say, first of all, she actually looks pretty good for her age and I find her rather pleasant on the show.

If you never saw it, I recommend watching the Comedy Central roast of Roseanne.  That was the first time I'd seen her in years and she's really softened from her younger persona.  The way she embraced the jokes and enjoyed the experience was really endearing, and apparently behind-the-scenes she really tried to mend bridges with people from her past like Tom Arnold.  I definitely like and respect her now more than ever.  (And the roast was really funny in its own right, too.)

[Kromm]

I think it's helped that Roseanne, while she DID do a candid reality show, doesn't really seem to feel a need for a comeback.  She's happy with her current status, so she's had some fairly content years with no sense of career urgency or pressure to help soften her.  In terms of her look, she's definitely had work done (some of it, in fact, while she was doing her sitcom), but she was wise enough to know when to stop.  She admits, I believe, to having had a breast reduction, tummy tuck and nose job,--although it also has always looked to me like she did something to give her cheekbones.  That part COULD simply have been her losing all that weight years ago, a good deal of which she never put back on, even though when she called herself "a fat old Jew" on twitter about two years ago when she posted this photo:  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2171226/Roseanne-Barr-reveals-ageing-TV-star-REALLY-looks-like.html (where you can see she has jowls, but it also looks like she went out of her way to take an unflattering picture).

[die Frau]

I'm behind in my viewings and just watched this. I remember DC Benney from another show, either an earlier season of this one or else Star Search. I really agree with the critiques that his persona was good, but the material, not so much. I know I liked him on whatever else I have seen him on, so I don't mind giving him another chance.

 

I probably would have liked Gerald Kelly if they hadn't cut him off in mid-joke. His material sounded promising enough, at least.

 

Rocky was okay. The rest I have already more-or-less forgotten. I still think the first Invitational group is the strongest. It will be interesting to see who wins.

[Ohwell]

Yup, I also think the first invitational group was the strongest.