Hi friends,
If you're new to these emails, welcome! Every Saturday, I send out a short email with three great things. If you feel like you haven't gotten these emails in a while, try checking to make sure this email is a trusted address so they aren't getting filtered to spam. For live shows, I've got a bunch featured below and a complete list on my website. Feel free to spread the word about these emails! Anyone can sign up for the mailing list online and/or check out the archive with all past emails here.
SHOW UPDATES:
BOSTON:
Sunday, December 6 at 7:30 p.m. It's a special Chanukah edition of Taste Test Comedy at ImprovBoston. Come enjoy delicious samples from Boston restaurants and jokes/stories exclusively about food from me. All with a very distinct Chanukah twist. Details and tickets here
NEW YORK:
Monday, December 7 at 8:30 p.m. It's a special Chanukah edition of An Hour Abroad. Evan Barden and I will teach you the entire Yiddish language in 60 minutes. You'll learn several ways of making adult children feel guilty, how to decipher signs in Yiddish, and have a chance to shout words of encouragement at comedian Myq Kaplan. Details/tickets here
You can also see my full schedule up on the website now.
Ok, on to this week's list!
1 Thing I Think Is Great:
Aziz Ansari's Master of None on Netflix is fantastic. I just finished watching the show and I thought it was great and different from any other series I'd seen. There's a lot to love about the show, from the way it's shot, to the realistic storylines for a diverse cast, but the best part is how Aziz used his real parents in the show. Every episode that features an older person is great. You should watch the whole series. But if you haven't seen this clip from Aziz's interview with Conan, you should definitely watch this first. He talks about how his dad compares being a gastroenterologist to being an actor. It's amazing. Aziz Ansari's Dad Has Gone Hollywood
1 Thing That Made Me Laugh:
Jon Hendren is a very, very funny person who mostly puts his comedy out online. He has one of the funniest (and most bizarre) Twitter accounts. He's also pulled off a number of very impressive stunts, like the time he was interviewed on HLN about Edward Snowden joining Twitter and spent the whole segment defending Edward Scissorhands without the host even realizing what he was doing. But the thing that has made me laugh the most is when he posted a picture of some very ugly shoes that he bought and two of his friends roasted his shoes for nearly six months straight. The jokes are brutal and hilarious and occasionally NSFW. But wow, they really hate Jon's shoes. Please Stop Roasting My Goddamned Shoes
(h/t to Sandra Allen. She has a newsletter of her own that's great called Sunday Content)
1 Interesting Thing:
Anytime you're trying to create something new, whether it's a company or a novel, a painting or a joke, there's a painful period where it's not yet working. I often think that the hardest part of trying to be an artist is knowing when to stick with something versus when you are just deluding yourself. I'm not sure there is a great answer. In comedy, I often hear people say that it takes ten years for someone to start "making it." Hannah Gersen, an author, heard that in writing "the first twelve years are the worst." This essay she wrote about that idea is such a thoughtful and inspiring take on the process of creativity. It can be slow and challenging and tough. In fact, not only can it be, it is. But that doesn't mean it's not worthwhile. Hannah Gersen: The First 12 Years Are The Worst (h/t Mollie)
Ok, thanks for reading! More details on shows and my full schedule online atwww.chrisduffycomedy.com/calendar/
Have a great weekend,
Chris