Happy Saturday!
Thanks for subscribing and reading these emails. We're deep in End of the Year list season, when everyone is taking stock, ranking favorites, and posting their Spotify most played music. As you can guess from the fact that I've sent my own weekly list directly into your inbox every Saturday for years... I'm a fan.
Several years ago, I started making a list at the end of every year of everything that felt even remotely like an accomplishment. I included things like "learned how to roast a sweet potato" alongside more obvious milestones. Now, each year I make a point of looking back a few years. It can be hard (for me at least) to appreciate the progress that I'm making and not just focus on what I haven't done yet. So looking back and realizing that I considered getting "a very encouraging rejection letter" and "a professional comedian gave me a thumbs up" achievements worth documenting is a good reminder of how quickly the goal posts move. I guess my point is: even if you're feeling like this has been a long, challenging year, your past self would probably be very impressed. And I am sending anyone who needs it both a thumbs up and sweet potato instructions. (It's two steps: turn the oven on and insert sweet potato.)
Upcoming Shows
LOS ANGELES
Thursday, January 9th at 7:30 pm Due to a scheduling conflict, this show had to be postponed. New date TBA
Wednesday, January 15th at 7 pm at the Lyric-Hyperion. Matt Porter and I are starting a monthly multimedia comedy show called HOMEWORK. Tickets are on sale now. Link
NEW YORK
Friday, February 7th and Saturday, February 8th. I will be back in NYC workshopping a stage show about long term couples and new scientific research on love. Details coming soon!
This week’s list
GREAT:
We are in the middle of a sketch comedy renaissance. There are so many great groups finally getting the recognition they deserve. Last night, Netflix premiered a new series from Astronomy Club. Each of the group's members is hilarious in their own right (I particularly love watching Caroline Martin and James III) but the group as a whole is on a different level. I can't wait to see what they'll do now that Hollywood has caught up to them. Astronomy Club: The Sketch Show (or if you don't have Netflix, at least you can watch the trailer).
FUNNY:
I've recommended Ivan Anderson's comedy before, but if you're not familiar, he remains the king of email-based comedy. His subscription service, Email Pro, is free to join and then you receive hilarious comedy bits in your inbox. Or as Ivan puts it, "I send you emails and then it's your problem." Email Pro is inspired in part by SPAM emails, multi-level marketing schemes, pop culture trends, and terrible Facebook posts Ivan has seen online. It's partly internet satire and partly its own unique performance art project (at one point, the narrator got trapped inside a hologram and could only be saved by the power of jazz). It makes me laugh harder than anything else.
Ivan has now branched out into videos, specifically trying to contact Tropicana Orange Juice as their number one fan. (Full disclaimer: I make a brief cameo.) Understanding Tropicana Orange Juice, Part 1
INTERESTING:
Niki Lindroth von Bahr is an award winning Swedish filmmaker. Her specialty is surrealistic short films featuring animals. They're almost indescribable but have stuck in my brain since I watched them. Aparna Nancherla recommended this one to me. In her words, "It's funny and strange and singular all at once. Warning: there is singing." The Burden
Have a great rest of your weekend! If you like these emails, please forward to a friend or spread the word. If someone forwarded you this email but you're not yet on the list, you can subscribe here.
Thanks for reading,
Chris