3 Things: Dr. Mary-Claire King, D.J. Demers, and Louis CK
Hi friends!
If you're new to these emails, welcome! Every Saturday, I send out a short email with three great things. I've also got some of my upcoming shows featured below. If you know anyone who you think would enjoy this, feel free to spread the word! They can sign up here or to see the archive of past emails, click here.
SHOW UPDATE: This Tuesday at 8 in NYC, I'm starting a new show inspired by these emails. We'll have performances by singer-songwriter Ryan Dieringer (of Double King), Jo Firestone, and the sketch comedy group Good Cop Great Cop (fresh off their series being picked up for a second season on Comedy Central). Then they'll each share things they love and the audience will get presents, Oprah-style. Here's a link
Boston folks, I'm coming back to do a big You're the Expert show on Saturday, Feb. 21. Tickets are already more than half-sold and I haven't announced the show to the public yet, so don't delay if you'd like to come! Link
Ok, on to this week's list!
1 Thing I Think Is Great:
Dr. Mary-Claire King discovered the inherited breast cancer gene and saved countless lives by enabling early detection. But the story of how she got her grant is almost more amazing than the discovery itself. The Moth is full of great stories, but this one is my new favorite. The ending is just perfect. The Moth presents Dr. Mary-Claire King
1 Thing That Made Me Laugh:
Considering that the widest exposure most standup comedians get is a set on a late night show, it's surprising how similar most performances are. The time pressure and network standards end up leaving most comedians looking less than their best. But this set by D.J. Demers is one of the funniest I've seen on TV in a very long time. He's a deaf comedian, but he doesn't want to be typecast as just a "deaf comic," you know? D.J. Demers on Conan
Here's another of my all-time favorite late night sets. Conan deserves a lot of credit for encouraging comedy that doesn't fit the mold. Like the time Rory Scovel and Jon Dore both performed at the same time.
1 Interesting Thing:
This week Louis CK announced his latest special was available for download with two emails. The first was short and just had the basic info and the link. The second email was an amazing stream of consciousness about the blizzard, his inspirations, and what it was like to make a name for himself in comedy clubs across the country. I imagine many of you already saw this, but if you didn't, it's very much worth a read. Louis CK's Fantastic Elegy to Comedy Clubs
Ok, thanks for reading! More details on shows and my full schedule online atwww.chrisduffycomedy.com/calendar/
Have a great weekend,
Chris
3 Things: Zombies, Musical Comedy, and Invisible Boyfriends
Hi friends!
Hello from beautiful San Francisco! I'm out here for a couple days doing shows at SF Sketchfest, which is so much fun. If you're in the area, definitely check out their calendar.
If you're new to these emails, welcome! Every Saturday, I send out a short email with three great things. I've also got some of my upcoming shows featured below. If you know anyone who you think would enjoy this, feel free to spread the word! They can sign up here or to see the archive of past emails, click here.
SHOW UPDATE: Tonight I'm hosting a You're the Expert show with The Daily Show's Wyatt Cenac, Phoebe Robinson, and Nato Green! We've got an incredible professor who does top secret research on extending human life. There are only a few tickets left. Check it out!
If you're in NYC, check out the very first "3 Things Live" on Tuesday, February 3. It's like this email, but you can actually meet the people doing the great stuff! Tickets and info here.
Ok, on to this week's list!
1 Thing I Think Is Great:
Zombies. Teenage angst. A meta-narrative about the structural dynamics of Young Adult fiction. What's not to like? Internet magazine The Weeklings published this multi-part story about a young woman, Mis, who survives a zombie apocalypse. It's the rare piece of writing on the internet that I sat down and read without stopping to check my email 30 times.
"Mis turned and sprinted toward the caves. Something was coming, and all Mis knew was that, whatever or whoever it was, it wasn't dead yet."
The Cliffs: An Essay, A Fiction, A Zombie Fusion (H/T to Cassandra Horii)
1 Thing That Made Me Laugh:
Here is a full fledged musical production, featuring professional dancers, costumes, and the entire Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles, performing a song called "Shia LaBeouf." Apparently this came out in October, but I only discovered it this week and it blew me away. The sheer level of commitment it took to make something this silly is amazing.Actual Cannibal Shia LaBeouf
If that's not enough absurd musical theater for you, check out the hilarious Brett Gelman's masterpiece, "One Thousand Cats."
1 Interesting Thing:
The movie Her gets referenced a lot when I get into conversations about our relationship with technology. But the movie's premise might be closer to reality than I ever imagined. There's a new startup going viral right now called Invisible Boyfriend, which lets you "design a boyfriend (or girlfriend) to your specifications...you pick his name, his age, his interests and personality traits...then you swipe your credit card - $25 per month, cha-ching! - and the imaginary man of your dreams starts texting you."
You have to read this Washington Post article by Caitlin Dewey. I paid $25 for an Invisible Boyfriend, and I think I might be in love.
Ok, thanks for reading! More details on shows and my full schedule online atwww.chrisduffycomedy.com/calendar/
Have a great weekend,
Chris
3 Things: Mark Manson, Dina Martina, and Stay-at-Home Dads
Hi friends!
Did you notice the new logo? I love that drawing so much! It was custom created by the multi-talented Liz Fosslien (if you've been reading these for a while, you might remember her Murakami Mad Libs or "My Life in 3 Letters"). She is fantastic.
If you're new to 3 Things, welcome! Every Saturday, I send out a short email with three great things. I've also got some of my upcoming shows featured below. If you know anyone who you think would enjoy this, feel free to spread the word! They can get these delivered straight to their inbox here or see the archive of past emails, here.
SHOW UPDATE: Next Saturday (1/24), I'll be in the Bay Area doing a You're the Expert show with The Daily Show's Wyatt Cenac! It's a special SF Sketchfest show and we've got an expert who does top secret research on extending human life. Check it out!
Ok, on to this week's list!
1 Thing I Think Is Great:
I'm not ashamed to say that I love self-help books. There's something very satisfying about finishing a chapter and then shouting out loud "I can take charge of my life!" The books are often pretty silly, but every once in a while there's an idea that I find myself referencing with friends again and again. This article by Mark Manson fell into that category for me. People often ask "What do you want to do?" but they're forgetting the much more meaningful question. The Most Important Question of Your Life (h/t to Adrienne)
1 Thing That Made Me Laugh:
I'd never heard of Dina Martina before, but apparently she is a national drag and burlesque star. All I know is this interview she gave to Huffington Post is amazingly, surreally hilarious. I'm an instant fan. Her answer to "What do you make of the Democrats losing their majority?" legitimately made me spit water onto my computer screen. Dina Martina, Hilariously Surreal Raconteur
1 Interesting Thing:
What do you do when you're a Harvard educated, highly successful lawyer who becomes a stay-at-home dad and no longer feels respected? Duh. Write an article for The Atlantic. Ryan Park definitely drops a lot of names in this article, but it's also a really interesting look at the changing gender dynamics of parenting and work. What Ruth Bader Ginsburg Taught Me About Being a Stay-at-Home Dad
Ok, thanks for reading! More details on shows and my full schedule online at www.chrisduffycomedy.com/calendar/
Have a great weekend,
Chris
