3 Things: Perman Hardy, Werner Herzog, and Luke Humphris

Hi friends,

It's Saturday! Every week, I send out an email with my upcoming shows, one thing I think is great, one thing that made me laugh, and one thing I found interesting. 

Upcoming Shows

EVERYWHERE:
A new episode of You're the Expert is out now! This week we've got astronomer and MacArthur genius Sara Seager explaining her hunt for an Earth 2.0. Featuring Aparna Nancherla, Jo Firestone, and Marina Franklin. Link

NEW YORK CITY:
Thursday, December 21 at 7:30 p.m. at Caveat. I'm hosting You Get A Spoon with a presentation by Mona Chalabi, music from Anielle & Matthew, a reading by Joanna Rothkopf, and more. The New York Times said it's a comedy pick of the week and described it as "like if 'Oprah' was on public access television." Link

SEATTLE:
SOLD OUT Wednesday, December 27 at 7:30 p.m. at the Annex Theater. You Get A Spoonwith music from The Westerlies, a performance by Bianca Giaever, and jokes from me. Link

My full schedule with all upcoming dates is online here.

This week's list

GREAT:
Doug Jones' win in Alabama was a bright bit of good news in the otherwise apocalyptic political landscape of 2017. One of my favorite articles about his election was the story of Perman Hardy, a black woman who makes it her mission to ensure that every person in her county votes. She's an inspiration. My 2018 goal is to be one tenth of the citizen that Ms. Hardy is and believe as much as she does in the power of each of our voices. How a Former Sharecropper in an SUV Helped Drive Doug Jones to Victory


FUNNY:
I have always appreciated a good accent and Werner Herzog's is iconic. But it's more than just his German lilt, it's also the words that he says that makes him so epic. Herzog's declarations ride the fine line between profound and absolute insanity. I love it. Here's a clip that I can watch a hundred times and never stop laughing. Werner Herzog on Chickens


INTERESTING:
I've been thinking a lot lately about the unhealthy expectations society puts on men and women. I'm optimistic that we're seeing a big push towards respect and equality and open communication, but it's going to take a lot of work. Gender roles can be a hard thing to talk about since I don't always have the vocabulary, which is why I found Luke Humphris' comic very clarifying. What Do We Mean When We Say "Toxic Masculinity" 


Ok, that's it for today. Thanks for reading! 

If you like these emails, feel free to forward to a friend or come say hi at a live show. If someone sent this newsletter your way and you want to join, you can subscribe here. 

Stay warm,
Chris

3 Things: Elizabeth Weil, James Veitch, and Matt Boyce

Hi friends,

It's Saturday! Every week, I send out an email with my upcoming shows, one thing I think is great, one thing that made me laugh, and one thing I found interesting. 

Upcoming Shows

EVERYWHERE:
You're the Expert is back with all new episodes! This season kicks off with Dr. Liz Burgess, a marine biologist who studies what whales shoot out of their blowholes. Featuring Eugene Mirman, Ken Reid, and Obehi Janice. Link

NEW YORK CITY:
TONIGHT, Saturday, December 9 at 7:30 p.m. at the Magnet Theater. I'm telling stories that NYC's best improvisers will spin into scenes for The Armando Diaz Experience . Link

Thursday, December 21 at 7:30 p.m. at Caveat. I'm hosting You Get A Spoon with a presentation by Mona Chalabi, music, jokes, and more. Link

SEATTLE:
ONLY 10 TICKETS LEFT: Wednesday, December 27 at 7:30 p.m. at the Annex Theater. I'm doing a special holiday edition of You Get A Spoon with music from The Westerlies, a performance by Bianca Giaever, and jokes from me. Link

My full schedule with all upcoming dates is online here.

This week's list

GREAT:
California Sunday Magazine consistently finds exciting new ways to tell stories. Their latest issue was the Teen Issue and I highly recommend reading the whole thing. But to me, the standout piece was Elizabeth Weil's essay about being the parent of a 15-year-old, complete with corrections and annotations from her daughter Hannah. Raising a Teenage Daughter


FUNNY:
Despite the fact that James Veitch seems to spend his days thinking about nothing other than how to drive people insane, I have to admit he makes me laugh. It takes a lot of creativity to dedicate your self to this level of pranks and trolling. Veitch first made a name for himself as the comedian who replied to spam emails, but his set on Conan shows that he can apply the same treatment to the people he lives with as well. All he needs is an enormous supply of little rubber ducks. James Veitch is a Terrible Roommate


INTERESTING:
Matt Boyce's cartoons are works of art. I loved his latest story about growing up as the hearing son to deaf parents. To me, the best graphic novels are able to insert you into an emotional experience more completely than words or pictures alone could. It only takes a short amount of time before I was totally in Matt's world and I found myself noticing sounds and my relationship to them in a way I never normally do. As he puts it, "growing up in a silent home, music became everything." Soundvision by Matt Boyce


Ok, that's it for today. Thanks for reading! 

If you like these emails, feel free to forward to a friend or come say hi at a live show. If someone sent this newsletter your way and you want to join, you can subscribe here. 

Stay warm,
Chris

3 Things: Rekha Shankar, Ramy Youssef, and Greta Gerwig

Hi friends,

It's Saturday! Every week, I send out an email with my upcoming shows, one thing I think is great, one thing that made me laugh, and one thing I found interesting. 

Upcoming Shows

EVERYWHERE:
You're the Expert is back with all new episodes! This season kicks off with Dr. Liz Burgess, a marine biologist who studies what whales shoot out of their blowholes. Featuring Eugene Mirman, Ken Reid, and Obehi Janice. Link

NEW YORK CITY:
Thursday, December 7 at 8 p.m. at Caveat. John Hodgman, Josh Sharp, and Michelle Buteau are on the panel for the last live You're the Expert of 2017. Link

SEATTLE:
Wednesday, December 27 at 7:30 p.m. at the Annex Theater. I'm doing a special holiday edition of You Get A Spoon with music from The Westerlies, a performance by Bianca Giaever, jokes from me, and so many audience prizes. Link

My full schedule with all upcoming dates is online here.

This week's list

GREAT:
Rekha Shankar is a comedian, writer, and multi-time Punderdome champion. Every time I see her name pop up, she's doing something new and impressive and hilarious. She's also an incredibly kind and good person, so if you're in search of a comedian who's not secretly a monster, check her out. (Note to readers in the future: If Rekha turned out to be a secret monster, I apologize and retract my statement.) Two of my favorite Rekha creations are The Quiet Chef and her McSweeney's piece "The Most Accurate, Detailed Story of My Parents' Amazing Immigrant Experience."


FUNNY:
Ramy Youssef's late night debut on Colbert is one of the most impressive standup sets I've seen. Ramy is clearly super comfortable and confident, his material is smart and funny, and I guarantee you've never seen a closer like this one before. Ramy Youssef Is Expecting a Hogwarts Letter from ISIS


INTERESTING:
If you haven't seen Lady Bird yet, stop reading this email and buy your ticket. Greta Gerwig has made the best movie of the year. Every scene felt so real and relatable (even though I've never been a teenage girl growing up in Sacramento). I don't normally like reading movie reviews, but A.O. Scott nailed this one: "Greta Gerwig's 'Lady Bird' Is Big-Screen Perfection" and for even more Gerwig, watch her tell an amazing story about pretending to know the Ninja Turtles theme song.

Ok, that's it for today. Thanks for reading! 

If you like these emails, feel free to forward to a friend or come say hi at a live show. If someone sent this newsletter your way and you want to join, you can subscribe here. 

Have a good one,
Chris