3 Things: SZA, Ziwe, and Krish Raghav

Happy Leap Day!

Well, we did it. We made it to another February 29th, a little bonus midwinter day that we get as a treat. This morning, I did some googling on why February refuses to stick around for a normal amount of time and I discovered that Julius Caesar is to blame (isn't he always?). We got today because of the Romans trying to keep pace with the Egyptians. The grass is always greener on somebody else's calendar. That's what I always say. And people always say back, "I don't think you have the phrase correct."

Upcoming Events

AUSTIN, TX
Sunday, March 15th at 5:30 pm. I'll be at SXSW for a special live taping of You're the Expert. Free and open to the public! Link

LOS ANGELES, CA
Wednesday, March 25th at 7 pm at the Lyric-Hyperion Theatre. Matt Porter and I are hosting another edition of Powerful Points, where comedians give presentations. Link

DETROIT, MI
Tuesday, March 31. I'll be performing one of my Pop-Up Magazine stories at the Local News Summit. Details TBA.

This week’s list

GREAT:
Emma Carmichael is one of my favorite writers and people. This week she's got the cover story for Rolling Stone, a profile of SZA. An incredible musician who "transformed R&B with her honesty and warmth," SZA hasn't released an album of her own for years. Emma answers the questions all of SZA's fans are wondering about but also gets deep into SZA's process and psyche. In her trademark style, Emma uncovers very relatable and human moments while also keeping an eye out for the utterly bizarre. We've got everything from marine biology to musical bowls to a fan tweet so hilarious it made me do an honest-to-God spit take. The Rebirth of SZA


FUNNY:
Ziwe Fumudoh writes for Desus & Mero on Showtime, does standup, and even puts out original songs and music videos. One of my favorite of Ziwe's many projects is her talk show, Baited, where she "makes her white coworkers feel uncomfortable talking about race." This latest episode with Josh Gondelman is so fun. Josh is such a good, nice person. There is nothing funnier than watching Ziwe try her hardest to trick him into saying something horrible. White Bosses with Ziwe, Josh Gondelman and Heben Nigatu


INTERESTING:
Coronavirus is scary and we're getting a lot of alarming news stories, especially when the reports are coming from China. But this illustrated story by Krish Raghav is not only a new perspective from inside the country, it's even heartwarming. What do you do for food and companionship when your city is under quarantine? For many people in China, the answer is turn to social media recipe sharing apps. Krish is a very cool comic book artist and illustrator living in Beijing who's at work on a graphic novel about underground music in China. And this article is a good example of the kind of warmth and humanity that comes through more powerfully with graphic illustrations than could with words alone. Quarantine Cooking


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See you in 2024,
Chris

3 Things: Steve Whalen, Mohanad Elshieky, and Lydia Denworth

Happy Saturday!

One of the best parts of being a comedian, that I think people on the outside don't expect or fully understand, is that you end up becoming friends with a wide array of characters you'd never meet otherwise. At open mics, in the green room of shows, at festivals, you end up spending equal amounts of time with Harvard grads and high school dropouts. With folks who are sober because they hit rock bottom or because they're devoutly religious. Middle-aged parents doing their first gig and college students who are already more famous than you'll ever be. That variety is one of the real joys of being a comedian. More on that below.

Upcoming Events

AUSTIN, TX
Sunday, March 15th at 5:30 pm. I'll be at SXSW for a special live taping of You're the Expert. Free and open to the public! Link

LOS ANGELES, CA
Wednesday, March 25th at 7 pm at the Lyric-Hyperion Theatre. Matt Porter and I are hosting another edition of Powerful Points, where comedians give presentations. Link

This week’s list

GREAT:
This Thursday, one of the most unique and prolific comics in NYC, Steve Whalen, passed away unexpectedly. I think it's safe to say I would never have crossed paths with him if not for comedy, but I'm so glad I did. Steve was a big guy in his twenties who called himself Mr. Jokes and told Borscht-belt style one-liners in a style that no one in comedy has been doing for decades. He would sometimes come on stage with a giant prop microphone or an oven-mitt shaped like a lobster claw. He did tricks with the microphone like tossing it under his leg and then shouting "Ok folks!" when he caught it. When I tried to describe him to friends outside comedy, they'd always ask if he was serious or doing a character. The answer was you just had to see him for yourself. He was so much fun. He had fun onstage. He was fun to watch. And it was always a better show with Mr. Jokes around. Rest in Pieces, Steve (because you cracked us up).

Read some tributes to Mr. Jokes along with comics favorite jokes here: from Mary Houlihan, Steve's own compilation of his favorite jokes, Brett Davis' favorite moments of Steve on his public access TV show, photos by Mindy Tucker, and this story by Jo Firestone. Also if you get this in time, watch Sandy Honig's Instagram Story for some very hilarious Mr. Jokes moments.


FUNNY:
Mohanad Elshieky is a producer for Full Frontal with Samantha Bee and a great standup comic and storyteller. He's also the reason why Greyhound buses will no longer allow Border Patrol officers to search passengers on their buses without a warrant. Here's how this Libyan-born comedian won an important victory for civil rights: A Comedian Gets Pulled Off A Bus

(Also watch Mohanad's Conan set. It's very good!)


INTERESTING:
Friends are important. Not just important, but crucial for your survival. Lydia Denworth's latest book dives into the "new field of science revealing that social connections play a vital role in our health." This fascinating NPR interview was sent to me by one of my most supportive and loyal friends, Grant LeBeau. Thank you, Grant, for improving my immune system and overall cardiovascular health. How Our Close Friendships Help Us Thrive


Thanks for reading! 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.

Stay safe out there,
Chris

3 Things: Ron Padgett, Karen Chee, and Honeyland

Happy Saturday!

The Oscars are done and award season is officially over. But I'm still catching up on all the great films that came out this year. I was so excited to see Parasite win Best Picture (more on that below) and I would watch hours more of Bong Joon-ho giving awards speeches. But I almost didn't watch Parasite at all because it looked scary and, as a rule, I refuse to watch horror movies. Or even movies that are remotely scary. I can't handle them. I don't even like to see scary trailers or posters.

Right now, I'm being chased around the internet by ads for The Invisible Man and I hate it for so many reasons. (Are they seriously going to steal the name of Ralph Ellison's novel and turn it into a crappy horror film? It's appalling. But also I'm very scared every time I see that stupid trailer while I'm trying to watch my comedy videos. Let me live in peace!!) Anyway, long story short, I saw Parasite and it wasn't scary but it was amazing. Fellow wimps: you can safely watch it and you should.

Upcoming Events

LOS ANGELES
Wednesday, March 25th at 7 pm at the Lyric-Hyperion Theatre. Matt Porter and I are hosting another edition of Powerful Points, where comedians give presentations. Link

This week’s list

GREAT:
Ron Padgett's father was a bootlegger in Tulsa, Oklahoma. As a poet, Padgett says he tries to emulate his dad's law-breaking and do his best to refuse to follow the poetry rules. "The only consistent plan I've ever had is to try to break my patterns, my habits, my knee-jerk tendencies in writing." I really like Padgett's work. His writing is funny and beautiful and doesn't take itself too seriously. Here's one of my favorites: How to Be Perfect


FUNNY:
Karen Chee is such a delight. She's smart, funny, kind, and so enthusiastically positive. After Parasite won big at the Oscars, Karen took over on Late Night with Seth Meyers to let the world know how big a deal it was for her and other Korean-Americans. She also made sure to let everyone know she has a very photogenic grandfather. It's the important news America needs. Karen Chee on Parasite


INTERESTING:
I learned from Ann Friedman's newsletter this week that St. Valentine is also the patron saint of beekeepers. Yesterday wasn't just about love, it was also about bees.  Never forget that. And one film that I was bummed didn't win an Oscar was Honeyland, an incredible documentary about a beekeeper living in rural Macedonia. It's one of the best docs I've ever seen. I think it may have suffered from having a very similar name to Honey Boy, Shia LeBeouf's only okay movie that also came out this year. But this is the one about the rural beekeeper, not the former child star. If you're only going to watch one, pick the bees. Honeyland


Thanks for reading! 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.

Enjoy the long weekend,
Chris