The difference between Carrot Top and Buck Star is quite simple: Carrot Top tells jokes. Buck Star didn’t. He’s talk onstage for 30-45 seconds without telling a joke. It’s all about jokes. Curiously, they never TOLD Buck what he was doing wrong; nobody thought to say, “Buck, you seem like a nice guy and you sure have dedication, but you need to start telling jokes.”
I wonder how they chose to edit the routines last night… one comic chosen for the Final 20, a young black lady, didn’t tell a single joke during her entire clip.
And this is the thread for it, so I may as well say this: I do not want to see any more of the following comics:
A female comic whose entire act is a Cathy Guisewite schtick about her boyfriends. For some regrettable reason, this includes two thirds of all female comics. God, it’s boring.
A gay comic whose entire act is jokes about being gay. I can watch “Will & Grace” at 7:30 every weeknight.
Any male comic whose entire act is about how women are bitches. Yawwwwwn.
Yeah, each time he was on, I kept waiting for him to start into a routine. It seems like he was just there to waste time. Did he expect people to start laughing simply because he was present?
The guy whose dad was afraid of the dark is going on to Vegas. Jessica Kirson is also going on, Avabeth. I really like her, a lot. That annoying voice thing kills me. I hope she doesn’t overdo on it, though.
There were a number of contestants who have already been on The Tonight Show, meaning that there were already favorably vetted once before by the scouts who ran the first round of the competition. Gary Gulman, Todd Glass and Tammy Pescatelli are among that number, but they’re the only ones who are going through to Vegas, despite any possible bump from their Tonight Show past. Though I will say that I think that the Tonight Show and Tough Crowd appearances are the only reason Todd Glass is going ahead. His attitude sucks.
Will Durst absolutely was slumming. He’s been on every possible television program featuring standup that I’m aware of, going back to the late and lamented “Evening at the Improv” that was on A&E at 11 p.m. every night way way back when. I’m pretty sure that he’s also had an HBO 1/2 hour special, or a Comedy Central special. He was definitely someone whose name leapt out at me like a sore thumb. I’m rather glad that they chose not to take him to Vegas; he really doesn’t need that boost – just like his friend Dave Mordall (who encouraged him to try out) didn’t need it last year.
Not that it’s that big a boost – has anyone seen Dat Phan since last year? He was supposedly on The West Wing (I thought there was a sitcom deal in the prize last year but apparently it was just an appearance on any NBC show) but I don’t remember seeing him. Ralphie May has shown up in more places than Dat, it’s like Clay Aiken being more popular than Reuben Studdard.
Tammy Pescatelli’s name showed up in the credits of something I watched last night after the show. I’m definitely pulling for her, Jessica Kirson and just because he’s my kind of guy, Monty Hoffman. Sue Costello has to go, so does Todd Glass. Either of those personalities in the house would be disastrous. There’s self-possessed, then there’s arrogant and unfunny. They’re definitely the latter. Blech.
“Paul Varghese said the only thing worse than being afraid of the dark as a kid was having a parent that was as scared as you were.”
“Jay called up DC Benny, Bonnie McFarlane, Alonzo Bodden, Kathleen Madigan, ANT, Todd Glass, Jessica Kirson, Jim Norton, Corey Holcomb, and Sue Costello.”
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It’s already clear that the guiding hand of the producers is visible in the process – Sue Costello? Puh-leeze. I understand why they want to get a good mix of people in the house, and don’t really mind their doing casting with thoughts of the show as a show – but they could have at least found better snippets of the faves to make it a bit less obvious that that’s what they’re doing. Hm, unless there are no snippets where the pets are actually funny? Oh that can’t possibly be the case! :rolleyes:
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Thanks. HubbyBunny and I were too busy talking about how much older than 35 she looks. He said, “She’s only a year older than you?!?” :eek: Honey, platinum blonde on a 35-year old makes you look like “trailer-trash Barbie”.
When she ended up being chosen, we wished we hadn’t missed her act. Good to see we didn’t miss anything.
It was good to see Rich Vos there, but I almost didn’t recognize him without his ironing board.
Buck Star was annoying and unfunny, but he kinda tugged at my heart when he called his dad. Awwwww.
My favorites are the Iranian Jew, the Duvet cover guy, the Van Halen-Trapper Keeper guy, Mr. Abrasive Bald Guy, the guy whose dad is scared of the boogie man and Vladmir. Odd that I can only remember one of the names. I wish they all would have made it.
I couldn’t believe Mary Louise made it. Her husband’s set was much better than hers. And Jessica Kirson was just annoying.
I know quite a few of y’all liked this guy, but I’m kinda glad he’s not going. I think Dat Phan pretty much played out the “I’m gonna make fun of my parents accents” routine last summer.
Yes, Duvet made it. I especially liked his post-set answer to Colin Quinn, “Yeah, because we all know black people don’t use sheets.” That had me rolling!
I’m watching the endless LCS2 marathon. I’m glad the granny and Buck Star didn’t make it.
Trouble with this marathon, though, is that I’m not sure where the series stands right now. The episode I just watched was the one in which Jim Norton was selected for the semifinal round.
Is that where it stands now? Man, this does suck ya in!
All you Buck Star bashers can go to hell. That guy was great. The simple fact that he followed the whole procession around the country was funnier than anything else that was presented…
… EXCEPT for Jim Wiggins. That guy is the man. He had the perfect attitude about the whole thing, and good goddamn, what a voice…
But back to Buck. Guy needs more experience, sure, but I think he just needs more practice. And Jeez, guys, look at the criticism in this thread: “They didn’t have enough time to be funny”, followed by “He wasn’t funny”? C’mon.
Or maybe it’s just me. For some reason, I appreciate someone that works his goddamned ass off, goes the extra mile.
It’s just you. Every time I’ve seen Buck, he’s just babbled his ass off for his allotted time like some grinning twit. He told no jokes, had no interesting lines, nothing.
I was kind of hoping that girl who strips had won, though…
Yes, but I got the distinct impression that Buck’s style wasn’t joke-oriented; rather, he was trying to be “funny-story” oriented. Kinda like Lewis Black’s tale about the Dual Starbucks In Texas… c’mon, could he really get that sort of funny out in 30 seconds?
Lewis Black is an established comedian who gets his own special. He has plenty of time to set up a joke, meander a bit, talk to the audience, what have you. Buck Star, on the other hand, has zero leverage and was told precisely how much time he’d have. If you have a short amount of time to get your act in, wouldn’t you do SOMETHING funny? Instead of the tired “Welcome to the Buck Star show” crap he tossed out each time?
My thoughts exactly. Jim Norton couldn’t be more unfunny if he ate Unfunny O’s for breakfast every morning. I hated that guy before and now I hate him even more for taking a spot from someone that ISN’T on tv every goddamn week and DOESN’T have insider connections like Colin Quinn.
I agree. I love rooting for the underdog and I was desperately hoping that he’d come up with some material between towns but he never did .
Me and my girlfriend argued about Buck Star all night. I didn’t want her badmouthing him because I admired his drive.
A few comments about this season so far:
Obviously a lot of funny people got cut, and a lot of unfunnies (like Jim Norton) stayed. I liked the fat guy with the straw (the one who wanted the show called Let’s Be Frank), the guy who’s dad was afraid of the dark, and several others. I didn’t think Jim Wiggins was funny but I really liked him and I thought he would have been great in the house. Same with Vladamir, only Vlad has a long career ahead of him and will be funny in the future.
I caught the last few episodes of last season on reruns a week or so ago and let me tell you, if it looks like anyone even remotely close to being as unfunny as Dat Phan is starting to shine then I will cease watching and never give reality tv another chance (this is the first reality show I’ve been interested in.) Dat Phan was horrible.
One more question:
Around 2000 or 2001, I saw a guy named Valentino, The Ambassador of Love at the Improv in Irvine, CA with Stuttering John and friends. The guy was freakin’ hilarious. He wore a leisure suit, held a glass of cognac, and talked about how good looking he was. Then last summer I saw Stuttering John again and asked him where Valentino was / what ever happened to him…etc. John said he didn’t know but agreed the guy was very funny, etc.
Then last night, watching LCS2, I saw him! He was auditioning in Boston under the name Dominic Fig. They cut him off quickly and the only joke I remember him telling was “Sometimes I wake up early just so I can spend more time with me.” It was funnier than a lot of the crap that got callbacks and they didn’t even give him a second thought.
Does anyone know anything about this guy? Has anyone else ever seen him?
Although I found Jim Norton funny, I agree he shouldn’t have been there, he’s on a friggin’ show every week. Not to mention the fact that he works with two of the judges… I call shenanigans!
And it was weird to see other people who actually had Comedy Central specials, like Pablo Francisco and others. I’d prefer just pure unknowns. Why not have freaking Seinfeld on there too, ferchrissakes?
But he didn’t tell any funny jokes. He barely even TRIED to tell funny jokes, and when he finally got a little time on stage he still didn’t tell any funny jokes.
So he worked his ass off, so what? He wasn’t funny. I work my ass off playing softball. That doesn’t mean I get to play in the major leagues.
I don’t think he was doing a make fun of my dad’s accent thing as much as a straightforward make fun of my dad – who happens to have an accent – thing. He also did a bit about his dad being an uberChristian, and collecting crosses, and telling the KKK to hose off the cross and bring it into the living room when they were done burning it on the front yard. That made me snort my drink through my nose.
I admire his drive. I loathe his father for being so fast and loose with his credit card. There’s support, then there’s throwing good money after bad.
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