PATTON OSWALT: TRAGEDY PLUS COMEDY EQUALS TIME: A Review.

Patton Oswalt has been doing Stand-Up comedy since before I was born.  The 45-year-old comic first got most of the world's attention wit his recurring role on 'King of Queens', even though Stand-Up is his true career preference.  Now, he brings his fans one of the most hilarious Stand-Up specials to come out in the past five years.  'Tragedy Plus Comedy Equals Time' is a special that centers around the revelations of growing older and getting wiser.  It touches upon hilarious topics like examining who you are in your mid-20s as opposed to your mid-40s and what having kids does to a person.  Patton also isn't afraid to reveal some of his choices that more than likely changed his life forever and what an afternoon in a grocery store can do to a person.

I will admit I wasn't a die-hard fan of Patton.  It was never a disliking thing, it just so happened I never got into his stuff as much as I should have.  But now that I have I am so happy this was my first real exposure to this great man who will sure go down as a comedy legend.  It takes true talent to make someone who is my age to look at my thought process about 'selling-out' and its evils and say, "maybe I've got it all wrong."  In a bit Mr. Oswalt does about the groups Creed and Nickelback, he really does reveal some of the absurdity of hating people for something relatively harmless like singing about girls and fame.  At this age, it's just refreshing being able to see that you don't have to aggressively hate something all the time just because you don't like it and some people do.  It's pretty funny too that someone who is a pretty hardcore Dead Kennedys fan realize, "Hey, I can chill a bit.  I'm too old to hate all the time."

The only thing that is a real kicker to me not just in this special but in comedy all together is the talk of depression.  I believe that anybody can talk about whatever they want if they can make it funny, but from the Stand-Ups to people in my age group constantly labeling themselves as 'depressed' because they just had a bad day seems like a real sick way of analyzing yourself.  I still laugh at some of it but it does not make me feel comfortable nor does it feel like it's advancing the craft of Stand-Up in any way.  But, like I have said before, I am young and don't know too much about Stand-Up, these are just opinions.  But, I will say that the way Patton talks about a rather surprisingly, self induced morbid trip to the grocery store is quite a good laugh.  One that had me gasping for air the first time I heard it.  So like I said, it can be done, I just don't know if it needs to be done to be funny.

Buy 'Tragedy Plus Comedy Equals Time' Off Of iTunes Here

Lastly, I am always impressed nowadays when a comedian can make me laugh at the idea of having children.  I have never had a child, but when somebody like Patton or Louis CK talks about their life as a parent I know that 20-somethings and 40-somethings are both laughing very hard, even if it is directed towards different parts or ideas of the punchline.  It's pretty neat and thus never leaves a dull moment in the special.  There's no thought in my mind going, "Oh he's doing kid material.  Time to go to the bathroom."  Quite the contrary.  It's some the best stuff that Patton touches on in this comedy masterpiece.

Follow Patton Oswalt On Twitter

So you should buy this special and be part of comedy history as fan who owned it before it was cool.  Get a taste of what adulthood will be like and what having children will do to a person.  You won't be disappointed.

The Rise of Broad City

In January, television viewers were treated to a new show from Upright Citizens Brigade Alumni Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson called ‘Broad City’ (which airs on Comedy Central and is based off of the web series of the same name).  The show is lucky enough to also be executive produced by another UCB Alum, Amy Poehler. And also features the rising star power of their co-star Hannibal Buress.  This buddy comedy follows these two ladies through their ridiculously different lifestyles, yet refreshing and warm hearted friendship that gets them through the sometimes cold and uninviting New York City life.  This sitcom shows that we can not only laugh at the things that annoy the living hell out of us, but it also sheds light on private and very often weird conversations we have with our closest friends when nobody is around.  Those conversations where we think about something that might land us in therapy or a psych ward but you realize there’s somebody else in this world like you and maybe you’re going to be just fine as long as they’re by your side.  Man or woman, you can relate to those true friendship moments in the show.

The comedy writing of this show really does a good job of making New York seem like the most interesting place in the world.  For years shows like Saturday Night Live have used NYC as the butt of their joke and even though it is a national show, some punchlines only made locals laugh.  This show still has the same ‘locals only’ feel but still gives viewers the chance to laugh even if they’ve only lived in New York through pictures or other’s stories.  Even though many of the scenarios are ridiculous beyond belief, the show is almost like a ‘What To Expect When You Consider New York City as a Home’.  No matter how hard it might get, you can still expect to find a lot of things to enjoy.

It is also nice to see two women be the main characters of some hilarious situations.  I am from the camp that if you’re funny, you’re funny.  Race, gender, sexual orientation, none of that matters.  But it wasn’t until I saw ‘Broad City’ did I realize that there haven’t been very many shows or movies where ladies can really act comfortable in their own skin and really be in charge of a situation.  It’s safe to say that there is still some stereotyping in entertainment about how women are supposed to act.  But when you see Ms. Glazer talk about her vagina as explicitly as men about their penises and the such like they have throughout history, you realize not only is the topic funny but the jokes made with it are great too.  Those are the moments in the show that reveal something that I think many men, including myself, have not been exposed to because those kind of conversations have been behind closed doors.  And it differs from when somebody like Sarah Silverman talks about her private parts because she tries add cutesy and adorable stuff to it which, in my personal opinion, gets old pretty quick.  These girls just want to act like themselves and if there happens to be a camera near by then we’re all in for a treat.

Another added bonus with this show is the brilliance in making drug use very funny that is on par with comedy legends Cheech and Chong.  Back when Cheech and Chong first started out, the drug use itself was the joke to a lot of people.  There are moments, though, when the drugs contributed to an absurd situation that really made it into comedy gold.  Abbi and Ilana have found those moments and polished them up real good.  The absurdity that the drugs gets these girls in to is just too good to pass up.  Even if you have never said the word ‘marijuana’ in your life you will laugh when the ladies try to find the perfect hiding spot for their stash in episode two, season one appropriately titled “P***y Weed”.  It gets better and better from there.

It is also enjoyable to see how maturity does not necessarily come with age.  Just because you are old enough to do your own taxes, doesn’t necessarily mean you will.  And the show also reveals that ladies have just as much apprehension when it comes to being attractive to the opposite sex.  As a man it seems refreshing knowing that we’re all nervous no matter our age, and maybe just the fact that that is out there will cause us all to calm down a little bit more and just be ourselves.

Follow Broad City on Twitter

There is so much more I could talk about but now I want to watch the show all day.  So be ready to see more from these ‘Broads’.  You can watch all episodes on Hulu Plus and ComedyCentral.com and expect to see the Second Season of ‘Broad City’ real soon!

-Matt Tapia

NBC Sitcom Contest!

NBC is looking to it's fans to make the next big sitcom!  Check out the link and see if you have got what it takes to enter the contest!

Submissions begin May 1st, 2014.

Good Luck!

NBC's Comedy Playground

Matt Drufke Interview

In an interview with Matt Tapia's Comedy Thoughts, Matt Drufke gave us some insight about his comedy career, advice for young guys, and who are the cats he digs these days.  So enjoy and maybe even learn a thing or two in the first of MANY interviews to come.  Thanks!

Matt Tapia Comedy Thoughts (MTCT): How long have you been doing comedy for?

Matt Drufke (MD): I've been doing stand-up comedy for seven and a half years.

MTCT: What made you want to start?

MD: I always loved stand-up comedy and stand-up comedians, and I always wanted to see if I could do it. For a while, I was writing comedic "letters to the editor", which is the coward's way of doing stand-up comedy.

MTCT: How would you describe your comedy? 

MD: I like to think of my comedy as aggressive and high-energy.

MTCT: Who are your biggest comedy influences? 

MD: I have a varied set of influences. It started with Bill Cosby but then moved to Adam Sandler and then Patton Oswalt, Right now, I'm probably the most inspired and influenced by Kyle Kinane and Pete Holmes.

MTCT: When you were young what did you find funny? 

MD: I remember always laughing at stories and comedians who could envelop characters- Buddy Hackett, Bob Newhart, etc.

MTCT: What sets the local Chicago Suburbs Comedy Scene apart from other scenes you've been to? 

MD: There seems to be a camaraderie that is missing from other cities. Comics sit and watch everyone's sets for the most part. We root for our peers; we want people to succeed as opposed from wanting to be competitive.

MTCT: What would you like to see done in this scene?

MD: I would like to see the scene grow. More open mics, more showcases. More comedians trying to find their voice in the scene.

MTCT: What do you think is some good advice for people trying to grow and expand where they do comedy?

MD: I would tell people to try and be comfortable onstage. It's not important to write as much material as you can; what's more important is to write the BEST material you have and to work on what you have over and over until it's perfect. Because when you're the most comfortable onstage is when you create your best art.

MTCT: What are your plans for your comedy career? 

MD: I don't know what my plans are. Currently, I have my son on the weekends, so I don't work the road. All I currently want to do is to create the best art I possibly know how to do.

MTCT: Do you think that there is still something to learn even after doing stand up for as long as you have or do you learn all your lessons pretty quickly? 

MD: Every set provides a learning opportunity. There is never a point where you stop learning or stop growing.

MTCT: Best Set; Worst Set?

MD: My best set to date is still on April 30, 2012, when I recorded my debut album, This Is Supposed To Be Fun.Everything clicked and worked perfectly.

My worst set occured a few months ago when I competed in a comedy contest in Lombard. I was angry at how the show was going so I got very drunk and decided to yell at the audience including wishing the entire crowd would die in a fire. There have been worse conditions in which I've performed- but that night, I was entirely in control of how I could perform and chose to react poorly and childishly and I regret how I handled myself. 

MTCT: Who do you find funny today? (Local and national) 

MD: Locally, I enjoy the comedy of Lewis Rhine and Jordan Holmes. Nationally, I love Hannibal Buress, Pete Holmes, and Kyle Kinane.

MTCT: If you could give yourself advice now from just starting out, what would it be?

MD: You'll never be as good as you think you are.

MTCT: If you could see any person in history do Stand Up who would you want to see?

MD: I'd love to see Jesus Christ try and do a tight ten minutes.

Welcome To My Blog!

Welcome to my blog!  This blog will be dedicated to all things comedy.  That includes Stand Up, Sitcoms, Improv, Sketch, Movies and all things funny.  I hope you all enjoy!

A little about myself:  I recently started doing Stand Up in December of 2013 and have discovered a lot of great things during my successful Open Mic-er career.  First thing I discovered is that we in the Chicago Suburbs are extremely fortunate to have some of the opportunities that we have.  Whether it be The Comedy Shrine Open Mics or The Ashbary Coffee House, there is a lot of places outside of the City of Chicago's City limits to laugh.  So I wanted a blog that reflected what I am fortunate enough to just begin being a part of.  To prove all this, I will be posting interviews with local people in the comedy scene and maybe even reviews of some people's shows.  So it could be fun.  And I may ask some of you all to help me if you are all ever interested.

I will also be posting just things about comedy in general.  Like reviews of recent Stand-Up specials or reviews of comedy movies and TV shows.  So it won't only cater to the local comedy scene, but comedy fans in general.

So stick around for the fun.  I know I will.

-- Matt Tapia