Don't forget to follow your dreams, unless your dreams are stupid

August 29, 2010 8:57 AM

"Good news -- this is the point in the graduation speech where I tell you a personal anecdote about perseverance and then quote a song." Lexington High School in suburban Boston is the alma mater of comic theorist Scott McCloud, evironmentalist Bill McKibben, a winner of Survivor, an SNL cast member, thinky writer Melanie Thernstrom, and MetaFilter favorite Amanda Palmer. But when it was time to choose a commencement speaker they wisely went with Eugene Mirman, LHS class of 1992. (SLLOLYT) (Eugene Mirman battles the pink robots, previously on MetaFilter.)
posted by escabeche (24 comments total)

Hey I knew that guy. I did a little standup comedy and he liked my neophyte routine 10 years ago. He's totally hilarious to me, but a bit of an acquired taste for some.
posted by Schmucko at 9:20 AM on August 29, 2010

Transcript here.
posted by joe lisboa at 9:31 AM on August 29, 2010

I would love Scott McCloud to do a graduation speech. It would start out all fun and thrilling with bright visions of your upcoming days and adventures then just nosedive into a maudlin discussion about the moral complexities and ambiguities of homophobia and racism.

(After the speech, he'd spend a straight half hour trying to pick up the art teacher with an overly-earnest conversation about what sex truly means to her.)
posted by griphus at 9:32 AM on August 29, 2010

Funny and mostly true. What more could you ask for in a graduation speech?
posted by doctor_negative at 9:54 AM on August 29, 2010

I am trying to decide if laughing at all of his own jokes is disarming or irritating. I suppose the answer is that it's mildly curious.
posted by Beardman at 10:18 AM on August 29, 2010

I am trying to decide if laughing at all of his own jokes is disarming or irritating.

I find it irritating.
posted by ericb at 10:27 AM on August 29, 2010 [1 favorite]

I find it disarming.
posted by found missing at 10:30 AM on August 29, 2010 [2 favorites]

One of my kids is LHS class of 2010 and there were a lot of hopes that they'd get Rachel Dratch.

Didn't happen.
posted by dzaz at 10:31 AM on August 29, 2010

"Don't get too excited when you read The Fountainhead."

Words to live by.
posted by hippybear at 10:47 AM on August 29, 2010 [8 favorites]

I find it amputating. I guess that's a happy medium.
posted by The White Hat at 11:22 AM on August 29, 2010

I went to college with that dude. That he has this career now never ceases to amaze me.
posted by OmieWise at 12:09 PM on August 29, 2010

I'd be willing to bet that about a bajillion people who went to LHS are on metafilter.
posted by creasy boy at 12:25 PM on August 29, 2010 [2 favorites]

creasy boy: "I'd be willing to bet that about a bajillion people who went to LHS are on metafilter."

I know some of their parents are.
posted by dzaz at 1:00 PM on August 29, 2010

Does it count if we just dated someone from LS?
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 1:21 PM on August 29, 2010

I'd be willing to bet that about a bajillion people who went to LHS are on metafilter.

One, at least.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 2:30 PM on August 29, 2010

Can I kick a rock and mumble how I never got to go to LHS?
posted by The Whelk at 3:07 PM on August 29, 2010 [1 favorite]

I didn't go to LHS but my debate team did, so even though I'm from NY I've been there nine times.
posted by danb at 3:23 PM on August 29, 2010

I didn't go to LHS, but my kids will. No, really.
posted by Crankatator at 6:04 PM on August 29, 2010

I found it totally disarming (if that's the word) that he was laughing at his own stuff. You know why? Because it was actually funny!

It's beyond irritating when comedians do it while not being funny.
posted by yiftach at 10:29 PM on August 29, 2010

My take on it is that he's laughing because he didn't write it, and he enjoying the jokes.
posted by e.e. coli at 4:02 AM on August 30, 2010

How could anyone *not* find that funny? The Negative Eight story really made it wonderful.
posted by grubi at 6:50 AM on August 30, 2010

Eugene Mirman is wonderful, though I saw him live with the Red Wine Boys, and he was a little awkward as a live performer. Definitely very funny though.

DONG.

And go back and check the Like the Fist of God We Will Smash Them post. Here's the anti-gay long distance solicitation on YT. One of the few humor MP3s I keep in my library.
posted by mrgrimm at 10:18 AM on August 30, 2010

oh, man. I didn't watch the commencement video, but now you got me catching up on the last 2 years of Eugene Mirman ... so long, morning.

All I have is my weird jacket
posted by mrgrimm at 10:33 AM on August 30, 2010

I went to LHS and was on the debate team, so went to NY a lot. :)
posted by Sand at 11:57 AM on August 30, 2010