Comedy Bang Bang 500
July 24, 2017 12:50 PM   Subscribe

 
"Mantzoukas: I just want to make sure that your readers understand: I’m not advocating that he be murdered. For those people who want me to take over, I’m not saying, “Kill Scott Aukerman” so that I will take over. I just want that to be clear. I’m not advocating that people, vigilante-style, take Scott out in some sort of ritualistic fashion in order to prove they’re Jason Mantzoukas loyalists."
posted by kittensofthenight at 12:55 PM on July 24, 2017 [8 favorites]


Love that Ben Schwartz's credits include House of Pies.
posted by cottoncandybeard at 1:17 PM on July 24, 2017 [3 favorites]


+10 for all of the James Adomian coverage.

-10 for minimal Reggie Watts.

-100000000000000000 for not one goddamn mention of Harris Wittels.
posted by elsietheeel at 1:19 PM on July 24, 2017 [11 favorites]


Interesting to read that the show evolved. I've been listening to it off and on for years now, but not until recently did I sort of "get it," get the tightrope act that doing improv comedy is. Some guests are better at it than others. At a minimum, though, if Jason Mantzoukas and/or Paul F. Tompkins are on, it's gold.
posted by zardoz at 1:31 PM on July 24, 2017 [3 favorites]


My favorite Comedy Bang Bang moment is the episode when Scott, Lauren Lapkus, and Andy Samberg try to memorize the "hollywood facts" theme song Andy improvised on the spot during a previous appearance.

Apparently Tatiana Maslany introduced herself as a fan of the show by approaching Lauren without warning at some event and launching into the hollywood facts song.

I myself still sing that stupid effing song anytime I drive by Inglewood. (Nice!)
posted by Emily's Fist at 2:10 PM on July 24, 2017 [3 favorites]


They feel like my companions now.

This is my favourite moment, the one that makes me cry every time, there is real power is seeing comedians silenced and serious.

https://youtu.be/121wUrSHQz0
posted by Cosine at 2:31 PM on July 24, 2017 [2 favorites]


check out the facts it's the Hollywood facts
posted by cortex at 2:45 PM on July 24, 2017 [1 favorite]


My favorite podcast. I agree with James Adomian—that episode where his Tom Leykis interacts with Amy Poehler is hilarious. My favorite bit, probably.

I also loved Harris's Foam Corner. I often show it to friends who wind up scratching their heads.
posted by defenestration at 2:50 PM on July 24, 2017 [2 favorites]


Also Jon Gabrus is so sharp and witty sometimes it blows my mind. And Horatio Sanz—I like where he takes things. It's always so silly and surprising.

I feel like Comedy Bang! Bang! brings out the best in improvisers.
posted by defenestration at 2:51 PM on July 24, 2017


Hey nong man!

One of my favorite episodes is the one with Nastasha Lyonne. She hilariously holds her own and more against Aukerman and PFT and I remember wishing the episode wouldn't end.
posted by Room 641-A at 3:44 PM on July 24, 2017


When Aimee Mann's most recent album came out, in lieu of springing for concert tickets I just couldn't afford, I consoled myself by seeking out all her various podcast and TV appearances. To that end, her appearances on Comedy Bang Bang are the only episodes i've ever listened to ... but they were delightful and left me gasping for more. Thanks for reminding me (again) to listen more often.
posted by mykescipark at 3:45 PM on July 24, 2017


If you google Aimee Mann + Paul F. Tompkins you'll find lots of cool extra-CBB stuff!
posted by Room 641-A at 3:47 PM on July 24, 2017 [1 favorite]


One of my favorite episodes is the one with Nastasha Lyonne. She hilariously holds her own and more against Aukerman and PFT and I remember wishing the episode wouldn't end.

You left out the best part of that episode: Mary Holland as Dreama Peaches, a character who starts out as sweetly daffy and then slowly over the course of the episode, reveals herself to be quite dangerously (if still sweetly) insane. From the Comedy Bang! Bang! Wiki:
Dreama Peaches is a character played by Mary Holland. She is a church raffle winner who won a visit to "Come On Everybody Bang! Bang!," which she thinks is a hunting show. She accidentally shot her own son, thinking he was a bear, as well as the father of her sons, Drew Pomade. It turns out she doesn't actually know what a bear is.

Dreama has been married three times, to three members of the same bluegrass band, the Welcome Homes.
posted by Atom Eyes at 4:03 PM on July 24, 2017 [3 favorites]


The glee of seeing CBB live, and having your favourite guest (PFT) be on the tour, and having him play your favourite character (Gary Marshall) is tough to beat
posted by thecjm at 4:55 PM on July 24, 2017 [3 favorites]


Please, call him Garry.
posted by otsebyatina at 5:05 PM on July 24, 2017 [6 favorites]


And Horatio Sanz—I like where he takes things. It's always so silly and surprising.

I can't remember the episode or the context, but there's a bit where he describes in extreme detail the directions for a cross-country drive from New York to LA or vice versa, and I just kept losing it more and more as it went on.
posted by jason_steakums at 8:24 PM on July 24, 2017 [2 favorites]


I have listened to every episode since the Comedy Death Ray days, it has brought me a lot of joy. And I will again suggest that the spinoff Andrew Daly Podcast Project limited run (with the same actors) is the most purely funny thing I have ever heard. Especially the German episode.
posted by blahblahblah at 8:29 PM on July 24, 2017 [5 favorites]


You gotta laugh.
posted by Stonestock Relentless at 8:37 PM on July 24, 2017 [1 favorite]


Heresy I know but "yes and" has its limits and there are, in fact, bad ideas. Aukerman really needs a Mantzoukas (or recently, Jane Lynch) to mercilessly stomp on his free associating when it gets too stupid.

OTOH, some of the best shows happen when it goes completely off the rails. Land of contrasts.
posted by whuppy at 7:52 AM on July 25, 2017


Love that Ben Schwartz's credits include House of Pies.
And Lauren Lapkus's credits include Oranges: The New Black
posted by whuppy at 8:26 AM on July 25, 2017 [2 favorites]


Dreama Peaches is a character played by Mary Holland. She is a church raffle winner

Oh! Another great contest winner is Claudia O'Doherty. She appears in a couple of episodes with Nick Kroll's Australian TV star R. Schrift.
Claudia used to be an internet troll for 5 years. She won a competition held by her mother's travel agency and judged by her mom and dad. The prize was a trip to Universal Studios, which is how she first came to the Comedy Bang! Bang! studios, thinking it was another ride. Her second appearance was also through another competition her mother held. The second competition was to write a book and get it published; she wrote the book Daze of Thunder and her second appearance on the show was ostensibly part of a publicity tour for the book.
posted by Room 641-A at 8:38 AM on July 25, 2017 [1 favorite]


This post has inspired me to seek out the first CBB episode I ever listened to, which turns out to be #104, Shut Up Dracula! I was probably tipped to it by online fuss about the name change.

And, not knowing nothin' about nothin', I legitimately did think Owen Wilson had dropped by the podcast, because, well, this was apparently a comedy podcast and Owen Wilson does comedies.

So chalk me up as one of the dummies that could get easily confused by impressions.
posted by Shepherd at 9:56 AM on July 25, 2017


Oh my god, Jason Mantzoukas! He was briefly one of my improv teachers at NYC's Magnet Theater ~2005-2006. I dropped out of that world in 2006 and am so pleased that his career is going great. Between him and Ed Herbstman, I don't know who I had the bigger crush on, which I felt a little bit bad about at the time because I think I'm quite a bit older than both of them. And Ed was married!

I need to listen to this podcast. Mr. Show alumni, plus Weird Al, plus Jason Mantzoukas? What have I been doing with my life?

I also should've stuck it out with the improv and sketch writing. In 2006, I felt like the old aunt trying too hard to be "down with the kids" (most of my classmates at UCB, Magnet, and The PIT were 15 years younger than me), and I was too shy to really let myself go on stage or paper but for a couple of times.
posted by droplet at 10:08 AM on July 25, 2017 [3 favorites]


I'm sure it's been a long time and your memory is hazy but Jason Mantzoukas is just a character played by Jeffrey Characterwheaties.
posted by cmfletcher at 11:38 AM on July 25, 2017 [3 favorites]


I'm sure it's been a long time

it's been a while long time
posted by memento maury at 11:49 AM on July 25, 2017 [4 favorites]


Oh my god, Jason Mantzoukas! He was briefly one of my improv teachers

That must have been great! He has (had?) a show at UCB called "Mantzoukas and..." where he and a guest do a long form set. At the end he opens it up for a Q & A, mostly about improv and the process of creating that night's show, and he's so interesting, thoughtful and funny and I totally get why someone who knew him would have a crush on him.

Someone (maybe me) should make a post about Andy Daly.
posted by Room 641-A at 12:12 PM on July 25, 2017 [2 favorites]


it's been a while long time

"It's been a while" and "iiiit's been" are the kind of bits that worm their way into your conversations and make your friends hate you but #noregrets
posted by jason_steakums at 1:15 PM on July 25, 2017 [2 favorites]


Andy Daly is a genius and should have his own post.
posted by cmfletcher at 7:01 AM on July 26, 2017 [3 favorites]


I've got too many other podcasts to be able to listen to every episode, but I *do* miss the 'Taking a plane break!' song from their old studio (anytime a plane flew overhead).
posted by Twicketface at 9:53 AM on July 27, 2017


I don't know who that Andy Daly fellow is, but he should stop stealing Jerry O'Hearn's material.
posted by Room 641-A at 12:05 PM on July 27, 2017


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