LCS 2010: Los Angeles

Wait, am I actually going to blog a TV show? How undignified. Well, at least I'm going to pick a critics' favorite, right? What? A reality show? Well, I suppose there are a few that qualify as worthwhile entertainment on a slow day. Let me just prepare a plate of cheese and fruit and open a bottle of crisp, modestly assertive wine. There. Now, what have we got? Last Comic Standing??? I'm killing me, I really am.

"You awake? Yeah, you're probably always awake, aren't ya. Are you going to explain to me what this is all about? You know you stuck me here with a bunch of crazy misfits...." Hold it. That's the promo for Persons Unknown, which comes after LCS. Quit stalling.

OK, what sort of person watches LCS? Let's look at the commercials. Fast food - a couple of different varieties. A chain restaurant. Food containers. Cockroach poison. A refrigerator. Diabetes medication. Cable TV. Satellite TV. Pills for erectile dysfunction.

This is not a flattering picture. I must be an outlier in the audience. Yes, that's it. On to the show...

The new host is Craig Robinson. I liked Jay Mohr and tolerated Anthony Clark; wasn't crazy about Bill Bellamy. Robinson could surpass the others, if he gets good writing ... which doesn't seem to have happened in this first episode. The opening musical bit is a little weak - way too much money in the tip jar - though it's nice to see Robinson has some keyboard skills.

Three judges this time: Andy Kindler, who occasionally seems to think this is his show; Natasha Leggero, perky and energetic; and Greg Giraldo, who comes up with a few good lines but mainly serves as a tiebreaker. They seem to know a lot of the comics, a few of whom tank the audition; but the judges invite them to the evening show anyway. Fine. Just keep me entertained as a viewer. Strict fairness is overrated.

We get two hours of Los Angeles auditions. Lots of talent. Let's review the ones who made it to the evening show.

Day 1:

Felipe Esparza tells jokes about his ethnicity. Early in the show, there's a montage of audition failures by people who play off their racial makeup. It's an easy shtick to lean on (Dat Phan won Season 1 doing so), but it gets old pretty quick. On top of this, Esparza jokes about being an unwanted child, which is a little edgy. I can't imagine Steve Schirripa, a judge from a previous season, approving of a joke about an unwanted kid. But in the end Esparza gets his ticket to the semi-finals.

Fortune Feimster auditions with a long joke about small-town Southern mannerisms that doesn't amuse me. The judges like it, and in the evening show she gets a ticket.

Rob Delaney I don't get. He tells a boob joke in the evening show and doesn't make the cut.

Lil' Rel is another one I don't get, but his crazy teacher joke gets him a ticket.

Kevin Small from Dallas does a Baptist hick shtick and bombs.

Laurie Kilmartin does an edgy "I'm a bad mother" bit good enough for a ticket.

Jacob Sirof riffs on anti-Semitism (he's Jewish) and moves on to the semis.

Kirk Fox tanks the audition. In the evening he jokes about sharing a bed with his girlfriend. He and I are both surprised when he gets a ticket.

Taylor Williamson has a funny audition talking about life in New York. His family intermarriage jokes in the evening are good enough for him to move on.

David Feldman tells political jokes - pretty good ones. I can't remember any political humor from previous seasons - nothing that succeeded, anyway. But Feldman gets a ticket.

Amy Claire jokes about dating a doctor. Maybe he will console her for not making the cut.

Maronzio Vance jokes about being poor. Funny enough to go to the next level.

Cathy Ladman tells some jokes about Hitler on the History Channel that I thought were very funny, but she did not graduate to the semis.

Guy Torry has a girlfriend who keeps hot sauce in her Louis Vuitton purse. Apparently this is funny enough to move him on.

Shane Mauss does a Seinfeld imitation in the evening show and gets his ticket. Really?

Day 2:

Chip Pope from Pampa, Texas, auditions with a B-52's imitation. In the evening he gets his ticket based on an off-color CSI joke. Um, go Texas?

Paula Bel is another comic with a weak audition who gets invited to the evening show because the judges are familiar with her (better) material. In the evening she goes kind of Paula Poundstone, which is good enough to get an invite to the next level.

Jimmy Dore riffs about gays against gay marriage. Not funny enough.

Christina Paszitsky's humor about folks from the old country doesn't win her a ticket.

Tiffany Haddish is awfully cute, but her falsies gag isn't quite funny enough. Sigh.

James Adomian plays the blue-collar card and wins a ticket.

Rachel Feinstein talks about dating and sex and her mom's crazy haircut. Good enough for the judges!

Chris Fairbanks talks about smoking, caffeine, and other addictions. Apparently we won't be making a habit of him.

Jonathan Thymius tells an old drug joke and an old ex-wife joke. He has great delivery, though, and the judges give him a ticket.

Cristela Alonzo from San Juan, Texas, uses some ethnic humor, but she tells a funny lying-on-my-resume joke and also shows a flair for physical comedy. Good enough to move on.

Jason Nash has a fresh take on kids who are annoying. The judges give him a ticket!

So that's eighteen people moving up to the next level. New York is next, followed by (if I understand right) auditions by special invite for comics in flyover country. Then the semis.

OK, this has been more stenography than blogging. I'll try to improve next week.