WadesPlace1's blog

Michael Showalter's New Book Out in Stores Now

Check out Michael Showalter's debut book, Mr Funny Pants, on his official weblog and at Amazon Books - he's more funnier than any other comedian.

(via Michael Showalter's official weblog)

 

The Man Behind the Confrontation

 

Satirist/novelist Calvin "Bud" Trillin's columns reflect on the positive social and civil liberties and the many issues he has written in hundreds of local newspapers across America.

(via Calvin Trillin's homepage)

Tim Wilson Explains a More Capitol (Records)-ized America

Comedia and singer/lyricist Timothy C. Wilson, one of the co-authors of the true-crime book Happy New Year - ted, knows how he explains America on his most recent Capitol Records Nashville/EMI Music North America album Mr. Wilson Explains America and reveals how Wilson's nicely smooth vocals fit into his stand-up performances.

On Mr. Wilson Explains America, Wilson speaks out on many hot-button topics and conflicts of hilarity and performs several strange but wonderful novelty songs.

As with all Tim Wilson CDs, Mr. Wilson Explains America is one of the most valuable recordings in the Capitol Records Nashville library, along with other Capitol Nashville/EMI acts such as longtime label staples Glen Campbell, Anne Murray, Garth Brooks, GRAMMY Award winning trio Lady Antebellum and Rodney Carrington. Yet, Wilson, who is of Scottish descent, is capable of writing offbeat redneck punchlines and fun-lovin' novelty tunes that have captivated country comedy fans and those who work in the alternative-comedic communities throughout the world.

(via Tim Wilson's official online fan page)

(via the Capitol Records Nashville website)

Tim Wilson's biography via Wikipedia

(via EMI Music)

Why Everybody Loves Late Night Comic Talent

 

 

You know Jay Leno is primarily known as an improvisational comedian. But, as a late-night-TV host, Leno also defies the very essence of the television-program genre in recent decades.

The Italian/Scottish funnyman, a native of New Rochelle, N.Y., believes in the magic of funny.

 On the official Jay Leno website, Leno performs his Tonight Show opening monologues every weeknight on the NBC Television Network - these monologues depict observation reflections on everyday life, among them politics, sports, and other topics of interest.

Leno succeeded Johnny Carson following more than three decades as the host of The Tonight Show. He was succeeded in 2008 by Conan O'Brien.

While Leno earns his reputation as the "King of Late Night," other comedians have had successful series-television formats in the same genre.

Radio morning-show sportscaster Jimmy Kimmel, best known for presiding over both Win Ben Stein's Money on Comedy Central and Set for Life on ABC, currently emcees the Primetime Emmy Award-winning Alphabet Network entertainment/talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live!

On Comedy Central's The Daily Show, ex-ESPN anchorman Craig Kilborn was succeeded by funny man Jon Stewart, filling in the shoes left by Kilborn, who is of English descent.

O'Brien can be seen as the host of Conan on cable's TBS.

And The Second City veteran Stephen Colbert makes his mark on "fake news" on The Colbert Report on Comedy Central as well. Visit Colbert Nation for more online "truthiness!"

Late-night TV remains a cornerstone of electronic media, as evidenced by The Tonight Show inventor Steve Allen. Since then, Leno and his Tonight Show predecessors, among them Allen, Jack Paar and Carson himself, has transformed The Tonight Show into the longest-running, enduring and critically acclaimed nonscripted variety/talk/audience participation program in the Peacock Network's 85-year history.

 

Take Kilborn. He was the original anchor on Comedy Central's four-times-a-week nightly fake newscast The Daily Show in the pre-Jon Stewart era. Since then, Kilborn presided over the limited-run syndicated series The Kilborn Files and, earlier this year, signed a deal with ABC Studios to star in an untitled ABC comedy series.

So, what's a Jay Leno to do, anyway?

(via Jay Leno's official website)