#i was writing a list of my favorite improv actors and comedians when it comes to creating a good character AND embodying the character

[ur-stepdad]

Captain Bill Seacaster consistently reminded his beloved son that he is to only look out for himself. That in Fabian's world, Fabian should be the only person that matters. Everyone else is to be used as you see fit, even your own father, even your own captain.

Fabian very obviously wanted to do whatever his father told him to do. But he was never very good at caring only about himself, even when he tried really hard to do it. it is simply not his nature to do so.

For him to be rewarded with one of the many people he cares about telling him that her favorite trait of his, the most valuable impact he has on the world, is the way that he takes care of others is an excellent reflection of the character development of Fabian Aramais Seacaster: Son of of Bill Seacaster

[joecial-distancing]

July Roundup

Lifestyle:

I’ve been getting back into running this summer. It’s been about 4 years since I’ve done any serious running, and I have been made painfully aware of the differences in my body at age 29 compared to 25. My knees hurt more, I need to attend to stretching much more seriously than I used to. I’m coming at the task with better self-knowledge than last time, though; I know how far and how fast I’ve been capable of pushing, and I find an enormous amount of comfort and strength from that familiarity. 

I’ve also been applying to jobs, a process which started as nauseatingly daunting, but has gradually settled into just a regular chore of the week (ideally chore of the day, if I’m to keep up with new years resolutions). Getting a resume mushed into a satisfying shape has felt nice, as has getting together a form cover letter that I know hasn’t hurt my chances of getting my foot in doors. Annoyance Boxes checked off, and the rest is getting familiar with the rest of the grind. Interviews have been and will be the same process.

Games:

I’ve also been playing a lot of Sekiro. I’ve always “liked” Fromsoft games, but it’s been rare that I’ve been able to justify the time investment. There’s an appeal in the structure, endless chances to bash myself against a problem until it clicks, being able to run drills when stuck or inadequate (and there is a hook in the inadequacy; nothing frustrates me more than being unable to Just figure out a solution, or requiring too much time to get there. I have a tense relationship with time and deadline pressure. Impatience is one of my greatest vices). So with school finished, I’m diving into this as a treat to myself. The systems are fun, and the camera is so fucking awful that I get unreasonably angry about it. One thing I always do with these games that I think is anathema to a lot of their fans is to spoil myself on what I’m up against. In dark souls I would always have open area maps, rather than try to navigate the combat and exploration simultaneously. It put my mind at ease, I didn’t like the discomfort of the tension of untriggered surprise. And with Sekiro, I know roughly the zones I’m up against, I’m not above watching videos of the boss fights to learn the proper counters etc. No shame, no honor, that’s not what I get out of these games, really.

As with running, so with jobsearch, so with Sekiro, the method is diligence, the appeal is the pleasure of feeling my improvement over time. There is nothing more exciting to me than casually accomplishing something that I know would have annihilated me only a short time ago. I can finish 2 miles in 20 minutes, I want to get it down to 15. This also means the videogame tends to lose out on the priorities list—if I’m wanting to dedicate myself to practice, there’s almost always a different outlet that’d be better outcomes in the long run

very 8 of pentacles mood overall, lately.

Books:

I’m almost done with Pynchon’s Against the Day, which had taken up all of my Reading attention span this month. Unless it does something in the final 8% to lose me hard, it’ll probably clock in as my 2nd favorite of his stuff, behind Gravity’s Rainbow.  Anarchism as expressed against American mining companies, European empires, and the Mexican state; searches for a lost paradise city; warfare between schools of mathematics; the nature of Light. At face value, it feels closest to Gravity’s Rainbow and Mason & Dixon, compared to the rest of his work (I know there’s a lot of subtext and referencing going over my head with all of these in terms of both history and literature; I noticed a lot of reviews of AtD focused about the variety of genre style work that he’s pulling from in certain sections, nearly all of which is lost on me. It has, however, been very fun to me that I’m able to keep up with the mathematic academia infighting depicted in this). There’s a “fairy tales coming to life” quality to all three, if instead of Grimms’ stories it’s historical models of the world: Supersonic rockets wreck the flow of pavlovian cause & effect, the destruction of natural landscape in the course of linear surveying becomes a direct conduit for a massive influx of evil energy, quaternion mathematics casting time as real and space as imaginary allow a yogi to contort himself out of sight and into the imaginary plane. The aether is experimentally disproven in the beginning of Against the Day’s timeline, which doesn’t stop holdout engineers and mystics from working wonders with it.

It feels like there’s about as much going on in here as GR, but where GR is claustrophobically overstuffed (which is also part of the reason it’s a better book) and Mason & Dixon gets kind of plodding, the material here is given space to breathe, without losing momentum. It probably helps that the characters in this are a.) numerous, and b.) unusually solid as far as Pynchon goes.

It’s also got many great examples of something else I really like about Pynchon, which is that he is willing to commit 110% to incredibly stupid jokes. There’s an Elmer Fudd reference in here that completely knocked me on my ass.

Viz:

Watched the Bo Burnham netflix, which was mostly pretty good, though I’m completely out of patience for ostentations self-awareness or fake debate where the ~comedian~ who’s concerned about being ~white privileged mannn~ feels guilty he might be ~taking up space~, doesn’t know that he ~deserrrrves it~... out of patience because I already know what he did with that guilt (if genuine) — he didn’t scrap the project, he released the fucking thing anyway. What am I to do with this, Bo Burnham? Would you like my permission? Would you like an “it’s ok dude” from people of marginalized groups within your audience? Why am I watching along for a decision you’ve quite literally already made? I don’t trust displays of vulnerability before an audience of this size.

Also watched through I Think You Should Leave, which... sure it’s funny, and also very effective at making me uncomfortable, which is clearly what it’s aiming to do, but. I don’t really get why it’s got such a strong cultural draw within the online spheres I’m normally checked into. Saw some discourse about how the quotability is somehow distinct from regular memeing, which, alright get over yourselves jesus christ.

speaking of flavors of the month, watched 50 shades and lmao. I’ve been told by a trusted source the books are worse which is hilarious.

also speaking of flavors of the [century], S.O. and I have been doing a rewatch of pre-MCU comic book movies, which has been some fascinating anthropology. It meant, though, that we had to sit through howard the duck, an absolutely wretched film. Other highlights so far: willem dafoe power rangers acting, the soundtrack on affleck daredevil (incl a fuckin choice Evanescence exercise montage), Blade & Blade II still hold up.

We’ve also made it to the final season of pre-reboot xfiles. Duchovny’s mostly gone from this last season, replaced largely by robert patrick of T1000 fame, who is a better actor but a worse character, dude’s basically just A Cop. The writing’s weirdly probably better than the last couple Duchovny seasons, but the show doesn’t work without him — his bad acting was the main thing keeping things together, the tone’s all off now.

[podcake]

Podcasts & Genre: Comedy

Going into a long, Wikipedia certified analysis about the history and understanding of the comedy genre seems a touch unnecessary since we probably already know what angle I’ll be getting at upon reading the title of this editorial. But for the sake of consistency, let’s all pretend that we don’t know what comedy is so I can fill up the air time with something of actual depth for once. 

When we look into the deep, deep archives of comedy, we find ourselves tracing back to the ancient period of the Greeks and when they originated the term we know today via the word  kōmōidía all thanks to the Athenian democracy, the Spartans more fashionable cousins. Comedy has been around much, much longer then my previous genre topic and is nothing short of a staple in the world of entertainment. It is the lighthearted alternative to tragedy, the grinning mask to the perturbed look of frozen horror. 

Aristotle hearkens it back to the komos, “a curious and improbable spectacle in which a company of festive males apparently sang, danced, and cavorted rollickingly around the image of a large phallus.” His words, not mine.

Shakespeare gives us a definition we’re slightly more familiar with as comedies in his plays were written to be more lighthearted affairs with happy endings and the only real crucial conflict arising from misunderstandings and the cultural clash of  Apollonian and Dionysian values. 

Unlike noir, comedy is less straight forward as a concept and dives into a variety of different mediums and styles that can still maintain the comedy belt to itself. With comedy we have satire, parody, and screwball humor that can come in a variety of flavors and are just as recurring in podcasts as they are television and plays. Also unlike noir, comedy is not restricted to ideas of aesthetic decisions or incredibly specific archetypes as comedy can be anything it wants to be, as long as its all around intention is to make you laugh.

Where podcasts tie into all this pretty self explanatory. We’ve all listened to a comedy podcast or at least a podcast that had a joke once and yet I found myself once again scrapping by with only a handful of examples to list here that proudly flaunted “comedy” in their iTunes category. As to why will be something to discuss later.

What I enjoy about comedy podcasts and the general use of humor in audio is the whole concept of using sound to get a joke across without needing to rely on physical visuals. Comedy has a slightly less difficult journey to accomplish as while noir is limited by the necessity of appealing to a very specific list of tropes, a comedic podcast’s job mostly boils down to being amusing, and they don’t need to fit themselves into any sort of template to accomplish that. This is why comedy has an always will be flexible to work around.

There’s probably a good reason why comedians can gain a second life on vinyl records and how I can always crack up listening to the “Salt and Pepper Diner” skit without ever actually seeing the live performance. One of the earliest examples of comedic film didn’t even have sound and would use text and rapid, enthusiastic acting to work a chuckle out of viewers. 

Humor may be subjective though we can all agree that a good comedy show has a pretty bare bones goal from the get-go. 

The thing about comedy that keeps it so fresh and refined after all these years is the various flavors is has to offer. Comedy can be dark and gloomy, comedy can be an anthology of loosely connected skits, comedy can be completely and utterly insane and surreal and yet they all have the same idea in mind once pen comes to paper and voice comes to microphone. 

And despite how much bustling variety there is for comedy, it’s rare for me to run into podcasts that fall under the comedy umbrella that aren’t just improvisation or shows that simply have some comedy elements sprinkled into its set up. 

There’s a good reason why My Brother, My Brother, and Me have managed to stay high in the charts all this time and ILLUSIONOID is a well produced science fiction show bursting with originality and new content that tickles both you and your imagination. Even Big Data, a show that is mostly scripted but does lean on the improv button quite a few times, relies on the unpredictability and natural senses of humor of its actors to make for some quirky conversation pieces.

Out of my recent years, the only real scripted comedy shows I’ve come across are Hadron Gospel Hour, Wooden Overcoats, Victoriocity, The Meat Blockade, and Hector Vs. The Future which may seem like a collection robust enough for a playlist of my favorite episodes, though is so far and few compared to all the horror and science fiction audio drama that’s out there that rarely ever relies on comedy to keep you tuning in. Well, Return Home has more jokes than the average horror show but that’s a Genre Parlor for another day.

My favorite podcast comedy that still has yet to be topped is Hadron Gospel Hour that leans more heavily on the parody category. With its loving portrayals and jabs at pop culture and occasional breaks for live action skit banter, it’s humor truly peaks with its need for funny scenarios and the exchanges between the two leading males. It has a certain Hitchiker’s Guide to the Galaxy thing going on where most of the humor is done through quick-witted exchanges with a soft spot for heartfelt and touching moments and deriving a lot of its problems and jokes from elaborate settings. 

Something I feel the need to bring up again is the shortage of scripted comedy shows which I only recently noticed upon my research but also grew to understand later on. Though comedy may not have the same limitations as a noir show with its specific aesthetic qualities and character charts to fill, it’s supposedly simple goal of humor leaves a lot of breathing room but just as much to be desired from its writing. 

From my understanding, comedy is much harder to write and base a whole show around without having to risk not having any humor. Horror shows can cook up terrifying imagery and science fiction can jump from space ships to starry plant hemispheres without losing speed, but comedy has to pull off a certain balancing act while still keeping the laughs in mind. 

Wooden Overcoats and Victoriocity are especially good at weaving comedic elements into their stories to the point jokes are a natural part of their structure  while Hadron Gospel Hour seamlessly transitions between affectionate parody and some fun science fiction elements that can be equal parts dramatic and spectacular. 

A newer addition is The Amelia Project that one could label as a black comedy and is easily becoming one of the more eclectic entries to the genre. Even if the sense of humor is touch bleak and sadistic, it still warms a certain part of your funny bone that might enjoy that sort of macabre yet casual understanding of death and the human condition. 

The most refreshing one to have come out recently that plays up comedy almost as much as Hadron Gospel Hour is Victoriocity that combines some good old fashion screwball humor within a self contained mystery parody. Though a newer addition to my collection of shows, be it Palette featured or not, Victoriocity is a pretty fun comedy that oddly enough overlaps with my noir fascination that I mentioned in my previous article. 

But above all, an excellent comedy show is truly at its peak when it can maintain just enough staying power beyond it’s comedic elements. A show, especially one that has any plans of having any significant plot development, cannot sustain itself simply by being funny. Though this may sound contradictory, it’s how an audio drama can embed humor into its day to day scenarios that make the jokes land in the first place.

A quick wit and enthusiasm for the next punchline has a certain charm to it that can carry one episode to the next, especially if it fills itself with what TV Tropes calls “brick jokes”, though it’s by no means a place to set up camp, so to speak. 

My understanding of the term has left me on the conclusion that Kakos Industries, that dark comedy about the evil mega corporation...and some other stuff, is especially reliant on this style of joke telling if it isn’t just rattling off some dense imagery and sarcasm only ever interrupted by eerie silence or the familiar electronic thumping of its BGM. 

Kakos does mostly grease up its stationary engine with this style of humor-introducing some sort of problem or character and having them return over and over again until their big funny moment is wrapped up and they’re left in the recycling bin until further notice. Now this doesn’t sound too tedious on paper but it does lack a certain punch to its line-ha, ha-when it’s the only illusion of structure the show has to offer.

It’s this sort of lackluster narrative style that cause it to never truly hold my attention during it’s now three year run time. Without a stable plot or stakes to challenge our protagonist, the show boils down to a bunch of loosely connected set ups and jokes that don’t really mean or do anything and exist as mere facets of a wide and wild world we still know little to nothing about with characters that are fun and yet unengaging since they seem to exist just to past through the narrative’s revolving door.

Brick jokes do not substitute the drive and ambition of actual dramatic suspense and rather act as an accent or way to break future tension. Callbacks can be a funny, a show entirely built on callbacks is boring.

Though King Falls AM doesn’t suffer from similar issues, it is still one of the weaker comedic shows I’ve come across. It lacks the sort of boldness Kakos rides on to exhaustion, instead leaving with unmemorable jokes in an unmemorable setting. To describe King Falls sense of humor is a challenge in itself, not because it’s especially witty or obtuse, but because it’s so by the numbers with an occasional dip into what seems to be deliberately scrutinizing jokes that can’t even pass off as genuinely edgy, that it’s either boring or insulting. 

Going into more detail about how King Falls AM fails in being engaging or funny is a touch difficult because there just wasn’t much to uncover in the first place. 

Though it might be a personal preference, a good comedy podcasts succeeds when its humor and its setting and stakes are all on the same page. When the humor has a massive disconnect from what we’re supposed to be concerned and truly tuning into the show for, that can cause it’s own problems. At that point, the jokes are just jokes and if they don’t land then the whole show falls apart since its support beam was never that strong to begin with.

Even if I can’t say I was in love with Wooden Overcoats and its overtly cynical vibe, it’s certainly one of the more cleverly written black comedies and pretty much masters the blend of the oldest definition of the genre. Its sense of humor and day to day issues all blend together seamlessly and is so well produced and energetic you feel a need to get invested in what new problems our characters might face. 

The leads being at the short end of the stick is par of the course at this point and you can enjoy this audio drama about competing funeral homes-right away you can probably tell what makes Wooden Overcoats succeed so well as a comedic show from that description alone-as a genuinely well written black comedy that has just enough heart and character study to be more than just a pile of coffins with silly scribbles etched into the side. 

Reasons why Hadron Gospel Hour and Victoriocity succeed so well in this aspect is because they’ve managed to strike this balance between lavish worlds and hearty laughs. They have issues to deal with and some sort of problem to tackle each episode, and yet it’s the way they work with their settings and goofy characters that still allow their respective shows to be perceived as lighthearted entertainment with some sort of catch or staying factor. 

I love Victoriocity’s quirky humor and characters but I’m also highly invested in its element of mystery and the interesting and creative city the show takes place in that lets each episode ooze originality and inspired sets. Hadron Gospel has some hilarious banter and out-there situations, but I’m also biting my nails at the prospect of the multiverse being restored and Oppenheimer finding peace with himself after a cosmic blunder. I might come for a quick chuckle but it’s what lies beneath all the fluff that makes the jokes worth the wait.

Comedy comes in many forms and though it hasn’t quite reached its peak in the audio drama realm, at least the ones that do exist will have you laughing for more. 

[davidpwilson2564]

Bloglet

Wednesday, August 18, 2021 Continued

Something from the files about my late friend

In Finkel’s Shadow

When I first came to the city in the late Sixties I began hearing about  Ian Finkel, the xylophone virtuoso.  Just before I met him I knew he had gotten a break, an off-Broadway show, Dames At Sea, featuring Bernadette Peters (also a break for her) that was playing  at a small theater on Christopher Street.   I learned that he was quickly bored with the part he was issued and had begun adding to it.  Fine for him, but it discouraged subs, who, after having seen Ian’s performance,  decided they could not put in the time to learn the new and improved book.  When they bailed I’m sure Ian heard some inventive excuses.  (The favorite aunt in Maine who had suddenly taken ill, etc.)

Bernadette Peters became a star, as did Ian.  Some time passed and I’d never have guessed that he and I would end up on so many of the same gigs.  Nor would I have ever imagined that one day my son would buy the house Bernadette grew up in, on Woodhaven Boulevard.

It was during that downtown run of Dames at Sea that Ian met Cheryl Allen.  She was ushering.  It was kismet.  She was not yet twenty, I later learned.  He was slightly older.   After a brief courtship they married.  Being a consummate practicer (five hours a day) Ian took his xylophone on their honeymoon.  Life went on.  Ian and I became parents at about the same time.  Our sons would later work together, as business partners.

Ian and his brother, Elliot, gave recitals, xylophone and piano.   The concept of actually  getting your name out there through recital-ing puzzled me.  I didn’t see the connection.  Ian said he thought of the recitals as an investment in the same way, he said, you’d invest in a business.  I recall attending one of them.  The dad, Fyvush, (a comedian of some note who had yet to hit his stride as a famous TV character actor [Picket Fences, etc]), was standing by the box office, playing the role of greeter.  It was an especially vigorous performance, both brothers playing with, what might be called (ahem) gusto.  Did their recitalling get them work?  I don’t know.  They were going to find work one way or another. 

My first jobs with Ian were at Madison Square Garden.   I had gotten on the contractor’s  list. This was the house band.  We had a good run there until, inevitably, all of the shows would “go to tape.”  I hasten to add that I was warming a chair for Richard Horowitz, who took off from the Met Opera to play “the outside work” whenever possible.  It was during this time that Ian and I spent a lot of time together and talked about music, books, movies and the like.  He liked my book recommendations and still talks about it. 

A friendship grew.  Some projects that followed might be described as unconventional (to say the least).   On hearing about a prize contest for a new one-act opera we attempted to write one.  Mercifully, any trace of this project is lost.  

Ian decided to play club dates and we started at the very bottom, the bungalow colony circuit in the Catskills. This group began as Ian (on vibe), Elliot on piano, me sittng behind the drums.  We wanted a bass but the agent said Elliot could take care of that with his left hand. Funny.  We later added a bass.  These were rustic settings.  Finkel would later joke that one of the venues was so far in the woods we were reviewed by Field and Stream. . 

The Finkel brothers and I later found ourselves together playing in the concert band led by Dr. George Seuffert.  As with the Dames at Sea experience so many years before, Ian, doing the mallets, kept expanding his role.  He often played solos, accompanied by his brother.  To make the experience (that is,  his experience) more interesting, Ian appropriated pages (with permission?) from the flute and piccolo book to play on the glockenspiel. 

One story comes to mind. 

At one point Ian lifted the combined flute parts for an arrangement (you might say bandstration) of “Rosenkavalier.”  Ah...it was the memorable Presentation of the Rose scene in which the band accompanied a pair of singers.  One scorchingly hot Sunday in July Ian decided to take off and it was decided that I (though under great protest) would move over and  sub for him.  Finkel  rarely took off and the conductor had by this time gotten used to Ian's glockenspiel additions.  At the morning rehearsal (prior to our weekly outdoor afternoon concert in Queens’ Forest Park) I struggled with the combined flute parts, with  all of those double sharps and ledger lines. The conductor said, solemnly, “You’ll have that by this afternoon.”  Ever the good soldier,  I resolved to try. While the others broke for lunch I woodshedded.  I was getting much of it but not all.  I faced humiliation. But just before the concert, minutes before the playing of the National Anthem, dark clouds gathered and  it began to rain.  Umbrellas opened, for me it was a welcomed sight, like the blooming flowers of spring. Rain!  Concertgoers sought shelter. The concert was cancelled. I was saved.  I’m not sure I ever told Finkel that story.  I’ll tell him next time I see him.  

[aion-rsa]

Aunty Donna: Meet Your New Sketch Comedy Obsession

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

It’s morning in Australia which means Aunty Donna’s Big Ol’ House of Fun, Netflix’s new sketch comedy series, has been out for more than a day when we meet the show’s stars over Zoom. The Aussie comedians who comprise the troupe Aunty Donna—Broden Kelly, Mark Samual Bonanno, and Zachary Ruane—are already fielding scathing reviews. 

“My mum didn’t care for the ‘Morning Brown’ song,” says Ruane, referring to a rousing musical number—about morning coffee that unfurls into a string of raunchy sexcapades—that kicks off episode two. “I called her on the night of release. I was so proud, so excited. I was like, ‘What’d you think?’ And she was like, ‘That coffee song was a bit much.’”  

Although “Morning Brown” is one of the more memorable (good luck not humming it when you make your coffee after watching it) and delightfully unhinged sketches in season one, Aunty Donna was actually holding back. “I remember the first initial improv was much more offensive,” says Broden. “It was very detailed sexually. We wrote a nine minute version of the song, which we should release.” 

Their performances are unapologetically big, hence the Big Ol’ House needed to fit it under. The first season features sketches that take the comedians on a treasure hunt, sees them train for the 2000 Sydney Olympics with pro wrestler Awesome Kong, and host a dinner party for the Queen of England. The series’ opening sketch, a song called “Everything’s a Drum,” is a pitch perfect appetizer for what’s about to come next: each sketch premise descends into absurdist chaos in a near instant. Broden, Mark, and Zach have boundless and infectious energy that fuels an unexpected ride that at times feels almost improvisational. But their brand of humor isn’t for everyone, including, apparently, Zach Ruane’s mom. 

“The whole thing about [our] comedy is: we’re very Maximalist,” says Ruane. “We pantomime for film. We go to this extreme level.” 

Those who decide to stay for a while tend to evangelize for Aunty Donna. That includes us here at Den of Geek; the series landed at No. 10 overall on our Best Comedies of 2020 list, and was our highest ranked sketch comedy series of the year. Social media accounts that celebrate the troupe’s work have been active for years, meming new and older, more obscure characters from their sketches. Since the show’s release on Netflix, the Aunty Donna YouTube channel hit the 400,000 subscriber milestone with over 70 million views of their videos to date. Their TV series was amongst the top 10 most streamed shows in Australia upon release. That kind of success manifested in profound ways for the comedians: after months of lobbying, they eventually landed their own meal from Domino’s in Australia. 

They might be big time now with their fancy Domino’s endorsements and big viewership numbers, but Aunty Donna started modestly. The comedians first met at Australia’s University of Ballarat and began putting on local comedy shows. 

“Our whole shtick was we’d get on stage and perform bad writing really confidently and convince people that we were brilliant,” Kelly says. 

Aunty Donna found an audience through performing live shows and festivals. Eventually they reached a much wider audience for their comedy on YouTube. For many people, Big Ol’ House has been their introduction to Aunty Donna. They’ve built a YouTube playlist for new fans who want to check out more of their comedy. 

“Zach works very hard on that kind of stuff. So like there’s a playlist called ‘Aunty Donna, An Introduction,’” says Bonnaro. “And the thing is, it’s always so hard because if you would ask about our best stuff, it’s the weird shit. It’s the stuff that like you maybe don’t want to show straight away.” 

Amongst their long-distance admirers from the YouTube days: Ed Helms, who executive produces Big Ol’ House of Fun under his production company banner, and guest stars in the series. 

“They wouldn’t leave us alone basically,” Kelly says of Helms and his producing partners. “We went to America and met with about 15 different production companies and they just stuck to us like a bad smell. And then introduced us to Netflix.” 

Another guest star and producer on the series is Comedy Bang Bang creator and host Scott Aukerman, who the troupe credits for helping identify comics who would fit the show. 

“We always struggled to find good supporting comedic actors,” says Bonnaro. “And we were so lucky Scott Aukerman helped us find some great comics that could match our energy. That’s what we want. We want people to come in and match us.” 

Kia Stevens, a.k.a. Awesome Kong, filled that role and then some. “With Kia we realized that what we’re looking for nine times out of 10 is wrestlers to come in, be inappropriately physical and like say ‘yes’ to everything,” says Bonnaro. “She was amazing. I just want to exclusively work with wrestlers from here on.” 

Whether it’s finding the right fit for co-stars or hooking in viewers, Aunty Donna knows they’re an acquired taste. 

“My favorite thing that I have read was a tweet that was a comment on the Netflix [YouTube account] sharing “Everything is a Drum.” And one man wrote in response: “Everything’s not funny.” And I really liked that. It made me laugh a lot. I thought that was really clever,” says Kelly. 

The odd YouTube comment wasn’t enough to sour the overwhelmingly positive response to the first season of Big Ol’ House of Fun. Hell, by now they might have gotten Zach’s mom back on board. 

“When you’re watching it either you love it or you’re like ‘this is a little much,’” says Bonnaro.  “People that love over the top stuff are really responding to it, which is just a really good feeling.”

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

The post Aunty Donna: Meet Your New Sketch Comedy Obsession appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/3hsU9AC

[stuckasamemory-blog]

Asks!

I compiled about six different ask tags into one master post. PLEASE ASK ME AS MANY OR AS FEW AS YOU WANT!! 1. selfie 2. what would you name your future kids? 3. do you miss anyone? 4. what are you looking forward to? 5. is there anyone who can always make you smile? 6. is it hard for you to get over someone? 7. what was your life like last year? 8. have you ever cried because you were so annoyed? 9. who did you last see in person? 10. are you good at hiding your feelings? 11. are you listening to music right now? 12. what is something you want right now? 13. how do you feel right now? 14. when was the last time someone of the opposite sex hugged you? 15. personality description 16. have you ever wanted to tell someone something but you didn’t? 17. opinion on insecurities. 18. do you miss how things were a year ago? 19. have you ever been to New York? 20. what is your favourite song at the moment? 21. age and birthday? 22. description of crush. 23. fear(s) 24. height 25. role model 26. idol(s) 27. things i hate 28. i’ll love you if… 29. favorite film(s) 30. favorite tv show(s) 31. 3 random facts 32. are your friends mainly girls or guys? 33. something you want to learn 34. most embarrassing moment 35. favorite subject 36. 3 dreams you want to fulfill 37. favorite actor/actress 38. favorite comedian(s) 39. favorite sport(s) 40. favorite memory 41. relationship status 42. favorite book(s) 43. favorite song ever 44. age you get mistaken for 45. how you found out about your idol 46. what my last text message says 47. turn ons 48. turn offs 49. where i want to be right now 50. favorite picture of your idol 51. star sign 52. something i’m talented at 53. 5 things that make me happy 54. something thats worrying me at the moment 55. tumblr friends 56. favorite food(s) 57. favorite animal(s) 58. description of my best friend 59. why i joined tumblr 60. Name something that relaxes you. 61. Polaroid: Post a picture that makes you feel good about yourself. 62. Vinyl: What is some of your favorite music? 63. Incense: List your three favorite scents. 64. Roots: How do you ground yourself or recharge? 65. Silk Sheets: Any ways you treat or spoil yourself? 66. Paintbrushes: Do you have a creative past-time? 67. Scars: Share something difficult you've been through. 68. Rainstorms: What helps you fall asleep? 69. Bones: Name one strength and one weakness. 70. Teacups: Favorite beverages? 71. Sealing Wax: Have you ever received a letter or written one to someone else? 72. Dragons: What makes you feel powerful, what breathes life into you? 73. Soup: Comfort food? 74. The Moon: What's your favorite thing to do at night? 75. Klosh: If you could go back to any three era's what would they be? 76. Lace: Your favorite things to wear? 77. Pocketwatch: If you could be immortal or have an extremely long life span what would you pick and why? 78. Honeybee: Name something positive you have done for yourself or someone else in the last two weeks. 79. Typewriter: If you had to come up with ten words to describe your life story so far, what would they be? 80. Blue Hair Dye: One thing you like about your appearance? 81. Felines: Something that makes you feel better after a hard day? 82. Poetry: If you have one, name a favorite book or poem. 83. Black Cat: Do you have a familiar? 84. Pointy Hat: Do you have a Witchy style? 85. Toil and Trouble: Do you perform curses or hexes? 86. Cauldron Bubble: What are your favorite magickal materials to work with? 87. Monkey's Paw: Has a spell ever backfired on you? 88. Ravens Caw: Do you speak incantations aloud? 89. Little Poppet: Do you perform magic for others, or just yourself 90. Broom Closet: Are you openly a witch? 91. Feather Quill: Do you keep a book of shadows? 92. Magic Will: What got you on your Witchy journey? 93. Future Seen: Have you used divination to help make a major life choice? 94. Halloween: What witchy days do you observe/celebrate? 95. Skeleton Bone: What drives your magic? 96. Old Crone: Do you have a mentor? 97. Are you solitary or in a coven 98. Do you consider yourself Wiccan, Pagan, witch, or other? 99. What is your zodiac sign? 100. Do you have a Patron God/dess? 101. Do you work with a Pantheon? 102. Do you use tarot, palmistry, or any other kind of divination? 103. What are some of your favorite herbs to use in your practice? (if any) 104. How would you define your craft? 105. Do you curse? If not, do you accept others who do? 106. How long have you been practicing? 107. Do you currently or have you ever had any familiars? 108. Do you believe in Karma or Reincarnation? 109. Do you have a magical name? 110. Are you “out of the broom closet”? 111. What was the last spell you performed? 112. Would you consider yourself knowledgeable? 113. Do you write your own spells? 114. Do you have a book of shadows? If so, how is it written and/or set up? 115. Do you worship nature? 116. What is your favorite gemstone? 117. Do you use feathers, claws, fur, pelt, skeletons/bones, or any other animal body part for magical work? 118. Do you have an altar? 119. What is your preferred element? 120. Do you consider yourself an Alchemist? 121. Are you any other type of magical practitioner besides a witch? 122. What got you interested in witchcraft? 123. Have you ever performed a spell or ritual with the company of anyone who was not a witch? 124. Have you ever used ouija? 125. Do you consider yourself a psychic? 126. Do you have a spirit guide? If so, what is it? 127. What is something you wish someone had told you when you first started? 128. Do you celebrate the Sabbats? If so which one is your favorite? 129. Would you ever teach witchcraft to your children? 130. Do you meditate? 131. What is your favorite season 132. What is your favorite type of magick to preform? 133. How do you incorporate your spirituality into your daily life? 134. What is your favorite witchy movie? 135. What is your favorite witchy book, both fiction and non-fiction. Why? 136. What is the first spell you ever preformed? Successful or not. 137. What’s the craziest witchcraft-related thing that’s happened to you? 138. What is your favourite type of candle to use? 139. What is your favorite witchy tool? 140. Do you or have you ever made your own witchy tools 141. Have you ever worked with any magical creatures such as the fea or spirits? 142. Do you practice color magic? 143. Do you or have you ever had a witchy teacher or mentor of any kind? 144. What is your preferred way of shopping for witchcraft supplies? 145. Do you believe in predestination or fate? 146. What do you do to reconnect when you are feeling out of touch with your practice? 147. Have you ever had any supernatural experiences 148. What is your biggest witchy pet peeve? 149. Do you like incense? If so what’s your favorite scent? 150. Do you keep a dream journal of any kind? 151. What has been your biggest witchcraft disaster? 152. What has been your biggest witchcraft success? 153. What in your practice do you do that you may feel silly or embarrassed about? 154. Do you believe that you can be an atheist, Christian, Muslim or some other faith and still be a witch too? 155. Do you ever feel insecure, unsure or even scared of spell work? 156. Do you ever hold yourself to a standard in your witchcraft that you feel you may never obtain? 157. What is something witch related that you want right now? 158. What is your rune of choice 159. What is your tarot card of choice? 160. Do you use essential oils? If so what is your favorite? 161. Have you ever taken any kind of witchcraft or pagan courses? 162. Do you wear pagan jewelry in public? 163. Have you ever been discriminated against because of your faith or being a witch? 164. Do you read or subscribe to any pagan magazines? 165. Do you think it’s important to know the history of paganism and witchcraft? 166. What are your favorite things about being a witch? 167. What are your least favorite things about being a witch? 168. Do you listen to any pagan music? If so who is your favorite singer/band? 169. Do you celebrate the Esbbats? If so, how? 170. Do you ever work skyclad? 171. Do you think witchcraft has improved your life? If so, how? 172. Where do you draw inspiration from for your practice? 173. Do you believe in ‘fantasy’ creatures? (Unicorns, fairies, elves, gnomes, ghosts, etc) 174. What’s your favorite sigil/symbol? 175. Do you use blood magick in your practice? Why or why not? 176. Could you ever be in a relationship with someone who doesn’t support your practice? 177. In what area or subject would you most like your craft to grow? 178. What’s your favorite candle scent? Do you use it in your practice? 179. Do you have a pre-ritual ritual? (I.e. Something you do before rituals to prepare yourself for them). If so what is it? 180. What real life witch most inspires your practice? 181. What is your favorite method of communicating with deity? 182. How do you like to organize all your witchy items and ingredients? 183. Do you have any witches in your family that you know of? 184. How have you created your path? What is unique about it? 185. Do you feel you have any natural gifts or affinities (premonitions, hearing spirits, etc.) that led you toward the craft? If so what are they? 186. Do you believe you can initiate yourself or do you have to be initiated by another witch or coven 187. When you first started out in your path what was the first thing or things you bought? 188. What is the most spiritual or magickal place you’ve been? 189. What’s one piece of advice you’d give someone who is searching for their matron and patron deities 190. What techniques do you use to 'get in the zone’ for meditation? 191. Did visualization come easily to you or did you have to practice at it 192. Do you prefer day or night? Why? 193. What do you think is the best time and place to do spell work? 194. How did you feel when you cast your first circle? Did you stumble or did it go smoothly? 195. Do you believe witchcraft gets easier with time and practice? 196. Do you believe in many gods or one God with many faces? 197. Do you eat meat, eggs and dairy? 198. What is your favorite color and why? 199. What is the one question you get asked most by non-practitioners or non-pagans? How do you usually respond? 200. Which of your five senses would you say is your strongest? 201. What is a pagan or witchcraft rule that you preach but don’t practice? 202. Are you/ do you want to be in love? 203. Do you have a crush? 204. Tag three friends and your three favorite things about them! 205. Are you/do you want to get married? 206. Do you have a best friend? 207. List your three favorite things about yourself! 208. Have you ever had your heart broken? 209. What is the longest relationship you’ve been in? 210. Tag three people you want to get to know better and state why! 211. What are you attracted to in people personality-wise? 212. What are you attracted to in people physical appearance-wise? 213. Hogsmeade or Diagon Alley? 214. The Three Broomsticks or The Leaky Cauldron? 215. Fred or George? 216. Chocolate frogs or Every Flavored Beans? 217. The Chamber Of Secrets or The Room Of Requirement? 218. Voldemort or Umbridge? 219. The Burrow or Malfoy Manor? 220. Dementors or Giants? 221. Trevor or Crookshanks? 222. The Hogwarts express or Arthur’s Ford Anglia? 223. Hufflepuff’s cup or Ravenclaw’s Diadem? 224. Gryffindor or Slytherin? 225. Seeker or Chaser? 226. Amortentia or The Elixir Of Life? 227. Molly’s cooking or school feasts? 228. Death Eaters or The Order of The Phoenix? 229. Bring Sirius back to life or Bring Dobby back to life? 230. Kill Hagrid or Kill Mcgonagall? 231. Be part of the Weasleys or Be part of the Potters? 232. Charms or DADA? 233. Get bitten by a werewolf or Become a horcrux? 234. Free the elves or Free the goblins? 235. Have a date with Draco or Have a date with Cedric? 236. Bestow a curse on your best friend or a hex on your family? 237. Zonko’s or Honeyduke’s? 238. Illvermorny or Hogwarts? 239. Muggles or Squibs 240. Hermione Granger or Luna Lovegood? 241. Ten feet of parchment on a subject that you enjoy, or five feet of parchment on a subject that you hate/never listen to. 242. Own the Elder Wand or Own the Invisibility Cloak? 243. Wizard’s Chess or Exploding Snap? 244. Marauders or Albus and Scorpius? 245. Golden Snitches or Buldgers? 246. Nifflers or Demiguises? 247. Bellatrix or Narcissa? 248. O.W.Ls or N.E.W.Ts? 249. Have Lockheart or Snape as a teacher? 250. The Great Lake or The Forbidden Forest? 251. Get your soul sucked out (like Barty Crouch Jr.) or reveal all of your secrets to everyone under the effects of vertiserum? 252. Punch Harry or Kick Ron? 253. Live forever or Resurrect all deceased loved ones? 254. Discover your ACTUAL House or your patronus? 255. Sneaking into the kitchen or sneaking into other dorms? 256. The dungeons or The towers? 257. Merpeople or Centaurs? 258. Drarry or Scalbus? 259. Head Boy/Girl or Prefect? 260. MACUSA or The Ministry of Magic? 261. Fleur and Bill’s wedding or Remus and Tonks’s wedding? 262. “Always” or “Yer a wizard, Harry,” 263. tangerine - your crush’s name 264. apricot - favourite ice cream flavor 265. aqua - initials 266. auburn - favorite month 267. azure - favorite type of flower 268. blond - fuzzy or silky 269. violet - pastel or dark colors 270. turquoise - favorite art work 271. sapphire - how many siblings do you have 272. lavender - shampoo brand 273. carnation - paper or plastic 274. cotton candy - favorite tv show 275. cream - favourite blog champagne - least favorite fandom 276. eucalyptus - green or purple 277. emerald - hunger games or maze runner 278. indigo - first pet 279. lemon - vanilla or chocolate 280. baby pink - batman or superman 281. AC/DC - What are your favorite bands? 282. Aerosmith - What are your favorite songs? 283. Aretha Franklin - Do you have a favorite jazz song? 284. Alice Cooper - What is your favorite type of music? 285. Beach Boys - Have you ever been in a concert? 286. Black Sabbath - A song that motivates you? 287. Bob Dylan - Do you know how to play any musical instrument? 288. Bon Jovi - Your favorite song about love? 289. The Beatles - Latest song that made you smile? 290. David Bowie - A song that makes you feel happy? 291. Eric Clapton - Have you ever been in love with a rock artist? 292. Creedence Clearwater Revival - What is your favorite instrument? 293. Deep Purple - Do you prefer bassists or drummers? 294. The Doors - What is your favorite lyric? 295. Fleetwood Mac - Female or Male vocalists? 296. The Grateful Dead - What song are you listening right now? 297. Guns n’ Roses - What song describes your emotions right now? 298. Heart - Do you know a song that you want at your wedding? 299. Iron Maiden - Do you frequently listen to your songs on shuffle? 300. Jimi Hendrix - A song that represents “your aesthetic” 301. Joan Jett - Who do you think when you listen to your favorite love song? 302. Janis Joplin - What is your favorite 70s song? 303. Journey - Do you have any famous crushes? 304. The Kinks - What is the last single you downloaded? 305. Kiss - What is the perfect song to describe your relationship with your boyfriend/girlfriend/crush 306. Led Zeppelin - Do you like loud guitar solos? 307. Lynyrd Skynyrd - Do you like instrumental songs? 308. Metallica - A song that you think everybody should listen to? 309. Nirvana - A song that breaks your heart? 310. Pink Floyd - Name your top three songs in any language. 311. Pearl Jam - A song to drive to? 312. Queen - A song to dance to? 313. Bruce Springsteen - A song that you would sing in a karaoke? 314. The Rolling Stones - Your favorite album? 315. U2 - A artist/band you’re proud of? 316. Van Halen - Favorite guitarist? 317. The Who - Favorite bassist? 318. Yes - Favorite drummer? 319. Dusty Springfield - Do you have a favorite soul song? 320. The Supremes - Your favorite girlband? 321. Simon and Garfunkel - Your favorite acoustic song? 322. Derek & The Dominos - Do you prefer a cover more than the original song? 323. The Mamas and The Papas - What’s the song that have a harmony so good that makes you want to punch something? 324. Santana - Your favorite artist hairstyle? 325. Ramones - Do you like punk music? 326. The Temptations - A song that you liked when you were younger? 327. Cream - A song that you associate with summer? 328. The Band - A song that you never get tired of? 329. Steve Miller Band - A song that need to be played out loud? 330. Sonny & Cher - A song by an artist with a voice that you love? 331. Wings - A song that makes you remind of yourself 332. What’s one thing you would like to change about yourself? 333. Are you religious or spiritual? 334. Do you consider yourself an introvert or an extrovert? 335. Are you more into looks or brains? 336. What is a relationship deal breaker for you? 337. What’s your favorite book of all time and why did it speak to you so much? 338. Would you ever take back someone who cheated? 339. How do you feel about sharing your password with your partner? 340. When do you think a person is ready for marriage? 341. What kind of parent do you think you will be? 342. Have you ever lost someone close to you? 343. If you are in a bad mood, do you prefer to be left alone or have someone to cheer you up? 344. Are you confrontational? 345. Would you relocate for love? 346. Did you ever write a journal? 347. What’s the one thing that people always misunderstand about you? 348. What did your past relationship teach you? 349. What are your thoughts on online dating or tinder? 350. What’s on your bucket list this year? 351. What do you define as a family? 352. Are my parents happy with the person I have become? 353. What relaxes me? 354. Can you handle the rigors of a long distance relationship? 355. What will people say at your funeral? 356. If you lost everything tomorrow, whose arms would you run into to make everything okay? 357. If you received enough money to never need to work again, what would you spend your time doing? 358. Would you break the law to save a loved one? 359. What were you doing when you last lost track of the time? 360. What can you do today that you couldn’t do a year ago? What will you be able to do at this time next year? 361. If you could ask for one wish, what would it be? 362. When you think of your home, what immediately comes to mind? 363. What did you want to be when you were a kid? 364. Where would you like to live? Why haven’t you moved? 365. If you dropped everything to pursue your dreams, what would you be risking? 366. What bad habits do you want to break? 367. Describe the next five years of your life, and your plans, in a single sentence 368. Do you consider yourself the hero or the villain in your story? 369. How much control do you really have over yourself 370. When did you last push the boundaries of your comfort zone? 371. What is something you believe is too serious to be joked about? 372. ask a different question, make it your own!

[podcake]

Podcast Teatime: Big Data, Bigger Questions

Happy April!

It’s been a warm and welcoming spring filled with great weather, blooming flowers, and plenty of podcast pollen up the nose. The perfect time to relax and chat with a good friend.

And today I’m having tea with Ryan Estrada, the mastermind behind the mystery comedy crime spree, Big Data. With a complete first season and plenty of stars on set, let’s see what he has to say about his work.

(The following is a direct copy-and-paste from the email)

Question One: What made you decide that the internet would be the foreground of Big Data?

As soon as I learned about the seven keys to the internet, I could not believe no one had ever turned it into a heist story before. See, to make sure that no one person or country has too much control over the internet, a company called ICANN has placed seven people from seven parts of the world in charge of seven physical keys that they must use in elaborate ceremonies to keep things running. That's a real thing!

I knew that it would allow me to tell fun crime stories that took place all over the world... and that I would be able to approach important ideas about security and hacking without focusing on someone at a computer typing. It just sounded like so much fun!

Question Two: You've managed to get a lot of big names for your show, including, but not limited to, Lauren Shippen, Cecil Baldwin, and Felix Trench. Was getting them to work with you difficult?

The people you mentioned were all amazing and super easy to work with. It was more like "Hey, will you be in my--" "Sure!" Audio drama is a small, tight knit community, even the big shots are friendly to everyone, and we are all more and more becoming BFF.

With the Hollywood names, like Felicia Day, Paul F. Tompkins, Jemaine Clement, Samm Levine, Amy Stoch, and others, it was a bit more complicated but equally awesome experience! For each person I simply did my research on how best to contact them. I reached out through agents, assistants, Twitter, Kickstarter accounts... I had a lot of people say no, but I just kept being persistent. I convinced a lot of people simply by respecting their time and paying them for it.

I worked very hard to make sure that the impact on their time would be small for great reward. I wrote guest star spot to be either over-the-phone conversations or news clips, so that they could record on their own with their own equipment. I had their entire arc written in advance so that they could do it in one sitting. Some actors only had to put 20 minutes of work into it, but ended up having a major impact on the entire season!

Question Three: I tend to ask this a lot when it comes to shows with large casts of characters, so I wanted to know if managing all of the actors and giving them meaningful roles ever becomes a struggle.

It was a blast! The cast is huge (73 actors in season one!) because it is half recurring story and half anthology show. Each episode has a stand-alone heist with its own cast of characters, while the investigation scenes have recurring characters that tie it all together.

And working with so many people was SO MUCH FUN. It was basically a wish list of people I wanted to work with. Every moment was different and it was great giving everyone a place to shine. I loved every moment!

Question Four: What do you consider the strongest selling point for Big Data? What is it that makes your show unique?

I think what makes it stand out is that it's dealing with a lot of really big important issues... the role of the media, information security, hacking, journalistic ethics... but using them to tell a fun weird nerdy heist story.

The biggest thing you'll notice.... you never know what to expect.

Question Five: Big Data is a fairly authentic and grand project though I must ask if there were any other stories, be it podcast related or not, that acted as a muse.

I tried to take my three favorite types of podcasts... audio dramas, rambly improv comedy shows, and nerdy in-depth educational shows, and Frankenstein them into one big thing.

Shows like Radiolab are definitely where my love of inserting things like the musical version of the true story of the first tech hack in there. Shows like How Did This Get Made where the tangents are the best part is what gave me confidence to keep the weird improv tangents in there. I hadn't discovered most of my favorite audio dramas until after writing the series, but I was inspired by tv shows like Black Mirror.

Question Six: You've done a lot of artistic work, but what exactly motivated you to try out making a podcast? Would you consider audio drama an art form in itself?

I usually make comics. Which is great, but is usually a solo endeavor. I became part of a great artistic community here in Busan South Korea, and started working with Shakespearean actors, stand up comedians, musicians, slam poets, radio anchors, and lots more. I wanted to make a project that I could use to collaborate with all of them.

It started off as something I thought I'd do in a weekend. It ballooned to take over two years of my life, but I loved every moment.

BONUS: You've already concluded your first season and are making arrangements for season two. Without going into spoilers, what can listeners expect?

Bigger Data is in the works! It's a continuation, but also works as a standalone thing. While Big Data took crime stories and made them nerdy, Bigger Data does the same to adventure stories.  There are takes on things like Jules Verne, Jack London, ancient Greek myths... but all with super nerdy twists. And some amazing software pirate shanties!

Thank you very much for the delectable answers, sir! It was an honor to talk about such a unique piece of audio drama. Get to know the show and the creator on http://www.bigdata.show/ and read what Ryan Estrada is drawing on his website http://www.ryanestrada.com/. 

This is PodCake, logging out.