It’s been a great couple of weeks for comedy, friends. First Anchorman 2 gets the green light, and now one-half of the Farrelly Brothers has revealed Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels are both on tap to shoot the sequel to the 1994 classic Dumb and Dumber. Filming begins in September, reportedly. If you’ve never seen Dumb and Dumber, the breakthrough comedy for Carrey that featured two lovable idiots traveling the country in a sheep dog van, just turn on TBS for a couple of hours and it will come on. I swear I’ve seen the movie probably three million times, and it’s still one of the funniest flicks ever made. And hopefully this will rid us of that awful aftertaste the horrid prequel Dumb and Dumberer gave us a few years ago. What’s that? That never happened? Gotcha.
Relive the Oscar-winning magic (not) and remember, you can’t triple stamp a double stamp:
Great news, all! The News Team will assemble again! Hollywood has finally agreed to make an Anchorman sequel, and who better to report the great news than the legendary Ron Burgundy.
I gotta admit, I wasn’t incredibly impressed overall with Season 1 of Portlandia. But after watching this, I think I’m willing to give it another shot. The absurdity of hipsterdom in all its glory is showcased on the show, but it looks like the writing might be a bit sharper this time around. What I particularly enjoy about the show is the fact that almost every sketch makes me think of someone I know, and Austin in general. This episode features Jeff Goldblum, Eddie Vedder, and Edward James Olmos.
In what can easily be qualified as one of the busiest weeks of my year (finals week), it’s nice to take a break from education for….more education? Humor. Let’s call it humor. Because Lil Wayne ranting and raving about his legacy for half an hour in the wake of the death of Steve Jobs is pretty funny. I mean, I know rap music DNA is about bragging and stuntin’ and all that, but comparing yourself to one of the greatest modern creative minds for half an hour while giving a tour of your Cribs-worthy house…..it’s a bit over the top. And then posting your obvious weed-influenced stream-of-consciousness lunacy on the Web for the world to see, like what you’re saying is a new idea, or even a complete one….well, that’s the funny part. I mean, if you wanna make a skateboard video, just make one, man.
Though not necessarily a fan, I’ve long been a supporter of Weird Al Yankovic, the household name amongst satirical and parodic songwriting. Â The dude’s been cranking out funny hits since the early ’80’s, and, being a longtime lover of Dr. Demento, I’ve adored and admired Al from afar for most of my life. Â The man puts on an unsurprisingly entertaining live show, as well as some pretty decent original material alongside his trademark parodies of hit songs. Â It’s safe to say Yankovic has transformed from quirky pop culture footnote to a comedic legend over time – now, like being poked fun at by South Park and SNL, it’s considered an honor to be lampooned by Weird Al. Â That means you’ve made it to the top!
This week, Al sat down with AV Club and went through an array of new and old material in celebration and promotion of his latest creation, Alpocalypse. Â He talks about some of the well-known classics, some forgotten gems, and even some astonishingly catchy original songs. Read it here.
I don’t normally post videos of programs I watch, unless they’re in context of something bigger, like a list, but this was too good to pass up. Another instant highlight from Jon Stewart’s reign as King of Late Night, he stuck it to the Donald for eating pizza like a pansy, or, even worse, a non-New Yorker.
This year my New Year’s resolutions (or at least one of them) was to read more books. I’m doing pretty good so far, and it doubles as content for Recommeded Reading posts, so there ya go. Two birds and one stone, y’all.
Let me say for the record I don’t consider reading novelty books written by a fictional character aimed at marketing for a television show as fulfilling my resolution. As you will see in future RR posts, I’m reading stuff of more substance. But The Playbook, an hour-long read (maybe), was the first book I’ve completed in 2011. And it’s funny too, especially if you’re a fan of Neil Patrick Harris’ womanizing character who always has a clever strategy or phrase to describe the attitudes and actions of the opposite sex. Stinson has narrowed the craft of “scoring chicks” down to a science, as you will soon discover, and you will laugh along the way.
Also recommended, because, hey, I’m a completist, is the famous Bro Code. It really is essential reading for both men and women; the latter will enjoy the defining of stereotypes, but they will have to stop reading in order to constantly roll their eyes. It’s a friendship book (straight up Dale Carnegie shit), plain and simple, and as Barney declares, even chicks can be bros. I live by the Bro Code….kinda. And Bro On the Go is basically the Bro Code condensed to a smaller, not-so-pocket-sized handbook for when you need to adhere to the rules right away.
So yeah, they are marketing gimmicks that always sell well, due to the popularity and hilarity of How I Met Your Mother, but they are also well-written and funny, so pick ’em up so you can start picking up something else…..you know…….girls. Duh, bro. You’re such a Ted right now.
