TresSugar

Funny Ladies: Ageism Is No Joke

TresSugar — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 08:30:06 -0700

It ain't easy being a funny woman in Hollywood. We've often heard how few good roles are written for women over 35, but the facts really hit home in this video from The Hollywood Reporter's Emmy roundtable featuring women in comedy.

In it, Sarah Silverman talks about auditioning to play Jonah Hill's mother, and Amy Poehler points out that she was just eight years older than Rachel McAdams, who played her daughter in Mean Girls. Not surprisingly, the women lighten the weighty topic with plenty of humor. When Christina Applegate says she was told she was too old for a magazine cover, Silverman jokes "and it was More!"

But seriously, why are women this awesome so often considered over the hill? Why is it easier for men to grow older in Tinseltown?

Candidates Broke Late-Night Show Appearance Records

CitizenSugar — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 13:30:32 -0800

The Presidential candidates worked the late-night talk show circuit during the 2008 campaign, making more than four times the number of appearances with Letterman, Jay Leno, Jon Stewart, and the likes than the 2004 lineup did, according to new research.

Candidates showed off their face-to-face skills with 110 appearances on late-night comedy shows, a sharp shoot up from 25 in 2004, according to the Center for Media and Public Affairs. Fifty of those spots occurred before the primary votes were even cast, offering the chance for candidates to show their comedic chops and create ideal YouTube or cable news sound bites. And, as a former Hillary Clinton adviser said, "It's a lot more risky, as Sarah Palin will attest, to do an interview with Katie Couric than it is with Jay Leno".

John McCain made 17 guest appearances and created quite a hullabaloo when he canceled on Letterman. President-elect Barack Obama clocked 15 appearances, third behind Republican Mike Huckabee, who now has his own show on Fox News Channel and was promoting his book. Do you think the late-night appearances helped you get to know the candidates?

Photo courtesy of NBC

Who Is Your Favorite Political Comedian?

CitizenSugar — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 12:00:35 -0800

This year's presidential campaign offered enough material to skyrocket ratings of shows like SNL and reminded most of us why we love late night TV. Tina Fey poofed her hair and turned out a dead-on impression of Sarah Palin, while John Stewart, Stephen Colbert, David Letterman, Jay Leno, and Bill Maher delivered cutting and comedic insight on the candidates, news, and general state of the world night after night on their prospective programs. Which of these political comedians had you LOLing through the very best moments of 2008?

Mother-in-Law Can't Take a Joke, Sues Comedian

TresSugar — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 15:30:00 -0700

Well, a comedian who just happens to be her daughter-in-law!

It sounds like the beginning of a bad joke, but comedian Sunda Croonquist’s mother-in-law Ruth Zafrin was not kidding when she filed a lawsuit against Sunda for telling so many jokes about her. Croonquist capitalizes on their ethnic differences in her envelope-pushing jokes - she is half-black and half-Swedish, was raised Catholic, and married into a Jewish family.

A typical joke goes something like this. On a first visit to her mother-in-law Ruthie’s house, Croonquist says, "I walk in, I say, 'Thank you so much for having me here, Ruthie.' 'The pleasure’s all mine,' she replies, 'have a seat.' Then she whispers, 'Harriet, put my pocketbook away.'"

Zafrin filed the lawsuit (along with her daughter and her daughter's husband), when material on Croonquist's website made it easy for people to figure out the in-laws' identities. Croonquist is accused of "spreading false, defamatory and racist lies" in comedy club routines that have even been aired on Comedy Central. Croonquist agreed to remove any offensive comments on her website but refused to pay a settlement. (Her husband's law firm is handling her case. Awkward!)

Zafrin isn't exactly giving mother-in-laws a good name. It seems that there would've been a less alienating way of handling this, like, say, asking Croonquist to cut it out! Who do you think is in the wrong?

The Results Are In: Your Pick For Funniest Male Standup Comedian of 2008

GiggleSugar — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 11:15:00 -0800

You can't resist the cute funny dudes, and I don't blame you one bit. The results are in for GiggleSugar's best male stand-up comedian of 2008, and the honor goes to Demetri Martin! I am also a big fan his stand-up (for proof of his funny, give this vid a watch). Thumbs up, Demetri.

Very close behind were Dane Cook and Jim Gaffigan, another one of my faves. Notable write-in candidates included Jeff Dunham and the late, great Bernie Mac. To see who else is getting some love across the Sugar network, check out the rest of our Best of 2008 coverage.

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Who Is Your Favorite Male Standup Comedian of 2008?

GiggleSugar — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 10:13:22 -0800

Who Is Your Favorite Female Standup Comedian of 2008?

GiggleSugar — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 11:00:00 -0800

Do, Dump, or Marry? Andy Samberg

TresSugar — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 04:00:00 -0800

I love a man who can make me laugh, and SNL's Andy Samberg sure is funny. The Dick in the Box sketch he did with Justin Timberlake won him an Emmy, but I must admit that I preferred his charm in his "I'm on a Boat" music video featuring T-Pain. I also thought that Andy's role as Paul Rudd's gay brother was a bright spot in the movie I Love You Man. Does this comedian make you want to say, "I love you Andy?"

Favorite Political Comedian of 2008: Jon Stewart

CitizenSugar — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 08:00:50 -0800

The pick for CitizenSugar readers' favorite political comedian isn't a shocking one considering funnyman Jon Stewart seems to have set the standard for political comedy since he took over The Daily Show in 1998. Thirty-nine percent of you say Stewart is your favorite, followed by 25 percent of you who love his late night Comedy Central comrade Stephen Colbert.

Stewart had a busy year, hosting his show Monday through Thursday and the 60th Primetime Emmy Awards (where he picked up an award for Best Variety, Music or Comedy Series for his show).

Tina Fey, who had a breakout year impersonating Sarah Palin, received 23 percent of the vote and my bid for the standout comedian of 2008. She is, after all, the woman who had me LOLing when she described Palin's accent as "beautiful Alaskan windsong . . . a little bit Fargo, a little bit Reese Witherspoon in Election" on Letterman.

The polls for all your favorite things in 2008 aren't closed yet, so cast your vote!

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Got Questions For Sarah Silverman?

GiggleSugar — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 08:00:00 -0700

I am so excited that I'm getting interview access to the first ladies of comedy. First Margaret Cho, and now Sarah Silverman! But I wanted to ask you guys, do you have any questions you'd like me to ask the salty-tongued lass who, among other things, wrote and starred in Jesus Is Magic and told her version of a notoriously raunchy joke in The Aristocrats? Let me know by the end of Monday, Sept. 8, in the comments section and I'll pick a few to ask her!

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