🐾 15 things that just happened in comedy

Hello everyone,

Happy Easter, Passover, and basically everything except Spring Break, which as a still new-ish parent have to say it is completely insane and. makes zero sense that these kids get two entire weeks off while their parents are expected to still work normal hours, as if their offspring arent smushing Play-doh into the HVAC (happened yesterday), or playing with fireplace pokers (happened the day before that).

Let’s begin.

This post is about: recent comedy news for both consumption (stand-up), and commerce — “cool tweets!” aka branded humor, which is what Free Puppies Creative peddles in — Louis is back (again) and people have thoughts, Free Puppies is close to 500 subs (thank you!), and brands still think we want their April Fool’s jokes (nope!).

Some quick hits:

• Thank you so much to everyone who replied to my call for contributors and research assistance! I gave myself a fully dedicated holiday weekend with my family, and am now back to jump in and get back to you! Really appreciate the interest.

• Speaking of, the Free Puppies newsletter is crouching, slowly, slowly towards 500 subs. This is amazing! I am so excited people are finding interest and value in it. To show it, when we get to 500, I will send a gift to any paid subs who want it. More to come.

• The upcoming 4/9 #MicCheck show produced by Jessica Kirson and Simran Raye has been moved from the West Side Comedy Club to the Comedy Cellar. The surprise headliner guest is still expected to drop in. This series was previous called #MeThree and still focuses on increasing safety for women in comedy…as well as, you know, being funny.

Some Comedy News

• Barbie Dream Fest is the new Fyre Fest. I think this is so hilarious. As someone who labored away at the inaugural BravoCon2019, and many a tech conference after that, I do get how hard it is to make a conference actually fun. BUT STILL! $400 for a photo with Serena Williams is the gift? Look at the sad little setup. The arts and crafts station they clearly grabbed at the Fort Lauderdale Walmart 5 minutes before opening. Billed as “The Ultimate Barbie Fan Event,” you just know someone behind the scenes is offering or*al for bottled water to save the day.

• OMG with the reboots! Malcom in the Middle is back (OK…), but Stewie is not because “he retired from acting and transitioned to a private life,” despite being offered “buckets of money”. Good for him! I do want to know how many buckets Bryan Cranston is getting paid.

• Did I mention Bill Lawrence’s Rooster is actually doing really well? Most watched comedy premiere on HBO MAX in a while, apparently. I will point out that HBO MAX is still not exactly the same as being the most watched comedy premiere on HBO…but whatever, good for them. I find this less irksome than the SCRUBS reboot, but maybe I’ve just gone too deep into Team Pitt.

• Louis CK is headlining the Netflix is a Joke Fest and people have feelings about it. Netflix announced that Louis C.K. will headline the Hollywood Bowl on May 5 as part of Netflix Is a Joke Fest, and will release a new special called Ridiculous on Netflix this summer. This is his first major streaming deal since 2017, when Netflix dropped him after five women accused him of sexual misconduct, and five million zillion comedy people agreed, “yup!”. Some comics are posting that they’re dropping out of the festival. Most are not saying much about it. I am one of those people! Not getting involved. Except to add that this great big comeback of his sure does seem to happen as often as his specials used to, or LiLo’s did back in her Herbie the Love Bug days. Moving on.

• Hacks is back! The 5th and final season premieres on the 9th. If you haven’t watched it yet, do.

• Greenpoint Comedy Club opens this weekend in, you guessed it! Greenpoint, Brooklyn.

  Now, let’s talk Comedy for Commerce a.k.a. brands being funny and comedy writers being paid — my two favorite things!

• The National Parks TikToks are going off. No link because there are a lot! Edgy, dirty, unhinged, all the things. People are all “wait, how is this getting approved?!” BUT, I don’t think it is. Most of these accounts seem to be personal ones run by retired park rangers and stuff. A Yogi Bear finsta is just a matter of time.

• IKEA made a meat Chupa Chups. April Fool’s stunt? Yes. Would people actually want this? Yes!

• Dyson made a (fake) Airwrap for cats. “O ya, that’s really good! LOVE THAT!” - the internal marketing meeting about it, I’m sure. This is the kind of prank that’s not ha-ha funny so much as, “Yah, I could see that. But while we’re talking about it, is a $600 hair dryer that is a complete b*tch to use, so much so that you just keep paying for blowouts like you always did a prank?” Because it sure feels like it.

• DUDE wipes did a “Butt Mask”. Another prank. Also gross! Clearly, Manscaped has made an impression.

• DUNKIN’ did like, a prank prank. Kinda sneaky IMO. DUNKIN’ celebrated 4/1 by offering free coffee to everyone with a DUNKIN’ membership. “THE BEST PART? It will drive membership signups, and they won’t even realize that’s our play the whole time!” — internal marketing meeting, probably for sure.

• Ryanair was self-aware. The already funny-on-social brand flipped the script and made an announcement on 3/31 that they “would be pivoting to a ‘more corporate and professional’ communication style, effective immediately.” That was the prank, and got lots of folks chattering about them on the actual April Fools. Clever airline!

  My final thoughts: I do not think brands need to keep doing this April Fool’s prank thing, which has basically become an M. Night Shyamalan movie. The first time, we’re all “WHOA! I did NOT SEE THAT COMING. Bruce Willis was dead the whole time?!” But now, like…we see it coming.