Jimmy Kimmel joins The Mighty Mighty Bosstones on stage 6/21/2014

Angie chats with Jenny McCarthy about her "Dirty, Sexy, Funny" tour

Jenny McCarthy is bringing her "Dirty, Sexy, Funny" tour to Boston this Saturday, and recently took the time to chat with Angie about the tour and her honorary status as a Boston girl.

Check out the interview here!

How Bob Saget saved my relationship with my dad.

Two weeks ago, I had an argument with my father, to whom I am very close. It wasn’t an earth-shattering topic, but our collective stubbornness resulted in a situation that was blown so far out of proportion that we hadn’t spoken in two weeks.

I’d spent the past week intentionally not reaching out to my dad, and instead focused on the minutia of my daily life – getting a new job, landing a hot interview…a slew of things that, normally, would warrant an excited call to my father. I felt very lost not being able to share news with him, but still quite indignant about not offering up an apology. I was still being petty.

On Saturday morning, most of my non-comedy friends were reaching out to tell me the news of comedian Tracy Morgan’s awful accident. The only solace I could find was that his children, who normally travel with him, were not in the vehicle at the time of the accident.

This morning, I saw the news that British comedian and actor Rik Mayall had passed away, which left me devastated. Mayall was one of the first comedians I became a fan of, having grown up watching The Young Ones with my older brother, Mike, for years. I adored Mayall and everything he did, and now he was dead at 56 and his children were fatherless.

Later in the day, I had the opportunity to interview Bob Saget, who is coming to Boston on June 21. We talked about the weekend’s awful news and I gained a wonderful insight into how Saget draws from his own life’s tragedies for his comedy – including the loss of his beloved father.

“If you’re able to see your father on Father’s Day, you’re pretty lucky,” he mused.

And that was it. The anger I had felt towards my father over our argument immediately dissolved, and my world was put into perspective. It didn’t matter what we had fought over…it only mattered that I fix this. I texted my father to tell him that I was sorry and that I loved him.  That was it. Life was simply too short.

And with that, my father called me, and we were able to put the past where it belongs – behind us.

Thank you, Bob Saget, for making me realize what really matters.

Listen to Marc Maron's "Thinky Pain" on vinyl - on Youtube!

If you happened to have tossed out your old turntable, worry not - you can still enjoy Marc Maron's latest special on vinyl thanks to the power of the internet.

Today a video stream of Marc Maron’s “Thinky Pain” went live on Youtube, offering fans the chance to listen to the entire special on limited edition 180-gram vinyl uncensored. On the special, Maron runs the through such topics as comedy legend Bill Hicks, his hypochondria, to attempting to become a fan of Captain Beefheart and all things in between.



“Thinky Pain” was recorded in the intimate setting of Le Poisson Rouge in NYC’s Greenwich Village.

How stand up comedy helped save me from my PTSD

I stood at the back of the theater, nervously clutching the print out of a recent interview I had recently done with the comedian who was now on stage. I anxiously waited for him to invite people up on stage to be mocked in a speed roast, questioning myself as I had done countless times before. When Jeff Ross finally put out the invitation, I stepped right up. I threw myself to the wolves, quite willingly, for an experience that, if happening under other circumstances, would most likely undo me emotionally for days.

You see, thanks to an largely problematic side to my upbringing, I had been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or P.T.S.D. - the disorder that commonly affects combat veterans or victims of violence or other traumatic experiences. My diagnosis was a lifelong gift from my malignant narcissist mother, to whom I was an easy scapegoat. The result of being raised in such an environment was becoming an adult who was often seen as overly sensitive, reacting poorly to certain situations and perceived slights. Eventually, I gained an insight into my P.T.S.D. and learned to practice mindfulness – something which freed me from bearing the emotional weight of every imagined offense.

But there was one last test needed, and offering myself up to be roasted by Jeff Ross was that test.

“Are you dressed as Justin Beiber for Halloween?” the Roastmaster General quipped gleefully at me in a playful jibe at my swept hairstyle. Even I had to admit my hair was quite Beiber-esque. The joke was perfect – and I could not stop laughing. I knew this person wasn't out to get me or make me feel bad – maybe for the first time in my life. I had passed the test.

Comedy was something that was always enjoyed by my family. From a very early age, I would sneak downstairs at night and join my older brother and father in watching stand up from Sam Kinison, Andrew Dice Clay, and Eddie Murphy – I was in knee-deep by the time I was nine. I was hooked. Stand up was the one thing that unified my family, regardless of how bad things were at any given time. We had our share of issues, but we also had comedy. We could laugh. 

Nowadays, people are quick to react to comedy – but not in a way one might expect. With the rise of the Internet and the ease with which people can now make their opinions heard, many feel that they are legitimately owed an apology if something a comedian jokes about has offended them. Yes, there are topics that are probably best avoided when crafting stand up material, but generally, comedy is an art form that offers release. A comedian may poke fun at my hair style in front of 1.200 people, but he's not doing that to hurt my feelings or embarrass me. He does it because one should never take themselves too seriously. There's a certain freedom to resigning yourself to not getting offended at what may happen in the span of a couple of hours.

The art of comedy has always helped me maintain a perspective on my ongoing battle with P.T.S.D. The freedom I enjoy in watching stand up comedy can be replicated in my daily life just by using a similar mindfulness when triggers arise. Take each situation as it is, rather than bringing your past experience to the table – because no one else involved is aware of what that experience is. It doesn't always belong in the here and now.

Uncensored - The Workaholics Guys Find a New Cubicle Mate (feat. Seth Rogen and Zac Efron)

Adam, Blake and Ders come up with an unconventional and intimate method of interviewing applicants for a free spot in their cubicle. "Neighbors" hits theaters May 9.

Say you share a cubicle with your two best friends and you have an open desk for one more person: would you pick Seth Rogen or Zac Efron?

Watch the crew from Comedy Central's "Workaholics" interview Efron and Rogen, stars of the new Universal movie "Neighbors," about their qualifications for the open spot. Touching on key qualifications like plowing chicks and throwing vibes, Adam, Blake and Ders try to assess who might be the best man for job–and things get a little weird from there.

Check out the #CubicleNeighbors video to see who lands the job!

 

What are you doing this weekend?

I celebrated a birthday this week - smack in the middle of Stand Up Month, which feels oh-so appropriate. To celebrate both events, I've teamed up with The Wilbur in Boston to spread the comedic joy throughout greater Boston!

"Send bacon or no comedy for anyone."

There are four amazing shows taking place this weekend at The Wilbur, and we want you to get in on the action. We are giving away a pair of tickets AND a sweet Comedy Central prize pack that's filled to the brim with DVDs, CDs, tour posters and more!  You've some tough choices to make though - this weekend's headliners are Aisha Tyler, Robert Kelly, The Amazing Jonathan, and Simon Amstell. That's one hell of a weekend, folks, and you have the chance to be there for it.

Check out the Boston Comedy Scene Examiner's fan page on Facebook for all of the details on how you can get in on the action. Already planning on going to the shows? Get there early - the first sixty people in the door at each show will receive a $5 gift card for CC: Stand Up Direct!

You could sit around doing nothing this weekend, or you could take a chance on winning some sweet stuff. Your call, man. Your couch isn't going anywhere and will be there on Sunday, so get out and enjoy some stand up comedy! Don't let your laziness hold you hostage!

You're still here?

Good. Because I haven't been for too long, and for that, I do apologize. However, this will be the new home to find all things related to what I do in comedy. Consider it one-stop-shopping versus the onslaught of links and various sites I contribute to - everything will be linked from Angie's Comedy List (hopefully).

It's finally spring, and more importantly, it's Stand Up Month! I've been hard at work enjoying every moment of it so far, including a trip to Foxwoods to see Dave Attell last weekend. He is one of the nicest people I've met in comedy and is super gracious (and wickedly hilarious). I didn't realize it then, but we had a great opportunity to see Attell's new special's material, which resulted in one of the most entertaining and fun times I've had at a comedy show. In case you missed it, here's my interview with Dave where we talk about his new special and the premiere of "Comedy Underground with Dave Attell", which will air on Saturday, April 12 at 1:00 a.m. ET/PT after the premiere of Attell's special, "Road Work" (find out what I thought of it here). Both are amazing and more than worth staying up to watch (DVR if you must).

This weekend I shall head once again to Connecticut, where I will be catching comedian Josh Sneed's performance at the Hartford Funny Bone, which coincides well with my planned Stand Up Tuesdays in which I'll review his new CD.  Look for that next week! In the meantime, I'll leave you with a little memoir of Dave Attell's Foxwoods show.

Viva La Stand Up!