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Web Nuggets: Mitch Hedberg.

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      CommentAuthorSkiencekid
    • CommentTimeDec 8th 2007
     (233.1)
    First Bill Hicks. Now Mitch Hedberg. People have got to stop telling me about these acegenius comedians just for me to find out they died years ago.

    Eh, but anyway, here's something you might enjoy. Although you've probably seen it anyway, I always seem to be the last to hear about these things.

    Mitch Hedberg

    Cheers.
    • CommentAuthorKunundrum
    • CommentTimeDec 8th 2007
     (233.2)
    Mitch was great. I got to see him at his second to last show in Cleveland. He was in really bad shape that night, and as we all know, died a few months later. If you liked him check out Zach Galifinakis, you might like him too, and he's alive.
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      CommentAuthorIsenMike
    • CommentTimeDec 8th 2007
     (233.3)
    I remember hearing about his death the night before April Fool's Day. I was so convinced that it was a joke.

    :(
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      CommentAuthorJoe Paoli
    • CommentTimeDec 8th 2007
     (233.4)
    Yeah, I came late to his party as well. Somehow his "I'm reading this poorly off of a piece of paper' delivery makes it even funnier.
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      CommentAuthorwingnut2600
    • CommentTimeDec 8th 2007 edited
     (233.5)
    I was lucky enough to see Mitch twice, once a few months before he died. The last time I saw him was an odd show to say the least... I wrote something about the show after his passing, and I threw it on to my blog just to remember the man.

    I miss Mitch's simple humor and honesty.
    • CommentAuthorKunundrum
    • CommentTimeDec 8th 2007
     (233.6)
    His preformance at the show I saw was a little odd was well. He wrapped himself up in the curtains for about a third of the set while he told jokes, and kept his back to the crowd most of the time.
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      CommentAuthorAdam Violent
    • CommentTimeDec 8th 2007 edited
     (233.7)
    Not nearly the same as Bill Hicks, but ingenuously clever nonetheless. I second checking out Galifinakis. He's brilliant.

    And Patton Oswalt is on my required listening while driving more than 2 hours.
    • CommentAuthorKunundrum
    • CommentTimeDec 8th 2007 edited
     (233.8)
    Anybody involved with the Comedians of Comedy tour is pretty great right now. Patton Oswalt, Brian Posehn, Galifinakis, and a bunch of others are involved. Galifinakis is by far the best though. Check out his DVD Live at the Purple Onion.
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      CommentAuthorJaredRules
    • CommentTimeDec 8th 2007
     (233.9)
    Mitch is probably my favorite comedian of all time. Only he can make me laugh no matter what, no matter how many times I've heard the joke.
  10.  (233.10)
    Galifinakis is by far the best though


    I have seen Galafinakis live twice and have my viewpoint of him tainted by his lack of respect for the audience. His shows on video are pretty good, but in person he is just a lazy fuck.

    The first time I saw him, he just walked out with a piece of paper, sat on a stool and read jokes without looking at the audience; No fire, pacing or delivery. I thought this might have been due to him being at a comedy festival (Bumbershoot in Seattle) or drunk, but he was even worse as a headliner in SF on New Year's last year (but probably loaded). I actually decided to leave half-way through his set that time, since he was just mumbling slowly and incoherently (and not funny mumbling incoherence).

    Bottom-line: Galafinakis is funny on video, disappointing in person (unless, hypothetically, they were recording a video of the show; then you may be in luck).
    • CommentAuthorKunundrum
    • CommentTimeDec 8th 2007
     (233.11)
    I think he is a little more artsy that most people realize, not to make excuses. He does alot of Kaufman sort of things, going out and preforming a whole show as another person, or something that. Personally, what you described is kinda funny to me, reading jokes he clearly already knows off paper and not looking at the crowd like he doesn't care, or nervous or whatever. He treats life like one big joke.
  12.  (233.12)
    I wish that were the case. I could appreciate something done as a "fuck you" to the audience or a bit avant garde, but he was just reading his new joke notes to the crowd to see their reaction because they were there, and then just phoned in a few old standards at the end (and the requisite piano bit). Actually, to give more context, I think that he somewhat thought of himself as a hack at the time since he was doing that Tru Calling TV show, which he referred to quite often.

    I would be ashamed if he we were to be fucking with us, and I just didn't get it... Then again, inconsistency could be seen as art. It is never the same twice.
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      CommentAuthorJacen
    • CommentTimeDec 8th 2007
     (233.13)
    I miss Mitch as well. The donut receipt bit really summarizes his odd, stony style.
    My favorite working comedian (and he is brilliant live) is still Doug Stanhope. But it is pretty well known that I have a reeeeally dark, twisted sense of humor.

    http://www.myspace.com/dougstanhope
  14.  (233.14)
    When Hedberg died, he had a great series of radio commercials running for a sandwich chain in the Midwest called Jimmy John's. The commercials ran for a few weeks after he died, which was kind of surreal - getting pitch for sandwiches from beyond the grave.

    This Hedberg fansite collected the commercials amongst other things
  15.  (233.15)
    My favorite working comedian (and he is brilliant live) is still Doug Stanhope.

    I have been trying to remember this guy's name for years... I saw him randomly at Giggle's in Seattle and saw one of the best interchanges with a heckler that I have borne witness...

    A bachelorette party came to this show and were offended by his comedy, and he went off about how people shouldn't go and see comedy expecting to like it and be catered to... the people made comments and several left during the set, but he eventually made the show about the people as they continued to fuck with him. They were carrying a blow-up doll with a dildo on it around, and he talked about the person, a few years from now, when she was beaten down, depressed, divorced and friendless would find the doll in the closet and fuck it while crying... the best part was the pantomimicry that accompanied the joke... Doug fake crying while simulating cowgirl... needless to say the party left, rather offended. It was a good time :)
  16.  (233.16)
    I remember reading Neil Gaiman's blog, after Douglas Adams died. Gaiman said (I'm paraphrasing): "Doug wasn't really a writer. His real job was something we hadn't invented yet."

    I feel the same way about Mitch. His sense of comedy is brilliant in its own way, but neither comedy writing or stand-up seemed to quite capture his talents. He seemed like the rare creative person who can't fit in just because of their uniqueness.
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      CommentAuthorDerleth
    • CommentTimeDec 8th 2007
     (233.17)
    "I don't have a girlfriend, I just know a girl who would be really angry if she heard me say that."

    I don't know how many times I used that line to define just how funny Mitch was to others who have never heard of him... only to be met with giggles and grins.

    It was a heartbreaking ordeal to watch the unedited footage of his Comedy Central special. The audience had zero idea who he was, and barely responded to any of his jokes. Mitch was clearly unnerved by it all. He kept mentioning that he was just attempting to be likable.
    • CommentAuthorjohndavid
    • CommentTimeDec 8th 2007 edited
     (233.18)
    He did a show in Miami that a few friends and I were lucky enough to see. After the show we bought him drinks and talked to him for almost three hours. He was one of the nicest, most humble guys I have ever met.

    My favorite working comedian (and he is brilliant live) is still Doug Stanhope.


    for those who have not seen him at work, this is his rendition of the classic "aristocrats" joke.

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