Spike TV, writing and Southpark

I’ve been spending a little less time blogging lately because I’m trying to focus more of my efforts into writing new material.
My Spike TV comedy special is coming out June 20th, and I’ve got a fuck load of writing to do between now and then.
Eventually I hope to put together a whole new hour, so right now I’m sort of building up the framework. I’ve never really done it this way before, but I’ve also never performed something and then had it air just a couple months later. My showtime special took almost 2 years to air, and my CD was released at least 6 months after I recorded it.
This is also the most high profile thing I’ve ever put out by far, so since more people are going to see it the material in that set is pretty much burned off.
I get a lot of requests for my older, classic material when I do shows, but I’m well aware that mostly what you guys want is new shit, so I’m working really hard at getting that done.
I’ve discovered these two really cool programs for writing. One of them is called “scrivener” and it’s got this great feature where you can post index cards up on a virtual cork board.
It’s the best program I’ve ever used for organizing stand up comedy ideas.
Unfortunately for you PC users it’s only available for the Mac OS. (cue the mandatory PC vs. Mac arguments…)

Another program I’m using is called “WriteRoom.” What it does is makes your entire computer screen black and all you see is the green text you’re typing. No tables, no desktop in the background, just you and your words. It’s the best program I’ve ever found for cutting out distractions and it really seems to make a big difference in my concentration and focus while I’m writing. I’ve tried a couple times to write without it since I’ve started using it, and I always eventually give in and wind up firing it up. There’s apparently a PC version of this software called “Dark Room.” For really getting into your work it’s the best thing I’ve ever used.

This past weekend I was in Montreal, Canada for the UFC and two awesome shows at Kola Note. Kola Note used to be called Club Soda, and I first performed there as a part of the Montreal Comedy Festival way back in 1994. It was really cool to be back there again, as I haven’t done shows in Montreal in about 9 years or so. The crowds were awesome, and I can’t wait to get back there again next year. One of the more enthusiastic fans at the show actually made his own T shirt to honor the insanely hilarious Southpark episode where they had Carlos Mencia beaten to death with a baseball bat. If you haven’t seen it yet, it’s called “fishsticks” and although it seems impossible, it’s actually even more awesome than it sounds.
It’s going to be available for streaming at http://www.southparkstudios.com/episodes/ on May 9th.

That show is consistently the funniest, most fucked up show on television, and I think this season is the best one yet. I sometimes can’t even fucking believe the shit they get away with, but I’m ever so grateful that comedy central just lets them do their thing. It’s just a tremendously satisfying show in the ocean of watered down bullshit that’s on TV, and it’s even more incredible when you realize that they’re on their 13th season. I don’t think there’s ever been a show ever that just fucking goes for it like Southpark does. For obvious reasons this episode is near and dear to my heart. I already watched it 3 times, and if I could download it tonight I would probably watch it again. It’s that fucking awesome.

Here’s a little video of Ari Shaffir and I talking about it while we were in Montreal waiting to go to radio.

Some people might say that it’s cruel and downright fucked up to enjoy a cartoon of a real person getting decapitated by a baseball bat, and they would be right, but I think they’re missing the big picture. That southpark episode is probably the best thing that could have ever happened to that guy.
It is cruel, and it is fucked up, but in the end shit like that is good for a person like Mencia. He’s so delusional I think he needs to feel that jolt just to realize what kind of bad energy he’s spreading with his dishonest ways. I guarantee it’s humbled him, and it even might make him reconsider the path that he’s taken in this life that lead to him getting brutally parodied like that. The way it stands he’s going to have to do an incredible amount of positive things just to balance his public perception to a neutral level, and I really hope he does just that. Or, gets hit in the head by a meteor. Really, I would rather see him do good, but the meteor is more likely.
And with that, I’m putting the subject of Carlos Mencia to bed. I’m done with it. I really do hope the guy gets his shit together and in that regard I wish him luck.

I just did Adam Carolla’s super awesome internet podcast, and as soon as it’s available for download I’ll post a link up here. I had a great time doing it, and it’s really the perfect format for Adam. Having done his censored radio show several times in the past, it was so nice to just be able to talk freely with no thoughts about commercials or bad words. My only regret was that the hour flew by too quick.

I would love to do something like that for this site, and as soon as I get some of the things I’m working on for here implemented I’m going to try to make something like that happen. At the very least I’m going to do some more of those short video clips and a regular video blog. We’re also trying to figure out the best webcam hosting site to do a streaming webcam show with chat. We did one on Justin.tv a few weeks ago from the Brea improv greenroom, but it was really choppy and inconsistent.
We’re gonna try Ustream next, possibly this weekend from the greenroom of the Ice House comedy club in Pasadena where I’ll be performing this Friday and Saturday.