All My Funny Ladies

It's happening! The fourth annual, headed by the inimitable Leigh-Anne Jasheway-Bryant!

Keep Portland Funny at Kelly's Olympian Wednesday!

Def'n: HAIRLOAF

Hairloaf: N: The hairstyle that happens when all of the hair is perched in an oblong manner on top of the head, ready to attack. SEE ALSO: Nitzer Ebb.

Believe- A Documentary on Eddie Izzard

I first saw a version of this trailer in 2004, as the working title Diva 51. Looks like it's finally coming out as Believe, in very limited release in London, LA, and New York. I sure hope I get to see it. When I was searching for information about the original rumored release date, I ran across a 5 year old post by myself on Tribe (hey burners! remember Tribe?). I don't know if it's upsetting or comforting that I have such persistence of vision.

Increasingly, after years of fandom, the thing that most impresses me about Eddie is not his wit. It's the single bloody mindedness with which he approaches everything. He's taught himself comedy on the streets of Camden to become a fracking phenomenon. He's a stocky transvestite who's forced Hollywood to accept him. He ran 43 marathons in 50 days on six weeks of training (translation: no training.) He can do anything he believes he can do, and he believes he can do anything.

Postscript: I was glad to get to see this movie in NYC while we were there. It contains some amazing footage of his early act and peers, street performances, and standup, information about his comedy club in the West End, and also some recent backstage footage of his prep and method (and lots of loving shots of sponsor M.A.C. cosmetics). What again impresses me about Eddie is the many times he tried, and failed, to be the world's best standup comedian, until the time he succeeded. People call him a genius, and maybe he is, but he's a genius covered in scars and bruises from the many times he threw himself at the wall and didn't stick. He's my goddamned hero.

I've Been Meaning to Tell You About Chaircuts!

One of the many fantastic features of the WFMU record show was the Chaircuts of Nelson Loskamp- wherein a volunteer is sat in a chair, has his or her eyes and mouth taped, and is given a haircut with scissors wired through a selection of guitar pedals and a mini-amp strapped to the artist's back, so that the haircut made music. The music sounded like the harmonic guitar scrapes from an early-80's Cure record, and after a few minutes of it a cranky New York guy came and yelled about how loud it was. There is no activity that can be pursued in the greater New York area that will not involve an older guy yelling at you about the volume. After the Chaircut, the volunteer is brushed off, their haircut is deemed attractive, and his or her hair is collected for posterity. Or Voodoo. Not clear. The Chaircut has been exhibited in the London Bienniale, Amsterdam, the DUMBO neighborhood of Brooklyn, and, I presume, at the artist's house.

Anyway, it was super-neat!

Famous Mysterious Actor Appears Tonight, And So Do I!

Salutations, Studio-audience Stalwarts!!

It's time once again to join check out The Famous Mysterious Actor Show at Curious Comedy Theater, Famous' permanent digs!!

This month's guests include:

Virginia Jones!

Broccoli Man!

Don't be the one who missed this crazy conglomeration of creative chaos!!!

Curious Comedy Theater
5225 NE MLK (between Alberta & Killingsworth)
(503) 477-9477

This Wednesday - November 4th!
9pm Showtime
$10 admission
All Ages!!!
Bring the Kids and Grandparents!!
(no pants-crappers please)




HILARIOUS POSTSCRIPT TIME:

I love the Famous Mysterious Actor show (next show Dec 2nd!), and I genuinely had a great time, but my set went a little short, and this is why.

Before the show, the suave and talented producer, J.D., took me aside and told me that I would have five minutes of mic time, and that he would "light" me when my time was up. Allow me to take you behind the curtain. When a comic has an alotted time, which she always does, an emcee or producer will raise a flashlight, wave a phone, or lift a candle to indicate that it's time to wrap things up.

I was onstage, and I did a little shucking-and-jiving with Famous before I started telling jokes, and I was in medias res when I got the light from J.D., which was an amber light that turned towards me and then away. I thought that it seemed soon, but it was more important to me that the guys stay on time and that the show run smoothly than for me to do every single joke that I had planned on. I start going into my final joke, as I have been programmed to do in a Skinnerian manner. A few lines in, I get the light again. I nod at it, to indicate that I understand it's time for me to get offstage, and I finish my joke to some applause, and I sit on the couch to do panel.

I'm sitting on the couch, and I get the light again.

Peering into the darkness, I see that a woman is using a camera that, instead of flashing a white light, points an amber light at the performers onstage. Perhaps it is taking a sepia photograph. I do not know. I do not care. This means that 1.) I have gone short on my time for no reason and that 2.) At some point onstage, I nodded knowingly at a woman who was taking my photograph, whom I now dislike.

Yaaayy! And later, J.D. slipped on Ethiopian food (that had recently been thrown at Cutter, whose suit was retired in the December show) and fell offstage. Serves him right for dressing as a woman and lighting me early.

Happy Halloween!

In my all-consuming desire to make increasingly weirder and less accessible Halloween costumes, this year I went as a can-can dancer from Toulouse-Lautrec's "At The Moulin-Rouge", despite my extreme distaste for the film in which Ewan McGregor tries to display how much he loves Nicole Kidman by demonstrating how big he can open his mouth.

A Very Greggy Halloween!

Hello and welcome. We would like to take you on a tour of Old Greggs from all over the internet. I am reposting this due to 200 people looking for Old Greggs on Badinia.com a day.

I'm not biased at all when I say that girls make the cutest Old Greggs. Absolutely darling, darling.

Cute Mangina, baby!

The exception that proves the rule.

I don't like to be negative, but this is deeply half-assed.

If you get high enough, you may think that you look like Old Gregg already.

All he knew for sure was that he was going to get drunk on Bailey's.

Are. You. Shitting. Me.

This...gives me nightmares. Look...if you're not man enough to commit to wearing leggings or tights, don't be Old Gregg. Nobody's forcing you, are they? This is incredibly non-committal.
Cleansing the palate with Old Gregg looking cute as hell in Aberdeen! Oh, this one's so good I'm loath to post it!

This kind of Old Gregg happens by accident, when you wake up in a pool of your own vomit and cassette tape.

This Gregg had the same problem that we did, with the necktie getting a little green. This is probably my favorite direction on the wig.

I am split on this one- I am not sure if he's really an Old Gregg or if he's just a drag Kermit.

Rather a lot of effort for a British dude.

Old Gregg kicks back with a beer and a paper after work.

This one's kicky and has a little attitude.

Old Gregg wants to show us his kitchen and farmhouse chairs.
A nice direction on the wig here!
At any rate, it's wonderful company to be in!

Postscript, 1/22/08: SHAMED!

OH MY LORD! Look at this- lookit the glove! This is Old Gregg by UK Costumer Amy Knight, who has also turned in some fantastic David Bowie reproduction costumes that have been used in BBC productions. She kicks ass, see her website here.


A lovely latecomer to the Gregg game is DJ Rhienna, who will blind you with science, and with her Mangina.



Met this very funny Gregg in Halloween '09 in front of the Someday Lounge. She not only had a nice Mangina, but had drawn an ape head on her jacket.

Got this AMAZINGLY terrifying twosome sent from Athens, GA- Fantastic look! Kind of a somber Hitcher.

Herr Mutter

For the enjoyment of my family and comedy bookers, here's some footage of me at Harvey's.

The Stranger thinks about the Famous Mysterious Actor

The very funny Lindy Wood wrote blurbs for all the comedy events at Bumbershoot, I particularly liked her take on FMA.

FAMOUS MYSTERIOUS ACTOR
The Famous Mysterious Actor is a frightening specter. It has long hair, like a woman, or a hippie. It has a high-pitched voice, like a woman. Or a wild bird of some kind that speaks human language. It has a thing about Pixi Stix, like most women, and it wears a mask like Eric Stoltz in Mask or Jim Carrey in Look Who's Masking Now. Or a Mexican. It is very mysterious. It comes from Portland. LW