Comedy Spotlight: Arj Barker

Probably best known as Bret and Jemaine's best mate Dave from HBO's The Flight of the Concords, Arj Barker is a Bay Area comedian who recently released his new album and Comedy Central special LYAO.

He displays a hilariously impressive range of humorstyles, from the standard observational humor about global warming and pirates, to a bit of delightful absurdity in which a merry band of vaguely British toiletries garner assored censures and commendations. There's a joke for everyone who's ever sent a text to a friend suggesting that they dine together at a fine pervazedum, and of course it wouldn't be a true comedy album without a good old-fashioned font joke.

ROFL - Arj Barker

At times he threatens to moralize, taking a hard line on hot-button issues. He boldly sets aside the humor, if only for a moment. His stern tone assures you; this is no laughing matter. It is, of course, a laughing matter, and he deftly acheives a few sublime moments where the suspense of enduring his faux-soapboxing while awaiting the inevitable tension-relieving punchline is every bit as funny as the joke itself.

<3 - Arj Barker

Other times, he makes no pretense of sincerity, as when he again ascends the soapbox to declare his controversial stand against water. Admittedly, it's a joke that works much better in person or on video, as watching him pace back and forth, berating the hapless bottle of water that rests innocently on the stool in the middle of the stage is half the fun, but it's nonetheless satisfying to hear someone finally take on agua once and for all.

LMAO - Arj Barker

Maria Bamford's One Hour Homemade Christmas Stand-Up Special!

Times are tough right now. But don't worry about comedian, actor, and nice lady Maria Bamford. She's doing just fine. You see, Maria sold her soul to The Man this holiday season (appearing in a series of ads for Target). And so, to rectify her perceived integrity-dampening decision, Bamford recorded a cozy little one-hour comedy special whilst sitting beside side her two adorable pugs on a couch in her living room. A sort of a penance/Christmas gift to her fans, it's available as a totally free download. In fact, she encourages you to "Enjoy it. Flip it. Gibber it. Put it in a toaster." Not sure what this means.

To say she has a unique comedic voice would be understating it. What she has is a whole Hands Across America of unique comedic voices. But, remarkably, the steady stream of characters speaking through her like some hilarious demonic possession isn't nearly as unsettling as it could be. In fact, the degree to which she commits to these characters, ranging from her own family members to Sid the Schizophrenic Squid, matched with her excess of genuine warmth and sincerity (and the occasional snoring sounds of a sleeping pug), makes for one of the most endearing and lovable comedy specials in memory. Not to mention one of the funniest.

P.S. She's very much the type of comic that grows on you, so if you are at all intrigued, I'd highly recommend checking out the full special. Enjoy!

Maria Bamford's One-Hour Homemade Christmas Special! from Maria Bamford on Vimeo.

SNL: Thanksgiving Dinner

No holiday is the same without team Saturday Night Live as the continual (and often much needed) source of levity. In honor of Thanksgiving, we found this classic clip from Season 5, titled Thanksgiving Dinner.