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We’ll Be the Judge of That! – Last Comic Standing 6, July 23by Foxes On Idol Judging Staff -- 07/28/2008
View Printable version of this article Having almost all of the comedians perform this week was something of a surprise. You can read about everything that led up to it (if you haven’t already) in Dale’s recap on RealityNewsOnline, as well as seeing what Dale thought of the performances. But now it’s time for the Foxes On Idol judges – Wesley Rice and David Bloomberg – to have their say. Adam Hunter Wes: Adam came out with his typical rapid-fire joke delivery, and there were a lot of entertaining jokes in there. I particularly liked the joke about the Smurfs. He does need to learn the art of transitioning though, and the ending was lackluster. Nonetheless, I give Adam a solid B. 
David: I agree with Wes both about the number of good jokes and about the lack of transitions. Then again, he did have only three minutes. I do worry that some of Adam’s political material could alienate some viewers. While a comedian shouldn’t shy away from such matters, it could come back to bite him in this specific competition. Going first is also never a good spot to be in a reality talent show contest. This week, I’ll start grading as well. I’d give Adam a B-. Iliza Shlesinger Wes: Yet another strong set from Iliza. I feel kind of weird typing this, but the nutsack joke was absolutely brilliant … hilarious. I’m not usually the sort to laugh out loud, but that joke had me going. The great thing about Iliza’s comedy is that so much of it is relatable. I can totally relate to that slurpee in the freezer. Plus, she gets one of the premiere rules of standup – “say the opposite of what’s expected.” Combine that with proper timing, and you’ve got yourself a killer set. The other comics may have been critical of her writing jokes at the last second, but she pulled it off. If I had any complaint, it would only be that she went a little overboard with the “whhhat?” that she threw in several times. A-. David: I’m surprised Iliza chose to go with so much new material – I mean, I know she already had to perform twice, but she didn’t have more than eight minutes of solid material? But with that said, I liked the new material at least as much as the stuff we’ve seen before. I agree with Wes’ A-. Sean Cullen Wes: When I first saw this guy in the tryouts, he was doing a hilarious bit about British gangsters. Then he hit the semis and did his porn song, and it was okay. But this last set simply continued that downward trend. The whole farmer song had maybe two good jokes in it, and the rest was just a regular song. Such a shame too, because Sean really shines in the short interview segments. D+. David: I think part of Sean’s problem will be similar to the problem God’s Pottery had. In a short set like this, the acts don’t have time to create a whole story and persona. In a longer set, I’m sure Sean would do great with multiple stories and songs. But with only time for a couple introductory jokes and one song, it’s just not going to go well. Add to that the fact that I agree with Wes about the lack of humor in this particular songs, and Sean is going to have to hope people vote based upon his interviews in the show rather than his actual performance. I’ll give him a D. Jim Tavare Wes: Jim’s comedy is so clever that I worry some people of the less intellectual sort won’t get it (I’m talking about you, Kendra). Still, one of the best of the night. A. David: Again, I agree with Wes on almost all fronts. I don’t, however, think Jim is too clever – just the right amount. I loved the “song” about his first marriage – I didn’t get what he was doing at first, which just built up my curiosity until he hit the punch line. Definitely an A. Jeff Dye Wes: Jeff had some funny material that I probably would have enjoyed a lot more had it not been for the fact that he kept saying “right.” You know what I’m talking about, right? It got to the point that I just couldn’t focus anymore, so I started counting the rights… oh, and it was 15 times, right? C. David: The “right”s didn’t annoy me so much, though now that Wes mentioned it, I think back about them and I guess there were a bunch. Overall, I thought Jeff was pretty funny, though he had a few dead jokes mixed in. Still, I think it was a B+. Ron G Wes: So what does the G stand for, Ron? What are you hiding there? Anyway, as I mentioned last week, Ron was one of the two comics that I was truly shocked made it into the final 12 after he spent his entire three-minute set running an annoying joke into the ground. He was not as bad this time around, but nothing made me laugh out loud. C-. David: I don’t like Ron G. I haven’t throughout the show. Maybe Ron has been playing a character the whole time he’s been on the show (like God’s Pottery), but if so, it’s been one that’s a jerk. And if not, well… Anyway, regarding this performance, I think I laughed once. The audience laughed a few more times, but there were definitely jokes that fell totally flat. The bit with the girlfriend demeaning him went on far too long, especially for a three-minute set. D+ 
Louis Ramey Wes: Louis came out on stage and almost effortlessly proved why he’s the veteran among these comics. Each joke was solid, and the transitions were flawless. Kudos and an A to Louis for one of the best sets of the night. David: Once again, I was thinking the same thing. Louis stuffed his set with funny jokes, told well. I laughed repeatedly and also give him an A. Final Thoughts Wes: If there’s any justice in the world, Louis, Jim, and Iliza will be in the finals. Beyond that I don’t really care, though Ron and Sean’s performances were certainly the worst of the night, so I wouldn’t mind seeing them go home. What really scares me is that the voting is now in the hands of America, the same people who keep A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila on the air … the same people that made Norbit the number one movie in the nation the week it was released … the same people that last year voted Jon Reep as the funniest new comic in the business. Now’s the time to redeem yourselves, America. Please don’t disappoint! David: Last week, Wes and I disagreed quite a bit, but this week we were definitely closer to the same page. I also want to see Louis, Jim, and Iliza in the finals – and Ron definitely not. I think Jeff should also make it to the finals, to round out the top five (with Marcus making it through his exemption). Will it happen? I guess we’ll find out! I do have to say that I don’t understand why there is only one performance show left. I mean, we went through weeks of auditions to for one show? Really? That’s just stupid. With five of them left, let them perform for a few weeks to knock them down. Doing it this way will risk splitting the vote and not truly finding the best comic. Why are concepts like this so difficult for network executives to understand? Wesley is a writer and English/drama teacher from Wichita, KS. He can be reached with questions, comments, or snide remarks at musnud@gmail.com. David Bloomberg is the Editor of Foxes On Idol, and can be reached at RNO@pobox.com. Be sure to sign up for the RealityNewsOnline/FoxesOnIdol e-mail update so you can stay informed about new articles on both sites! Also make sure to check out RealityNewsOnline for recaps and articles covering other reality TV shows. For more news about this show, be sure to check out SirLinksALot: Last Comic Standing! View Printable version of this article
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