Category: Jared Stern

Randomimity

by jaredsterncomedy, posted in comedy, Conan O'Brien, http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post, Jared Stern, Jay Leno, Jimmy Fallon, Mark McGwire

Hey there ‘Redheads… This recent cold snap has put a freeze on my planned blogging schedule, because I’ve been burning blog ideas for warmth. Jumpin‘ Jim Brunzell it’s cold. I wanted to shimmy a quick one in before the witching hour, so I just have a couple random tidbits for ye.

First, a quick word problem. On my way to work this morning, I spotted a man driving a sedan with a pink candy paint job, Louis Vuitton logos and dollar signs patterned on the roof and hood, and on the back was written “Bubble Gum Hunter” in pink. At 35mph, how fast should I call the cops?

The big sports news is Mark McGwire’s admission that he took steroids while he was putting baseballs into orbit en route to breaking Roger Maris’ hallowed single season home run record. Quite the revelation. Mark McGwire also revealed that his name is Mark McGwire. Most of us were convinced when he stood before congress and said, “Don’t make me angry. You wouldn’t like me when I’m angry.” The only way we were going to be shocked was if, mid press conference, he did this. I’d like to state, for the record, that I have never taken performance enhancing drugs. And it shows.

Another shocking bit of news is that The Jay Leno Show sucks so bad that light can’t escape it. So, NBC decided to lance the boil on the ass of it’s prime time line-up. As a result, they’re giving Conan O’Brien a peacock right up the ass, trying to shove his Tonight Show to midnight to wedge Leno’s cartoonishly large chin in at 11:35. Well, Conan is wound up, and not just because Jay is torquing that knife in his back. When the dust from this shit storm settles, Jay will get his way, Conan will probably head up to FOX, and Jimmy Fallon will have the freakin‘ Tonight Show essentially fall in his lap. Which will make this picture seem all the more impressive…

In the wake of NBC’s shameless treatment of Conan O’Brien, I’d like to take a moment to shed some light on an oft overlooked problem…

Please give.

One quick plug before I wrap up. On Saturday, Jan. 30th, I’m part of a dynamite line-up at the DC Improv Comedy Lounge. Me, Chris White, Erik Myers, Jason Weems, and Aparna Nancherla. Even if you’re sick of me, this’ll be a great show. It will sell out. Get your tix by clicking here.

To be continued…

Happy New Blog

by jaredsterncomedy, posted in comedy, future, http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post, invention, Jared Stern, pillow hat

Hey there ‘Redheads… Well, we’re a week deep into a new decade. And I’m starting things off on a foot that’s asleep. I’ve done a big fat pile of jack so far. I wanted to get something down here, so the month doesn’t completely slip away from me. I get less done all day than most people do before 6am.

In the last installment, I wondered what the next cool futuristic scientific advancement lay ahead, since this is the future now (when? just now). Would it be the flying car, or teleportation, or a new M. Night Shyamalan movie that doesn’t suck? Well, I think I may have found it. BEHOLD…
The Pillow Hat. We dared to dream the impossible and now we can do that dreaming propped up against a wall. The bed is obsolete. With the Pillow Hat, the world is your bed. You combine this with a Snuggie and nap your brains out. You’ll need to hire someone to update your haircut and tell you who the president is when you finally do awaken. A great gift for the narcoleptic in your life. If the prospect of perpetual nap time doesn’t tickle your futuristic fancy, and you prefer a mechanical metaphor, then maybe this handy new gadget is for you…

This machine’s sole purpose is to turn itself off. I’ll take two.

More to come soon…

AsiNine

by jaredsterncomedy, posted in 2009, 2010, comedy, hot tub time machine, http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post, Jared Stern, resolution

Hey there, ‘Redheads… It’s the last installment of ’09. I really wish I had something worthwhile and at least knee deep to impart to you as we hurtle into the next decade, but I gave up on trying to be profound a long time ago. I am amatuerfound, at best. I’d also like to be able to reflect back on the year that was, but my mind has the retention of an etch-a-sketch in the hands of an epileptic during a Pink Floyd laser show. In order to reminisce, one must first be able to…minisce. So, let’s discuss the year ahead, 2010. Resolutions perhaps? Well, there are a lot of things I’d like to accomplish. The usual stuff. Advance the comedy career, look less like a tub of goo, blah blah blah. It’s all talk right now, as it has been every year around this time. What I’m saying is, my resolutions aren’t exactly 1080p. One thing I do plan to do is to streamline the blog a bit and make the entries more concentrated and more frequent. I aspire to daily, but let’s take baby new year steps. If you think about it, blogs are the magazines of the next decade, if they weren’t already. Don’t expect a swimsuit issue, but you won’t get those annoying subscription cards, neither.

Maybe I’ll finally write the mediocre screenplay that’s been stewing in my head for all these years. It’s the classic struggle of good vs. evil, with a plucky band of heroes up against unimaginable odds. If I can find a way to shoehorn vampires into it, I think it’ll be worthy of an MTV Movie Award. What I’m trying to say is, dare to dream, people. Or you could just pick random words out of a bingo ball tumbler and write a movie around that, like these guys did…

I hope we finally get some cool sci-fi stuff to finally become reality in 2010. Not that pocket-sized computers aren’t cool, but I was told we’d have hoverboards by 2015 and I want to have a year or so to enjoy them before the impending Mayan apocalypse. Let’s get cracking, science.

Thanks for taking a couple minutes out of your year to check out the blog. Let’s do it again in ’10. See you next year…

All Work And No Blog…

by jaredsterncomedy, posted in blizzard, bris, comedy, http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post, Jared Stern, Kick-Ass, snow

Hey there ‘Redheads… Greetings from beyond the frozen tundra. I hope everyone has dug out and are now able to go about their business. The pandemic of cabin fever around town made The Shining look like a documentary. A lot of people were excited about the snow. I call these people Eskimos. Here’s the sad truth about getting older and more practical. Snow no longer means care free frolicking. It’s a horrible inconvenience. Businesses shut down because no one can get anywhere. Luckily, I didn’t have a comedy gig this weekend, because it would’ve been cancelled. And the mere forecast of snow sends the populace into hysterics. People pile into the grocery store and ransack the aisles like they may never see sunlight again. God forbid you have to buy something simple, like toothpaste, because you get stuck in the express line behind 15 yahoos who have enough loaves of bread in their cart to build a fort out of pumpernickel. By the way, here’s a helpful shopping tip for the panic stricken masses: If the store is sold out of toilet paper, just buy extra bread. So, it’s a huge hassle for anyone who has plans that don’t involve crawling inside an animal carcass for warmth.

Such was the case for my parents and I, who needed to get up to Philly on Sunday for my as yet unnamed nephew’s bris. As of Saturday afternoon, we weren’t going to risk the trip, since we were one man short of a capable bobsled team. We decided to wait until early Sunday morning to see if the road crews made any headway. I got the call at 6am on Sunday that we were a go. I expected the trip to be a reenactment of the Donner Party. Turns out, we had a pretty clear shot up to Philly. So, without further ado, may I introduce my new nephew, Asher Yosef…
Nicknames abound for this kid. The obvious one, of course, is Ash. Until the bris, everyone has been calling him Sting because of the blond hair. Then, there’s the timeless classic, Scrunchyface McPoopypants.

And now, a tale of two trailers. When I saw Ninja Assassin recently, I saw this trailer for the upcoming comic book flick, Kick-Ass…

I was mildly interested, but not terribly impressed. It looked like a pretty tepid, kinda funny, smirk at the recent flood of superhero flicks. Today, I saw this trailer for the same movie…

HOLY. SHIT. This movie looks amazing. Take away the purple costume and this is what Natalie Portman’s character in The Professional could’ve become. Consider my ten bucks spent.

The balcony is closed. I’m going to bed. May you have a very merry and a holly jolly…

To be continued…

The Sincerest Form of Flattery

by jaredsterncomedy, posted in comedy, funny, Hanukkah, http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post, Jared Stern, Neil Diamond

Hey there ‘Redheads… Happy 4th night of Hanukkah (or 5th, depending on when you read this). It’s the festival of lights, so I hope everyone is celebrating appropriately…by getting lit. With the incessant tide of yule blaring Xmas music just about everywhere you turn, I was pretty jazzed to stumble on this new take on a recent Hanukkah classic…

I think I’m going to pass on Adam Sandler’s cover of Sweet Caroline. Which brings me to the theme of this installment. I’m a big fan of movie remakes. The 2001 remake of the 1960 Ocean’s Eleven is one of my all time favorite flicks, as is the 2004 remake of 1978’s Dawn of the Dead. Each one classics in their own right. So, I’m not against remaking a film as an homage or giving it a needed update to fit the times. Now that I’ve gotten that small point out of the way, may I direct your attention to the following two movie trailers. The first is for 2007’s understated British black comedy, Death at a Funeral…

And the next one is for the overstated black comedy, coming out in April 2010, Death at a Funeral…

It’s the same movie. It’s the same premise, the same plot, the same gags, the same characters, and the same goddamn midget. Except, instead of understated British humor, you get to hear Tracy Morgan say, “DAAAAAAAAMN!” Nice to know that Hollywood has outsourced its script writing to Kinko’s. I’d like to announce my plans to remake Avatar, by turning the contrast knob about three clicks to the right.

Let’s move on to happier news. I got a great Hanukkah present on Sunday in the form of a new bouncing bundle of baby nephew…
Until his bris this weekend, he has no name, but I think I’m leaning toward Hanukkah Harry. I’m sure the parents will approve.

To be continued…

Wheel A Meal

by jaredsterncomedy, posted in cheesecake, comedy, http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post, Jared Stern, wheel of fortune

Hey there, ‘Redheads… I know, two blogs in one week? Can you handle the heat? Here’s a quick tidbit for your mild amusement…

I was flipping channels a couple nights ago and turned on Wheel of Fortune just as this glorious game show nugget happened…

Gee, Pat, I don’t know how she was able to solve that puzzle so fast. Maybe it was because she was picturing each letter as a slab of light-up cheesecake, slathered in blueberry topping, that security would have to use stun batons to keep her from charging the set and attempting to cram it into her gigantic, puzzle-solving maw, using Vanna to pick her teeth afterward. She probably scrawled “Cheesecake with blueberry topping” on every flat surface of the dressing room before the show, like the head pastry chef of the Overlook Hotel. That’s like having Adam Lambert on the show and the phrase be Pat Sajak’s crotch. You know what might’ve been a tough one? Salad. Like I should talk (type). Me calling someone else a fat food vacuum is the pot calling the kettle diabetic. And there’s the spoonful of self-deprecation that helps the medicine go down.

Happy Hanukkah to one and all. May you get tchotchkes, eat latkes…and drink vodkas. It’ll sound better after you look it up…

More soon…

Wide World of Sports

by jaredsterncomedy, posted in comedy, fantasy football, funny, http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post, Jared Stern, Jersey Shore, Mr T, Redskins, Ryan Conner, Tiger Woods

Hey there ‘Redheads… I’m not sure I’m ready to accept the fact that it’s a week deep into December. Time is flying like a clock in a catapult. The evidence was overwhelming on Saturday, when we got our first bit of snowfall. Luckily, I made sure to stockpile the essential bread, milk, and toilet paper before the big storm the Mayans tried to warn us about touched down and made the streets all damp. It wasn’t even good snowball weather. All it left me with was a minor inconvenience and a hankering for a milk and toilet paper sandwich.

I’d like to thank Tiger Woods for filling the void with plenty of salacious slush to frolic in. I kind of feel sorry for Tiger, mostly because of the many double entendres that exist in golf terminology. Por ejemplo, there’s no fair way to tell just how deep in the rough his balls are, but he needs to improve his lie with so many holes left to play. And it’s only too perfect that there’s nine strumpets (I’m bringing that word back) claiming he left a divot in their sand trap. Most women I’ve talked to seem to agree that the best word to describe him: Putz. Then, of course, there’s the obvious cat pun that I haven’t heard anyone make yet, so please pardon me while I make it here. He should probably change his name to *deep breath* Cheetah. I’m here all week. Try the veal.

If Tiger’s travails weren’t enough for you, then maybe you got a kick out the latest schadenfreude exhibition put on by the Washington Redskins, who outplayed the undefeated Saints for all but about two minutes of regulation. They had a chance to go up by 10 points with 1:52 remaining. Here’s a reenactment of what happened next. Viggo Mortensen represents the Saints, William Hurt represents every Skins fan watching, and the henchman with the chip shot chance to seal the deal represents Shaun Suisham…

I suppose the other henchmen represent the many missed tackles of LaRon Landry… And after that, the Skins once again failed to succeed or succeeded at failure, and for all of that effort, they got squadoosh. I know the team is embroiled in a legal fight to change their name. After this loss, may I suggest they change it to the Generals. If you got trigger happy with your remote during the game, hopefully you were able to catch this infomercial gem that was on Channel 7 during the first half…

Wow, Bachelor of the Arts Baracus hawking cookware to a paid studio audience of fools not even fit for his pity… I’m pretty sure even Dirk Benedict would’ve turned that gig down. Mr. T’s street cred shouldn’t be swayed by this tiny pock mark. After all, he got past this…

Big doings in sports that don’t exist, too. Of the four teams that I helmed this fantasy football season, a whopping one of them, The Minnesota Vicarious, was able to back into the playoffs, while another, The Most Humble, has an outside shot. As for the other two, I’m starting to come to grips with the fact that my fantasy just might be mediocrity and crippling disappointment. I’ve got it that good, apparently.

Speaking of reality, do yourself a favor and check out my comedy compadre, Ryan Conner’s breakdown of the televised collision of two trains carrying a load of douche nozzles known as Jersey Shore. Click here to feel better about yourself.

To be continued…

Last Minute

by jaredsterncomedy, posted in Avatar, comedy, funny, http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post, Jared Stern, Ninja Assassin, Thanksgiving, Wii fit

Hey there ‘Redheads… I managed to will myself out of my Thanksgiving food coma to shoehorn one last blog into these waning minutes of November. I hope everyone had a gullet-stuffing Turkey Day. And when I say everyone, I mean everyone…

I was a little disappointed in my overall Thanksgiving consumption. I didn’t pace myself and I filled up too quick. Maybe I overdid it on spinach & artichoke dip while taking in the slate of football. Hindsight is 20/20, even though my field of vision started narrowing as the meal went on. When it was time to head home, I had to punch an extra notch in my seat belt. The only door buster deals for me were the ones I tried to wedge myself through. If I hadn’t pushed away from the table, and maybe gone after another helping of pie, the medics would’ve needed to knock out a wall to get me. Meals like that are the reason I don’t own a scale…or a Wii Fit. Wii Fit is an amazing little device, though. I hopped on one at a friend’s house, and it was able to analyze my level of physical fitness, then it went online and called the paramedics. It also makes recommendations about different foods to eat. I think it told me not to buy any green bananas.

I’ve also been gorging myself on an unhealthy amount of cinematic mayhem as well. Over the weekend, I caught 2012 and Ninja Assassin. My expectations were low to middling for both, thus allowing me to be pleasantly surprised. When I first saw the ads for 2012, I figured it was going to just be an fragile candy shell of CGI destruction with no real velvety nougat to hold things together. The scenes of global annihilation are very well done. I’m pretty sure this was given away in the previews, but a tsunami dumps an aircraft carrier onto the White House. You also get to see California slide into the Pacific and Woody Harrelson get carbonized by a volcano erupting out of Yellowstone National Park. All of this on it’s own would be pretty ho-hum, but leave it to the unassuming John Cusack and his plucky family unit to find a compelling way to survive. It was also nice to see that Oliver Platt found work. I’m pretty sure the Mayans predicted that, too.

Now, if you like your mass killing a little more up close and personal, then might I recommend Ninja Assassin. This movie isn’t just a bloodbath, it’s a blood jacuzzi. It’s a classic tale of bloody betrayal, bloody revenge, and the resulting bloody stumps. This is the latest offering from the Wachowski brothers, who produced the flick. It does have some cool Martixy imprints on it. Their patented bullet-time effect is translated to ninja shurikens that rain death from the shadows, turning their targets to quivering piles of slurry. My only complaint, was that since ninjas operate mostly in the dark, some of the action was tough to keep track of. But there’s so damn much action going on that you’ll find a blood geyser no matter where you look. It’s got everything you want from this kind of flick: ninjas and a renegade bad ass former ninja that kills the previously mentioned ninjas with various pointy objects.

The one movie that looks like it’s going to be a giant load of crap, is Avatar. Don’t get me wrong, I love me some James Cameron. Aliens and Termintaor 2 are two of the greatest pieces of sci-fi action ever made. This just looks like it’s going to be an over-bloated, over-preachy piece of 3-D garbage. Don’t think that putting Sigourney Weaver and cheap imitation space marines in there will fool anybody, Mr. Cameron. Don’t be like Lucas and cheapen the dork memories we cherish with weak story-telling propped up by not-so-special effects. Stan Winston would not be pleased.

Ok, enough with the geek rant. Sorry about that.

That’s all for now. The balcony is closed.

Running Lapse

by jaredsterncomedy, posted in bohemian rhapsody, comedy, funny, holidays, http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post, Jared Stern, muppets, procrastination, Redskins, Terps, Volt

Hey there ‘Redheads… As per usual, I started off this month with the best of blogging intentions, but apparently I couldn’t procrastinate more if I had a flux capacitor. It can’t be helped. It’s who I am… It’s what I do…eventually. Let’s not focus on the moments that’ve been frittered away. Let’s live in the now. At least momentarily, until I start telling you about the crap that happened during this most recent lapse.

The holiday season has descended upon us again. Here’s a holiday fun fact: Going to the grocery store for incidentals the week of Thanksgiving is the worst idea in the long sad history of bad ideas. Glaciers move faster than the checkout line I got stuck in. The lady at the front of the line was paying in food stamps. Behind her was a lady who was paying by check, then asked for cash back. I half expected the next person in line to make the transaction in wampum. I don’t mind wasting time, but when it’s being leeched from me, that’s when I get ornery. In the spirit of the impending Turkey Day, I offer a cornycopia of mild amusement. Giblets, at least.

This is one of my favorite times of the year for sports, when pro football and college basketball overlap. Unfortunately, this give my teams twice as many chances to stick a fork in my heart and twist. I just turned off the TV in disgust as the Terps got done making Cincinnati look like the alien team from Space Jam. We’re all crust and no cheese to stop up the middle. It’s early in the season, but this was our first test and we overslept. And, this just in, the Redskins still suck. They are to sucking what I am to procrastinating. It’s a gift. Light cannot escape them. It doesn’t help that their injury report is getting thick enough for Dan Snyder to use as a booster seat. Here’s a video from the ‘Skins sideline during the Cowboys game…

Last night, I had the weirdest dream. I was a contestant on Project Runway, and the challenge was to make an outfit out of Legos. Should it bother me that my dreams are about reality shows? I’m hoping tonight I can get on Top Chef and show off my mad George Foreman skills. Speaking of Top Chef, I got a medium rare opportunity to dine on some four star quality grub cooked by one of the final four cheftestants. If you find yourself in Frederick, MD, do yourself a favor and treat your taste buds to Chef Bryan Voltaggio’s restaurant, Volt. I was auditioning for the show Top Boyfriend and took my funny little honey there for her birthday. It was, top to bottom, one of the best meals I’ve ever had. I would’ve happily walked the green mile after dessert. If you’re a fan of Top Chef, then you have some idea of the intricacy that goes into preparing each course. This is not the kind of dining experience where you ask them to put the sauces on the side or leave something off the plate. Place your trust in the chef and let him guide you through a gastric wonderland. Then pack your knives and go.

Here’s a new bit of eye candy for you to suck on. When is comes to Muppets, I’m an old school guy. Not much, since Jim Henson left us, has captured the madcap glee of the past. This made me smile…

Before I sign off and prepare for my food coma, I need to congratulate my good friends, Chris and Allyson, on their engagement…and you know it’s real commitment when it gets posted on Facebook. Way to go, you crazy kids.

Happy Turkey Day, ‘Redheads… To gluttony! And to be continued…

Unfinished Blogness, Part 2: Nuggets

by jaredsterncomedy, posted in comedy, http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post, Jared Stern, news, Sesame Street, Veterans Day

Hey there, ‘Redheads… As promised in the previous installment, here’s another ladle of bloggy goodness that I’m hoping is still good slightly past the sell by date. Before we dive in, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention two things. First, to all of our enlisted men an women, a happy Veteran’s Day. Here’s to the Army and Navy and the battles they have won. Here’s to America’s colors, the colors that never run. May the wings of liberty never lose a feather. Second, a happy belated 40th birthday to Sesame Street. Here’s to another 40 years of sunny days sweeping the clouds away. Don’t party too hard…

Speaking of my googily-eyed babysitters, I spotted a story online that made me weep for the youth of today…

Sesame Street Dig at POX News Draws Backlash, Rebuke From PBS – A 2-year-old skit on Sesame Street that referenced a “trashy” news channel called POX News came under fire this week when conservative bloggers accused the long-running PBS series of a liberal bias. In the clip, Oscar the Grouch is a reporter for the Grouch News Network (GNN), but he bored one female viewer, who responds: “From now on, I’m watching Pox News. Now there’s a trashy news show!” Big Hollywood, the celeb blog founded by conservative writer Andrew Breitbart, called out the old skit (re-run this week) as a jab at the mega popular news network. “The message is clear,” a blogger named Stage Right noted, “I can’t even sit my kids in front of Sesame Street without having to worry about the Left attempting to undermine my authority.”

Really? You’re lumping Sesame Street into the liberal media? Let’s get a hold of ourselves here, people. Here’s a Muppet News Flash for you, last time I checked, Sesame Street is a children’s show. I’m pretty sure my 3 year-old nephew doesn’t know what a liberal bias is, let alone his left from his right, period. He just knows he likes Elmo. Like any show on television it’s trying to stay current and timely with a couple references to pop culture. If Oscar the Grouch can undermine your authority as a parent, maybe it’s time to put down the Tickle-Me-Limbaugh and start spending some time with little Newt. Seeing a liberal bias in Sesame Street is like seeing Darth Vader on your morning toast, and that’s just…
You are what you eat, is all I’m saying. Let’s let Big Bird and the gang the gang teach kids about sharing without calling them communists, ok?

We’ll be right back after this quick word from our sponsor…

…and we’re back.

Here’s another story that caught my eye…

HACKENSACK, N.J. – A jury convicted a Florida man Friday of murdering his former son-in-law, rejecting the man’s defense that he was too fat to have run up and down a flight of stairs to commit the crime and make a quick getaway. Edward Ates looked down and shook his head in court as he was found guilty of murder charges.

The evidence against him was pretty solid. The CSI found his powdered sugar finger prints all over the murder weapon. All joking aside, this is a sad story. This means when I eat an entire sleeve of Thin Mints, I can’t call it “establishing an alibi” anymore…ok, not all joking aside. Anybody else catch the guy’s last name? Ates. If you’re taking notes at home, kids, that story was brought to you by irony.

Before I sign off, here’s another piece of eye candy for you to suck on…

To be continued…