7 indie web series that outperform their budgets

We all know someone who “has” a web series (and has likely asked us to contribute to their Indiegogo to fund it). While companies like YouTube and Comedy Central are committing big money producing their own digital content, there is something very special about independent web series. The lighting might be all wrong and the sound might be awkward, but the jokes and performances are there. The struggle to present

The post 7 indie web series that outperform their budgets appeared first on LaughSpin.

Continue Reading

10 ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic songs that are secretly dark af

‘Weird Al Yankovic’ is the best-selling comedy recording artist of all time. His 2014 album Mandatory Fun was the first comedy album to debut #1 on the Billboard Top 200 chart. His music is loved across the globe and spans across generations young and old. While Weird Al’s music is family-friendly (there’s no swearing, foul language or graphic sexuality), the songs can get a little…weird. If you dig deep enough

The post 10 ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic songs that are secretly dark af appeared first on LaughSpin.

Continue Reading

7 things to know before making your late night stand-up debut

No ring is shinier in a stand-up comedy career than doing a tight five-minute set on late night TV. Whether showcasing your jokes on Conan, The Tonight Show, or any other late night talk show still not hosted by a woman, the chance to show the world what you’ve got is a special moment in a comedian’s life. So special, in fact, that many top comics hold the experience as

The post 7 things to know before making your late night stand-up debut appeared first on LaughSpin.

Continue Reading

Here are the Oscar nominees…if The Academy respected comedies

The Oscars don’t respect comedy. Full stop. The Academy rarely nominates comedies for the prestigious award. A non-musical comedy film hasn’t won Best Picture since 1977’s Annie Hall, but there was a slight uptake in the 1950s and 1960s when movies like Tom Jones, The Apartment, and Around The World in 80 Days all won Best Picture. 1930s romcoms like You Can’t Take It With You and It Happened One

The post Here are the Oscar nominees…if The Academy respected comedies appeared first on LaughSpin.

Continue Reading

8 brilliant stand-up specials on Netflix to celebrate Black History Month

Happy Black History Month! Black comedians have been an integral part of stand-up comedy for decades. Netflix has produced several specials where black comedians speak their truths about racism, privilege, and politics. To celebrate the work of black comics, Laughspin is bringing eight Netflix specials that will have you laughing (and thinking) not just in February, but all year round! W. Kamau Bell: Private School Negro W. Kamau Bell: Private

The post 8 brilliant stand-up specials on Netflix to celebrate Black History Month appeared first on LaughSpin.

Continue Reading

RuPaul’s Drag Race: Every comedian who ever sashayed down the runway

RuPaul’s Drag Race is an entertainment juggernaut. After ten seasons of the show, a lot of talent has sashayed their way down the mainstage. From Drag Race’s humble beginnings on Logo to the bright lights of VH1, hundreds of celebrity guests and judges joined RuPaul for a shot on the runway. While some celebrity appearances like Henry Rollins or Nancy Pelosi might have left viewers scratching their heads, comedians and

The post RuPaul’s Drag Race: Every comedian who ever sashayed down the runway appeared first on LaughSpin.

Continue Reading

13 queer comedians you didn’t know you need to know

Queer comedians are no new fad (despite what some disgruntled dudes who didn’t get a Netflix half-hour will tell you). In 1994, Lea DeLaria became the first openly LGBTQ comedian to appear on American TV. On the Arsenio Hall Show, she took the stage for her set and proudly announced, “It’s the ’90s. It’s hip to be queer and I’m a BIG dyke.” In the last 25 years, queer comics

The post 13 queer comedians you didn’t know you need to know appeared first on LaughSpin.

Continue Reading

State of the Union: Late night hosts clap back at Donald Trump

Late night comics responded quickly to President Donald Trump’s second State of the Union address on Tuesday. Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers, Jimmy Fallon, James Corden, and Trevor Noah all took turns jabbing at the tempered speech shortly after it aired. In Trump’s State of the Union speech, the president took a hard line on immigration, despite his apparent theme of unity. The comedians took a hard line against

The post State of the Union: Late night hosts clap back at Donald Trump appeared first on LaughSpin.

Continue Reading

16 tips to improve your late night writing packet from a network judge

Over the last four years, I’ve judged 300 late night writing packets for a major network. As a writer myself, I know just how difficult it is to write a strong comedy packet. I’ve spent many sleepless nights sweating over topical jokes as I bounce between feelings of pride, self-loathing, and a fear that no one will even read my work. So I get it. And as a reader (albeit

The post 16 tips to improve your late night writing packet from a network judge appeared first on LaughSpin.

Continue Reading

7 Super Bowl commercial cameos you might have missed

Super Bowl commercials are a big draw for those who would otherwise binge Game of Thrones during the game. Enlisting an A-List celebrity is one way to create buzz for your product. Several prominent comedians appeared in this year’s Super Bowl commercials adding some humor to the lackluster evening. Didn’t catch them? Laughspin is breaking down which funny people appeared during the most watched ads of the year quicker than you

The post 7 Super Bowl commercial cameos you might have missed appeared first on LaughSpin.

Continue Reading