Maximum Fun Forum

Let's talk about two-thir-teen.

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"Genitals are a great distraction to scholarship." -Malcolm Bradbury

I created an account just so I can say on the record how much I love Cameron and how great she was on the show and I'm not just saying that since she said, on record, that she is my friend (which is a legally binding statement.)

Ten-minute riff on Van Halen, and not a single mention of:

a. Gary Cherone, former lead singer
While the bit itself was longer than Cherone's entire stint with Van Halen, I would have loved to have heard Jordan and Cameron do an a capella duet of "More Than Words".

b. Valerie Bertinelli, former sitcom star, Jenny Craig-induced bikini MILF, and Eddie Van Halen semen recipient
I would have expected at least a few words about her role as gestatrix of a husky bass-playing half Man, and her apparent refusal to let him use her Jenny Craig employee discount.

And you call yourselves comedians (and I, for reasons clearly in evidence, do not). Otherwise, another terrific episode.

Speaking of Van Halen and duets, might I suggest watching this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMfX9fu2030

I really know nothing about Van Halen. You're gonna have to wait until the next time Mike Schmidt comes by (soon!) for that.

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The bums will always lose.

Cameron Esposito on JJGO. WORLDS COLLIDING.

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I do a film podcast.

Honestly, I was just waiting for some Robot Koch/Project Mooncircle jokes in that space instead.

I was also wondering about circus fuckfests.

Speaking of, did anyone hear DC Pierson on the Indoor Kids mention lesbian sex parties at Xenacon? I was reminded of that while listening to JJGo.

And I can relate to Jordan's admiration/fascination with the girl on Yelp. There's a woman near me who writes the strangest reviews on urbanspoon that I can't stop looking at and I honestly wonder what she's like as a person.

And was the soda Jesse was referring to in the beginning the 90's blink-and-you-missed-it brand OK Soda? It had an intentionally depressing ad campaign and tasted like when you mix all of the fountain sodas at McDonalds together.

THAT IS THE SODA. But maybe Dan Clowes did that illustration?

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The bums will always lose.

I would like to say (although I am not on the record as her friend, and can only dream of being acknowledged as such) that Cameron is pretty much The Greatest and a super funny lady and absolutely perfect on JJGo, which gave her the opportunity to drop in a bunch of asides that made me laugh ridiculously. Let me also be clear that you, forum reader, have an ethical obligation to go out and purchase Grab Them Aghast, which was easily one of my favorite comedy albums last year.

1. Hannibal Buress has played the Gathering of the Juggalos? You need to have him come on JJGo and talk about it in detail. Get Posehn as well. Make it a whole panel discussion - I think Andrew WK played the Gathering too.

2. Re: BSG - It always struck me as preposterous that Starbuck was heterosexual. This was the only thing on that show about which I could not suspend my disbelief. Am I alone in this?

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"It's Mike IQ because I used to be in a punk band called IQ of 2. I don't think I'm smart. In fact, I'm pretty sure that I'm retarded."

I knew instantly it was OK Cola, too. Ah, mem'ries.

Dan Clowes absolutely did that illustration. There was also a Charles Burns can I think.

1. I loved Justin the Intern's continued, muffled involvement in this episode!

2. I was thinking about Red Dwarf as you were talking about Downton Abbey and situation comedies going off in bad directions. Some sitcom writer said that the essence of a sitcom is that some people are trapped in a place and are trying to escape but never succeed. If you let them escape, there's no more comedic tension. Which is why it was so upsetting when the Red Dwarf writers decided it would be a good idea to bring back the main character's love interest, who was previously just an idealized, unattainable fantasy, and then bring back the entire crew of the ship, completely destroying the brilliant, poignant premise of the show: that the last human alive in the universe is drifting aimlessly through space on an empty, city-sized ship 3 million years away from home with the unrealistic notion that he's going to get back to Earth somehow and it's still going to be there. Sigh.

Couple notes:

1. Michael C. Hall was assaulted, but not sexually. I always loved the audacity of that episode (and the sheer brutal length and tone of it) but I do agree it was the point shit started to go in the wrong direction.

2. Jordan, just watch X-Files up until it gets too silly for you. This will probably be around Season 7, which is the last episode with Mulder anyway. Do NOT get invested in the mythology, and you should be fine. Definitely don't stop at season 5, because then you miss a lot of fun episodes like Triangle, The Rain King, Monday, Arcadia, Hungry, X-Cops, etc. Again, a lot of these are a little silly, but still clever and enjoyable.

3. Love Cameron Esposito, love her so much.

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I do a film podcast.

I'm a bit worried Parks & Rec is starting to go the way of "too much ridiculous shit happening," which is harder to do in a comedy but just as boring. Chris becoming depressed and the Anne/Tom relationship are pretty out of nowhere and unnecessary, but the show's earned itself at least a full season of rope before I'd bow out. At least in comedies the jokes can still be funny; dramatic shows can't lean on anything when plots start going off the rails.

The whole exchange at around 28:00 was fantastic, but in particular,
Cameron: "These are the things I'm interested in: I'm interested in female Terminators, and people that are similar to female Terminators."
Jordan: "So you like a woman with an exoskeleton, is what you're saying. A mechanical exoskeleton."
Cameron: "Yeah, or endo-, like, endo- too, like whatever kind of skeleton, just kind of a metallic..."

Really funny episode, Cameron fit in very well. All the circus talk was pretty fascinating, and I'd love to have heard about being the only woman to perform in a men's-only bathhouse, that I found out about on her website. Sounds fun and maybe scary? I'd be scared to go into a men's bathhouse, as a man.

I totally pictured her wearing a leather jacket, too, before she even suggested that.