Bachelor Chris Recap - Ep 2: Two Widows, a Virgin, and a Pizza Place

Just when you think that The Bachelor can't get more self-referential and cartoonishly absurd, you get an episode like we experienced on Monday night.  Remember when those Scream movies came out (starting in 1996) and after a few years, the Wayans Brothers did comedy spoofs of those films (called Scary Movie) in which they took every standard slasher flick trope and turned it up to 11, to hilarious effect? THAT IS WHAT'S HAPPENING IN BACH LAND RIGHT NOW.  Everything is so hilariously overdone it's like a parody wrapped in an exaggeration dipped in free alcohol.

The episode picked up with Kimberly (a brunette yoga instructor from Strong Island) pleading for a spot in the house after having been told that Chris didn't want her in the house (communicated by her not receiving a rose).  This gal won't take no for an answer and she aint too proud to beg, so Chris relents and lets her stay.  Congratulations on scoring a Pity Bid, Kimberly.  Perhaps this week, someone in the house can clue you in on what the words dignity and grace mean.

The next morning (afternoon? Didn't that last ceremony end at sunrise?), Chris Harrison visits the concubines--err--ladies, and informs them that Prince Farming's residence is just down that hill and "there are no rules here."  If that's not a suggestion that these ladies give Mr. Soules the 'ole "Turkish Surprise" (I'm spouting off meaningless words now--it's been a long evening), I don't know what is.

It's time for Group Date #1 and the crew who has been asked to "show me you're country" (oh THEY WILL) is comprised of Jade (dark haired girl who Chris really liked the first night), Tandra (blonde whole rolled up on a motorcycle), Ashley I (Poor Man's Kim Kardashian who was seemingly born with fake eyelashes), Mackenzie (21 year-old mother to trendy produce son), Pity Bid Kimberly, and Tara the whiskey drinking fisherwoman who is 100% country.  The ladies meet Chris at a downtown LA rooftop pool where they strip down to swimsuits (thank God because Mackenzie's overall shorts were giving me flashbacks to 1996), play Chicken in the water (a game I will never understand the appeal of--how about we work on our tans and not be annoying instead?), and flirt.

Meanwhile back at the house, hyper competitive Jillian (who may or may not have been wearing ass-less bikini bottoms, based on that censor block on her rump) and Megan (who needs to learn that macrame beach cover-ups aren't doing anyone any favors ESPECIALLY when they match your flesh tone) break into Chris's house and rifle through his possessions like two bikini-clad Goldilocks.

Back on the group date, the gang is walking down a busy street in downtown LA and the girls are in bikinis and boots but Chris gets to be in swim shorts and a hoodie.  That's cool!  Chris informs them that their challenge for the day is a tractor race and yes, they will be mounting these tractors in their bikinis.  You know how farm equipment works, folks--you must be nearly nude in order to operate a tractor.  Trust Chris--he's a real farmer!  The "race" begins, unfolds at a pace of 3 MPH (if that), and Ashley I is the victor.  Her prize is some alone time with Chris during which she rocks a fierce, white bikini (you know how I love me a white bikini) and big hoops. It's a bit "J. Lo during her Diddy phase," but Ashley I pulls off the look.

Ashley I's confidence is shot when Chris informs the group that he'll be turning the evening portion of the date into a one-on-one with Mackenzie.  Chris and Mackenzie clean up for a night out during which Mackenzie says, "I'm like, super observant" (but you sound like, sort of a dumbass?), asks Chris if he believes in aliens (then demurs when he reciprocates the question. Come on! ONLY people who believe in aliens ask if other people believe in aliens--it's like Alien Fight Club in that non-weirdos just never bring up aliens), and reveals that she has a 1 year-old son named after the trendiest produce on the market right now: Kale.  Chris says that he loves kids and he gives her a rose.  I give her 3 weeks.

Back at the house, we learn that Jeulia (aggressive highlights that are too ashy) is also a widow (there are TWO widows in the house now, which seems like a whole LOT of widows for a group of women who are mostly under age 30) and she, too, has a child (Ireland).

Megan is the lucky recipient of a date card for a 1:1, though she thinks it's simply a love note from Chris because she doesn't understand how story lines move forward on reality TV.  Nonetheless, she gets cleaned up and heads off with Chris to a limo then a private jet then a helicopter and they take in the sights over Las Vegas.  They land at the edge of the Grand Canyon (and the helicopter pilot makes the most hilarious beeline out of the shot so that he can awkwardly sit alone in the Grand Canyon while they canoodle) then have a picnic by the water, where Megan talks about her late father.  She inverts the tired cliche of being "here for the right reasons" by saying that she "wouldn't be here for the wrong reasons" (such a trickster!) and they make out.  She scores a rose.

Another date card arrives at the Bachelor Manse and the gang is Kelsey (short hair), Trina (blonde and the only white woman in the world named Trina), Alissa (flight attendant/standup comedian), Tracey (sent to Earth to make adult, unmarried women feel ashamed of their life choices), Jillian (super competitive body builder whose pre-make up look can best be described as "Mr. Biggelsworth"), Becca (who I really dig and want to see more of), Amber (who I also dig and want to see more of), Ashley S (straight-up psychopath), Jeulia (widow #2), Kaitlyn (Canadian nightmare), and Britt (Hair and Teeth). Phew!

"I'll put on some eyeliner and mascara in a minute, guys" -Jillian

Their 2 limos arrive at an empty, darkened parking lot and are promptly attacked by horrifying zombies.  That fright inspires the ladies to throw back some shots of liquor (good girls).  The activity that night is a game of paintball against the zombies, though Ashley S loves that friendly fire and the ladies are feeling lucky that these guns don't contain live ammo.  The montage is like Black Hawk Down meets The Walking Dead and after all of the zombies are "dead," Ashley literally shoots them when they are down, earning her my most creative nickname to date, Rich Man's Lynndie England.  (Never forget the atrocities  committed by a handful of monsters at Abu Ghraib--seriously--it was a horrifying moment in our nation's history--but back to BACH!)

At the paintball after party, Kaitlyn tells Chris that she's "the fun one" (usually the one who is actually the fun one doesn't have to SAY it), Chris gives Britt a gift card for a free kiss (I feel like a Starbucks card would better retain its value), and Ashley S unravels to the point that I thought she was perhaps having a psychotic break and I'm not kidding.  She was incoherent, unable to organize her thoughts, and distracted, but that's just my Tuesday morning quarterbacking based on my recreational perusal of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition (if you like US Weekly, you'll love DSM IV).  Chris gives a rose to Kaitlyn and I still don't get it.

Before you know it, it's time for the pre-rose ceremony cocktail party and Whitney (nasal voice) is chomping at the bit.  She has set up a mini-date by the fire with some of Chris's favorite whiskey (very sweet) and her red dress is a stunner--well played.  We learn that Ashley I (who is dolled up like Princess Jasmine from Aladdin On Ice) has never had a boyfriend and is a virgin and we ALSO learn that Mackenzie would make a hard bargaining pimp, as she says that "guys like taking your virginity--I'm jealous" and instructs Ashley on how she can use her virginity as currency.  The whole exchange is pretty horrifying and retrograde, but I've always found the verb "taking" to be problematic in relation to virginity talk.  Two people are participating here, no?  Who's taking what from who?  Blech.

Ashley I has some alone time with Chris and she tells him that he can rub her belly button ring and he'll get 3 wishes.  Huh?  Is this some 1990's live action remake of Aladdin that takes place at the mall and ends in a couple necking inside a PAC SUN (mama aint got time to say"ific" and "wear")? Chris gamely plays along (though he seems confused by the entire ruse) and they make out HARD (hard to the point where I wonder if she has ever kissed a guy before with how overdone and ridiculous it was).  Meanwhile, the human pile of hair (Britt) is crying without ruining her make-up (#impossible).  Later on the front steps, Amber is rocking a classic, retro cocktail dress that I love and she asks Chris for a kiss. Prince Farming is a kissing fool!  Well, he's a kissing fool for everyone except the very drunk Jordan.  Ya can't win 'em all, Colorado.

Finally, it's time to line 'em up, knock 'em down (in Jillian's case), and make 'em cry. Who is safe for another week?

Britt - rose #1 for the human Bratz doll
Ashley I - she is the Kim K to Chris's Kanye West (minus the sex tape)

Trina – who can resist a blonde in a dramatic dress? NO ONE! 

Kelsey – keeping the hair length diverse in the STD Shack 

Samantha – rocking dark hair and white dress for the 2nd week in a row

Then Chris says "Jeulia" (widow number dos), but Jillian (the super competitive body builder brunette) thinks she hears her name, so she walks out and promptly trips on the carpet, then attempts to recover by laughing at herself WAY too hard ("it's FINE! I'm HILARIOUS! CAREFREE! THE FUN ONE!") and Chris repeat's Jeulia's name. Overall, the Dumb Chills meter was going to 11! 

Amber – her short, geometric cocktail dress is very Sexy Tory Burch, don't you think? 

Tracey – the self-hating singleton with dark hair will live to see another week chez Bach 

Jillian – this time she walks out VERY carefully (as country girl Tara shakes her head)

Jade – her teal dress is very cute

(Aside: Jordan is visibly drunk her hair needs to be smoothed down BADLY)

Nikki – we didn't see the former NFL Cheerleader much this week, but I gotta admit that her spearmint green dress is lovely

Becca – great hair, super cute, flying under the radar

Carly – the blonde cruise boat performer sails on! 

Whitney – her stunning red dress almost makes up for her nasal voice 

Ashley S – the blonde gal's crazy train rolls on and I guarantee that the producers are making Chris keep her around for drama. 

So who is packing up their suitcase of fake eyelashes, bikinis, and broken dreams?
-Alissa, who keeps it together and exits gracefully 

-Pity Bid Kimberly, who has now been rejected TWICE in a row--ouch
-Jordan, who gives Chris a bear hug and wanders off in search of more booze
-Tara, the girl whose "job" is "sport fishing enthusiast" will have to go back to the 'ole sport fishing office but before she does, she'll ramble on national TV about how she's used to rejection by now and she never seems to be anybody's number 1. Oh girl, set a boundary and refuse to blubber on camera--you'll be glad that you did.

Next week we're back with more kissing, more tears, and more Jimmy Kimmel (huh?)--stay tuned!

Bachelor Chris Recap - Ep 1: A Test of Endurance

Last night was the season premier of The Bachelor with “Prince Farming” (#barf) Chris Soules as our fearless boy toy bachelor.  As expected, there was a whole lot of B roll of Chris walking among the crops, driving a giant tractor, and chilling out in a grain silo (like you do).  There was also a red carpet with legions of “fans” shrieking for their favorite Bachelor alums (cough—rejects who need to get real jobs—cough) because this franchise becomes more like an elaborate joke with each season. On the red carpet, Chris Harrison (our intrepid and beloved host) interviewed married alums Sean and Catherine (snappily asking Sean “do you know where babies come from?” after Sean said that a kid might “pop out in 2016”); engaged alums Lacey and Marcus (nodding as Marcus recited the opening credits to “The Dukes of Hazzard” and said that Bachelor Chris is “just a good ‘ole boy”); and Juan Pablo’s ex, Nikki (who spoke in circles about why he treated her like shit and she put up with it). 

Time for more montages!  We see Chris cruising in a motorcycle (you can get MY motor running, hot redneck), fishing with his dad, and chilling at the local VFW hall. But it’s not all fun and games for Prince Farming—Chris has been getting in shape under the careful tutelage of Macklemore on Roids (Cody aka Michelle Money’s ex-bf from Bachelor In Paradise and yes, I know that the brain cells that I could be using to re-learn French or understand the global economy are being wasted on Bach minutiae BUT I CAN’T STOP) and that workout regimen is like a farm version of the Rocky IV training montage. 

For a show as heteronormative as The Bachelor, this recreation of American Gothic is pretty progressive. 

The producers give us previews of a handful of gals: Britt the waitress who has an Ariana Grande thing going on, in that I suspect she’s just a pile of hair with an upbeat attitude; Jillian the super competitive newscaster whose muscular legs would put Hans & Franz to shame; Amanda the ballet instructor who admits she’s crazy and hates cooking and cleaning (girl, did no one tell you that Bach is here to promote traditional gender roles? Seriously, did no one tell you?); Whitney whose voice could NOT be more grating; Mackenzie who is 21, has a son (girl is efficient with her time), and says that Chris is “grown up” (yeah he is—you’re thrilled to be drinking legally—Chris is definitely an adult to you); Alissa who could probably kill with 15 minutes worth of flight attendant jokes; and Kelsey who is a 28 year-old widow—a widow who looks great in a bikini!

The theme of the first cocktail party night was endurance because that event stretched on ALL NIGHT LONG (all night) with the first batch of 15 girls having Chris to themselves for 3 hours before the next batch of 15 ladies arrived.  The first batch of arrivals were pretty standard—Reegan arrived with a cooler full of human hearts (if that cooler were chock full of fresh Bud Lights, right All American Bachelor Chris?); blonde Ashley who walked in with a weird poker faced intensity and put a penny in his shoe; blonde Amanda opted to have Chris not see her and be a “secret admirer” (a secret admirer whose wardrobe was provided by Dancing With the Stars); Tara (whose “job” is the hobby of fishing, so I can only assume she’s a trust fund kid and/or unemployed) rolled up in boots, jean shorts, and a button down saying “this is me” then promptly changed into a cocktail dress and finageled another limo arrival (you really SHOWED THEM for about 5 minutes there, country girl!); and finally brunette Kaitlyn who hit a stunned Chris with the line, “you can plow the F out of my field any day” (wait, he’s the plow, you are the field? What season is it? Is crop rotation involved? What are your thoughts on cycling in soybeans?).

Chris goes into the house and the 15 women are shocked that the cocktail party is starting with so few girls, as it is not what normally happens (“I’ve watched the show half my life” –Ashley). Britt goes in for the kill with a conversation about the role of a wife and how to raise a family; Whitney says, “there’s something I need to get off my chest…I make babies every day” (which I’m sure KILLS when she volunteers at the nursing home); Nikki name drops the fact that she just got back from Machu Pichu and gives Chris a heart shaped rock she found there (so close to a Nirvana song). Amanda and her intense eyes finally get face time with Chris (since she hasn’t so much as shown her face to him—great strategy, dummy) during which they talk about the suburbs of Chicago (THRILLING). 

Back in the studio, Chris Harrison gets some thoughts from Clare (of Juan Pablo’s season) and I haven’t seen that much contouring make-up since CATS closed on Broadway.

Clare, is that you? 

This is "how the sausage gets made" in the contouring world

Just when those 15 gals thought think that this season of The Bachelor was going to be different and not the repetitive, formulaic reality TV show that we know and love, ANOTHER LIMO ROLLS UP! How dare it! Then another and yes, another. All totaled, 15 more ladies arrive (just as they have every other friggin’ season, kids).  These entrances are a bit flashier: Tandra rides up on a motorcycle and her hair is blonde perfection even fresh out of a helmet (#respect), Alissa keeps the flight attendant jokes coming (now with props!), Jordan brings him a small bottle of whiskey (good girl), Brittany the WWE diva-in-training (cough—escort) who hails from Orlando, FL (of course she’s from there) rolls up in what resembles paper lingerie and a poster, and Carly enters singing into a children’s karaoke machine (like a grown up JonBenet--too soon?).  The 15 originals (who are by now tired and suffering from flat hair and faded make-up) are mutinying like it’s some Billy Budd shit up in here! 

So now we’re at 30 women and Chris (“I wish I were a polygamist right now”) and everybody is drinking and chatting.  Ashley drinks a little too much (or just reveals that she’s unstable) and weirds everyone out with her talk of onions, sunflower fields, and horses. Tracy the brunette teacher is obsessed with not ending up as a “crazy cat lady” (The Bachelor used to be a touch more subtle about their fear mongering, but this season the gloves come off!), and Kaitlyn brings Chris into the driveway to teach him how to step-dig (sweet dance moves, weirdo).  Britt (aka Big Teeth, Bigger Hair) scores the first impression rose and those two lovebids are already making progress.

Finally it’s time for the line-up and everyone is eager to see if Tara can remain standing after she spent so much quality time with her BFFs Jameson, Johnnie Walker, and Jack Daniels.  Which lucky ladies get roses?

-Kaitlyn: I can already sense that she’ll be this season’s nightmare (or at least the bad/awkward faux comedian)

-Jade: whose dress kinda looked like this classic Britney look worn with a red skirt (but she and Chris seemed to have a strong connection)

 

-Samantha: the dark-haired fashioned designer

-Ashley I: dark haired girl in the goth-style dress who seems like she'll be high-maintenence 

-Tandra: motorcycle blondie looks like she’ll be a slow burn and I like it

-Nikki: the “former NFL cheerleader” who reminds me that I’d like you all to call me the “former Brueggers Bagel Bakery employee”

-Kelsey: the Texan widow who is single handedly diversifying the hair length in the house

-Megan: black dress, blonde hair and I think we’ll see a lot of her this season

-Alissa: flight attendant who will start quoting "Airplane!" if she knows what I like 

-Amber: one of the few women of color (this is The Bachelor, after all—it’s never diverse) who is rocking a gorgeous black gown

-Jeulia: blonde make-up artist

-Becca: San Diego native who looked like a knockout in a sparkly, black cocktail dress and fierce boots

-Trina: special ed teacher who can rock a mean 1 side, blonde hairdo

Just then Chris walks out of the rose ceremony and everybody knows it’s because Tara can hardly remain upright. Country girl got a little bit drunk, she’s wearing a friggin’ scrunchi (did anyone else notice that?), and she appears to have an ex’s name tattooed on her back.  She’s like a blonde Snooki circa season 1 of The Jersey Shore with how badly she is coming off in episode 1, but how wonderfully she shall blossom in spite of her initial missteps (at least I hope so).  Prince Farming isn’t sure how wise it is to hand a rose to a shitfaced girl and his buddy Chris Harrison is there to guide him.  Before you know it, we’re back in the trenches.

-Mackenzie: 21 year old needs a make-up touch-up BADLY. Also, her son’s name is Kale which is just a little too Brooklyn for me and I live in the friggin’ borough. 

-Tracey: the teacher who wouldn’t SHUT UP about how terrifying she thinks it is to be an adult woman who is single. Ugh. Every time that girl opened her mouth, Gloria Steimen’s legacy was set back a decade.

-Tara: the drunk redneck stays in the game and the crowd goes wild! (Not really—the other women seem to resent that “the drunk ones” (Jordan and Tara) got picked, but I got news for you, uptight nerds: the drunk ones are usually the fun ones! Alpha Theta Chi forever!)  

-Jordan: another tipsy lady gets a rose! Wheeeee!

-Jillian: the super competitive body builder is pissed that she had to wait so long for a rose. That’s a really appealing attitude!

-Whitney: her nasal voice and dad jokes live to see another week, unfortunately

-Carly: move your Barbie karaoke machine into the Bachelor Mansion, you’re staying!

-Ashley: nightmare in a silver dress is being kept around to stir up trouble

So who is taking the long, sunrise walk out of the Bach Manse and back into the darkest recesses of our American memory banks?

-Pig Nose: I’m sure she has a name, but I just can’t get past a girl who rolled up in a friggin’ pig nose. Right now I’m reading that book The Opposite of Loneliness and I call Pig Nose’s gimmick The Opposite of Sexiness.

-Bo, the blonde plus-sized model in a knockout red dress (“See! We had some diversity in body types for a whole 120 seconds on screen!” –Bachelor producers)

-Crazy Amanda: Bad news for the girl who hates cooking and cleaning—you gotta go back to your mom’s house and deal with cooking/cleaning again. I just can’t believe that she and Chris didn’t bond over the fact that they both know that Kanakakee is about an hour south of Chicago!

-Brittany the WWE diva-in-training: at least now she can get back to her intense training regimen of holding posters and standing around in lingerie. 

-Reegan the cadaver saleslady: maybe try dating a zombie?

-Kara: I swear, ya tell one guy that “we’d make great babies” and you refer to yourself as “a little servant” and some guys get SO FRIGGIN’ WEIRD about it!

-Kimberly: white dress, dark hair, very little impression made. She exits the house and cries, then walks back in and interrupts Chris’ happy times with his chosen ladies. GREAT IDEA, girl! Just as the old saying goes, “if a person rejects you, it’s because he/she secretly likes you and needs to be beaten into submission.” DO YOU, KIMBO! 

After the champagne toast, we see a montage of what’s to come this season: Cinderella themes, a camping trip during which somebody sneaks into Chris’ tent and pulls the ‘ole “we went swimming in the ocean” Juan Pablo + Clare-style except on land, and tears.  Tears like we have never seen before.  These aint the tears from last season of The Bach—no, we’re talking flat-on-your-back-hyperventilation-tears like Bachelor Nation has never SEEN before!  Here we go!

I think that Britt and Jade are front runners—who are your picks?

New Year, New Bach!

Hey lovers! 

A new season of The Bachelor is almost upon us and Bachelor Nation is fired up!  The task of dating 30 conventionally beautiful, thin, bikini-clad women at the same time falls on the well-built shoulders of Chris Soules, the Iowan farmer from Andi's season of The Bachelorette.  I'm sure you recall that Chris made it to the Top 3 of Andi's season before she sent him home in a scene that was shockingly sweet.  Chris handled the rejection thoughtfully and calmly, which was really impressive but also makes me wonder if Chris has a bit of a Juan Pablo style to him. That calmness in the face of upsetting circumstances can come off as somewhat careless or unfeeling in matters of the heart. We shall see!  

ABC released head shots and information about Chris's dating prospects and, as usual, the producers have done a hell of a job assembling beautiful psychopaths.  A few of stand out from the crowd already and I have copy/pasted their information below.  These are their answers to the producer's questions and my thoughts below those.  Get ready for a whole lotta snark, pussycats! 

Ashley I., 26

Age: 26

Occupation: Freelance Journalist

Hometown: Wayne, NJ

If you won the lottery, what would you do with your winnings?Buy a room on a cruise ship that I could use any time.


Ohh your very own cruise ship on which you can get mysterious illnesses and deal with nautical piracy anytime you damn well please!  

Becca, 25

Occupation: Chiropractic Assistant

Hometown: San Diego, CA

Biggest date fear: Having stomach issues and clogging up a toilet, a la Dumb and Dumber. 

A girl who talks about deucin straight away? I think I love you... but what am I so afraid of? 

Brittany, 26

Occupation: WWE Diva-in-Training

Biggest date fear: Gas or violent diarrhea. 

Oh you're a "WWE Diva-in-Training," Brittany? Save yourself the hyphens because I believe the term is "escort."  If there's one thing that many of Chris's potential wives share it's a crippling fear of diarrhea.  

Jade, 28

If you could be any animal, what would you be?

An elephant. They are associated with wisdom and altruism. They are large in scale yet graceful. I love the matriarchy as well.

OK I like this one.  She could be subtly feminist, which means that she'll be cut on night 1.  

Jordan, 24

If you could be someone else for just one day, who would it be?

Britney Spears because she's awesome!

If you really wanted to impress a man, what would you do?

Give him a sexy dance because it would turn him on and hopefully lead to more.

Dated and dumb—what a combo! 

Jeulia, 30

Can't live without: My tinted mineral sunscreen. 

That's pretty damn specific, huh? Well, I might say that I can't live without my mineral bronzer... so I shouldn't throw stones. Good luck, blonde prophet. 

Kaitlyn, 29

If you wanted to approach a man you'd never met before, how would you go about it?

I'd walk right up to him and just say, "Good, and you?"

You’re a nightmare. 

Nikki, 26

Former NFL Cheerleader 

What's your greatest achievement to date?

I have a few. First was working at Sally Hershberger, next was making the NY Jets Flight Crew, then it was signing with Wilhelmina Models.

That's funny, I thought the question asked for ONE. Also, what is your CURRENT job? This "former" stuff is total malarkey.  Or did she see how successful Josh was last season with his "former professional baseball player" act and she's trying to follow suit?  Better get some armpit tats if you want to be like last season's resident Kenny Powers! 

As usual, I'll be writing recaps on this here blog.  I can't wait to see what goes on with Chris and I'm hoping that we'll see a cameo from Prince Farming's best buddy Dylan!  (Yes, ABC is calling Chris "Prince Farming."  Just when you thought that the "on the wings of love" season was the corniest thing you had ever seen, it gets worse.) 

Tonight at Union Hall

Tonight in the basement of Union Hall, I'm joining forces with a few of my besties to bring you a night of fantastic stand-up comedy.

We've gotten love in the NYTimes:
An Evening with Matt Wayne, Selena Coppock and George Gordon (Wednesday) Kendra Cunningham hosts these three impressive young talents from the Park Slope area for half-hour sets. At 8 p.m., Union Hall, 702 Union Street, at Fifth Avenue, Park Slope, Brooklyn, 718-638-4400, unionhallny.com; $7. (Czajkowski)


And in the Village Voice:
An Evening with Wayne, Coppock and Gordon

Union Hall, Doors 7.30 p.m. / Show 8 p.m. $7

Three of the strongest young Brooklyn comics take the stage tonight, all stretching out to half hour sets. Matt Wayne pops and fizzes with zingers and old timey goofs, like his whole act is an audition to be your favorite uncle. George Gordon is one of the best out there at killing with cadence and laconic repetition. And Selena Coppock (author, New Rules for Blondes) is the dark horse audiences never see coming: a performer with unexpected tales of booze and G'n'R cover bands lurking behind that "elegant young lady" look.

Come on out to Union Hall (Union Street and 5th Avenue, Brooklyn) and get some cheap laughs!  Doors at 7:30pm, show at 8:00pm, tickets are $7 and life is good!

Come out to Union Hall on Wed 11/19!!

8 Years in New York City

A few weeks ago I had my 8 year anniversary of moving to New York City and I was too busy juggling work and standup comedy to notice it. But it got me thinking about what I've done over those years. 

In the 8 year period that I’ve been living, working, and performing in NYC most of my college and hometown friends have gotten married, bought houses, had children.  I have done none of those things and society tries to make you feel like a real screw up for choosing a different path—especially as a woman.  I’ve had plenty of moments at weddings or cocktail parties when I’ve been prodded for information about why I’m unmarried and questioned as to whether I’m “still trying to do the standup improv skits."  As much as I resent these questions, I’m not ashamed of my life’s path—I’m super proud.  Sometimes people look at me with concern and pity—I don’t have a family or a house to return to at night and to these people, that is unimaginable.  No, I don’t have kids (nor do I want them) and I don’t have a traditional life and I love every minute of it.  I often think of the scene in Good Will Hunting when therapist Sean Maguire snarls at snobby Professor Gerald Lambeau, “I didn’t fuck up—I chose this life.” 

I chose this life and the past 8 years of performing standup, storytelling, and sketch comedy in New York has been phenomenal.  My years spent in living Boston and Chicago were great, too, but New York is where I found my comedic voice so it will always have a special place in my heart.  

New York is where I moved to after I had been living in Boston for a  few years and trying out standup.  I was working for Prentice Hall and when they relocated my team to NJ, I was laid off.  I didn’t know what to do and my boss at the time (who is now one of my best friends), Anathea, encouraged me to be thoughtful and deliberate in plotting my next steps.  She knew that I wanted a change both in my publishing career and with standup and she suggested that I move to New York City.  I thought about it and made some plans, then my generous uncle Jim offered to let me live in his Upper East Side apartment and before I knew it, my parents had loaded up the Buick Roadmaster (rest in peace, Land Yacht) and moved me into uncle Jimmy’s apartment.  It was like a "Fresh Prince of Bell Air" situation and I was the luckiest girl in the world.  Anathea kept her job, relocated to the Upper West Side, and would commute out to the office in NJ.  As we found our way in NYC, Anathea and I would often say to each other, “Holy shit! We live in New York City!” when something magical happened. We just couldn’t believe everything that was at our fingertips—culture, shows, restaurants, excitement.  

My first sketch comedy class started 4 days after I arrived in New York and my life here has been comedy ever since. 

New York is where I met hilarious people in that sketch class at UCB and connected with 2 brilliant ladies to form a sketch group (rest in peace, Walking Contradiction) and my classmates and I went on to make movies, teach, sell books, and write for SNL.   

New York is where I learned how to produce and run a show (rest in peace, basement of Two Boots Pizzeria and Luca Lounge) and be part of a comedy community.  

New York is where I have found 9-5 work (let’s be real—9-6 or 7) at 2 different publishing houses that has been professionally rewarding and where I have met great people.  

New York is where I’ve met a lot of terrible ex-boyfriends, including one who stood me up on Valentine’s Day (you’re still a loser, Nick B.) and another who wanted to "get successful at comedy THEN find a partner” (how’s that going for ya, Kevin?) but also where I’ve found some wonderful boyfriends who have taken me out to some of the nicest restaurants in NYC (I’m pretty sure you were in the mafia, Craig, but we had fun while it lasted!) and taken me mudding in rural New Jersey (I’ll always think of you fondly, Ryan—even with your Axe body spray).  

New York is where I wrote and rewrote and rewrote my book proposal over 18 months, then sold my book to HarperCollins, cranked out roughly 60,000 words by sequestering myself inside my apartment every weekend for 8 months, and hosted an amazing book release party.  

New York is where I discovered the Sex and the City bus tour and got myself hired so that I could parlay my love of SATC into a second job.  For 3 years, every Sunday at 3pm I could be found outside the The Plaza waiting for a posse of 55 awesome visitors and fellow SATC fans to board a bus and cruise NYC for 3 hours while I told jokes, pointed out spots from the show, and did crowd work.  It was the most bonkers and fun job I've ever had. 

New York is where I learned how to tell stories and found the ceaselessly inspiring storytelling community that has enabled me to share some of the most triumphant and heartbreaking moments of my life with an audience. 

New York is where I learned to accept that I’m high-energy onstage and I should stop fighting that instinct—that’s me.  

I often say that when I started doing standup, my entire life made sense.  And as I reflect on the past 8 years of amazing shows and terrible shows and open mics and crummy road gigs and storytelling shows that make you explode with both laughter and tears and book proposals and rooftop comedian parties and packed subway cars and afternoons at Coney Island beach and check spots and writing meetings in random cafes and drink tickets and walking around with a bag full of wigs and props and running into fellow comedians on the street when you both say, “hustling to a show—give ‘em hell!” and feeling completely understood as an artist and a person, I want to pinch myself.  Holy shit, I live in New York City.   

I Endured 4 Hours of BinP

Beloved Readers!

Last night I sat in the piping hot living room of my fourth floor walk-up apartment and endured FOUR HOURS of Bachelor In Paradise, as both a test of endurance and to prove my love to you.



Where do I begin? How do I express 240 minutes of STD Shack without unspooling a tawdry tome from my dome piece?  Bullets.  It's all I can do.  Here we go, 4 hours of BinP, bullet style:

-Graham is sweating like Matty McConaughey in "A Time To Kill" but he accepts the rose from AshLee anyway. Dude, your BODY is saying no but your mind is saying yes (or some other such R. Kelly lyric).
-Lacey then has to puke and complains of cramps, which her loverly Marcus refers to as "terrifying" but guy, it's called having your PERIOD. She gets taken away in an ambulance and hospitalized for bad cramps. (Usually I just eat Congo Bars and get weepy in public, but hey, she's in PARADISE!)
-Finally, more roses are given out and the result is that Kalon and Marquel are going home. Two completely opposite guys in that Kalon is universally reviled by all other contestants and Marquel makes friends everywhere he goes.
-Was Marcus friggin' serious when he was IN the hospital bed with Lacey and spooning her as her vitals were taken? I wish that a surly nurse had yelled at him to get out of the patient's bed.
-Christy arrives (a forgettable blonde from Juan Pablo's season whose accent reveals that she must have grown up either in a Denny's parking lot in Illinois or a Denny's parking lot in Syracuse, NY) and she has a date card! She wants to ask Zack but he says no out of respect for Clare (good call) so she asks Jesse and stumbles upon a nightmare cause that kid SUUUUUUUUX.
-Sarah and Robert go on a date and after they awkwardly bonk heads, they finally bonk mouths.
-Macklemore on Roids (Cody) is so intense with Michelle! He wants to talk about their future and she wants to take about quad size.
-Zack and Clare discuss their relationship and Clare wisely says that there's no "figuring it out" and "either you're into it or you're not into it" then opts to leave paradise. She rules. I just wish she had left without even saying goodbye to Zack--now THAT would have been a cool way to exit. She'd be a Mexican girl giving an Irish goodbye!
-We're down to 6 girls, 6 guys when who romps down the beach by LUCY, the "free spirit" trust fund kid who can afford to do whatever she wants in this life! Lucy's still Lucy--overexcited, lil bit kookoo, and unable to control her body. Also, she lives by the mantra "TITS OUT!"
-Lucy and Jesse go on a date to some ruins and Christy is upset because Lucy is her BFF and Jesse is her crush. I got news for ya, Christy, THEY'RE BOTH TERRIBLE.
-Michelle and Cody's date is to go swimming while fully dressed in wedding attire. Is this Bachelor in Paradise or a lifeguard test on Lake Winnepausauke?  MAKE THE JEANS INTO A FLOTATION DEVICE!
-AshLee and Graham went on a date to a race track because Graham can't figure out how to get away from a girl who he isn't even officially dating.
-Marcus dropped the L bomb on Lacey. ("They'll make tan babies" -Sarah saying the greatest thing ever).
-Did Lucy, Christy, and Jesse have a 3some? Did they all fall in love because they share a hard "e" pronunciation in their first names? Probsies.
-Rose ceremony ensues and Lucy gets dropped like a free spirit who's actually wildly annoying and not "free spirited" at all. (Yes, that's a smilie made from the thing the simile is about--META! LAZY!)

OK, HOUR #3 IS UNFOLDING. Chug some Gatorade cause these kids aint done falling in and out of love while sandy.

-Brooks arrives and for whatever reason, some girls are excited. He was in the top 3 during Desiree's season (my recap of his final episode here) and he's known for being disinterested in everything and speaking in a whisper--WHAT A CATCH! Sarah digs him and Brooks seems to dig her, but Robert refers to Sarah as his "bae" and commands Brooks to back off. Hot move by Robert, but when did everyone starting calling everyone "bae"? It's friggin' everywhere and I feel like I'm taking crazy pills.
-What was with all the ladies wearing boho/hippie/Coachella style headbands? It's a cute look but man that trend rocked their house like a summertime storm.
-Tasos appears (guy from Andi's season whose exit never aired because it was in the episode when the rich adventurer guy died) and asks Christy on a date. Christy seems to have grown some self-esteem post-Jesse and they have a lovely time. Did Tasos become TEN times hotter since we last saw him? On The Bachelorette I wasn't really a fan of his, but now I am.
-Zack's jealous of Jaki and Brook's flirtation, but then he scores a date card and gets some hot & heavy cave time with Jaki. That girl must be a former gymnast because she has got some killer muscle tone that didn't show up yesterday, ya know?
-It's cocktail party time and there are 8 guys, 6 women, so 2 men are getting the Heisman and a 1 way ticket back to Normal Life, USA. Based on the couples in paradise, it's Brooks, Zack, Tasos, and Jesse who are on the line.
-Zack and Brooks are both courting Jaki hard, but Brooks was mistakenly told that women love it when guys give them manicures. Bad news, Brooks: a guy who can do a mani and speaks in a whisper is NOT a guy who anybody likes.
-Jesse is a sweaty, drunk sociopath who hunts down "dumb blonde" Christy (his words) then tries to manipulate her into feeling like she iced him out and he feels rejected. Oh man I wish somebody would take Jesse around back and pummel him.
-Michelle Money looked like a take-no-shit brothel owner and also acted like it, which I loved. Watching those 3 ladies light into Jesse was the best thing I've seen since Emily Maynard told Kalon to "get the F out."
-Dressed like a boat captain, Jesse decides to leave "ON HIS OWN TERMS" (if you know my standup, that will mean something) rather than suffer the indignity of a rose ceremony. As we say in Kickassachusetts, what a friggin' pussy. Although I gotta admit I LOVED listening to him wax poetic about all the best buddies he just made and all the plans they'd have post-show. Everybody hates ya, kid.

Finally, it's rose ceremony time and who chose who?
-Lacey gave a rose to Marcus (holy 80s prom pastels, Lacey!)
-AshLee grave a rose to Graham (cool cropped top, but not as cool as her CASINO style look from the rose ceremony 2 hours back... seems like just yesterday, huh?)
-Sarah gave a rose to Robert (and rocked a KILLER flamenco style top!)
-Michelle gave a rose to Cody (crazy updo, feather earrings, backless shirt--there was so much going on here!)
-Christy gave a rose to Tasos (while rocking a purple romper and finally loving herself!)
-Jaki gave a rose to Zack (love the braid and dark lip combo)
So Brooks is taking his effeminate gait and whispering voice back to Utah.
Chris Harrison then appeared from the wings to inform these 6 couples that tomorrow EVERYTHING CHANGES!
Is he serious, or are they belatedly promoting a Matthew Sweet song? WE WILL NEVER KNOW! (Well,  not until Monday.)