While I was in high school, about ten of my buddies would come over every week to watch ‘Last Comic Standing.’ In fact, it ended up becoming a little tradition. Every Wednesday night around eight, this funny group of pricks, known as my friends, would descend upon my house, eager to stuff themselves with my mom’s brownies and shout at the television as if network executives cared about our opinions. We giggled along with Dave Mordal, Rich Vos, and Ralphie May as vehemently as we racially slured Asia for bombarding us with Dat Phan. (That hack!) It was glorious.
Season one came and went, forcing us to wait another year for more comedic magic. Thankfully, Alonzo Bodden, Jay London, and eight other laughers launched their way into my living room just in time to quench our politically incorrect appetites. The show almost became a stabilizing force giving us a cohesive outlet that didn’t involve tearing out each other’s souls. We gossiped about who would end up victorious, and we all chastised my friend, Jason, because his girlfriend’s favorite comedian was Ant (That bitch!).
Eventually, we all went off to college, hell-bent on watching ‘Last Comic Standing’ each week and discussing on the phone. We carried on with the plan for a few weeks until I started hearing the same comments from all of my buddies. “This season kinda sucks.” “I’m pretty sure Ant was funnier than most of these embarrassments.” “I’d probably have sex with that short girl with the fat ass, but don’t tell anyone.” At first, I was taken aback, horrified at their sacrilegious statements and flippant casting aside of our weekly bond, but then I took a step back out of my sentimental circle and examined the show for what it was: an embarrassment.
‘Last Comic Standing’ was no longer a vessel for upstart comedians looking to further their careers and make America guffaw. It was a big-budget mass-appealed affront to stand-up comedy, perfectly type-cast to showcase a wide array of below-average diverse no ones. Ohhh the horror! I felt like a late 1930s German National. I had blindly bought into this obviously abhorrent program out of an unquenchable love for the motherland (or mothershow in this case). I no longer smiled as the network stars made obvious, cliché-ridden observations; I frowned and pined for the days of Rob Cantrell, Sean Kent, and *gasp* even Dat Phan.
I think the main problem with ‘Last Comic 4’ was the lack of depth. Winner Josh Blue and runners up Ty Barnett and Chris Porter were extremely funny at times; however, douche bags like Stella Stopler (that pregnant bitch), April Macie (the one that was hot), and Joey Gay (the one from Brooklyn) all made notoriously unfunny Carlos Mencia look like the epitome of subtle hilarity. This dearth of talent was the antithesis of the first two seasons. Comedians like Kathleen Madigan, Corey Holcomb, Tess, Todd Glass, and Geoff Brown didn’t even make the finals of their seasons and would have put almost anyone on Season 4 to shame.
I am, without a doubt, watching ‘Last Comic Standing’ tonight, but it’s with barely an ounce of the pep, vigor, and excitement than I mustered for the premieres of the first four seasons. So good luck, NBC. You have irritated me and scores of other fans with your desire to tap into the mainstream market. Let’s hope you don’t make the same mistake this time around.
