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Vin Scully on why he wants to work forever and touring Santa Monica and Venice Beach with comedian Bill Burr
Comedian Bill Burr gives a tour of Santa Monica
- You should watch this epic tour of Santa Monica and Venice Beach by comedian Bill Burr, the latest in a series of Burr tours shot by Without A Net's very own TV junkie Tom Lewis. I agree with Laughspin; Bill Burr should have his own show on the Travel Channel. (Warning: The language is not safe for work, young ears, or, well, most places.)
- Well this is the most depressing reason ever to keep working forever: Dodgers announcer Vin Scully says he doesn't want to retire because "I don't want to lose my friends," as he says he knows he'll never see his friends at the office again once he retires. "Some people die twice: once when they retire, and again when they actually pass away."
- Zooey Deschanel: Awesome or awful? I'm personally a fan, but I also liked Natalie Portman in "Garden State," so, I'm clearly a sucker for "manic-pixie dream girls," as they're known.
- Ms. Deschanel is also hosting Saturday Night Live this weekend. Check out the awesome promos for her appearance, featuring jazz hands.
- Speaking of Saturday Night Live, you should read about the spectacle of polarizing hipster musician Lana Del Rey's L.A. appearance at Amoeba Records following her album release and recent SNL crashing and burning.
- Great interview with the showrunner from one of my favorite cable series, AMC's "The Walking Dead," including how he first got his start by calling people he knew in New York and asking "Do you have a cousin in Los Angeles?"
- We're hosting an Un-Grammys event here at KPCC tonight (which you guys should all RSVP for free and go to); we'll have more coverage of the Grammys here and on our Twitter account @WithoutABlog this Sunday, but the L.A. Times has a great piece on how the category most important to a comedy nerd like myself has changed! (Comedy. That category is comedy. In case you haven't figured it out yet.)
Puppy Bowl VIII: 'The Cutening' has a Los Angeles MVP
If you look directly into his eyes, the strength of the cuteness will blind you.
I don't care about the Super Bowl.
Yes, I know, it's the most watched thing on TV. It's a uniquely American event, causing humans of all shapes, colors and sizes to put aside petty squabbles (kind of) and come together under the holy trinity of nachos, beer and television.
In fact, some might say there's only one denominator more common than sitting down and watching the Super Bowl. Only one thing everyone — EVERYONE — will pause in their daily routine and stare at.
Puppies.
My side job is at a doggy daycare in Hollywood and whenever I pop a photo of one of our puppies on Facebook, the comment section explodes. My friends care hilariously more about Nacho riding on my shoulders or Penny chewing a hole in the stairwell than they do me, you know, getting a new apartment (or anything else in my life).
Which is why, every January, I blow right past the two dozen versions of ESPN Comcast forces on me if I want my Nicktoons TV and I land squarely at Animal Planet. It's there that I worship at the altar of the Puppy Bowl.
The Puppy Bowl is the most perfect two hours of television ever dreamt up by a network executive. It is literally nothing more than puppies batting around a fake football for two hours. Just to put this in perspective, Casablanca is 102 minutes. Puppy Bowl is almost 20 minutes longer than Casablanca.
Oh, it may seem like Puppy Bowl is just a truckload of puppies dumped onto an oversized ping-pong table, batting around an inflatable football-shaped chew toy — and it is. But Puppy Bowl is so much more.
Puppy Bowl is a nuclear warhead of adorableness, one whose happiness fallout is guaranteed to contaminate your bloodstream for years afterward (or, like, an hour or two). It's like that scene in Pulp Fiction where Uma Thurman gets an adrenaline injection straight into her chest, but with puppies instead of adrenaline and happy instead of terrifying.
What are the dogs competing for? The Bissell MVP award. I'm pleased to report that this year the prize went away clenched in the underdeveloped jaws of Fumble — an spcaLA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Los Angeles) foster dog, born and bred on the concrete streets of South L.A., clawing his way to the top with typical Angeleno attitude.
All of which you would know if you watched the Puppy Bowl, instead of people doing things in tights.
Don't worry. Puppy Bowl VIII ("The Cutening") may be done, but there will always be Puppies Vs. Babies. (This is an actual Animal Planet TV show.)
Justin Bieber pranks fans, Catwoman pepper sprays Ozzy and the Voice vs. American Idol
Bieber.
- An Ozzy Osbourne impersonator ended up with a face full of pepper spray after harassing the Catwoman on Hollywood Boulevard. So, remember kids, only accept the original in your Ozzy Osbourne needs. (Hat tip: Comics Alliance)
- An excerpt of this was featured in a Super Bowl ad, but you can see OK Go's music video shot in the desert outside L.A. where they used a car to help play instruments and make this video. (You may know OK Go from all their other awesome viral videos.) (Hat tip: Geeks Are Sexy)
- In other Super Bowl ad news, you can compare and contrast the Matthew Broderick pseudo-Ferris Bueller sequel with the original film. (Hat tip: The Daily What)
- Pop Matters reviews They Might Be Giants' recent L.A. show. I saw them a couple years ago and had a blast, but sadly didn't get to check them out this go-round. Here's a classic TMBG TV performance from David Letterman:
- The Atlantic Wire on why "The Voice" isn't as fun as "American Idol." They argue that Idol's nationwide search gives it a more organic feel, while a bunch of singers showing up and instantly performing for L.A. crowds on "The Voice" falls a little flat. (As a devotee of both shows, I claim no allegiances.)
- A fun look back at the straight to cable movie "Mean Guns," shot at downtown's Los Angeles County Prison. Here's a clip:
- What's your favorite part of L.A.? The city wants you to talk about it on their impressive new MyHistoricLA site, which uses a variety of digital tools to make talking about the city fun. (Hat tip: L.A. Observed)
- Not certain what to say about this one. Justin Bieber pranks young women on behalf of... Proactiv? OK, sure. (Hat tip: Justin Bieber's Facebook page. Yes I like Justin Bieber on Facebook.)
Roseanne runs for president, Drake gets sued and comedian Joe Mande trolls politicians
File: Comedian Roseanne Barr speaks during the History and Lifetime portion of the 2011 Summer TCA Tour at the Beverly Hilton on July 27, 2011 in Beverly Hills.
- Rapper Drake is getting sued by his ex-girlfriend Ericka Lee, who says she was promised proceeds from the song "Marvin's Room" after her voice was used on the track. They were supposed to meet in L.A. to work things out, but apparently that didn't happen.
- On the heels of the Riot L.A. festival hitting its Kickstarter goals to bring a new alt comedy festival to town, Los Angeles may be getting its very own comedy podcast festival this October; they're currently raising money on Kickstarter. (Hat tip: The Comedy Bureau)
- Google is testing a mystery "entertainment device" in their Mountain View, California hometown, as well as New York, Cambridge and right here in L.A. Is it something to do with Google TV? I'll bet brain control device. Hey, why do I suddenly feel like Google is the best company ever?
- How does L.A. take care of its public art? L.A. Weekly delivers the answer. (Hat tip: Los Angeles, I'm Yours)
- Before I lived in L.A., I lived in Seattle, and my dad and little brother still live in southern Washington state. My former home is bringing me shame, as, apparently, high school kids aren't all nerds like I was (and by "was," I mean "am") and can't answer pretty simple questions. (This better not be my high school.) (Hat tip: The Daily What)
- Roseanne is running for president in the Green Party. First Stephen Colbert, now Roseanne; I'm hoping that in 2016 we get an all comedy primary. You can follow him on Twitter at @JoeMande.
- Speaking of politics and comedy, comedian Joe Mande has made a name for himself by, in part, trolling celebrities on Twitter. Politico takes a look at some of his attacks on politicians and other political personalities.
- Anthony Bourdain loves food and hates "Midnight In Paris" and "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close." Read the famous chef and excellent writer's thoughts on the desk of the Oscar nominations.
- Finally, a fantastic music video featuring a violinist rocking the score from "The Lord of the Rings." The video was produced in New Zealand and even includes helicopter shots. Quite epic. (Hat tip: The Mary Sue)
American Idol hits Portland, Pee-Wee Herman on Top Chef and Howard Stern hates Jay Leno
Pee-Wee Herman on Bravo's "Top Chef"
- L.A. graffiti artist David Choe got the chance to ply his trade at Facebook headquarters in 2005, for which he was paid with company stock. After their IPO filing, those shares may now be worth $200 million. (If anyone with an awesome social network wants me to go make funny Tumblr pictures or something for them and pay me in stock, let me know!) You can watch Choe below, along with Mark Zuckerberg getting in on the action:
- I think the way artist Geoff McFetridge described this time-lapse video of his art show being put together is pretty appropriate: "Neat!"
Geoff McFetridge at Cal Poly University from University Art Gallery on Vimeo.
- L.A. alt comedy festival Riot managed to hit its Kickstarter goal, raising $20,000 to fund the event. It's already been endorsed by a wide variety of fantastic comedians, so I'm looking forward to seeing how it turns out.
- American Idol went to my old hometown of Portland last night, and you should read Dave Holmes' hilarious recap.
- I don't watch Top Chef, but the fact that Pee-Wee Herman was a guest judge really makes me wish I did. Check out a photo gallery here.
- Apparently Mitt Romney is quoting Thomas Paine as saying something that scholars say he didn't say, so the folks at Buzzfeed suggested some other options for things Romney could say that Paine didn't.
- Buzzfeed also had an article on Romney's Republican primary opponent Newt Gingrich, who apparently edited Callista Gingrich's Wikipedia page 23 times.
- Howard Stern and David Letterman still apparently aren't happy about Jay Leno. On Letterman's 30th anniversary show, they talked about the polarizing late night host while detailing where things are at between Letterman and Leno after their long feud. (I'm a Colbert man, so don't ask me.)
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