Barenaked Ladies, Comedy Analytics, and The Curse of Ambition

Hey all!

Happy Friday Saturday. I have to say, I’ve really come to enjoy writing these puppies. I hope you’re enjoying reading them. Readership numbers are small, but it’s a wonderful and mighty group.

What I’ve Been Listening To

Two things this week.

First is “Moves” by Suki Waterhouse. I genuinely love this song. It’s got great energy, and is a very nice passive listen. It also made me Google “who is Suzi Quatro?”, so it’s educational. Suki Waterhouse’s music on the whole isn’t really my cup of tea, but in this instance she hit the ball out of the park.

Second is the medley from this year’s Barenaked Ladies tour. Every tour, they end their set with a medley of current pop songs, which I really appreciated when I saw them in 2015 and only knew like four of their songs. This medley actually sounds like shit but low-key BNL genuinely rocks. I KNOW you know the big radio hits, but their discography has so many other gems. Brian Wilson? The Old Apartment? C’mon! I think the bassist of BNL is the happiest person in the entertainment industry. He dances and smiles and lives a full life.

What I’ve Been Watching

I’m still watching English Teacher, and it continues to impress. Start watching now and talk to me about it later.

Thoughts on Various Topics

• Whiplash: I saw the ten-year anniversary re-release of Whiplash (2014) last Friday. Man, what a movie. As someone who pursues a lofty goal, I love any movie that’s centered around the pursuit of greatness. Obviously there’s so much problematic about the way JK Simmon’s character treats Miles Teller’s character, but honestly if someone is already that broken (which Andrew was) and wants to be the greatest that badly, then fine… enter into this abusive teacher/pupil relationship. Your personal life will suffer, but at least you’ll be the GOAT.

• Survivor: I’ve been toying with making an audition video for Survivor. I have no experience camping, nor do I love the outdoors, but I enjoy physical challenges and navigating interpersonal relationships and social dynamics. I’m not sure if I’m eligible though, since I was technically a CBS employee as recently as 2023 (Tooning Out The News bb). I think I could make the merge, and possibly the final three.

Comedy Updates/Upcoming Shows

• I posted a sketch last week! It’s a parody of when someone posts a video of themselves pretending to be on the phone and saying their boyfriend/girlfriend’s favorite words. My lovely other half voiced the girlfriend in the sketch. She was also in charge of hair and make-up. But don’t get it twisted, I was still number one on the call sheet. Watch it, like it, share it. It’s been punished mightily by the Tik Tok algorithm presumably because I say the words “Islamic Jihadist Terrorism.”

• My last sketch, Blind Taste Test, was featured in data analyst/comedy aficionado David Zucker’s newsletter. David used to work for Tik Tok, and now is a marketing consultant for comedians. I’ve learned so much from reading his newsletter and was thrilled to be included in it.

• I recently spoke with an agent about representation! That’s cool. I currently have a manager, but no agent. What’s the difference, you ask? Unclear. This guy can supposedly book me gigs. Keep your fingers crossed for me that it works out.

Anyways, I have a few shows coming up.

10.4 Little Secrets @ UCB

That’s it for me!

I hope you enjoyed this week’s stuff. I’ll be back next week with more stuff.

Love,

JVH