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☆ In Pee-wee Herman, Joy and Fun Got Flat-Out Weird
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( Jason Zinoman | More About Jason Zinoman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Of all the great flesh-and-blood cartoons of 1980s popular culture — Hulk Hogan, Madonna, Mr. T — the one easiest for small children to relate to was Pee-wee Herman. In reality, Pee-wee Herman was nothing like us at all, a dreamy man-child in a red bow tie whose sugary smile could curl into a punky scowl. A singular piece of comic performance art for a mass audience, Pee-wee Herman stood out in every form he appeared in, from improv theaters to late-night talk shows to the movies to Saturday morning television. His appearances on that most ironic of late-night shows were like invasions from Candy Land. You laughed not because the jokes were funny, but because they were told with such commitment to the fun of it all.

Persons: Hulk Hogan, Madonna, Herman, wee Herman, Paul Reubens, David Letterman, ”, Brother Theodore, Harvey Pekar, Andy Kaufman Locations: Candy

☆ Tony Bennett, masterful stylist of American musical standards, dies at 96
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +14 min

US singer Tony Bennett (Anthony Dominick Benedetto) performs on stage during an invitation only concert at the newly opened Encore Boston Harbor Casino in Everett, Massachusetts on August 8, 2019. "No country has given the world such great music," Bennett said in a 2015 interview with Downbeat Magazine. The evening's performance resulted in the album, "Tony Bennett: MTV Unplugged," which won two Grammys, including album of the year. Bennett would win Grammys for his tributes to female vocalists ("Here's to the Ladies"), Billie Holiday ("Tony Bennett on Holiday"), and Duke Ellington ("Bennett Sings Ellington — Hot & Cool"). He also won two Emmy Awards — for "Tony Bennett Live By Request: A Valentine Special" (1996) and "Tony Bennett: An American Classic" (2007).

Persons: Tony Bennett, Anthony Dominick Benedetto, Bennett, Antonia Benedetto, Frank Sinatra, Lady Gaga, Sylvia Weiner, Bennett didn't, Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, Sinatra, Sinatra's, Cheek, Gaga, Carrie Underwood, Amy Winehouse, Winehouse, Oscar, Amy, Porter, George Gershwin, George Cory, Douglass Cross, Ralph Sharon, Ralph, Danny, David Letterman, Fred Astaire, Elvis Costello, Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington, — Bennett, Louis Armstrong, Barbra Streisand, Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder, Long, Susan Crow Benedetto, Anthony, Anna, James Infirmary, Bel, Miriam Spier, you'll, it's Bing Crosby, Art Tatum, Lester Young, Stan Getz, Joe Bari, Rosemary Clooney, Arthur Godfrey's, Pearl Bailey, Bob Hope, Mitch Miller, Hank Williams, Miller, Chuck Wayne, Chico Hamilton, Art Blakey, Count Basie, Harry Belafonte's, Martin Luther King Jr, Selma, Bennett's, Johnny Mandel's Oscar, Clive Davis, Tony, Bill Evans, Patricia Beech, Sandra Grant, Susan, Johanna, Antonia, Dae, —, Benedetto — Organizations: Associated Press, American, MTV, Ellington, New, Frank Sinatra School of, Arts, Armed Forces Network, Armed Forces Radio, American Theater, Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts, Greenwich Village, Paramount Theater, Sinatra, Columbia Records, Count Basie Orchestra, Army, Civil Rights Movement, Carnegie Hall, Columbia, IRS, Kennedy, National Endowment, Arts Jazz, Smithsonian Museum of American Locations: Everett , Massachusetts, Francisco, New York, San Francisco, Little Rock , Arkansas, Astoria, New York City, Queens, Italian, Germany, Greenwich, Montgomery, Los Angeles

☆ The Twitter Watch Party Is Over
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( James Poniewozik | More About James Poniewozik | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Like foil-tray frozen meals, which were used by airlines before Swanson branded them as “TV dinners,” Twitter was not initially invented to be an adjunct to the tube. It made the entire world into an improv “Mystery Science Theater.”There were, of course, many Twitters existing in parallel: Politics Twitter, Sports Twitter, Black Twitter, Weird Twitter. But Twitter and TV went together like extreme weather and marine predators. When the first sets were rolled out as curiosities in the 1940s, spectators gathered in bars to watch boxing matches. Twitter made the watch party global.

Persons: ” Organizations: Swanson, Twitter, Science, Sports Twitter

☆ This Little Amsterdam Improv Club Launched Big American Careers
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( Nina Siegal | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Seth Meyers had no idea what to expect when he got a job in 1997 performing at a fledgling comedy club in Amsterdam called Boom Chicago. He was in his early 20s, and had never traveled outside of the United States. He had to apply for a passport. “I knew not one thing about the Netherlands,” he said in a recent interview. “My first thought was to get some good hiking shoes, I guess because I thought I was going to Switzerland.

Persons: Seth Meyers, “, ”, ” Meyers didn’t Locations: Amsterdam, Boom Chicago, United States, Netherlands, Switzerland

☆ Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Wants to Be President. Cheryl Hines Is Along for the Ride.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-10 | by ( Caitlin Moscatello | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

In her first interview since her husband announced his candidacy, Ms. Hines initially appeared at ease. She has done hundreds of interviews throughout her career, and as a seasoned improv actress, is known to be quick on her feet and sharply funny. In some ways, answering questions from a stranger is just another form of: “Yes, and.” With improv, “it’s challenging because you don’t know what’s coming next. You don’t know what the audience is going to shout out,” she said. (Instagram reinstated Mr. Kennedy’s personal account earlier this month, because of his candidacy.)

Persons: Hines, “, ”, Instagram, Anne Frank, “ S.S.R.I.s, Kennedy, Suzanne Todd, Alec Baldwin Organizations: Children’s Health Defense, 5G, The Times Locations: Los Angeles, Washington, Hitler’s Germany, Switzerland

☆ Secrets of a superyacht and private jet chef
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Francesca Street | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +19 min

She loves cooking, traveling and adventure, so she’s working her dream job. So captains or crew would recommend me, clients would recommend me to their friends.” Grace Dvornik, private chef“I was hired as a chef right away on a 64-foot sailing yacht,” says Dvornik. “In my personal experience, I haven’t had many celebrities.”As well as accommodating a range of clients, Dvornik has also acclimatized to a revolving door of colleagues-slash-roommates. While yacht crew are usually confined below deck, Dvornik says there are opportunities to enjoy the perks of living on a superyacht. But working in private aviation, Dvornik gets to spend a bit more time exploring.

Persons: Grace Dvornik, Dvornik didn’t, Dvornik, Dvornik’s, “, ”, “ It’s, Dvornik “, she’d, ” Grace Dvornik, ” Dvornik, She’s, she’s, “ I’ve, she’ll, there’s, ’, haven’t, I’m, deckhands, –, It’s, ” Dvornik’s, they’ve, ” “ I’ve, Grace Dvornik Dvornik, it’s, ” She’ll, ” She’s, “ I’m Organizations: CNN, Ashburton Chefs Academy, George Brown College Chef School, J, Bravo, ” Yacht Locations: Caribbean, Bahamas, superyachts, Clearwater , Florida, Toronto, Canada, Wyoming, “, ”, Italy

☆ Daveed Diggs and Awkwafina Discuss ‘The Little Mermaid’
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Leah Greenblatt | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

He was 7-years-old when “The Little Mermaid” became a surprise animation hit and soundtrack juggernaut in 1989, and she was still a baby. Now they’re co-starring in the director Rob Marshall’s ambitious live-action reimagining, currently in theaters: Diggs, 41, as the sympathetic crab Sebastian, and Awkwafina, 34, as the birdbrained gull Scuttle. The pair discuss on-set rap battles, supporting the new Mermaid Halle Bailey and the art of stealing scenes by the seashore. How do you navigate the legacy of Samuel Wright and Buddy Hackett, the actors who originated the voice roles of Sebastian and Scuttle, without being weighed down by it? There was a way to do these characters that is just on the book, but Rob [Marshall] really facilitated a good environment to bring our own selves into it and improv.

Persons: Tony, “ Hamilton, Daveed Diggs, Nora Lum, they’re, Rob Marshall’s, Diggs, Sebastian, Halle Bailey, Samuel Wright, Buddy Hackett, Rob, Marshall Organizations: Rich Asians, Disney

☆ Phil Hartman: 25 years after the actor’s tragic death, his work still resonates
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-28 | by ( Lisa Respers France | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Twenty-five years after Phil Hartman’s tragic death, his memorable comedic work still brings joy to audiences. That work included eight seasons on “Saturday Night Live,” where his impressions of Frank Sinatra and President Bill Clinton set a gold standard. (From left) Dennis Miller, Jon Lovitz and Phil Hartman during the 'Weekend Update' segment on "Saturday Night Live" in December 1986. He was the actor [and] entertainer, and then he was the recluse.”“Seeing Phil at The Groundlings was Phil being truly Phil,” she added. In an interview shortly before his death, Hartman reflected on his appreciation for his life and the success he had found.

☆ How 86 Episodes of ‘The Office’ Solidified Their Connection
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Valeriya Safronova | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

She and Ms. Ramseur were active members of the Washington Improv Theater in Washington, D.C. Ms. Ali was a student at the theater with far less experience than Ms. Ramseur. “I thought there’s no way she wants to perform with a low-level student,” Ms. Ali said. “I was not asking her out,” Ms. Ramseur said. The pandemic had pushed Ms. Ramseur to reflect deeply on her life.

☆ Don't tell your boss 'no', says The Workplace Therapist—use this 2-word phrase instead: 'Borrow from our friends in improv'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Aditi Shrikant | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Oftentimes the consequence of being a reliable, effective worker is … more work. And, while the reputation of being productive is generally a good thing, even the most organized, go-getter can't do it all. If your boss consistently asks you to take on tasks for which you don't have the bandwidth, it's okay to say "no" sometimes, says Brandon Smith, a therapist and career coach known as The Workplace Therapist. Denying a request from a person who has some control of your income is understandably nerve wracking. "You always want to treat a boss like the number one client or customer," Smith says.

☆ 'Barry' creator Bill Hader describes 'incredibly lucky' 'SNL' break: 'It was preschool to Harvard overnight'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Nicolas Vega | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Before he was an Emmy-winning actor for his critically acclaimed "Barry," Bill Hader struggled to get the career he wanted. Instead, it's been a matter of being in the right place at the right time. In a recent interview with the New Yorker, Hader recalls how he moved to Los Angles in 1999 with aspirations of one day being a director. He spent most of his 20s working as a production assistant, a postproduction assistant and then as an assistant editor on a reality TV show. The "Superbad" actor decided to take improv classes on the recommendation of a friend, and quickly saw his fortunes turn around.

☆ Comedy Is in Their (Identical) DNA
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Anna Grace Lee | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

For middle and high school, the twins attended magnet arts schools. “We had no sports teams, but we did have drugs!” Annabel said, with a jazzy emphasis. “But we were theater majors,” Sabina chimed in, walking the story back a bit. They have differing accounts of high school: Sabina says Annabel was “Miss Popular.” Annabel denies this. Sabina was a Tumblr girl who wore creepers and big T-shirts from the men’s section of Urban Outfitters.

☆ Why the producers of 'Queer Eye' and Peacock's 'Swedish Death Cleaning' show believe they're 'in a really good position' to ride out a Hollywood writers' strike
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

"Queer Eye" creator Scout Productions is betting its time is now, with a Hollywood writers' strike looming. It's working with Kristen Stewart on a "super-gay ghost hunting" reality series, as the star touted it on Instagram. It's also plotting a return to its scripted content roots. "They are very Scout shows in our storytelling process, but they're also shows that fit, that can be international, they can be domestic only. Joel Chiodi, head of documentaries and SVP of strategic development, contended that Scout's content "may not be broad, but we're enough in the mainstream, just pushing a little more."

☆ From 'Queer Eye' to gay ghost hunters, Scout Productions execs reveal how they built a reality TV powerhouse that's well armed for a Hollywood writers' strike
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Reality TV powerhouse Scout Productions is betting its time is now, with a Hollywood writers' strike looming. It's working with Kristen Stewart on a "super-gay ghost hunting" reality series, as the star touted it on Instagram. The company also revealed to Insider that it's developing an unscripted series with Janelle Monáe and her production company, Wondaland. It's also plotting a return to its scripted content roots. "They are very Scout shows in our storytelling process, but they're also shows that fit, that can be international, they can be domestic only.

☆ Ex-Bon Appétit editor Marissa Ross says the wine world ruined her. Now she's back and ready to give it hell.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Anna Silman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +40 min

Her rise was tied to a period of reinvention for the wine world during which natural wine conquered millennial taste buds and became ubiquitous on menus across the US. Marissa Ross, Bon Appétit's wine editor from 2016 to 2020, often posted pictures of herself chugging straight from the bottle — a technique she called "The Ross test." "Natural wine," a nebulous term that generally refers to wine made with minimal intervention and without additives like sulfites, was tentatively entering the American wine world. Many in the wine world took the idea that you didn't have to be educated to know about wine as a personal insult. When she first told BA that she planned to cover only natural wines, Ross said, Rapoport called to try to change her mind.

☆ CRV partner Anna Khan shares the 5 key elements of a successful startup pitch and the one mistake founders should avoid
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Stephanie Palazzolo | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

But for CRV general partner Anna Khan, pitches boil down to five key elements and one to avoid. Here's Insider's exclusive chat with the investor about what she looks for in a startup pitch. The CRV general partner recently tweeted about a founder who thanked her for being engaged during his startup pitch, saying, "Most people just stare at me for 30 minutes and then pass a week later." The investor shared with Insider what she considers the five elements of a successful startup pitch — and one popular rule of thumb that founders should avoid. Interestingly enough, having a large legacy competitor isn't necessarily a bad thing for vertical-software startups, Khan said.

☆ I moved to Florida for cheaper housing and lower taxes, plus I'm avoiding downsides like traffic and crowds
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Jordan Pandy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Tony Stanol moved to Sarasota, Florida from California and prefers the East Coast oasis. They sold their 3,500-square-foot home in Calabasas for $1.2 million, according to Stanol, and have been renting a 2,400-square-foot home in Sarasota, Florida for nine years. I'm from New Jersey, worked in New York for most of my career, and raised a family in Connecticut. Once my two daughters had graduated and were out of the house, my wife and I were empty nesters in Calabasas. I've been renting in Florida for nine yearsWe sold our house in Calabasas for $1.2 million.

☆ Justice Jackson working on a memoir, titled ‘Lovely One’
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson is working on a memoir. Jackson, the first Black woman appointed to the court, is calling the book “Lovely One.”“Mine has been an unlikely journey,” Jackson said in a statement released Thursday by Random House. This memoir marries the public record of my life with what is less known. Jackson joined the court last year after President Joe Biden named her to succeed the retiring Stephen Breyer. Justice Amy Coney Barrett has a deal with the Penguin Random House imprint Sentinel.

☆ I'm a writer for "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert." It was an incredibly difficult road to get here — here's my advice for other immigrants who want to break into a creative industry.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Eboni Boykin-Patterson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

He says that while being a comedy writer helps him make light of it, the system could be better. Being an immigrant comedy writer or comedian is so absurd. I recently got married to an American comedy writer, and she writes for "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver." Applying to be a late-night writer is a pretty secretive processMost late-night shows will invite you to submit a sample. That spun up "The Colbert Report," and then all the other late-night shows after that always had an opinion on politics.

☆ I work as a Christmas elf in Arizona dancing and chatting about Santa to visitors
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-25 | by ( Jamie Killin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

I'm an aspiring dancer and actor, and I auditioned for the Christmas elf role in early October through my school. I'm working as a holiday elf at Enchant, a holiday celebration sponsored by the Hallmark Channel in eight U.S. cities. Enchant Christmas features a 100-foot Christmas tree and a maze where guests can find sculptures of each of the nine reindeer. Enchant Christmas ScottsdaleWe also tell the kids stories about how we got to the Phoenix area from the North Pole. My friends and family have come to see me at work s so it's a great experience all around.

☆ 'Kenan & Kel' actor Kel Mitchell on the upcoming 'Good Burger' sequel, mentoring new child stars as 'Uncle Kel,' and the controversial producer Dan Schneider
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( William Antonelli | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +17 min

Nickelodeon legend Kel Mitchell spoke to Insider this week about his career and the upcoming sequel to "Good Burger." The two also co-starred in "Good Burger," a 1997 comedy film that's become a cult classic among millennials and Gen Zers. Scholastic/PBS; Titmouse/Disney Television AnimationSpeaking of animated work, last year, Brian Robbins [director of "Good Burger" and Paramount Pictures CEO] said that he wanted to create a "Good Burger" animated series. I met a couple that said that [seeing "Good Burger"] was their first date, and then they got married, and now every anniversary they go and see "Good Burger" because it's part of their life, so it's so deep to me. Ex-Nickelodeon producer Dan Schneider (top-left) posing for a photo with Kel Mitchell and the cast of the show "Game Shakers."

☆ I'm the guy behind 'Pizza Rat.' The 7-year-old viral video still makes me money, got me my current job, and may even pay for my future home.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-13 | by ( Andrew Ward | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Matt Little is a creative director from New York whose "Pizza Rat" video went viral in 2015. He says going viral didn't change his financial situation completely, but it makes him money today. A clip of "Pizza Rat" on the move, from Little's 2015 YouTube video. If you've seen Pizza Rat on late-night TV, ads, or events, it's likely been legally signed off by a licensing firm and me. Jukin helps find requests I get for the Pizza Rat video and brand, handles unlicensed usage, and helps ensure essential negotiation specifics are in deals.

☆ Druski on staying 'that number one go-to guy for comedy,' and business advice from Drake
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( John Lynch | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

Like I just can't imagine falling off or having a short career, or just not being that number one go-to guy for comedy, you know? And yeah, he's ... bro, that dude has mastered ... [laugh], like, the art of everything, you know? And yeah, he's just such an inspiration, and it's great to have him as a friend. Oh yeah, definitely. So it's like, y'all can't no longer say it don't equivilate to real money, 'cause, hey, look at us know, you know I'm saying?

☆ An audiobook narrator for authors like Margaret Atwood and Elena Ferrante says any self-starter can break into the field and make a lucrative living — but the work can be draining
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( Elizabeth Alterman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Huber shared what goes into cultivating a career as a successful audiobook narrator. "I narrated a book and I read about three-quarters of it, and then I was like: 'You know, I'm good. "There's this idea among newer narrators that seasoned narrators are getting $600 an hour, and that is not the case. It's possible for an experienced audiobook narrator working full time to earn in the low six figures, Huber added. But even before considering that step, Huber suggested reading a book aloud for a long stretch.

☆ Mike Birbiglia's Broadway show explores life's big questions
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Marianne Garvey | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —At one point during Mike Birbiglia’s new Broadway show, “The Old Man and The Pool,” he jokingly scolds the audience for laughing over a story about the death of a man in a YMCA pool. One after another, someone’s howl becomes contagious, and the laughter keeps going for several minutes as Birbiglia watches. “The Old Man and the Pool” has been in Birbiglia’s mind in some version for about six years now. I think at the time it was called ‘The YMCA Pool.’ And then we were shut down. “There’s no answer to any of it.”“The Old Man and The Pool” is currently playing at Lincoln Center in New York City.

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