Thursday, January 12, 2006

I'm a loser. And slightly creepy.

I've already written an entry about how I somehow manage to become obsessed with anyone I see perform any kind of act in front of me. This ranges from famous singers like Liz Phair and Rilo Kiley to people I saw act in the experimental theater's production of Betty's Summer Vacation at JMU. Somewhere in the middle (probably closer to the collegiate theater majors) are improv celebrities.

I blame my friend Christina for this affliction. She's the one who is slightly obsessed with the people who perform comedy at the Upright Citizen's Brigade theater in New York, and it makes sense because that's what she wants to do. For me, however, it's just silly and weird.

Two summers ago, Christina and I went to the Del Close Comedy Marathon at UCB with our friends Dan and Nicole. It was a lot of fun; we sat in that theater for hours at a time watching some bad improv (hey, it happens!) and some really good improv. We saw Amy Poehler perform. Horatio Sanz talked to us (we think he was drunk). We also saw a majority of the people that are featured on VH1's Best Week Ever.

One of which was Jackie Clarke, who I think was on VH1 a handful of times. I remember her mostly because she performed with Amy Poehler in a show called "Wicked Fuckin' Queeyah" where a group of the actors pretended to be an improv group from Boston. Then Christina showed me her blog, which I still read because it's hilarious, and I frequently comment on her posts. I try to restrain myself when it comes to comments and only leave something that someone else might find amusing, but sometimes I forget. Like, for example, during my drunken rampage on Friday night. Sometime after losing my cell phone I left her a comment on her blog that was not funny and was just weird. Again, I'm a loser.

Jackie has a show on a New York radio station with Jake Fogelnest (whose anger really, really scares me). It's a great show, and I've listened online a few times. But here's the issue: they have this time on the radio station's homepage that allows you to send "instant feedback" to whoever is hosting a show at the time. Of course I send a couple, and Jackie reads one of them on the air. They make a comment about how it's great that someone in Chicago is listening.

Ding! Suddenly, I'm "Tyler from Chicago" and sending several messages later in the week. Again, I'm a loser.

Tonight was a really great show. Julie Klausner of Cat News fame was on the show and hilarious. She had some story about converting to a new religion she called "Jews for Jesus Christ Superstar." Then they played several songs from the Jesus Christ Superstar soundtrack. Several references to Ted Neely and Ben Vereen (Q: "Who hasn't been betrayed by Ben Vereen?" A: "Well, certainly not the scarf industry!") later, I thought to myself, "How can anyone but me find this remotely entertaining?"

By the time Six Degrees Of Andrew Lloyd Webber has brought the trio to a debate over Cats, I send a message that read, "I think Cats is awesome or, dare I say it, jellicle!" About two minutes later, Jackie reads it, and Jake responds with, "I think I'm putting 'jellicle' on the list of words you can't say on the radio." Jackie then says, "I think 'Tyler from Chicago' is no longer allowed to contact us."

Ouch. But hey, it's probably a fair move.

4 comments:

Kelly said...

hahahahahahahhahahahahahahahha
The things you choose to blog about.

Anonymous said...

ahahaha you are a loser.

So am I like your dealer since I got you hooked?

Where's my money bizznizzle?

xoxo
-Skimbleshanks

Anonymous said...

I'm a looser too or at least a closet looser.
I read your blog everyday and you aren't even remotely close to a celebrity. No offense.
Your blogs make me, a complete stranger who should not make anonymous confessions via comments, laugh out loud.
Wish I could blog-stalk someone more famous.

~a random girl

Tyler said...

yes!!! e-stalker!