Coordinates: 34°5′52.8″N 118°21′52.1″W / 34.098°N 118.364472°W / 34.098; -118.364472

Original Laugh Factory in Hollywood, CA

The Laugh Factory is a world famous comedy club located at 8001 on the Sunset Strip in Hollywood, California.

History[link]

This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (August 2010)

In 1979, after a dispute over club owners refusing to pay comedians, a then 16 year old Jamie Masada recognized the need for a new venue for comedians to perform. After obtaining a loan of $10,000 from Neal Israel, he opened the Laugh Factory in a building formerly belonging to Groucho Marx.^[1] Recognizing his passion for comedy, Richard Pryor was the first comedian to perform on the now famous Laugh Factory stage. When Jamie attempted to pay him, Pryor instead handed him a $100 bill and wrote on it, "You need this for your rent, boy."

From that point on the Laugh Factory has grown to be one of the most famous comedy clubs in the world. USA Today has cited it as being the #1 comedy club in the country. It has and continues to be a launching pad for the careers of many stars. Mr. Masada still comes in almost every day and attends Tuesday Open Mic Nights to screen possible comedians for the Laugh Factory stage. The Laugh Factory now has two locations, both located in California: Laugh Factory in Hollywood, California and Long Beach, California.^[2]

Jamie Masada[link]

Masada's work with underprivileged children won him a NAACP Freedom Award, The Ellis Island Medal of Honor for humanitarian efforts, as well as the ACLU Freedom of Speech Award, among many others. Every year since 1979, Masada has opened his club for Thanksgiving and Christmas, dishing up free dinners to the homeless and up-and-coming artists, as well as providing some much-needed comic relief. Additionally, Masada sponsors free services during Judaism’s High Holy Days. A highly sought after comedy consultant, he served as a producer for Damon Wayans' film, Behind the Smile (2006) – shot on location at the Laugh Factory’s Hollywood location – and Disney’s RocketMan (1997). Currently in development are the feature films Blackxican, in association with Paul Rodriguez and Paul Mooney; and, with Dom Irrera, Goombas of Comedy. Masada created and is currently executive producer of Supreme Court of Comedy, a half-hour, unscripted series he developed and which is currently entering its fourth season on DirecTV. Masada was also a casting consultant for Fox's In Living Color (1990-94), a ground-breaking and sometimes controversial series which showcased African-American humor, music and culture. Masada was instrumental in championing the casting of both Jim Carrey (one of the few White cast members) and Jamie Foxx, not only helping to ensure the success of the show, but fast-tracking the two aspiring, young comedians’ careers. On radio, Masada launched Laugh Factory Joke of the Day in 1987. Syndicated on Premiere Radio, it reached over 29 million listeners a day during an 18-year run. Masada also enjoyed a successful run as a magazine publisher, launching the Laugh Factory Magazine in 1983. Self-published for the first two years, Warner Publishing then began distributing the magazine nationally until 1996.

Masada has also gained widespread notoriety as a producer of such live events as the 1985’s Comedy March on Washington. Campaigning for the president to launch a comedian into space, Masada – joined by Bob Hope, Phyllis Diller and Redd Foxx, among others – marched down Pennsylvania Avenue in the nation’s capital. He drew so much media attention that President Reagan asked Hope to arrange a meeting. Masada’s marketing has always merged good causes with promotion. As the country was gripped with the fear of the AIDS epidemic, the Laugh Factory was the first business in America to provide condoms to its customers. Further innovations included inaugurating Latino-, African-American-, Asian- and Women-themed club nights ^[3]

Philanthropy[link]

In addition to being world renowned for its high caliber comedy, the Laugh Factory is also recognized as one of the comedy industry leaders in donating to charitable causes as well as organizing charitable events. They have worked closely with the Red Cross and USO amongst many others. Charity fundraisers held at the club in 2010 include Cops For Causes, Comics Without Borders, Wounded Warriors, Middle Eastern Comedy Fest, and Stand Up For Pakistan. In 2011, the Laugh Factory ushered in the Jewish New Year by providing free High Holiday Services to the Jewish community. This was the 29th year that the Laugh Factory opened its doors to the Jewish community for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Jamie Masada, owner of the Laugh Factory said, “Two of the main reasons I love doing this is because it gives so many members of the Jewish community a chance to return to their traditions, and it gives so many actors, writers, and comedians who can’t afford to join a temple a place to pray for the holidays.” Services are conducted in the Reform Jewish tradition by Rabbi Bob Jacobs. All expenses for the services and the free "break the fast" at the conclusion of Yom Kippur are paid for by Jamie Masada, and donations are refused.^[4]

Comedy Camp[link]

In 1985, Masada created Laugh Factory’s Comedy Camp for underprivileged kids. To date, he has worked with more than 1,000 disadvantaged children, ages 9–16, from lower-income neighborhoods. Meeting for 10 Saturdays each summer, top comedians including Tim Allen, Jim Carrey, Dave Chappelle, Dane Cook, Jamie Foxx, George Lopez, Jon Lovitz, Richard Pryor, Chris Rock, Paul Rodriguez, Bob Saget, Adam Sandler, Chris Tucker, Damon Wayans and Shawn Wayans, among others – coach the youth, who also enjoy food and field trips.

The mentoring and encouragement that kids receive at Comedy Camp instills them with the confidence required in public speaking and to achieve their dreams. “Laughter is healing,” says Masada, who refers to them as “my kids,” maintains a relationship with many of them throughout the years and is a “Hebrew Kris Kringle” during the holidays.

Laugh Factory TV[link]

A weekly stand-up comedy series originating from the Hollywood location, Comic Strip: Live, aired late Saturday nights on the Fox network from 1989–1994. The series was hosted by John Mulrooney (1989), Gary Kroeger (1990–91) and Wayne Cotter (1991–94). For a seven-month period starting in November 1990, the show was renamed Comic Strip: Late Night to differentiate it from a short-lived Sunday prime-time spinoff, which featured weekly guest hosts and originated from other locations.

The Laugh Bowl[link]

Among events currently hosted at the Laugh Factory is the annual Laugh Bowl search for young talent, a competition held each November between rival Southern California Universities, UCLA and USC. The Laugh Bowl creator and executive producer, Daron Moore, is the Marketing Director for the Laugh Factory and launched the first live show in November 2009. The Laugh Factory camera crew captures students’ comedy routines, posts the footage online and opens voting. The top-five finalists from each school compete onstage at the club before a panel of professional comedians and industry professionals, with the winner receiving a gig at the Laugh Factory, their name and school name up on the Sunset Boulevard marquee and $5,000 in Laugh Factory gift certificates. The winner’s school receives the Laugh Bowl trophy and bragging rights for the year as the college with the best sense of humor. Past industry judges have included Jamie Masada, Ari Levin, Rick Messina, Jonathan Groce, Brad DeLima and past comedian judges have included Bobby Lee, Tom Dreesen, Maz Jobrani, Neal Brennan, and Chris Kid Reed.

Lowie at the Laugh Factory[link]

"Lowie at The Laugh Factory" was a once a week comedy show presented by the Laugh Factory in Hollywood. The show was hosted by Craig Low with co-host Daron Moore. Craig Low is an Australian comedian, TV host, radio host, and writer and is better known to the public as “Lowie”. Laugh Factory producer Daron Moore also served as the show's executive producer. The show was produced at CBS Radio and broadcast on over 57 Australian radio stations from 6pm-8pm on Sundays. The show was also uploaded to iTunes for podcast with the potential of American distribution. The two-hour show was broken down into three parts. The first hour contained content generated from comedy shows at the Laugh Factory. This hour was broken down into four segments: "Fresh Faces" - where Australian listeners hear routines from new comics and vote for their favorite, "The Black Pack" - a segment composed of clips from well known African American comics, "Tom Arnold & Paul Mooney on Life" - where listeners hear Tom or Paul share funny and crazy experiences from their lives, and "The Laugh Factory Top 3" - which was a countdown of the top three jokes on a particular subject. The second hour revolved around a different headlining comic such as Tim Allen, Dane Cook, and Kevin Nealon. They are interviewed and have segments from their routine played over the air. A new headlining comic was chosen each week. Lastly, each show ended with a word of advice from the clubs owner and founder Jamie Masada.^[5]

Laugh Factory Productions[link]

Laugh Factory Productions is the new media arm of Laugh Factory, Inc. It manages the site www.laughfactory.com and The Laugh Factory's video channel on YouTube. As of November 2010, the channel has over 8.5 million video views and 13,000 subscribers.

In addition to stand up comedy Laugh Factory Productions has several ongoing original web-series. In "The Kevin Nealon Show," comedians are interviewed after their set. "Paul and Paul on..." features Paul Mooney and Paul Rodriguez riffing on the latest in pop culture news. The behind the scenes series "Laugh Factory Backstage" provides a look into The Laugh Factory regular comics' personal histories.

Michael Richards incident[link]

The Laugh Factory made headlines when Michael Richards went into a racist outburst toward two black men who were heckling him during a November 17, 2006 standup comedy routine at the venue. In response to the Michael Richards incident, The Laugh Factory banned comedians from using the word "nigger" in their acts. The first known incident involving this new rule involved Damon Wayans (himself an African-American), who used the word 16 times in a 20 minute show. He was fined $320 ($20 for each offense) and given a 3-month ban from the club.^[6] The ban actually lasted just a month as he was back performing in January.^[7]

Endurance Record[link]

The Laugh Factory keeps track of an endurance record for the comedian who can deliver the longest single set at the prestigious club. The record-holding performances are listed below:

Guinness World Record[link]

On December 8, 2010 at 4:38pm the Laugh Factory broke the Guinness World Record for Longest Continuous Stand Up Comedy Show (Multiple Comedians).^[8] The record was previously held by Comic Strip Live, who set the original record of 50 hours. The Laugh Factory surpassed 50 hours on Wednesday and continued non-stop until 10:38pm Thursday December 9 when they stopped and set a new record of 80 hours. Dom Irrera was on stage when the record was broken, and Deon Cole was on stage when the new record was set. The event, titled "Toy to the World," was paired with a Toy Drive for Children's Hospital. Over 130 different comedians performed and the event was live-streamed over the internet.

Notable alumni[link]

Comedians who have performed in the club include:

Many other comedians not on this list have also credited the Laugh Factory in contributing to their career.

Schedule[link]

The Laugh Factory weekly schedule currently runs as follows:

References[link]

External links[link]

• Laugh Factory official site
• Laugh Factory schedule
• "Jamie Masada". Carl Kozlowski. http://www.lacitybeat.com/cms/story/detail/jamie_masada/3882/. Retrieved 2009-06-22. ^{[dead link]}
• Josef Adalian (2007-04-16). "Chappelle pulls all-nighter at Factory". Variety. http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117963202.html?categoryid=14&cs=1. 

Dave Chappelle
Dave Chappelle, 2007
Birth name	David Khari Webber Chappelle
Born	(1973-08-24) August 24, 1973 (age 38) Washington, D.C., U.S.[1]
Medium	Stand-up, television, film
Nationality	American
Years active	1987–present
Genres	Satire/political satire, improvisational comedy, observational comedy, surreal humor, sketch comedy, black comedy, blue comedy
Subject(s)	Racism, race relations, American politics, African American culture, pop culture, recreational drug use, human sexuality, morality
Influences	Richard Pryor,[2] Eddie Murphy,[2] Mel Blanc,[2] Chris Rock[3]
Spouse	Elaine Chappelle (2001–present) 3 children
Notable works and roles	Himself and Various in Chappelle's Show Himself in Dave Chappelle's Block Party Achoo in Robin Hood: Men in Tights Thurgood Jenkins in Half Baked
Signature

David Khari Webber "Dave" Chappelle^[4] (/ʃəˈpɛl/; born August 24, 1973)^[1] is an American comedian, screenwriter, television/film producer, actor, and artist. Chappelle began his film career in the film Robin Hood: Men in Tights in 1993 and continued to star in minor roles in the films The Nutty Professor, Con Air, and Blue Streak. His first lead role in a film was in Half Baked in 1998. In 2003, he became widely known for his popular sketch comedy television series, Chappelle's Show, which ran until his abrupt retirement from the show in 2005. Chappelle is ranked forty-third in Comedy Central Presents: 100 Greatest Stand-Ups of All Time.^[5]

Early life[link]

Chappelle was born David Khari Webber Chappelle in Washington, D.C. on August 24, 1973.^[1][2] His father, William David Chappelle III, was a professor at Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio.^[2] His mother, Yvonne (née Reed), was a professor at Howard University, Prince George's Community College, and the University of Maryland and is also a Unitarian Universalist minister.^[6][7][8] Chappelle grew up in Silver Spring, Maryland and attended Woodlin Elementary School.^[2] During young Chappelle's formative years, his comic inspiration came from various comedians, particularly Eddie Murphy and Richard Pryor.^[2]

After his parents separated, Chappelle stayed in Washington with his mother while spending summers with his father in Ohio. In 1991, he graduated from Washington's Duke Ellington School of the Arts where he studied theatre arts.^[2]

Chappelle moved to New York City to pursue a career as a comedian. He gathered the courage to perform at Harlem's famed Apollo Theater in front of the infamous "Amateur Night" audience. The performance resulted in him being booed off the stage. Chappelle has described the experience as the moment that gave him the courage to continue his show business aspirations.^[2] He quickly made a name for himself in the New York comedy circuit, even performing in the city's parks. At the age of 19, Chappelle made his film debut as "Ahchoo" in Mel Brooks' Robin Hood: Men in Tights. In the same year, Chappelle was offered the role of Benjamin Buford "Bubba" Blue in Forrest Gump. Concerned about what seemed to be a racially demeaning character, he turned down the part; the film would go on to win Academy Award for Best Picture that year. He has since admitted to regretting the decision.^[9] Chappelle played another supporting movie role in 1994's little-seen Getting In.

He attracted the attention of TV network executives and developed numerous pilots but none of them were picked up for series.^[2][10] In 1995, he made a guest appearance in an episode of ABC's highly rated sitcom Home Improvement. The storyline had Chappelle and real-life friend comedian Jim Breuer ask Tim Taylor for advice on their girlfriends. The characters' single outing in the episode proved so popular that ABC decided to give them their own spin-off sitcom titled Buddies. However, after taping a pilot episode, Jim Breuer was fired and replaced with actor Christopher Gartin. Buddies premiered in March 1996 to disappointing ratings. The show was cancelled after only four episodes out of thirteen that were produced. Nine years later, in May 2005, ten of the episodes were released on a single-disc DVD to capitalize on Chappelle's new-found fame.

After the failure of Buddies, Chappelle starred in another pilot. According to Chappelle, the network was uncomfortable with the African-American cast and wanted white actors added. Chappelle resisted and subsequently accused the network of racism. Shortly after this incident, Chappelle's father died. Chappelle returned to Ohio and considered leaving the entertainment business.^[2][10]

He later appeared as a nightclub comedian in the 1996 comedy The Nutty Professor starring Eddie Murphy, one of his major comedic influences. He also had a minor role in 1997's Con Air. He and Neal Brennan co-wrote the 1998 cult stoner film Half Baked, Chappelle's first starring role, about a group of marijuana-smoking friends trying to get their friend out of jail. That same year, he appeared in "Pilots and Pens Lost", a 1998 episode of The Larry Sanders Show's sixth season, in which he and the executives of the show's nameless television network satirized the treatment to which scriptwriters and show creators were subjected, as well as the executives' knee-jerk tendencies toward racial stereotypes. In December of that year Chappelle appeared as Tom Hanks' friend and confidant in You've Got Mail. In 1999, he appeared in the Martin Lawrence film Blue Streak.

In 2000, Chappelle recorded his first HBO special, Dave Chappelle: Killin' Them Softly, in Washington, DC.^[11] He followed this up with an appearance as "Conspiracy Brother" in the 2002 racial satire Undercover Brother.

[edit] 2003–2006: Standup and Chappelle's Show

In 2003, Chappelle debuted his own weekly sketch comedy show on Comedy Central called Chappelle's Show. The show parodied many aspects of American culture including racial stereotypes, politics and pop culture. Along with comedy skits, the show also featured musical performances by mostly hip-hop and soul artists.

Chappelle's pointed social and political commentary quickly helped the show garner critical and commercial success as well as controversy.^[10][12] Richard Pryor, one of Chappelle's comedic influences, was a fan of the show and stated that he had "passed the torch" to Chappelle.^[10] Chappelle received two Emmy nominations for the show.^[13] Additionally, the DVD set became the best-selling DVD of a television show to date, overtaking the previous best-selling, The Simpsons first season DVD. It had sold over 3 million copies.^[14] Due to the show's popularity, Comedy Central's parent company Viacom reportedly offered Chappelle a $55 million contract (giving Chappelle a share of DVD sales) to continue production of Chappelle's Show for two more years while allowing him to do side projects. Chappelle had stated that sketches are not his favorite form of comedy, and that the characteristics of the show's format were somewhat like short films.

In June 2004, based on the popularity of the "Rick James" sketch, it was announced that Chappelle was in talks to portray Rick James in a biopic from Paramount Pictures (also owned by Viacom).^[15] James's estate disagreed with the proposed comical tone of the film and put a halt to the talks.^[16]

In 2004, Chappelle recorded his second comedy special, this time airing on Showtime - Dave Chappelle: For What It's Worth, at San Francisco's Fillmore Auditorium.^[17]

Season three turbulence[link]

In a June 2004 stand-up performance in Sacramento, California, Chappelle walked off the stage after berating his audience for constantly shouting "I'm Rick James, bitch!," which became a catchphrase from the popular "Rick James" sketch. After a few minutes, Chappelle returned and continued by saying, "The show is ruining my life." He stated that he disliked working "20 hours a day" and that the popularity of the show was making it difficult for him to continue his stand-up career, which was "the most important thing" to him. He also told the audience:

You know why my show is good? Because the network officials say you're not smart enough to get what I'm doing, and every day I fight for you. I tell them how smart you are. Turns out, I was wrong. You people are stupid.^[18]

Season 3 was scheduled to air on May 31, 2005, but in that month, Chappelle stunned fans and the entertainment industry when he abruptly left during production of the third season of Chappelle's Show and took a trip to South Africa. Chappelle has since stated that he was unhappy with the direction the show had taken.

Coming here I don't have the distractions of fame. It quiets the ego down. I'm interested in the kind of person I've got to become. I want to be well rounded and the industry is a place of extremes. I want to be well balanced. I've got to check my intentions, man.^[19]

Return[link]

In June 2005, Chappelle performed impromptu stand-up shows in Los Angeles.^[20][21][22] He then went on a tour that began in Newport, Kentucky, not far from his Ohio home.^[23] He also made a surprise appearance on HBO's Def Poetry where he performed two poems, titled Fuck Ashton Kutcher and How I Got the Lead on "Jeopardy!."^[24] He was interviewed for Inside the Actors Studio on December 18, 2005 at Pace University's Michael Schimmel Center for the Arts. The show premiered on February 12, 2006.^[25] Chappelle stated that the death of his father in 1998 had an impact on his decision to go to South Africa. By throwing himself into his work, he had not taken a chance to mourn his father's death. He also said the rumors that he was in drug or psychiatric treatment only persuaded him to stay in South Africa.^[2]

He continued:

I would go to work on the show and I felt awful every day, that's not the way it was. ... I felt like some kind of prostitute or something. If I feel so bad, why keep on showing up to this place? I'm going to Africa. The hardest thing to do is to be true to yourself, especially when everybody is watching.

Chappelle also said that he felt some of his sketches were "socially irresponsible."^[26][27] He singled out the "pixie sketch" in which pixies appear to people and encourage them to reinforce stereotypes of their races. In the sketch, Chappelle is wearing blackface and is dressed as a character in a minstrel show.^[28] According to Chappelle, during the filming of the sketch, a crew member was laughing in a way that made him feel uncomfortable and made him rethink the show.^[26][27] Chappelle said, "it was the first time I felt that someone was not laughing with me but laughing at me."^[26]

During these interviews, Chappelle did not rule out returning to Chappelle's Show to "finish what we started," but promised that he would not return without changes to the production, such as a better working environment. He also stated he would like to donate half of the DVD sales to charity.^[29] Chappelle expressed disdain at the possibility of his material from the unfinished third season being aired, saying that to do so would be "a bully move," and that he would not return to the show if Comedy Central were to air the unfinished material.^[27] On July 9, 2006, Comedy Central aired the first episode of Chappelle's Show: The Lost Episodes. An uncensored DVD release of the episodes was made available on July 25.

The show still plays in syndication on several television networks despite the relatively small number of episodes compared to most American syndicated television programs.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Dave Chappelle's Block Party

The site of Dave Chappelle's Block Party in Brooklyn.

Chappelle was the star and producer of the Michel Gondry-directed documentary Dave Chappelle's Block Party, which chronicles a Chappelle-hosted concert in the Clinton Hill neighborhood of Brooklyn on September 18, 2004. Several musical artists, including Kanye West, The Roots, Erykah Badu, Mos Def, Dead Prez and Jill Scott are featured in the movie both performing in the concert and in conversation off-stage. The most surprising highlight of the event was the "last minute" reunion of popular 1990s hip hop group The Fugees. Chappelle toured several cities in February and March 2006 to promote the film under the moniker "Block Party All-Stars featuring Dave Chappelle". Universal Pictures' genre division Rogue Pictures released the film in the United States on March 3, 2006.

2007–present[link]

In April 2007, Chappelle set a stand-up endurance record at the Laugh Factory Sunset Strip comedy club, beating comedian Dane Cook's record of 3 hours and 50 minutes. In December of the same year, Chappelle broke his own record with a time of 6 hours and 12 minutes. Cook reclaimed the record in January 2008, with a time of 7 hours.^[30] On November 19, 2009 Chappelle performed at the Laugh Factory in Los Angeles, where it was speculated that he would aim to take back the record. However, he was disqualified according to the club owner, after he left the stage, five hours into his routine.^[31]

Chappelle again appeared on Inside the Actors Studio and in celebration of the show's 200th episode, he humorously interviewed the show's usual host, James Lipton. The episode aired on November 11, 2008.

Personal life[link]

Chappelle lives with his wife Elaine, two sons,^[28] Sulayman^[32] and Ibrahim,^[33] and daughter Sonal, on a 65-acre (260,000 m²) farm,^[2][10] just outside Yellow Springs, Ohio.^[23] He also owns several houses in Xenia, Ohio. Regarding his home in Yellow Springs, Ohio, Chappelle says, "Turns out you don't need $50 million to live around these parts, just a nice smile and a kind way about you. You guys are the best neighbors ever," he stated at a blues and jazz festival in the town in mid-September 2006. "That's why I came back and that's why I'm staying."^[34]

Chappelle is a Muslim, having converted to Islam in 1998. He told Time Magazine in a May 2005 interview, "I don’t normally talk about my religion publicly because I don’t want people to associate me and my flaws with this beautiful thing. And I believe it is beautiful if you learn it the right way."^[35]

Filmography[link]

This section requires expansion.

Discography[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Dave Chappelle

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Dave Chappelle

• Dave Chappelle at the Internet Movie Database
• Video of Anderson Cooper 360 Interview
• Fresh Air Interview in 2004

Moshe Kasher
photo by Frankie Norstad
Born	(1979-07-06) July 6, 1979 (age 32) Queens, New York
Medium	Stand-up, television, webcast
Nationality	American
Years active	2001–present
Genres	Observational comedy, black comedy, surreal humor
Subject(s)	Everyday life, self-deprecation, religion
Website	www.moshekasher.com

Moshe Kasher (born July 6, 1979)^[1][2] is an American stand-up comedian, writer and actor based in the Los Angeles area.^[1][3]

In 2009 iTunes named Kasher "Best New Comic" and his comedy album Everyone You Know Is Going to Die, and Then You Are! was ranked one of the top 20 comedy albums on iTunes that same year.^[3][4] He was also named "Comic to Watch in 2010" by Punchline Magazine.^[3]

Early life[link]

Born in Queens, New York,^[5] Kasher moved to Oakland, California with his mother and brother when he was one year old.^[1][5] His father remained in New York and Kasher visited him regularly until his death — Kasher was 20 at the time.^[1]

Kasher grew up in North Oakland's Temescal neighborhood.^[1] In his autobiography Kasher in the Rye: The True Tale of a White Boy from Oakland Who Became a Drug Addict, Criminal, Mental Patient, and Then Turned 16, Kasher wrote about having been moved in and out of mental institutions from the age of 4 and using drugs from the ages of 12 to 16. In an interview with SanDiego.com Kasher described himself as "pretty straight edge", stating that he has been clean "since I was very young."^[6]

A son of deaf parents, Kasher worked as a sign-language interpreter from the age of 17.^[1][5][7][8] His parents were Hasidic Jews and his brother is a Rabbi.^[6][9] Kasher attended the University of California, Santa Barbara and has a degree in religious studies.^[1][6] Prior to his career in comedy he had considered becoming a college professor in Jewish history.^[6]

In 2001, Kasher attended an open mic comedy night in New York which included a performance by Chelsea Peretti, a comedian and writer with whom Kasher had attended junior high school in Oakland.^[1][6] After having seen her perform, Kasher asked Peretti to take him along on future performances, offering to perform with her.^[1][6] For his first performance she took him to an open mic at the Luggage Store Gallery in San Francisco.^[6]

Career[link]

Stand up[link]

In the early 2000s Kasher performed mainly in the Bay Area, regularly performing at the Punch Line and Cobb's comedy clubs in San Francisco.^[1][6][8] In the mid to late 2000s he participated in many comedy shows with fellow comedians Brent Weinbach and Alex Koll.^[10][11][12] In 2008 Kasher moved to Los Angeles.^[1][5][8]

2009 marked a significant year in Kasher's comedy career: He was named "Best of Fest" at that year's Aspen Rooftop Comedy Festival;^[3][4][8] his performance in Aspen garnered him an invitation to the Just For Laughs comedy festival in Montreal that same year.^[8] This was followed by an appearance on the Comedy Central series Live at Gotham.^[6][8] Kasher had also released his comedy album Everyone You Know Is Going to Die, and Then You Are! through Rooftop Comedy Productions in April 2009;^[5][8] near the year's end the album was deemed one of the top 20 comedy albums of 2009 on iTunes. Kasher was also recognized by iTunes as Top New Comedy Artist of 2009.^[3][4]

Kasher's stand up act has been featured on such television programs as Jamie Foxx's Laffapalooza in 2006,^[8] Late Night with Jimmy Fallon in 2010^[1][6] and John Oliver's New York Stand Up Show in 2011.^[13] He has also appeared as a panelist on Chelsea Lately.^[1][6]

Kasher has performed at festivals internationally. In addition to the aforementioned Rooftop Comedy Festival and Just For Laughs, in 2010 he appeared at Fun Fun Fun Fest^[14] and South By South West^[9][15] both held in Austin, Texas, as well as Cat Laughs in Kilkenny,^[16] Ireland, and the Sasquatch! Music Festival in the George, Washington.^[17] In 2011 he appeared at the Melbourne Comedy Festival in Melbourne, Australia. Kasher has also attended SF Sketchfest in San Francisco, California on several occasions.^[8][18][19]

In addition to the iTunes awards in 2009, Kasher was named "Comic to Watch in 2010" by Punchline Magazine^[3] as well as "One of the Top 20 Jews In The Arts" by Shalom Life in 2011.^[20] John Wenzel of The Denver Post also ranked Kasher #2 on his list of the top 10 comedy shows he attended in the Denver area during 2011.^[21]

In January 2012 Kasher recorded his first solo television special at The New Parish nightclub in his hometown of Oakland.^[1][22][23]

Writing[link]

Kasher is a published playwright, writer and author: While still in college, Kasher's long form monologue "Look Before You Leap" was included in the literary collection Monologues For Men By Men: Volume Two published in 2003.^[24] In 2011 he contributed several articles to Heeb magazine.^[25] In 2012 he published his autobiography Kasher in the Rye: The True Tale of a White Boy from Oakland Who Became a Drug Addict, Criminal, Mental Patient, and Then Turned 16 published by Hachette Book Group's Grand Central Publishing.^[1][7][26]

Acting[link]

Kasher played small roles in the independent films Sorry, Thanks (2009)^[27] and Wish Makers of West Hollywood (2010).^[28] He appeared on episodes of the FOX sitcom Traffic Light in 2011^[29] and the NBC sitcom Whitney in 2012.^[30] Kasher played the role of Ruben — a gay, deaf man confined to a wheelchair — in an episode of the US television series Shameless which aired March 18, 2012.^[31][32]

Other work[link]

In 2011 Kasher, along with Neal Brennan (co-writer of Chappelle's Show) and DJ Douggpound (Doug Lussenhop of Tim and Eric Nite Live!), started a podcast called The Champs.^[6] Kasher said the following of the podcast in a 2011 interview with SanDiego.com: "It’s Doug dropping sound effects and beats over me and Neal kind of hosting an hour of ridiculous chat. We have a rotating black guy guest, there’s a different black guest every week."^[6] Guests of the show have included actor/comedians Wayne Brady and David Alan Grier, as well as musician Questlove, adult film star Lexington Steele and professional basketball player Blake Griffin. The show has strayed from its guest format on four occasions with episodes featuring comedian and actor Bobby Lee, former pornographic actress Sasha Grey (although she was accompanied by musician Flying Lotus), former Major League Baseball player Jose Canseco and comedian Felipe Esparza.

Filmography[link]

• Sorry, Thanks (2009) (Andrew)
• Wish Makers of West Hollywood (2010) (waiter)

Television[link]

• Jamie Foxx's Laffapalooza (2006), (himself - stand up)
• Live at Gotham (2009), (himself - stand up)
• Chelsea Lately (2010), (himself - panelist)
• Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (2010, 2012), (himself - stand up)
• John Oliver's New York Stand Up Show (2011), (himself - stand up)
• The Daily Habit (2011), (himself - panelist)
• Traffic Light (2011) (Spike)
• Whitney (2012) (waiter)
• Conan (2012), (himself - stand up)
• Shameless 2012, (Ruben)
• Moshe Kasher Comedy Special (filmed 2012 - not yet aired), (himself - stand up)

Bibliography[link]

• "Look Before You Leap", a monologue included in the literary collection Monologues For Men By Men: Volume Two (2003)
• Kasher in the Rye: The True Tale of a White Boy from Oakland Who Became a Drug Addict, Criminal, Mental Patient, and Then Turned 16 (2011)

Discography[link]

• Everyone You Know Is Going to Die, and Then You Are! (2009)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• Moshe Kasher at the Internet Movie Database
• The Champs with Neal Brennan, Moshe Kasher and DJ Douggpound on LibSyn

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (July 2010)

Aries Spears (born April 3, 1975) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, voice artist, and comedian. Spears was a regular on Fox's sketch comedy series MADtv, appearing in 198 episodes, making him the second longest-serving original cast member on the show. He recently released a new special called Aries Spears: Hollywood, Look I'm Smiling.^{[citation needed]}

Early life[link]

Spears was born in Chicago, Illinois. His mother Doris Spears is a jazz singer. Spears moved to New Jersey at age 11 and attended Arthur M. Judd Elementary School. He became a comedian at 14, performing stand-up comedy in various comedy clubs in New York City. He was expelled for fighting during his sophomore year in North Brunswick Township High School in North Brunswick Township, at age 17.^[1] Spears started doing his own comedy routine around his hometown. He is a self-professed Michael Jordan fan.

Career[link]

Early film and TV roles[link]

Spears' first television appearance was on Russell Simmons's Def Comedy Jam, followed by It's Showtime at the Apollo (1987). He moved to Los Angeles in 1992, landed a recurring role on A Different World (1993) and became a regular at The Comedy Store, The Improv and The Laugh Factory. Other television credits include Crosstown Traffic, The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. (1993) and Soul Train.

At 17, Spears landed a part in the movie Malcolm X. Shortly thereafter, he was cast in a starring role opposite Glenn Frey in South of Sunset (1993). Spears's other movie appearances include Home of Angels (1994), The Pest (1997), Jerry Maguire in which he played Teepee, brother of Rod Tidwell (1996), Out-of-Sync (1995), and The Proud Family (2003).

[edit] MADtv

He joined the cast of MADtv during its 3rd season in 1997, and he left at the end of its 10th season in 2005. During his stay, he created characters such as comedienne Belma Buttons (co-host of fictional BET show "Reality Check"), Dollar Bill Montgomery (a host of an urban parody of Politically Incorrect called "Real **********ing Talk with Dollar Bill Montgomery"), James Brown Jr. (co-host of Cabana Chat), and controversial rapper Emcee Esher. He is well known for his impressions of celebrities, including rappers Jay-Z, LL Cool J, DMX, and Snoop Dogg and actors Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Denzel Washington,and Arnold Schwarzenegger, as well as fellow comedian Paul Mooney.

[edit] After MADtv

Spears appeared on a 2nd season episode of Mind of Mencia, which parodied Jamie Foxx's role in Kanye West's music video for "Gold Digger." He also appeared in the 2006 movie Hood of Horror. Spears performed in the TV series The Underground and voiced the character Wizard Kelly in the animated television series The Proud Family.

Spears appeared on the Covino and Rich radio talk show and criticized rapper Soulja Boy Tell 'Em. He challenged Soulja Boy Tell 'Em to a rap battle, claiming he would win easily. Spears appeared in two episodes of Frank Caliendo's sketch comedy show Frank TV as Shaquille O'Neal.

Spears has signed with Fabb Vision Network, starring as host of his new show "The Underground," which is shot in Columbus, Ohio. The show was due to start broadcasting in September 2010.^{[citation needed]}

He appeared alongside Cedric the Entertainer and other comedians in the All Star Comedy Jam in 2009.

His 2011 stand-up comedy special Aries Spears: Hollywood, Look I'm Smiling was shown on Showtime.^{[citation needed]}

Filmography[link]

• Hood of Horror (2006) as Quon
• Jiminy Glick in Lalawood (2004) as Gunnar “MC GUN” Jorge
• Love Chronicles (2003) as Playa
• Josie and the Pussycats (2001) as The Other Carson Daly
• Why Do Fools Fall in Love (1998) as Redd Foxx
• The Pest (1997)
• Jerry Maguire (1996) as Tee Pee
• Out-of-Sync (1995) as Frank
• Home of Angels (1994) as Gang Leader
• Malcolm X (1992)

Television work[link]

• The Boondocks Episode: "Stinkmeaner 3: The Hateocracy" (2010) as Lord Rufus Crabmiser
• CSI: Miami (2007) as Oscar Monahan (2 episodes)
• Lilo & Stitch: The Series (2005, 2007) as Wizard Kelly (2 episodes)
• The Underground (2006)
• MADtv (1997–2005) as Various
• The Proud Family (2001–2004) as Wizard Kelly / Sir-Paid-A-Lot / Li'l Wiz Jr.
• The Night B4 Christmas (2003, TV movie) as Elvin
• Crosstown Traffic (1995, TV movie) as Eddie
• The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. Episode: "Stagecoach" (1994) as Bobby Swan
• South of Sunset (1993) as Ziggy Duane
• A Different World (1993) as Ty (2 episodes)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Aries Spears at the Internet Movie Database
• Aries Spears on Myspace

Jo Koy
Birth name	Joseph Glenn Herbert[1]
Born	(1971-06-02) June 2, 1971 (age 41) Tacoma, Washington, U.S.[2]
Medium	Stand-up
Nationality	American
Years active	1994–present
Influences	Bill Cosby, Eddie Murphy, Robin Williams, Billy Crystal[1]
Website	www.JoKoy.com

Jo Koy (born Joseph Glenn Herbert; June 2, 1971)^[1][3] is an American stand-up comic. He is currently touring the college circuit as a featured comedian and performs in clubs across the country. He is often a panelist on E!'s late night show Chelsea Lately.

Early life[link]

Koy is of Filipino and Caucasian heritage. His American father was in the Air Force when he married his Filipino mother.^[4] Koy's Filipino-American family moved from Tacoma, Washington to Las Vegas soon after he finished high school in Spanaway, Washington; a graduate from Spanaway Lake High School. He moved to Las Vegas to be near his ailing grandmother. Koy enrolled in UNLV, but dropped out to do stand-up comedy.^[1]

Koy's stage name comes from a nickname his family gave him growing up.^[5] Jokoy is a colloquial Filipino term for "joker".

Career[link]

Koy began in 1994 at a comedy club in Las Vegas. Soon he moved from open mic night to a regular spot on the show Catch a Rising Star at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino.^[1] After performing at the MGM Grand Las Vegas, Koy rented the Huntridge Theater and went door to door to sell tickets to his comedy shows.^[1]

A talent coordinator from Los Angeles spotted Koy and landed him his first television appearance on BET's Comic View. Koy has been on two seasons of Comic View.

Koy has gone on to star in other TV stand-up specials like "Jamie Foxx Presents: Laffapalooza!" Koy has won the "Showtime at the Apollo", performed in front of troops in the USO Tour, can be seen on various "VH1 I Love the 70’s, 80’s, 90’s", "Tru TV's World's Dumbest" and "New Milleniuim" episodes, AMP’D Mobile Phone commercials, and received a second invite to the Montreal comedy festival "Just For Laughs", the series for which he was awarded Canada’s prestigious Gemini Award. Koy is also a regular guest at Chelsea Handler’s roundtable discussion on "E!’s Chelsea Lately". But perhaps one of Koy’s biggest claims to fame was his appearance on the "Tonight Show" with Jay Leno Show in 2005 where he was one of a select few to ever receive a standing ovation on the show. Koy has also appeared on Carlos Mencia’s “Punisher Tour” performing stand-up comedy in front of fans filling 10,000-seat arenas across the country.

On August 4, 2009. The JO KOY FOUNDATION hosted its first huge philanthropic event in "Hilarity For Charity" a stand-up comedy show featuring Jo Koy, along with special surprise comedic guests. The show took place at The John Lovitz Comedy Club, located in the heart of Citywalk, Universal City, CA. Proceeds from the ticket sales were donated to The Children’s Hospital of Orange County.

Shortly after comedian Tracy Morgan's 2011 anti-gay slur incident, the Chicago area gay newspaper Windy City Times reported on Koy's stand-up performance at The Vic Theatre, opening the Just for Laughs festival on June 15, 2011. At one point in his act he danced effeminately and said, "I made this dance extra gay since I am not gay." Later, when audience members found his zipper was open, one male voice commented, "I saw it", to which Koy replied, "What are you looking at, fucking faggot?"^[6] Koy later apologized on his web site.^[7][8]