Comedy has gotten much more democratic over the years: It’s no longer limited to guys in clubs or major-network TV shows. With a bit of free time and minimal iMovie know-how, everyone from budding young comics to name-brand stars can carve out some Internet space for their sense of humor. At the same time, traditional outlets like comedy CDs and DVDs are growing in breadth with the art form itself. It’s a great time to be a comedy fan, and Laugh Track, The A.V. Club’s weekly comedy blog, will round it all up—new and noteworthy stand-up, sketch, and online video, much of it courtesy of under-the-radar comedians with a little too much time on their hands.
Internet: Vag Magazine
The mark of bad social commentary is when the comic feels the need for a figurative wink (or in the case of hilarious stand-up comedian Sarah Palin, a literal wink) to the camera. But there’s no desperation or “See what I did there?” in Vag Magazine, a six-part series that details the launch of an exaggeratedly feminist rag. The women on the editorial staff fight about what makes for a compelling Vag story, while demonstrating wobbly political beliefs and an understanding of feminism mostly as a fashion statement. The staff’s idiosyncrasies get magnified by Meghan, the one Vag-er who keeps her head. While everyone else is off complaining about how the Victorian-inspired cover shoot wasn’t “steampunk enough,” Meghan asks follow-up questions that turn these caricatures into tragically funny characters. The sixth and final part of this densely written series hits the Internet on Monday. The first five are available on the Vag Magazine website. Have you heard the word “vag” enough for one day? Listen to the opening credits first:
Internet: Backwash
Web series aren’t subject to expectations, seeing as they’re usually given zero marketing dollars and feature few actors noteworthy enough to warrant pre-launch interviews. A rare exception is Backwash, a 13-part series created by Aaron Sorkin darling and iCarly guest star Joshua Malina and launched by Crackle.com earlier this week. Directed by Danny Leiner (Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle) Backwash features heavy-hitters like Jon Hamm, Allison Janney, Joe Lo Truglio, and Michael Ian Black.