http://www.thepunch.com.au/tags/comedy/ Politics, political opinion, world news, sports news and the latest news and views updated live, daily on The Punch - Australia's best conversation. en Copyright 2013 The Punch penberthyd@newsltd.com.au penberthyd@newsltd.com.au Thu, 14 Mar 2013 19:00:10 +0000 Thu, 14 Mar 2013 19:00:10 +0000 Politics, opinion, world news, sports news, latest news, views, Barack Obama, Kevin Rudd, Julia Gillard, Nathan Rees, Malcolm Turnbull, Peter Garrett, Barnaby Joyce, Australian, federal politics, opinion polls, election, The Punch, thepunch, punch ExpressionEngine 1.6.7 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss 15 http://www.thepunch.com.au/images/punch-logo-rss.png http://www.thepunch.com.au/ 144 70 Politics, political opinion, world news, sports news and the latest news and views updated live, daily on The Punch - Australia's best conversation. Search The Punch keywords http://www.thepunch.com.au/search/ http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/does-a-fattist-insult-justify-a-sexist-one/ There’s been much high-fiving online this week among Adele fans, who are delighted with the way in which local comedy hero, Adam Hills, took down Joan Rivers for making fun of the the singer’s weight. The veteran comedienne went on David Letterman’s show after the Oscars and made cruel fun of Adele’s post-baby body. She said she’d met the singer at the event and then made a “she’s thiiisssss big” type gesture by spreading her arms wide and puffing out her face. Rivers was unrepentant when audience members jeered her for unkindness and added “What’s her song? Rolling in the Deep? She should add ‘fried chicken’.” Boom boom. Ugh. feedback@thepunch.com.au (The Punch Team) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/does-a-fattist-insult-justify-a-sexist-one/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/does-a-fattist-insult-justify-a-sexist-one/#item10717 Thu, 14 Mar 2013 19:00:10 +0000 The gag quickly made its way around Facebook. “Dear Religion,” it began. “This week I safely dropped a human being from space while you shot a 14-year-old girl in the head for wanting to go to school. I kinda feel like you need a better hobby. Yours, Science.” Cue canned laughter, roll the snare drum. The “in” thing, social media-wise, is ragging on religion from a place of science-based moral superiority. Twitter is rife with it. If a poster isn’t saying people of faith are gullible fools, he or she is saying persons with viewpoints that run contrary to science have no right to express their opinion. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/dear-science-please-lose-the-immoral-moral-superiority/ The gag quickly made its way around Facebook. “Dear Religion,” it began. “This week I safely dropped a human being from space while you shot a 14-year-old girl in the head for wanting to go to school. I kinda feel like you need a better hobby. Yours, Science.” Cue canned laughter, roll the snare drum. The “in” thing, social media-wise, is ragging on religion from a place of science-based moral superiority. Twitter is rife with it. If a poster isn’t saying people of faith are gullible fools, he or she is saying persons with viewpoints that run contrary to science have no right to express their opinion. feedback@thepunch.com.au (The Punch Team) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/dear-science-please-lose-the-immoral-moral-superiority/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/dear-science-please-lose-the-immoral-moral-superiority/#item9750 Thu, 14 Mar 2013 19:00:10 +0000 The gag quickly made its way around Facebook. “Dear Religion,” it began. “This week I safely dropped a human being from space while you shot a 14-year-old girl in the head for wanting to go to school. I kinda feel like you need a better hobby. Yours, Science.” Cue canned laughter, roll the snare drum. The “in” thing, social media-wise, is ragging on religion from a place of science-based moral superiority. Twitter is rife with it. If a poster isn’t saying people of faith are gullible fools, he or she is saying persons with viewpoints that run contrary to science have no right to express their opinion. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/a-town-of-frustrated-performers-watch-one-another/ Don’t punch reviewers in the face. That’s the official word from the press office after the Edinburgh Fringe officially started Saturday, August 3rd. The Edinburgh Fringe is an open access festival, however there are several large companies that run venues and put together their own programs of events within the festival. I’m with C Venues, who mostly specialize in theatre, with a smattering of other acts including comedy. It was the opening night of a theatre show, where a performer got a bit enthusiastic with a hand gesture, and accidentally punched an audience member in the face. Who turned out to be a reviewer. Who wrote a scathing review, for a show that by all other reports is pretty good. feedback@thepunch.com.au (The Punch Team) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/a-town-of-frustrated-performers-watch-one-another/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/a-town-of-frustrated-performers-watch-one-another/#item9208 Thu, 14 Mar 2013 19:00:10 +0000 The gag quickly made its way around Facebook. “Dear Religion,” it began. “This week I safely dropped a human being from space while you shot a 14-year-old girl in the head for wanting to go to school. I kinda feel like you need a better hobby. Yours, Science.” Cue canned laughter, roll the snare drum. The “in” thing, social media-wise, is ragging on religion from a place of science-based moral superiority. Twitter is rife with it. If a poster isn’t saying people of faith are gullible fools, he or she is saying persons with viewpoints that run contrary to science have no right to express their opinion. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/its-not-funny-how-much-work-it-is-being-a-comedian/ The Edinburgh Fringe Festival runs from August 3-27. So all I need to do is turn up, do my shows and leave. When I’m not sleeping off a hangover, probably use my spare time to check out some castles, attempt to digest some haggis and have a look for the Loch Ness Monster. Not really. Being a comedian sounds awesome. Once you get past that whole fear of talking in public, and fear of people not laughing. Then there’s that first time nobody laughs, and you’re so embarrassed and shattered, you never want to do it again. feedback@thepunch.com.au (The Punch Team) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/its-not-funny-how-much-work-it-is-being-a-comedian/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/its-not-funny-how-much-work-it-is-being-a-comedian/#item9045 Thu, 14 Mar 2013 19:00:10 +0000 The gag quickly made its way around Facebook. “Dear Religion,” it began. “This week I safely dropped a human being from space while you shot a 14-year-old girl in the head for wanting to go to school. I kinda feel like you need a better hobby. Yours, Science.” Cue canned laughter, roll the snare drum. The “in” thing, social media-wise, is ragging on religion from a place of science-based moral superiority. Twitter is rife with it. If a poster isn’t saying people of faith are gullible fools, he or she is saying persons with viewpoints that run contrary to science have no right to express their opinion. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/a-comedian-and-thousands-of-scots-walk-into-a-festival/ After giving up an engineering career, and then journalism, I decided to try the one thing I’d always wanted to. Comedy. Mum said, “It’s wonderful that you’re following your dreams.” Dad said, “Why didn’t you work this out years ago? Instead of paying for an education, I could’ve taken your mother to Europe.” My girlfriend at the time said, “You’re very brave. Especially considering that you’re not that funny.” feedback@thepunch.com.au (The Punch Team) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/a-comedian-and-thousands-of-scots-walk-into-a-festival/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/a-comedian-and-thousands-of-scots-walk-into-a-festival/#item8981 Thu, 14 Mar 2013 19:00:10 +0000 The gag quickly made its way around Facebook. “Dear Religion,” it began. “This week I safely dropped a human being from space while you shot a 14-year-old girl in the head for wanting to go to school. I kinda feel like you need a better hobby. Yours, Science.” Cue canned laughter, roll the snare drum. The “in” thing, social media-wise, is ragging on religion from a place of science-based moral superiority. Twitter is rife with it. If a poster isn’t saying people of faith are gullible fools, he or she is saying persons with viewpoints that run contrary to science have no right to express their opinion. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/brutal-honesty-is-always-the-best-policy/ Dear god, please make more people like Sacha Baron Cohen. One of those rare human beings who goes through life with his filter firmly switched to “off.” He says what he thinks, when he thinks it. It’s off the cuff, astute and very, very funny. The world needs more people like that. Go easy on the lewdness though, because watching two grown men wrestling in the nude is not to everyone’s taste. Sacha Baron Cohen is the legend of the one-liner. Cast your eye over his advice for leaders, given in full costume upon his arrival at Sydney Airport yesterday, to get a feel for what he does. Explaining it is a bit trickier. feedback@thepunch.com.au (The Punch Team) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/brutal-honesty-is-always-the-best-policy/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/brutal-honesty-is-always-the-best-policy/#item8389 Thu, 14 Mar 2013 19:00:10 +0000 The gag quickly made its way around Facebook. “Dear Religion,” it began. “This week I safely dropped a human being from space while you shot a 14-year-old girl in the head for wanting to go to school. I kinda feel like you need a better hobby. Yours, Science.” Cue canned laughter, roll the snare drum. The “in” thing, social media-wise, is ragging on religion from a place of science-based moral superiority. Twitter is rife with it. If a poster isn’t saying people of faith are gullible fools, he or she is saying persons with viewpoints that run contrary to science have no right to express their opinion. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/funny-girls-the-best-of-the-adelaide-fringe/ This is the final instalment from the Adelaide Fringe from Darien O’Reilly profiling acts which are soon to tour the eastern states, including the Melbourne Comedy Festival. Sarah Jones Does Not Play Well with Others, Sarah Jones:  “Sarah Jones does not play well with others” is a quote from Sarah’s grade 2 report card. This show sets out to explain Sarah’s personal reasons and behaviours that would make a primary school teacher write this about her. We meet Sarah throughout various stages of her life, as a child, as a self confessed dorky teenager and as a grown dorky ventriloquist touring the world fearing that she’s only several years away from becoming an old crazed haggard cat lady. The show is simply staged and produced allowing us to focus on the things that matter within it. Sarah has a brilliant ability to produce animated puppets from the simplest of things (blankets, pillowcases, sheets and socks for example) and imbue them striking and distinctive personalities. This ability highlights her sketch comedy writing skills meaning that the show can be enjoyed as much for its verbal twists and turns as for its remarkable visual appeal. We are introduced many characters along the way including her “only” childhood friend, a cat, who is a tad shirty about having been kept in a box for the last twenty years, her Uncle Albert, and her baby in the wonderfully crafted and random audience interaction scene. feedback@thepunch.com.au (The Punch Team) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/funny-girls-the-best-of-the-adelaide-fringe/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/funny-girls-the-best-of-the-adelaide-fringe/#item8019 Thu, 14 Mar 2013 19:00:10 +0000 The gag quickly made its way around Facebook. “Dear Religion,” it began. “This week I safely dropped a human being from space while you shot a 14-year-old girl in the head for wanting to go to school. I kinda feel like you need a better hobby. Yours, Science.” Cue canned laughter, roll the snare drum. The “in” thing, social media-wise, is ragging on religion from a place of science-based moral superiority. Twitter is rife with it. If a poster isn’t saying people of faith are gullible fools, he or she is saying persons with viewpoints that run contrary to science have no right to express their opinion. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/a-brief-history-of-the-world-best-of-the-adelaide-fringe/ This second instalment on the Adelaide Fringe looks at Gordon Southern: International World Clown and Spontaneous Broadway, who will be playing Melbourne Comedy Festival next month. Gordon Southern’s A Brief History of History aims to present the history of history in an hour. The self proclaimed International World Clown aims to roam freely throughout the many cultures and empires that have risen and fallen throughout the ages and introduce the many weird and wonderful aspects of life and recorded history to us. He throws a modern spotlight upon these older cultures in an often hilarious manner The pacing is machine gun. He highlights the absurdity integral to history and utilises PowerPoint in a manner which many university lecturers could learn from. feedback@thepunch.com.au (The Punch Team) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/a-brief-history-of-the-world-best-of-the-adelaide-fringe/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/a-brief-history-of-the-world-best-of-the-adelaide-fringe/#item7992 Thu, 14 Mar 2013 19:00:10 +0000 The gag quickly made its way around Facebook. “Dear Religion,” it began. “This week I safely dropped a human being from space while you shot a 14-year-old girl in the head for wanting to go to school. I kinda feel like you need a better hobby. Yours, Science.” Cue canned laughter, roll the snare drum. The “in” thing, social media-wise, is ragging on religion from a place of science-based moral superiority. Twitter is rife with it. If a poster isn’t saying people of faith are gullible fools, he or she is saying persons with viewpoints that run contrary to science have no right to express their opinion. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/faust-and-the-furious-best-of-the-adelaide-fringe-1/ - This first instalment on the Adelaide Fringe looking at acts which are about to tour the eastern states looks at Doc Faustus and the Scottish Falsetto Sock Theatre. Doc Faustus: Sound and Fury. Playing until March 17: American nouveau vaudeville company Sound and Fury’s signature dish – the parody – is built upon a bed of puns, accompanied by sweetly chilled aural aperitifs, baked physical theatre and visual gags (I’m looking at you, dying goat) tossed with innuendo and served at a breakneck pace with little or no regard for the wall separating audience from performer. In this case Christopher Marlowe’s original Faust, a highly successful scholar dissatisfied with his life, makes a deal with the devil (Mephistopheles, or Mel) and exchanges his soul for 24 years of unlimited knowledge and worldly pleasures. Faust has long symbolised humanity’s dichotomous nature and how unbridled success, pleasure and power can weirdly lead to regrets and a quest for purity and redemption. In Doc Faustus, the scholar becomes a quaint, slightly goofy, patient-killing doctor in a one horse town just outside of Abilene whose highest personal ambition is to become the personal physician to the State’s Governor. We are treated to a staccato travelogue of Faustus’ desires, whims and journeys through the ages and continents told in the most engaging manner. Both versions deal with the 24 years of untrammelled success, freedom and desires, both show the peccadilloes of human nature and regrets that come with living. Sound and Fury just happen to do it with better songs, cheaper jokes and nary a wasted line to be seen or heard. feedback@thepunch.com.au (The Punch Team) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/faust-and-the-furious-best-of-the-adelaide-fringe-1/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/faust-and-the-furious-best-of-the-adelaide-fringe-1/#item7948 Thu, 14 Mar 2013 19:00:10 +0000 The gag quickly made its way around Facebook. “Dear Religion,” it began. “This week I safely dropped a human being from space while you shot a 14-year-old girl in the head for wanting to go to school. I kinda feel like you need a better hobby. Yours, Science.” Cue canned laughter, roll the snare drum. The “in” thing, social media-wise, is ragging on religion from a place of science-based moral superiority. Twitter is rife with it. If a poster isn’t saying people of faith are gullible fools, he or she is saying persons with viewpoints that run contrary to science have no right to express their opinion. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/God-Im-sick-of-comedians-laughing-at-religion/ As I took my seat at Alain de Botton’s “Religion for Atheists” last week, I caught sight of a postcard promoting the upcoming Global Atheist Convention. It listed the usual suspects - Dawkins, Harris, Myers (and sadly not Hitchens). But then I was confused. Was the Atheist Convention trying to save money by co-advertising with the Melbourne International Comedy Festival? Out of the 34 speakers, 10 are comedians: Ben Elton, Mikey Robbins, Lawrence Leung, Jim Jeffries, Catherine Deveny, Simon Taylor, Tom Ballard, Stella Young, Craig Foster and Mr Deity. Sounds like good news for Melburnians - buy one ticket, get two conferences. feedback@thepunch.com.au (The Punch Team) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/God-Im-sick-of-comedians-laughing-at-religion/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/God-Im-sick-of-comedians-laughing-at-religion/#item7880 Thu, 14 Mar 2013 19:00:10 +0000 The gag quickly made its way around Facebook. “Dear Religion,” it began. “This week I safely dropped a human being from space while you shot a 14-year-old girl in the head for wanting to go to school. I kinda feel like you need a better hobby. Yours, Science.” Cue canned laughter, roll the snare drum. The “in” thing, social media-wise, is ragging on religion from a place of science-based moral superiority. Twitter is rife with it. If a poster isn’t saying people of faith are gullible fools, he or she is saying persons with viewpoints that run contrary to science have no right to express their opinion.