SNL, which has had record ratings this fall by regurgitating Palin’s interviews virtually verbatim is continuing the political story lines by focusing on the transition. Last night, they portrayed Rahm Emanuel and his infamous mouth. Funny stuff.......

We dig Aziz Ansari, comedian, actor, and member of comedy troupe Human Giant. And we're not the only ones: Ansari has been tapped to star alongside Rashida Jones and Amy Poehler in a spin-off of The Office that actually isn't a spin-off of The Office. He recently gave a few more details to the Trib, but we're going to be watching it regardless. And if you want to catch Aziz's great stand-up set in person,......

Comedy The Edge Comedy Club presents The Young Punks of Chicago Stand-Up Comedy, where young ’uns are torn from their high school hallways and brought to the stage for your comedic pleasure. All comics are under the age of 21, so expect interesting and fresh joke sets, as none of these kids will be talking about their wives, marriages or (hopefully) their lame sex lives. Chicago Center for the Performing Arts, 777 N Green St.,......

Yes, we're totally in the tank for the comedic competition that is Impress These Apes. Tonight is the final performance of Season Three and several of the eight contestants still have a very realistic shot at bringing home the title of "Least Pitiful Human." This year's competition has featured a beauty pageant, someone spitting fire, live karaoke, and nudity. Lots and lots of unnecessary nudity. Which, to us, always equals fun, especially when booze is......

Conventions The 1st annual Windy City Comicon lands at the Center on Halsted this weekend: currently the only comic book convention in Chicago. The event has lined up an impressive guest list of local comic book writers, artists and creators, along with HeroClix and Magic gaming tournaments and Chicagoland comic book vendors and publishers exhibiting their wares. 3656 N Halsted, 10/25, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., 1-day pass only $5 (cash only) General Arts Deadline......

Thanks to Diann for the tip!......

Found Footage Festival 2008 Trailer If you need something to take your mind off the weakening economy, the Palins, and other depressing stuff, consider paying a visit to the Lakeshore Theater this Friday for the Found Footage Festival's latest showcase of VHS wackiness. (Judging from the FFF's recent trailer, expect a lot of mullets and beards.) Festival founders Nick Prueher and Joe Pickett have been collecting bizarro video since 1991, and have released two DVDs......

Chicagoist certainly is a hard and serious Halloween celebrator, with info on costumes, zombie pin-up calenders -- and adding to our previous list of A&E Halloween treats -- here are a few more events to keep on the radar. 12th Annual Boystown Halloween Parade A surefire good time. Halloween is on a Friday this year, and larger crowds are expected, so planners have extended the parade route north to Addison. Word is that this month's......

Survival of the Fittest: Fend off the weeknight doldrums with a very special evening of stiff drinks and equally stiff competition as Krem bar hosts the 11th Finlandia Cup tonight; area bartenders will compete against each other in cocktail concoction, and you will consume the mixological fruits of their labor. Abundant appetizers will temper the booze in your belly, to be sure. 7 p.m., 1750 N Clark, FREE! Survival of the Funniest: If you’re not......

My favorite part is at 1:29. From our pals Mark Bazer and Steve Delahoyde, with the vocal stylings of Kate James.......

Last night's season premier of SNL was lackluster and sluggish ... except for the opening sketch, which was sheer genius. Second City-alum Tina Fey lived up to the hype and gave a stinging impersonation of VP wannabe Sarah Palin. Fey looked so much like Palin, in her blazing red jacket and stacked hairdo, that the perfectly flat accent (shades of Fargo?) and the smarmy smiles were like icing on the cake. Amy Poehler's Hillary......

Today we'd like to offer belated birthday greetings to Bob Newhart, who turned 79 last Friday. Mr. Newhart, an Oak Park native, came to comedy via careers as an accountant and a copywriter. He also claimed to have been a clerk in the unemployment office who made $60 a week but who quit upon learning weekly unemployment benefits were $55 a week and "they only had to come in to the office one day a......

We're shocked there's not a line down the block and around the corner for this special. Full shot after the jump. Photo by Jim Kopeny......

O.K., it's not Chicago related, but we know the New Zealand duo Flight of the Conchords have lots of Chicago fans, right? Well, we're sad to say that their next season will also be their last. While we're pleased to see that they're going out on a high note before the series has a chance to devolve, we're upset we'll only have one more season to see that hair helmet or see someone get hit......

Remembering Bernie Mac, again. What's amazing about this is he took the same material, cleaned it up and won a Peabody award for "The Bernie Mac Show." (Strong language. NSFW)......

Impress These Apes: Season Three begins Monday, September 22, and this season's contestants have finally been revealed! James Asmus, Seth Dodson, Becky Eldridge, Peter Kremidas, Alan Metoskie, Eve Porcello, Danielle Puterbaugh, and Leigh Vandiver will face off in an arduous eight-week comedy talent contest, to be judged by super intelligent apes from the future. Best! Changes are afoot this season, however. Gone is Game Show Host Jared Logan, sadly, but happily Ken Barnard and Jim......

Photo for Blewt! by Erica Gerdes Tonight is the last-ever Don't Spit The Water comedy show, in which regular folks—like you—attempt not to spit the water while Comedy Professionals try to make them laugh. The show is a blast, and last week's guests included Tron Guy, so we have high hopes for tonight. After a four-year run, DSTW is something of a comedy institution. We're sad to see it go. The show is at......

The weed movie might be the last remaining subversive genre in cinema, and Pineapple Express is one long, exceedingly good-natured "fuck you" to the establishment. It tries to be all things to all audiences: a stoner movie, a buddy picture, a gory black comedy, an action thriller and a parody of an action thriller. Remarkably, it pretty much succeeds on all counts. After accidentally witnessing a murder, stoner Seth Rogan is forced to take......

Second City's Dave Colan and Aimee McKay make Sonic parody commercials. Bahahaha.......

Send Barack Your Baby. Q: How long will my baby be with Barack himself? A: You may choose from three interaction types: a kiss, a hug, or giving hope. For a kiss or a hug, Barack spends roughly two minutes with a baby. Giving hope usually takes about twice that long. Maaahahaha. Via Coudal.......

Michael Ian Black has started a "feud" with ex-Chicagoan (now Frenchman?) David Sedaris to promote Black's new book My Custom Van. Black will be in town July 21 to sign copies.......

It's a beautiful thing to find "your people." Creepers unite!......

Sketch comedy vets Schadenfreude celebrate their 10th anniversary by reviving material from their 1998-2001 run at the Heartland. The show's at Theater on the Lake and starts at 7:30pm. Tickets are $17.50, but can you really put a price tag on Monica Lewinsky jokes? In other dated humor news, Mortified comes to Chicago tonight, with local authors and comedians reading diary entries, songs and other adolescent ephemera from their past. The show starts at 8pm......

George Carlin passed away last night, and we'll miss the man that introduced us to the seven words you can't say on television. Here we've included another musing of his on language, its power, and the misuse of that power.......

Our weekend comedy show round-up! ComedySportz is celebrating the 100th performance in their new theater tonight at 8pm. Go for the laughs, stay for the champagne toast and gift bags at the end of the show. Tonight at I.O. Theater- Go for the critically acclaimed Improvised Shakespeare at 8pm. Stay for the ridiculously funny men of Guy Friends premiering at midnight. Spend Saturday day on the beach. (80 and sunny, right?) Spend Saturday night......

Not that there isn’t always sort some of comedy show happening here in town, but lately there has been sort of a surge, what with the Improv Comedy Festival just wrapping up and last weekend’s aptly (and hilariously) named Snubfest Comedy Festival – comedians snubbed from the Improv Fest lineup. If you are still craving a dose of comedy, consider checking out The Playground Theater’s comedy variety improve show, O.I.N.K., featuring many local comedians and......

Yeah, it's Monday. But turn those frowns upside-down because the 11th Annual Chicago Improv Fest kicks off tonight with a performance by Scheer & McBrayer, a team composed of, well, Paul Scheer (MTV's Human Giant, Best Week Ever) and Jack McBrayer (30 Rock, Talladega Nights). What they lack in name originality they more than make up for when they bring the funny. But the fun doesn't stop there: shows will continue all week at a......

Wired's blog Threat Level has an interview with "Defiant" and "EBK," the hackers who took down Comcast yesterday. They say they did it because they hate Comcast. However they got in, the intrusion gave the pair control of over 200 domain names owned by Comcast. They changed the contact information for one of them, Comcast.net, to Defiant's e-mail address; for the street address, they used the "Dildo Room" at "69 Dick Tard Lane." Baaaahahaaha. Feel......

Tomorrow night at the Hideout, Chicagoist will be going up against Time Out Chicago, Gapers Block, and the Red Eye in Schadenfreude's second annual Alternative Media Slam. We're not sure how a Tribune company paper counts as "alternative," but last year's winner (cough bullshit cough) the Reader wouldn't participate this year. We'll be trading yo-mama–style rap-battle insults with the other esteemed publications...and the Red Eye. Hey-o! We're practicing already. The show starts at 9pm and......

Well, that anti-promoter ordinance the City's kicking around sounds worse with every passing second. The vague language means it may limit live comedy in Chicago, too. You can hear Alderman Eugene Schulter try to defend the ordinance on 848 from this morning, but we'll warn you that it'll just make you grumpy. Call your alderman, or plan on going to the City Council meeting tomorrow at 10am. update: Some folks are trying to rally 100......