Do you like the Bears? Do you like to make fun of Tim Tebow? Do you like MST3K? Are NFL announcers annoying? If you said yes to any of those questions, go to this. more ›

Chicago Bears kick return specialist Devin Hester partnered with some Chicago area comedians to make a video with ESPN's Kenny Mayne. more ›

Not surprised that a business is already using the Rod Blagojevich verdict to market a sale; only at how fast it took. more ›

Carol Moseley Braun may have had a problem releasing her tax returns, but not 53rd Ward Alderman Ed Bus. Bus released his returns Friday as part of his ongoing campaign. As you can see from the numbers, representing the 53rd Ward has been very good to him and his. more ›

From the heart of the 53rd Ward comes an unlikely mayoral candidate: Alderman Ed Bus. You can check his ongoing campaign through Election Day 2011 here. more ›

If you missed last week's 20x2 event, presented by SXSW and our pals at Gapers Block, you missed one hell of an amazing show featuring some of the city's most creative minds. One such example was this entry from participant and local director/animator/editor/photographer/badass Steve Delahoyde featuring the kids of Schadenfreude. more ›

The schadenfreude over Jay Mariotti's arrest for domestic assault continues with relish from nearly all who've weighed in on the subject. One of the more recent (besides Sun-Times columnist Rick Morrissey, who reminded readers today that Mariotti nicknamed Frank Thomas "the Big Skirt") is Sox and Bulls chairman Jerry Reinsdorf, whom Mariotti waged a Quixotian battle with despite Reinsdorf's teams winning six NBA titles and a World Series, making him arguable the most successful local sports owner of our time. more ›

TBS' annual Just For Laughs festival is back in town, having kicked off with numerous events last night. But there's still plenty more out there to catch with names both big and small, both national (Ellen, Team CoCo, Adam Carolla) and local (Susan Messing, Cook County Social Club). Of course, we're just scratching the surface so be sure to check out the full list of performances here. Here are five we've got our eye on. more ›

On this week's entry to the Chicagoist Podcast Series, the natural comedy of the City Council, mixed with the real comedy of Schadenfreude - so which one is funnier? One's definitely funny in a "ha-ha" sense, and the Council...well, that's just kinda funny in a civically cynical sense. more ›

• Cook County Circuit Court clerk Dorothy Brown had no problem accepting gifts from employees until the Tribune came calling.
• What began as a simple break-in at a house in Matteson led to that town's biggest pot bust ever.
• Students rallied at Northwestern yesterday in support of classmates who say they were the victims of racial profiling.

Just because you're tightening the belt these days doesn't mean you have to cut back on laughs. Alternative comedy troupe Schadenfreude kicks off five Fridays of the cost-conscious Rent Party tonight at the Gallery Cabaret. Admission is a smart ten bucks and, in addition to an hour's worth of entertainment, includes free food and beer specials to boot. Rent Party's standup-meets-sketch format is straightforward and effective—think main-stage laughs with none of the theater pretense. And unlike that ketchup-packet marinara you cooked up last night, Schadenfreude isn't cutting corners when it comes to substance. Names such as Robert Buscemi and Susan Messing will be augmenting an already-stellar core cast over the five-week run. With fresh material served up for every show, going back for seconds is sure to be at treat. All the specifics can be had here, and a Schadenfreude sampler is available via their video archive. more ›

Conventions
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Earlier today, we told you about the Chicago Emmys that were handed out. Friends of Chicagoist Schadenfreude were nominated for their work with WTTW's IL-Informed (Category #13-a. Outstanding Achievement for Arts/Entertainment Programs – Program or Program Series). But they had a show going on that prevented them from attending the Awards in person so, instead, they shot an "acceptance speech" ahead of time just in case. Ultimately, they didn't win, which only makes it funnier. more ›

Local sketch comedy troupes GayCo and Schadenfreude are teaming up for a new political comedy show, This Country's F$cked. The show, done in conjunction with Crossroads Funds, will feature plenty of the comedy you've come to enjoy from these two fine troupes as well as appearances by other local performers including: Bassprov, Susan Messing, Ken Barnard, Mike and Duane, Blue Ribbon Glee Club, Mark Bazer, Jet & Holly, Matthew Hollis and the Power of Cheer, Claudia Wallace and Yuri Lane. The show will play tribute to the carnival sideshow that has been the 2008 Elections season and will feature plenty of stand-up, sketches, music, and maybe some unicorn sex (if you're lucky). The show hits the Lakeshore Theater for four exclusive shows over the next two Saturday nights (8 p.m. and 11 p.m. each night). There'll be an after-party featuring DJ Jesse De La Pena after the final show of the run (11 p.m. on the 25th). more ›

You know how every year they make up championship t-shirts for both teams in the Super Bowl? Except one of those teams has to lose, right, so their championship t-shirts end up being donated to children in third world countries? And those kids are now walking around in "New England Patriots 19-0" shirts? Well, consider this video kind of like that. Courtesy of our hilarious friends at Schadenfreude [who have a new show coming soon we'll be previewing] comes this Walter E Smithe commercial (that will never see the light of day) celebrating a successful Cubs 2008 postseason. Enjoy while you wait to see if Sarah Palin is gonna show up on that SNL special. more ›

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? more ›

We don't usually toot our own horn, but sometimes the opportunity is just too good to pass up. Last weekend we participated in Schadenfreude's 2nd Annual Alt-Media Slam contest along with Gapers Block, Time Out Chicago, and the Red Eye. The event had a wide-open feel as last year's champs, The Chicago Reader (and their trophy), failed to make an appearance. Tempers flared, slams were thrown, and only one team was left standing as champions: Us (holla!). We took home a nice fake plasma TV and a shiny red bow for our efforts. We'd go into a blow-by-blow account, but our friends over at Schadenfreude have been kind enough to provide a video of the event. For those of you already looking forward to next year's contest (cough-Scott Smith-cough), take note: after taking the upcoming holiday weekend off to celebrate, the Chicagoist team will reconvene next week to begin plotting our title defense. more ›

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. more ›

The Dusk til Dawn Cultural and Artistic Celebration that is Looptopia is upon us once again. Even though last year was sort of a let down, there was still plenty of cool stuff that happened and we've got hopes this year will be better, especially after officials said they'd scale things down and be better prepared for the crowd. Bank of America or no Bank of America, the show must go on. For a full schedule, click here or pick up one of their comprehensive brochures at various business establishments around the Loop. We're keeping an eye on the the weather and hoping it doesn't throw too big of a wrench into plans. more ›

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