3/16/12

The Top Pop Culture Experts in Pop Culture


Here's the third (and possibly final) entry in my series about being a POP CULTURE EXPERT.  

I went all "meta" and compiled a list-piece about pop culture experts in popular culture. Ha ha. 

Who did I leave out? (Besides "Chainsaw" from SUMMER SCHOOL?) 

(note the article's title was changed to "the geekiest pop culture expert in pop culture", but to me that's a different list entirely which suggests it's based on how geeky someone is. That's not the list I wrote. Oh you editors....) 

Read the list HERE

Thanks to Nick Nadel for bringing the list to a "legit" media outlet. 

3/13/12

Troublemaker at the Comedy Institute

Recently I was hired as a comedy consultant to help some brand creatives think outside the box.

Normally I despise hearing people talk seriously about comedy.  But the money was good.

Turns out the only thing worse than witnessing a panel on comedy is being part of a panel on comedy. People made sweeping generalizations and self-important observations. It was a difficult 75 minutes.

I did two things to simultaneously take my role seriously and (kind of) subvert it.

First, I arrived dressed as Dr. Millard Rausch, the jerk who appears on the panel show in George A. Romero's DAWN OF THE DEAD. (Fans will remember I wore this costume when I hosted  Kevin Geeks Out About Dummy Deaths -- honestly, it works better with the beard.)

Second, I tried to answer vague questions with a painstaking amount of detail.

For example, the bizarro question packet wanted to know "What are the genres of comedy?"

I suppose they want simple answers like "parody" and "slapstick."

Instead I wrote up 125 different genres of comedy.

I figured it would be fun audience participation, they could shout out a number and I'd reveal the specific sub-genre I listed.  And it pointed out how dumb the question is in the first place.

After the panel I never heard back from the agency -- dashing my hopes of a lucrative consulting position.  But here's my official comedy research listing the 125 genres of comedy.  (I could've listed more, but I think I made my obnoxious point, don't you?)


125 Comedy Genres
1.   Christian ventriloquism
2.   Greek plays by Aristophanes with lots of phalluses.
3.   Pre-Civil War Minstrel Show
4.   Internet Cat-based humor
5.   Porn parodies of popular culture
6.   Political cartoons with too many metaphors
7.   Nostalgia-based coming-of-age storytelling
8.   Post-PORKY’S teen sex comedies screened late at night on basic cable with all the dirty parts edited out
9.   Humorous fortune cookie



3/12/12

The Flat Stan Lee Project


1. Print or download this illustration (by the talented Karen Sneider)

2. Cut-out your paper doll of Flat Stan Lee. 

3. Bring him on an adventure, take lots of photos. 

4. Email those photos to Kevin@LoveKevin.com

5. See you photos at http://flatstanlee.tumblr.com/ 




You can also color in this black-and-white version. 


3/11/12

Kevin Geeks Out About WRASSLIN'



GET TICKETS

A pile-driver of world-class entertainment, it's KEVIN GEEKS OUT ABOUT WRASSLIN'

Friday March 30 @ 8pm
92Y Tribeca, 200 Hudson Street, NYC
just $10
click here for tickets

The two-hour variety show features a no-holds-barred battle royal of film clips, dramatic readings, guest talks, true stories, trivia prizes and never-before-told secrets from the squared circle, with footage you won't find on YouTube or Netflix.

With special guests:

Author-musician MIKE EDISON recounts the bloody Loser-Leaves-Town match where he defeated his boss to become editor-in-chief of newsstand staple Wrestling's Main Event, his feud with Hulk Hogan and his brief stint writing wrestling-themed pornography.

Quizmaster NOAH TARNOW remembers that long-departed staple of televised wrestling: the squash match.

Former WWE editor BRIAN SOLOMON presents "What I Learned Working for the WWE", reflecting on his seven years reporting to Vince McMahon.

Pop Culture enthusiast BRANDON ROHWER salutes the bad guys we love to hate, in his Celebration of the Heels.

Artist-Baker SARA REISS serves up wrasslin'-themed cupcakes (where the secret ingredient is a perfectly-snapped Slim Jim)

And host KEVIN MAHER shares the never-before-told stories detailing his two years as Garbagio, the masked-wrestler on a kids' TV show.


all this plus and much, much more. 



note: This event is part of the 92Y Tribeca's series BEAT DOWN: WRESTLING IN THE MOVIES