limb

Ming is a character that Rowley did for many years live at the Groundlings. He was in various sketches in different formats- sometimes it'd be a normal sketch and other times it'd be an interactive improv where Ming was a life coach and he talked to the audience, etc. etc. It's worth nothing that at that specific theater, you have to produce several sketches a week with new 'big' characters every week and they encourage you to use any tool you can to create a character- pick a piece of wardrobe, a voice, a physicality, etc. and try and turn it into a character. In that fast-pace process, sometimes it can wade into murky waters when the character shows ethnic or flamboyant traits. It gets murkier still when you do a ethnic/flamboyant voice or behavior and the audience goes wild for it. Some performers will cut something if its problematic even though it gets a great reaction and other performers will double down on it. Stand ups have a similar problem when they're trying to write new material quickly- some cut jokes that don't fit their worldview, others will keep anything that gets a consistent laugh. With all that said, the incarnation on CBB seems to be just an irregular and specific accent or cadence for Rowley to use while riffing. Without knowing that it's a remnant from an actual character or seeing Rowley perform it (he has a Jim Carrey-like rubber-face when performing), it is pretty much a voice which I can see as being insensitive/offensive/confusing.

Now that NNF is FREE (!!!) can someone give me a time stamp for the Seth Morris/J Pardo talking Bill Callahan convo? Thanks!

I think UCB will do just fine despite the marketing angle of that new independent improv workshop. There are a lot of people who don't get on Harold teams or who decide to socialize in other improv communities and these smaller workshops give them further opportunities to keep doing what they love. Also it would be hard to start a new school or workshop that used the exact syllabus as UCB or other established theaters. If someone was that into the philosophy of a specific theatre they would likely stay at that theatre and not open a new school.

I thought this was a great episode. Some of the feedback on here is just weirdly mean and ugly though. Howard & Kulap seemed to have a great, positive time despite some of the strongly worded concerns in this thread.

Randall, Jason. Let it be know that I found your jokes to be exaggerated and heightened. Your other segments in past episodes where you relayed that week's current events without bias, editorial opinion or comedic augmentation were much better and factually accurate. I implore you, as a fan, to return to your previously established level of journalistic integrity. Sincerely, A Big Comedy Fan With a Great Sense of Humor