Episode 164 — Rudeness with Sassy Bluff

[JulyDiaz 2797]

Alex Berg, Dave Theune, and Nick Mandernach are together known as Sassy Bluff. They join Matt Besser this week to look for the new mascot for Moscow, show what happens when the clothing optional rule at Vassar college goes too far, and worship Peter Fonda as a God. Plus, Amy Alkon, author of Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck, talks about the science based theory on why people are rude in general, web slamming, and random acts of kindness in another edition of the Confrontation Corner. Make sure to get the Upright Citizens Brigade television show season 3 now available on DVD, the UCB Comedy Improv Manual, Matt Besser’s new comedy album at mattbesser.com, and Dragoon’s new album at dragoongalaxy.bandcamp.com! improv4humans will be back at the UCB Sunset LIVE on December 22 with a Christmas special. Go to https://www.ucbtheatre.com/ for tickets!

[PuncturedJesus 354]

The title of this episode is so weird and perfect that I can't believe it's an actual description of the contents, not something derived from the comedy itself.

[ericmci 26]

Sock Fancy?

Is this a joke?

What's next- the DopeNailClippersClub.com ?

Like to clip your nails? But hate shopping for nail clippers? Let DopeNailClippersClub send dope clippers to your house for you folks!

[AndyPacheco-Fores 437]

Sock Fancy?

Is this a joke?

What's next- the DopeNailClippersClub.com ?

Like to clip your nails? But hate shopping for nail clippers? Let DopeNailClippersClub send dope clippers to your house for you folks!

P. Diddy's their spokesperson.

[bohren 56]

Sorry but Dennis Hopper was the other rider in Easy Rider. Jack Nicholson joins them later.

[KajusX 1807]

I want to hear more interviews where Matt explains Bartertown to people as part of a question. I grinned so big when he brought up Master Blaster.

[BrettMorris 1862]

Between Master Blaster and pizza crust, case closed has given me the best analogies I've heard for years.

[createtildeath 83]

yeesh

[Foxtrot1 67]

I really liked that woman in Confrontation Corner until she threw out "I'm not a feminist" as though that's an acceptable thing to say. You're right lady, men and women are different, so therefore we should treat women worse. Wouldn't want to come out against unequal treatment or anything

[KajusX 1807]

I really liked that woman in Confrontation Corner until she threw out "I'm not a feminist" as though that's an acceptable thing to say. You're right lady, men and women are different, so therefore we should treat women worse. Wouldn't want to come out against unequal treatment or anything

That part tripped me up as well. It's the same angle my dad leveled at me in disgust about what he perceived as feminism. "T-T-T-They're saying men and women are the SAME." No, men and women are EQUAL IN VALUE. No one is saying men and women are the same. The two terms aren't congruent nor interchangeable.

 

You know, like how on the Declaration of Independence it says, "All men are created the same"?

[hypnotizingchickens 1025]

mmmmmm, so glad that smegma has made a return appearance on the show. that one person show sounds riveting...ahem...revolting.

 

let's face it, you either have foreskin or a shower... and never the twain shall meet.

[Kickpuncher 5012]

The guest segment was really good, and I genuinely love that Matt's endgame was to justify "Matty B runs Case Closed".

 

FWIW, I think the "feminist" comment was just an awkward way of getting to the point that there are cases (like telling a woman that she has a nice smile) where men and women really should behave differently because of how their actions will be perceived.

[Jon Onyx 1226]

WHO RUNS IMPROV TOWN?

[KajusX 1807]

FWIW, I think the "feminist" comment was just an awkward way of getting to the point that there are cases (like telling a woman that she has a nice smile) where men and women really should behave differently because of how their actions will be perceived.

I concur. I know I'm really risking derailing this thread by continuing this particular topic, but I don't think she necessarily meant exactly what she said, maybe because she was confusing feminism's tenant of equal-in-value with gender-sameness. Her point still stood tho that men and women are not the same, in that the cultural gender dynamics involved in complimenting a stranger's smile vary wildly depending on who is giving and receiving the compliment.

[scaryghostdog 5]

matt- you have to stop calling yourself master blaster. he doesnt even really run bartertown. tina turner runs bartertown and master blaster leads a crappy coup and threatens to kill her unless she says he runs bartertown into a microphone. then mad max kills him like a punk

[Jon Onyx 1226]

matt- you have to stop calling yourself master blaster. he doesnt even really run bartertown. tina turner runs bartertown and master blaster leads a crappy coup and threatens to kill her unless she says he runs bartertown into a microphone. then mad max kills him like a punk

 

Masterblaster controls the methane/pigs which power the city, so the scene is about showing that Tina Turner who runs the town in name only actually has to answer to Masterblaster

[watchayakan 1021]

Am I the only one who didn't really like this episode? Not because of Confrontation Corner, but Sassy Bluff just doesn't work well together. They each kept trying to top each other and forcing call backs. This is probably the first episode where I didn't howl with laughter.

[Shampoodler 1489]

Seeking validation from a Soho street corner life coach who carries 4 days worth of salami with her at all times in case pasta is served sounds more like an I4H improv scene than an I4H segment!

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amy_Alkon#Campaigns

[Optimum Corridor 32]

Like others, nearly pissed myself when Matt crowbarred in the Barter Town theoretical towards the end of the segment, much to the confusion of Amy, to justify her being on the show. Although her whole idea of filming people being assholes I don't agree with, that would be the person I'd want to "slap".

[Lukas Holmes 2287]

No, men and women are EQUAL IN VALUE. No one is saying men and women are the same. The two terms aren't congruent nor interchangeable.

 

Can I steal this? It's really well put.

[DanEngler 5249]

Between Master Blaster and pizza crust, case closed has given me the best analogies I've heard for years.

Who runs Stardertown? Brett Morris runs Stardertown!

[HunterJE 618]

I concur. I know I'm really risking derailing this thread by continuing this particular topic, but I don't think she necessarily meant exactly what she said, maybe because she was confusing feminism's tenant of equal-in-value with gender-sameness. Her point still stood tho that men and women are not the same, in that the cultural gender dynamics involved in complimenting a stranger's smile vary wildly depending on who is giving and receiving the compliment.

 

But what stands is that whether she meant it, she said it, and that in itself is problematic. It demonstrates a common misunderstanding (and frequently, among the people you hear this from, a willful misunderstanding) of what feminism is, which among other things seriously undermines the credibility of someone claiming to be a popularizer of social sciences. I don't think it's derailing to call that out.

[BrettMorris 1862]

She also mentioned she was a libertarian, so she probably meant it...

[Hot - Slunch 772]

She also mentioned she was a libertarian, so she probably meant it...

 

Hahaha, the libertarian part totally threw me. I literally said, "What?" when she dropped that.

 

For a second I could sort of understand her trying to distance herself from the feminist descriptor since a lot of people online just say, "Feminists are assholes"... But then I thought about how she said she would approach the guy on the cell phone submissively. It seems like there's a weird male/female dynamic going on in her brain on top of all this other be nice/put people in their place stuff.

 

That lady is all over the place, and honestly she tired me out with the voraciousness with which she spoke.

 

 

 

Besser trying to get her to stay in a scene was hilarious.

[SusannaDooleyBoney 23]

Hiya Matt! Great show!

 

If I may move away from the good feminist points on this fourm... what thoughts do you have on Southern kindness vs Yankee rudeness? Have you read anything about the studies they did on aggression & courtesy in Southern vs Northern Americans ? There is a theory called "the culture of honor", which puts forth the idea that Americans from the South (you & me, per sè) are nicer and more courteous to strangers than Americans from the North would be, simply because we Southeners fear (& rightfully so) that the stranger will react with violence if our behavior is not correct.

 

Here is a quote from a 2 year old article re The Culture of Honor, (the emphasis is mine):

 

" After provocation, Southerners were not only more angry on the outside, they were more angry on the inside, down to their neurochemistry. (The authors also theorize that Southern politeness could be a response to Southern aggression—if Southerners are more likely to take offense than other regional cultures, it follows they would be less likely to give offense, for safety’s sake.) "

 

http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/The-312/July-2012/American-Violence-and-Southern-Culture/

 

I totally think this is true. Sometimes even the absence of a kind gesture (e.g.: not holding the door for person walking in behind you, even if they're not caring anything) is considered the height of rudeness in my home state. A lack of a courtesy can be culturally shocking to a Texan. My hometown of Austin Texas is cool, but man, we sure do NOT like having a door shut on us. I'm of the lady variety, and honestly, may have never held a door for myself in my life before moving to Los Angeles at age 22, thus, my first time at a convenience store in LA resulted in me yelling at a very confused stranger for not holding the door for me. Was I in the right? Absolutely not. Would I have yelled at the dude if we were at an Austin 7-11? Absolutely not. I do feel a sort of these-Californians-are-wimps tell 'em like it is/bully impulse here that I've never felt before...is it because I feel Californians are less likely to react violently to my bad behavior than an Austinite would?

 

Did you feel your behavior change when you moved away from Arkansas, and do you treat southerners vs northerners differently? (lumping California in with all non southern states, btw). Loved the show, thanks for the thought provocation!

 

Holler!