EPISODE 189 — Apes Will Fight If We Must

[JulyDiaz 2797]

Will Hines, Mike Still, and Joe Wengert are humons living in the Dawn of the Planet of the Apes on this week’s improv4humans with Matt Besser! We’ll hear how an undercover cop infiltrates a group of 16 year-olds at a concert, the Tween Gay News as reported by Joe, and the best shitting in your pants story in American history. Plus, Doug Levison aka the Angry Trumpet Fighter calls in to offer Matt advice on what to do about another improv teacher unfairly criticizing the UCB in another edition of Case Closed. Make sure to get the Upright Citizens Brigade television show season 3 now available on DVD, the UCB Comedy Improv Manual, and Dragoon’s new album at dragoongalaxy.bandcamp.com!

[Jon Onyx 1226]

WENGERT!

[McSmashington 521]

Will Hines hat-trick week!

 

Good news.

[saddlebags 581]

Wow. Hines, Still and WENGERT!? And case closed and angry trumpet guy???? Can't wait.

[Scooter McGnarly 382]

I'm on #teamUCB. If I knew who was talking all that shit on UCB I'd totally give their podcast a bad review on iTunes.

[burtburt 108]

this ep had everything - killer comedy, improv drama, TM, apes, lactose discussion, poop stories. also the guests had excellent things thing to say about turning the other cheek and ignoring people who say dumb shit.

 

what a rollercoaster ride.

[Erudite crudite 225]

Oh boy. Epic episode.

 

So many segments --- the apes clip at the beginning, the phone call to Doug --- were all leading up to a single issue. But this wasn't really apparent until the end, when everything crystallized. It was like watching a heist movie where a bunch of little throwaway events in the first two acts are revealed in the third act to be planned parts of the climactic heist.

[clams 242]

Great ep!

 

The Tween Gay news bit nearly caused a car accident for me, sweet baby jesús christos...

[McSmashington 521]

Good to hear Besser getting fired up.

 

He has every right to defend his theater and his students. I've heard other comedians crap on UCB and it always smacks of envy and bitterness to me.

 

What a great episode, it had a bit of everything.

[DerrickHackett 20]

That Tumpet Guy is a PAIN to listen to. What a waste of time.

[freshy 154]

Let me spread some nectar to help with the poison (or whatever Doug said):

 

Great Episode!!!

 

I've been dealing with some internet hate myself this week, so Doug's call helped a lot.

 

And of course, the scenes were amazing. The opening ape scene and Tween Gay News are best of material for sure

[freshy 154]

That Tumpet Guy is a PAIN to listen to. What a waste of time.

 

 

Incredible irony?

[GrumpyZhukov 33]

Could someone PM me the name of the guy they're talking about in case closed?

 

I'm not interested in calling him a twit - I really want to hear him talk about HIS version of improv and why the UCB doesn't 'get it' as I have no view on improv but I do love a lot of people I've heard through ear wolf and most seem to have had some UCB or other improv training.

 

I find it fascinating when someone makes sweeping statements and like to hear them speak themselves even if they end up hanging from their own noose. And from what I heard this guy does seem to fit the bill.

 

Cheers

 

GZ

[MattCameron 595]

Love everything the UCB does and it's ridiculous that someone wants to shit on it. I'd love to know who it is.

 

Anyway, FWIW, criticism is not enough for a legal actions to tortious interference of a contract, not that Matt would do that anyway.

 

I also realize the incredible irony as noted above, but I have to agree that it is really difficult to listen to the incessant ramblings of trumpet guy. My blood pressure skyrockets.

 

I think the moral of the story here is Hate Us 'Cause They Ain't Us.

[Branko 32]

Man, one of the best scenes right out of the fuckin' gate! Good episode!

[MattCameron 595]

I mean, it's gotta be Groundlings, right? Certainly wouldn't be iO.

[GrumpyZhukov 33]

@MattCameron

 

I don't think so cos in the clip he was saying Groundlings didn't get it right either. Matt said it was a guy who ran a place 'across the street'. I don't think it's literally there but I googled improv classes taking place around UCB Franklin and the only guess I have is Keith Saltojanes of 'Improv LA', but no idea if it's him and me finger pointing like this does no one any good. But I admit to being weirdly fixated on this now

 

I just want to hear the guy in his own words.

 

GZ

[Haze 112]

Fascinating stuff but Bess could take a sec to explain what some of the improv insider terminology means. I take it a Harold is a new performer?

[MattCameron 595]

I don't think so cos in the clip he was saying Groundlings didn't get it right either. Matt said it was a guy who ran a place 'across the street'. I don't think it's literally there but I googled improv classes taking place around UCB Franklin and the only guess I have is Keith Saltojanes of 'Improv LA', but no idea if it's him and me finger pointing like this does no one any good. But I admit to being weirdly fixated on this now :)/>

 

Oh I missed that. Yeah, probably best not to speculate. All that Besser telling us who it is would be to give the guy exposure. I hate it when people are sad sacks of shit like that.

[denimgremlin 1179]

@MattCameron

 

I don't think so cos in the clip he was saying Groundlings didn't get it right either. Matt said it was a guy who ran a place 'across the street'.

 

 

oh shit, maybe it's Scientology!

[souprman 10477]

holy shit more will hines!! great week on earwolph.

[AndyPacheco-Fores 437]

 

oh shit, maybe it's Scientology!

Suppressive person! Suppressive person!

[AlbinLundholm 4020]

Oh wow I cringed listening to the story about the improv scene Besser did with that fuckhead, he seems very amateurish

[potsmaster 36]

Love the episode! But I have to agree with some of the other forum posts, Doug the Angry Trumpet Guy is completely impossible to listen to. Besser has to know that he is crazy and totally full of shit, right? Between the inane comments about psychology and the universe, completely getting basic facts wrong (like the population of the US during the Truman administration and today), constantly bringing up minutiae about his life and how long he's lived in Manhattan, and INCESSANTLY saying things like "What you have to know about that is..." or "The interesting thing about that is..." whenever he's talking I have to fast forward. I don't know how Besser or the guests can actually sit there and listen to him

 

Edit: I do have to admit the segment that they did off of the call was pretty great though, so I guess fast forwarding through Doug was worth it.

[DorkyButCool 86]

Fascinating stuff but Bess could take a sec to explain what some of the improv insider terminology means. I take it a Harold is a new performer?

 

The Harold is the signature improv form that iO and UCB do. It's what layed the groundwork for basically all of the long form that we see today. Both theaters have teams that are specifically there to play The Harold on certain nights. As with teams in anything, some are better than others and some teams are very new to playing in front of a crowd so they're a little more raw than a veteran team playing a form that they have created/perfected.