Monday, August 20, 2007

Living in the Bonus Round, The Reality Series.

It hit me today that the video diary has evolved into an internet version of a reality show.

I don't have to be fancy or artistic or anything. It's enough to just point the camera and just be ourselves. All the time people come up to us recreating little bits they've saw and laughed at.

And yes, Alexandra, Jimmy's "spit take" at the radio station was absolutely real. It's not easy to make Jim laugh, but when you DO make Jim laugh, it's worth every penny.

I noted today that I have 95 videos up on YouTube. 95. And there are still more that preceded YouTube, with a number of them at Ourmedia.com -- an early video-hosting site. I have to get into my archives and put them up on YouTube. "Living in the Bonus Round: The Early Years." Like the one in which I took off my eye patch and could see normally for the first time in years.

It's all very primitive and basic, but it's all real, too.

Here in San Francisco, the critics have been comparing us to some of the great classic comic teams -- like Laurel & Hardy. Five years of performing this piece (that still feels new every night) has given us a natural rhythm. Our stage personas becoming more developed. And I'm the lucky one in this regard, because I've just allowed myself to learn from the master.

Jim has been a great comic actor all his life. He's theatrical and real and silly and hilarious and touching and, like all great comics, he eventually breaks your heart -- and puts it back together again. Every night is like, as he would put it, speaking of watching all the great Broadway stars while selling orange drink in the lobby, a "master class in acting."

One of my netfriends remarked, after seeing the show, "I wasn't expecting you to be the straight man." But, yeah, I'm the straight man. I love the role. I'm Ricky. He's Lucy. It's perfect. And this is kinda how we are all the time with each other. He's hilarious and I play the congas.

1 comment:

Elizabeth Pax said...

Re: Steve the straight man.

That was my reaction! I couldn't believe it... but I was thrilled. =F HAHA. Jimmy is a peach.