“The Pilot”:

“Cleanse”:

“Book Club”:

I am still bummed out, and the only cure that I know of is to inject some laughter into this otherwise shitty day – or more cowbell.  So, I decided to trek on over to Funny or Die and check out their latest crop of new videos.  There are viral videos I come across daily that are hard to explain, but then there are others that simply defy explanation.  I’d say a dream sequence featuring Wayne Brady and “Iron” Mike Tyson performing one of Bobby Brown’s hits from the late 80′s would definitely fit into the second category.

Yesterday brought us the Internet premiere of DJ Steve Porter’s “Press Hop 2″, and I thought that would be the highlight of my week – yes, I fully realize how pathetic this sounds.  Well, that all changed today when I found out a new edition of the talk show “Between Two Ferns” was now showing on Funny or Die.  The latest guest to stop by Galifianikis’s plant paradise is his Dinner for Schmucks co-star Steve Carell.  Carell recently made headlines after revealing the news that he would not return to The Office when his contract expires after the 2010-11 season.  Since that time, a lot of discussions about whether or not the show can survive without Michael Scott have taken place on various websites and TV shows.  Some say the ensemble cast can continue to carry the show, but others believe that when he leaves, the show will not be able to go on without him – or will be a shell of its former sitcom self.  While I enjoy the secondary cast of characters as much as the next Office fan, I still believe that Michael Scott is the straw that stirs the Dundler Mifflin coffee.  It’s hard to imagine anyone else being able to perfectly combine equal parts ignorance, comedy, and total obliviousness with the cringe-inducing moments Carell provides on a weekly basis.  But then it dawned on me.  There is one person I can think of who just might be able to pull it off, and it just so happens to be Zach Galifianikis.  I’d put the chances of this happening at roughly .00000000001%, but it never hurts to dream.

(Language is NSFW):

A coming-of-age story unlike anything you’ve ever seen on the big screen – unless you’re one of the few people who saw Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star (Contains language):

Funny or Die’s “Gamechangers” is fast becoming one of my favorite web series on the Internet, which is not surprising when you consider it comes from a long line of other great recurring videos on the site – “Between Two Ferns” and “Drunk History” immediately come to mind.  The thought behind “Gamechangers” is to take popular themes or storylines from some of the major sports in America, and come up with some hilarious back stories about whatever it is they have chosen to parody.  First, it was the story of Charlie Hoard; an unheralded writer who concocted some recognizable rants that have been espoused by athletes and coaches alike.  Next, was the story of Mt. Tuskegee State running back Willis Jackson, and his thoughts on the horrifying experience that is the NFL draft.  Now comes the tragic fall of an innovative baseball announcer named Jim Brockmire, as told by his biggest fans and some people that cite him as the reason they pursued a career sports journalism.  This may be the best one yet, considering it stars famous SportsCenter anchors, Artie Lange’s biggest fan, and the actor who voices a list of Simpsons characters that includes:  Moe Szyslack, Chief Wiggum, Cletus Spuckler, Dr. Nick Riviera, and Apu Nahasapeempetilon.  The gamechanger for me is the bathroom scene towards the end.

I guess everyone really is using Facebook these days:

I constantly see infomercials for new “revolutionary” workouts, and it seems like a majority of them fade out pretty quickly – but I get the feeling that fitness guru Ty Bowman’s new system will stand the test of time:

This is the type of stuff they don’t teach you in history class – unless your teacher was an alcoholic:

I am convinced that A&E’s Hoarders may be both the worst and best that reality/documentary television currently has to offer.  It is the worst because you are taken on an hour-long tour of disgusting and filthy homes that not even Pig-Pen would inhabit.  Honestly, it is one of the only TV shows that I am unable to watch, or even be in the vicinity of, when I am eating dinner (Fear Factor used to be another).  This is especially true when they venture to the kitchen and you see the obligatory year(s)-old food scraps, a nasty sink with standing, brown water and a refrigerator with contents that could claim first prize at any high school science fair in the world.  On the other hand, it could also be considered one of the best shows; because no matter how big of a lazy piece of shit I am feeling like at that moment, Hoarders never fails to make me feel ten thousand times better about myself.  “Even though it’s been two months since I cleaned up my room and I’m behind in my laundry, at least I can see my floor and bed – plus, I can walk through my room without the fear of getting attacked by a wild animal that’s wearing one of my t-shirts.  Hoarders is truly the only hour long show I can think of that includes a big boost of self-esteem in every new episode.  In less than sixty minutes, this show can help you overcome things that take some people spend thousands of dollars and years of psychology sessions to work out.

Due to the growing popularity of Hoarders – which I attribute to the “people love a good train wreck” mentality – I knew it was only a matter of time until another new show tried to capitalize on its success.  It’s rare when a knock off/imitator meets or exceeds the entertainment value offered by the original, but I gotta say, something about Whoreders makes me think this will be an exception to that rule.

(Language is NSFW)

The acclaimed series that brought you the astonishing story of rant writer Charlie Hoard has returned with an unauthorized, behind the scenes look at one of the only institutions that continue to draft unwilling young adults into their ranks each year.  Around this time every April, hundreds of able-bodied college students’ are called upon to serve an unspecified amount of time in a powerful organization known as the National Football League.  To the outside observer or casual sports fan, this annual event appears to be the culmination of years of hard work and dedication for college athletes; but there is also a dark and ugly side to the event that has rarely been discussed…until now.  Thanks to a brave student out of Mt. Tuskegee State named Willis Jackson, the true story behind his experience (and that of countless other draftees before him) will no longer be silenced by these NFL front office fat cats.  According to Jackson, the draft is not viewed as a day of recognition, joy, or the realization of a dream for the young men whose names are picked – it’s actually a reason to be “scared shitless”:

(Contains Language)

Zach Galifianikis is back with a brand new episode of the best shrubbery-themed talk show the Internet has ever seen.  In the newest installment of Between Two Ferns, Zach’s distinguished guest is comedic actor Ben Stiller.  Watch as the two of them sit down to discuss some highlights from Stiller’s illustrious career, his upcoming movie Greenberg, and what Zach ate for breakfast.

(Contains Language):

Sometimes I watch a new video on one of the many sites that are in the old favorites thingamajig, and it makes me laugh for reasons I can’t explain.  This definitely fits into that category, but at this moment I’m leaning towards a nice mixture of notable cameos - including James ”Sonny” Crockett - and complete absurdity: