Comedy: LOL
Since the Web was first woven, people have been using it to find (and share) laughs. Whether you're looking for a funny clip to forward around the office, a quirky gift for a friend, or your own career in comedy, the Internet has something for you.
Comedy has never been a one-size-fits-all genre. What makes one person fall over in hysterics may leave others less than amused. The wide variety of comedy available on the Internet provides a seemingly infinite supply of material to suit any comic taste. But how do you find the things that are funny to you?
One way to start your quest for online humor is to browse Web sites that offer several different forms of comedy: jokes, pictures, cartoons, stand-up, etc. Exploring these sites can give you an idea of what is available online and lead you to more specialized sites.
Here we get you on your way by recommending a few sites that offer a broad selection of comedy offerings for curious Web surfers.
- Web sites with similar audiences often provide links to each other's sites. Keep your eyes open for links to comedy sites on any site you like to visit, even if it's not a comedy site itself.
- Christian comedy sites are good resources for "G-rated" comedy. Much of the material is not religiously themed, and the field has produced some successful mainstream comedy.
Daily Comedy
brings together videos, sketches, and a regular supply of monologue-style jokes from a writing staff of working comedians. Check out the "Jokes" section to find jokes in categories like "Political," "Weird," "Sports," and more.
Comedy Central
's Web site is much more than a television accessory. Clicking around this site on a regular basis is one of the easiest ways to keep your fingers on the throbbing pulse of American comedy. Videos, stand-up podcasts, blogs, games, and message boards round out this site.
CollegeHumor
is the definitive humor hub for college-aged people or anyone hip enough to relate to them. Inspired by a mid-20th century magazine that published humorists like Robert Benchley and Groucho Marx, this site assembles some of the funniest content on the Web.
Every day, funny video clips are downloaded by millions of people all over the world, many of whom pass the tidbits onto their friends in a process known as "going viral." In other words, these e-mailed videos spread as fast as viruses. Sites that post videos often encourage you to share material, increasing the video clip audience.
It is little wonder that YouTube, a video hosting site that encourages sharing of their material, became one of the Web's hottest e-hangouts.
- If the video you're watching keeps pausing or delaying, try hitting the "pause" button and waiting a minute or two for the video to upload before you start it.
- Popular catch-all video sites like YouTube or Google Video are huge resources for funny videos ranging from clips of sitcoms and movies to amateur nonsense. However, they are also full of thousands upon thousands of other unrelated videos of varying quality and appropriateness. Despite these sites' simple navigation and ease of use, you're best off if you already know what you're looking for going in.
Dotcomedy
is a well-designed site that features professional-quality video clips. The selection of TV, film, stand-up, and other well-produced comedy clips is comprehensive without being overwhelming. Viewers can submit their own videos for consideration, too.
Spike
, powered by iFilm, brings together a good blend of TV clips, viral videos, and user-generated content. It has an especially good selection of sketch comedy and short films. Choose the "Comedy" channel on the left menu to filter the site for comedy content only.
Rooftop Comedy
boasts a large collection of uncensored stand-up comedy clips from some of the country's top comedians and clubs. It's a great way to see comedians in their natural club habitat without having to buy drinks.
The increasing popularity of podcasts, MP3s, and Internet simulcasts has made the Web a never-ending radio dial, and comedy sound bites are no exception.
- Podcasts have become a popular creative outlet for many artists who want to reach their audience in a direct, unfiltered manner. Use any major search engine to find podcasts of your favorite funny people, or check out the podcast page on iTunes.
- Satellite radio networks XM and Sirius both have 24-hour, commercial-free comedy channels that subscribers can access online. For non-subscribers, both networks offer free trial periods and sample compilations of content are available on demand. For XM, try channels 150 (uncensored comedy), 151 (clean comedy), 153 (Canadian comedy), and 154 (National Lampoon). On Sirius try channels 103 (Blue Collar comedy), 104 (uncensored comedy), and channel 105 (clean comedy).
BBC 7
is a digital radio network featuring the best of the BBC's programming with an emphasis on comedy. Anglophiles beware: this site may become addictive.
Cringe Humor
offers a sample of audio clips that are delightfully offensive and free to download. If you're a fan of the Opie & Anthony radio show, you'll like this site.
AudioComedy
archives funny audio files from around the Web. It's not very well designed in comparison to other sites, but it has an especially good selection of prank phone calls and song parodies.
Multimedia authoring programs like Adobe Flash have opened up the world of animation so that anyone with a computer can now create their own cartoons and post them for the entire world to see. As a result, a unique humor sensibility has surged in popularity on the Internet: silly cartoons that are clever, absurd, and often a little more random than the mainstream fare found on television.
- Make sure to download a good Flash player on your computer. Adobe Shockwave is free and compatible with most cartoon clips. You can download for free here.
Albino Blacksheep
is one of the most heavily trafficked media sites on the Web and has primarily made its name as a top source of offbeat cartoons and animation. Click "Flash Videos" on the "Media" menu to begin browsing by "Flash Categories," "Series," "Current Popular," or "Classic Popular Flash Videos."
JibJab
, which achieved fame in 2004 for its "This Land" Flash video featuring caricatures of George W. Bush and John Kerry, hosts a large catalog of animation and other clips. The site is especially directed at fans of pop culture humor.
Weebl's Stuff
showcases and is responsible for some of the Web's most popular Flash cartoons including "BadgerBadgerBadger," "On the Moon," and the infamous "Weebl and Bob Series."
There are few towns in America that do not have live comedy. In fact, most English-speaking countries have a bustling comedy scene, and you can find comedy in places as remote as Bahrain and Guam. The Internet helps you find comedy clubs and "one-nighters" (other establishments, such as a bars or restaurants, that occasionally feature comedy) near you, and see who is performing.
- When trying to choose a comedy club to attend, a good general rule is the older the club, the better. Like the Internet, comedy went through an overexpansion in the '90s, and a lot of clubs closed. The ones that have survived have typically survived for a reason.
- Another way to tell if it's a good club is by looking at the schedule. Even if you haven't heard of the headliner that week, if they have other comics you like, then you might like the ones you haven't heard of, too. Big names don't play bad clubs. If your favorite comic likes a local club, you probably will, too.
- Don't forget to check your favorite comedians' Web sites to see where and when they'll be performing in the near future.
Punchline Magazine
covers a variety of topics related to stand-up comedy. Check out the "
Comedy Clubs" tab for a list of the country's most reputable comedy venues, or browse the sites of the affiliated "
Comedians" to see who's playing where.
Chucklemonkey
is mainly a resource for comedians, but it's got a pretty good state-by-state club and open mic listing as well. The site is based in Los Angeles, and as such its West Coast information tends to be more accurate. You'll also find a list of comedy festivals arranged alphabetically by festival name.
The success of television programs such as The Daily Show and The Colbert Report points to the high demand for comedy about current events, politics, and culture. With so much news and information just a few mouse-clicks away, the Internet has become a bountiful home for sharp social commentary and well-informed wit. Here are some of the best.
- People who visit these sites place a premium on dialogue and exchange of ideas, so you can usually find a forum or chat room that is chock-full of user-shared links to other Web sites you might enjoy.
For funny news ...
Fark
is an excellent collection of interesting and ridiculous news stories. The site is well-indexed to help you find what you want quickly, and each story has a one-word classification ("Asinine" and "Amusing" are two examples) to indicate what makes it worth reading.
The Onion
has had many formidable competitors (ModernHumor.com and SatireWire.com, to name a couple), but none of them have had the staying power of this fake news progenitor. Although its popular and critical acclaim have wavered over the years, it is one of the few sites of its kind that remains fully staffed, well-maintained, and updated on a regular basis.
HumorFeed
scours the Web every day for exceptional news satire and collects the headlines onto one page with links to the full stories on their original sites. There are some stories only The Onion can invent; for everything else, there's HumorFeed.
For political comedy ...
The Borowitz Report
is an award-winning political comedy site from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air co-creator Andy Borowitz. The rare site that is as funny as it is smart, the Borowitz Report can be delivered daily to your inbox via e-mail or to your desktop via RSS.
Wonkette
is a viciously funny left-leaning blog and gossip site that mocks the key players on Capitol Hill. A fair amount of them read it, too.
For literary humor ...
Timothy McSweeney's Internet Tendency
is the Internet arm of Dave Eggers's uber-hip publishing house. Make sure to check out the "Lists" and "Recommends" sections in addition to the daily feature.
Opium Magazine
's Web site is updated daily and posts a delirious assortment of sly humor.
The New Yorker
magazine's humor site really needs no introduction. Aimed at an older demographic than McSweeney's, this site is a great fount of dry, high-brow wit.
If you're looking to buy funny gifts for a quirky friend, loved one, or yourself, the Internet is probably the best place to start. Chain stores like Urban Outfitters sometimes carry a selection of funny or novelty merchandise, but it's often difficult to find a wide selection of goofy goods all in one place. In this section we've picked some trustworthy sites with plenty of inventory.
- Most major hobby or special interest sites have a "Store" or "Shop" page where you can find funny merchandise related to that topic.
- Nearly all comedy CDs and DVDs are carried by multiple sites, so shop around to get the best prices. (And don't forget Amazon and Barnes & Noble.)
For funny T-shirts ...
Roadkill T-shirts
has a large selection of shirts that are a bit less expensive than Café Press and also offer different customizing options.
SnorgTees
reaches a young demographic and has made millions of dollars by capitalizing on juvenile jokes and pop culture references. The shirts make great gifts for adolescents and young adults.
For pop-culture gifts ...
Kapow Gifts
is one-stop shopping for pop culture merchandise. Posters, action figures, plush toys, and much more are cross-indexed alphabetically by name, era, or genre.
Wicked Cool Stuff
features an easy-to-navigate assortment of merchandise related to cartoons, comics, movies, and TV. The selection is not as comprehensive as other shopping sites, so shoppers in search of specific items may have to shop elsewhere. But if you're looking for George Bush toilet paper, this is the place.
For funny CDs and DVDs ...
Laugh
is co-owned by George Carlin and other comedy titans and has a large selection of CDs and DVDs. While you're there, take a few minutes to browse around for free e-cards and brush up on your knowledge of Borscht Belt comedy.
Rhino Entertainment Company
became famous in the 1970s and 1980s for, among other things, releasing retrospective comedy albums and compilations. This online catalog is worth checking out for any comedy buff, especially fans of the cult classic Mystery Science Theater 3000.
Like music, comedy is best understood in context of its preceding and contemporary influences. In the same way, people often like to become familiar with the talent that has influenced their favorite comedy institutions.
There are a number of different ways to learn about comedy in depth: you can read articles, search for movies and read blogs. The Internet provides a range of resources to help you hone your expertise. Here are our favorites.
- The Web has a great deal of information about the health benefits of laughter. Laughter Good has an especially succinct collection of links to Web sites and articles on the topic.
- When using a TV or movie database, searching for directors and writers may be a better bet than searching by actors, many of whom take on a wide variety of roles that are not as consistent with one another as a director's or writer's body of work.
To research and download movies ...
The Internet Movie Database
is a good site to search for information about comedies you like and others you may not have seen. One thing you can do is look up a film or TV show you like and use the Web site to find other projects the cast and crew have done. For example, if you like the 1997 film Men in Black, you can click on the link for director Barry Sonnenfeld to find other movies he has done, such as Get Shorty.
Netflix
is an online DVD rental service that allows you to choose from over 80,000 titles and have them mailed right to your home. Depending on the plan you choose, you can have up to four DVDs at your home at a time and unlimited selections per month. It's a great way to explore all the funny movies and comedy classics that you've been meaning to watch.
Vongo
lets you download movies directly from their site. As soon as you discover the movie or special you want to watch, it's on your computer. It's another way to become well-versed in comedy quickly. Beware: Vongo is only available for Windows XP and Vista users; Mac users are out of luck.
For bloggers and critics ...
Dead-Frog
is one of the Web's leading sites for comedy-related news and commentary. We recommend it especially for information about stand-up and sketch comedy.
Sheckymagazine
is a comprehensive online zine by and for stand-up comics. Here you'll find everything you could possibly want to know about the stand-up community, and then some.
The Comical
is a newspaper distributed in comedy clubs throughout the country. The Web site archives old issues and is a great place to look for interviews with the country's greatest mirth makers.
Comedy has never been an easy business to break into but the Internet has helped facilitate the careers of many people in the industry. Comedian Dane Cook famously poured $25,000 of his savings into his Web site and an ambitious MySpace profile, which now counts over 1.8 million friends.
Even if you are pining to be something other than a stand-up superstar (say, a sitcom writer, or an improvisational actor), the Internet can help you study your craft, build a fan base, network with other comedy talent, and give you a forum to be funny.
- The Internet is also a good way to network with other comedians. A site designed for social networking, like MySpace, allows you to search for comedians and you can specify your search by age, location, gender, or all three.
For starting your own Web site ...
Register.com
allows you to register a URL for your Web site. Just type in your desired Web address and, if nobody else is already using it, you can purchase it from the site. Then simply design your site.
Web.com,
like Register.com, will sell you a URL, but it also provides a full service plan to help you design and set up your Web site for $9.95 a month. There are tutorials, 4,000 templates to choose from, and a 30-day money-back guarantee. You can also take it for a "test drive" before you buy anything.
For getting your material read ...
Zine World
is a guide to free small press. So if you want to start a zine, get published in a zine, or run a free classified, Zine World is the place to start. Definitely explore their
resources page to get information about non-corporate publishing, and comedy sites and zines that take submissions.
MySpace
lets you post pictures, blogs, video and audio clips, and information about yourself to an online audience of over 100 million people. However, it's up to you to contact the people you want to reach (start with people you already know and work your way out from there). Also browse the "Groups" and "Forums" sections to find and talk shop with fellow comedy fans and aspirants.
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