You pick the show! Kobe or Dick!

Jmeindertsma · Post by **Jmeindertsma** » July 3rd, 2009, 11:43 am

Hi there,

I'm a Los Angeles based improviser that will be out in Austin for a month and I'm going to be doing a one-man show at the Hideout on July 17th and I have a question for all of you.

Would you rather see a show based off of actual fan mail written to LA Laker Kobe Bryant or American Bandstand host Dick Clark? Both shows are funny but I was wondering what you think the audience might enjoy more.

Thanks for your time.

Joshua Meindertsma

Brian Boyko · Post by **Brian Boyko** » July 3rd, 2009, 1:11 pm

Jmeindertsma wrote:Hi there,

I'm a Los Angeles based improviser that will be out in Austin for a month and I'm going to be doing a one-man show at the Hideout on July 17th and I have a question for all of you.

Would you rather see a show based off of actual fan mail written to LA Laker Kobe Bryant or American Bandstand host Dick Clark? Both shows are funny but I was wondering what you think the audience might enjoy more.

Thanks for your time.

Joshua Meindertsma

Dick Clark.

Only sports fans know Kobe Bryant. Everyone knows Dick Clark.

NoahV · Post by **NoahV** » July 3rd, 2009, 1:15 pm

Jmeindertsma wrote:Hi there,

I'm a Los Angeles based improviser that will be out in Austin for a month and I'm going to be doing a one-man show at the Hideout on July 17th and I have a question for all of you.

Would you rather see a show based off of actual fan mail written to LA Laker Kobe Bryant or American Bandstand host Dick Clark? Both shows are funny but I was wondering what you think the audience might enjoy more.

Thanks for your time.

Joshua Meindertsma

Kobe Bryant.
Only American Bandstand fans know Dick Clark. Everyone knows Kobe Bryant.

KathyRose · Post by **KathyRose** » July 3rd, 2009, 1:35 pm

The only Kobe I know (or care) about is the beef. Is this player lean, succulent and expensive?

Got any other choices? Texans tend to be pretty insular in their sports fandom. Even if this guy is well-known (in sports circles), a Texas audience may not care what you have to say about him, good or bad. Likewise, Dick Clark might only be a fable to young audience members, which is your comedy bread & butter. The fact that you identified him as "American Bandstand host" Dick Clark (is there any other Dick Clark?) indicates his contemporary obscurity. Tough choice.

ratliff · Post by **ratliff** » July 3rd, 2009, 2:32 pm

Kathy Rose Center wrote:The only Kobe I know (or care) about is the beef. Is this player lean, succulent and expensive?

Got any other choices? Texans tend to be pretty insular in their sports fandom. Even if this guy is well-known (in sports circles), a Texas audience may not care what you have to say about him, good or bad. Likewise, Dick Clark might only be a fable to young audience members, which is your comedy bread & butter. The fact that you identified him as "American Bandstand host" Dick Clark (is there any other Dick Clark?) indicates his contemporary obscurity. Tough choice.

Kathy, if I know who Kobe Bryant is, he’s well-known outside of sports circles.

LuBu McJohnson · Post by **LuBu McJohnson** » July 3rd, 2009, 2:40 pm

We'll be pretty divided here, so It'll depend on who you are trying to please.

I think if you're trying to please everybody, you should do one based on fanmail to Michael Jackson.

Because he died.

Pdyx · Post by **Pdyx** » July 3rd, 2009, 2:44 pm

Lots of folks knows who Kobe Bryant and Dick Clark are. I think Kobe is more relevant today, and people love to hate Kobe Bryant, so that would be my vote.

That said, I'm not sure I'll be at the show! I'll have to check my calendar and all, but you should really be trying to please people who are actually going, and not me or any other person posting here if they're not attending.

KathyRose · Post by **KathyRose** » July 3rd, 2009, 3:20 pm

Oh, I'll confess - I've heard the name, but I don't know anything about him except that he plays for the LA Lakers (because that was stated in the post). I'm guessing that is a basketball team, I'm guessing that he's black, and I'm guessing that he's been involved in some sort of scandal. The point is: how many people from Austin would relate to the jokes?

I agree with Pdyx - Kobe is more relevant/contemporary than Clark; but I'm really with LuBu on this one. Would love to hear a fresh riff on MJ; but then, I won't be there, either.

Kudos to Joshua for asking and trying to make a smart choice for his audience.

TexasImprovMassacre · Post by **TexasImprovMassacre** » July 3rd, 2009, 3:54 pm

Kathy Rose Center wrote: I'm guessing that he's black,

LuBu McJohnson · Post by **LuBu McJohnson** » July 3rd, 2009, 4:11 pm

TexasImprovMassacre wrote:
Kathy Rose Center wrote: I'm guessing that he's black,

Should this go in context wars?

Jmeindertsma · Post by **Jmeindertsma** » July 3rd, 2009, 5:43 pm

Hey Everyone,

Thanks a lot for the speedy responses. Just to give you a little more insight into the shows. They are only tangentially related to the celebrity. It is more about the types of people who write these fan letters, be they obsessed fans, casual observers or those who want to be celebrities themselves. I do some back story with the celebrity but the main focus is on how weird and crazy these letters are. You don't have to be a basketball fan to appreciate the Kobe show. Same with Dick Clark and music, I worked for him, that's why I have these letters and it's less about his appeal and more about the types of fans these people get letters from.

You know what, I'll bring both shows.

Thanks again for all the responses, I've never been to Austin and everyone in Los Angeles has only great things to say about it.

mpbrockman · Post by **mpbrockman** » July 3rd, 2009, 8:51 pm

Wow. Does Dick Clark get fan mail from anyone born after, say, 1960?

Post by **bradisntclever** » July 6th, 2009, 1:28 am

Kobe. Kobe. Kobe.

mpbrockman · Post by **mpbrockman** » July 6th, 2009, 6:11 am

bradisntclever wrote:Kobe. Kobe. Kobe.

Hmmm... how about Kobe's d*ck?

HerrHerr · Post by **HerrHerr** » July 6th, 2009, 9:37 am

Probably Kobe would be best in our youthful city. Though it depends on the humor
of the pieces as well. Like, are the letters weird funny, straight-up funny...we gotta
pretty smart town here.

More than likely Kobe will play better IMHO.

Austin Improv

You pick the show! Kobe or Dick!

You pick the show! Kobe or Dick!

Re: You pick the show! Kobe or Dick!

Re: You pick the show! Kobe or Dick!

Thanks for the input