Funny or Die: DIY Comedy Takes a Victory Lap

While the Oscar telecast was drawing its smallest audience ever on Sunday night, Will Ferrell's Funny Or Die Comedy Tour was finishing up its sold-out eight date run with a raucous show at Radio City Music Hall. It was a carnivalesque take on your basic stand-up comedy gig — with glittery costume changes and group sing-a-longs breaking up (and into) the routines. Farrell (along with his alter egos) was the MC introducing the three young performers (Demetri Martin, Nick Swardson and Zack Galifinakis), all of whom have contributed videos to the the Funny or Die website.

The tour is a victory lap of sorts for the site, a YouTube for comic shorts that exploded into the mainstream when Ferrell and director Adam McKay joined forces with it. (Chris Henchy, the writer/producer of "Entourage," is the third member of the site's creative team.) Their sketch "The Landlord," which turns McKay's toddler daughter Pearl into a foul-mouthed slumlord, has been viewed over 50 million times, and encouraged other established comedians to post their own DIY absurdities — including John C. Reilly, Judd Apatow and Jack Black (my personal favorites are the violent environmentalist satire of "Green Team" and the "Drunk History" series which features Black's randy Ben Franklin).

By R. Emmet Sweeney in Event | Link | Recommended (5)

Tags: Funny or Die, Will Ferrell