From YouTube.com user: theresident

She's called "The Resident" -- from her videos you don't know much about her, other than the fact that she's a clever and cynical New Yorker with an uncanny knack of honing in on subjects that find every NYC resident stumped. It takes one to know one: as one fellow New Yorker to another, The Resident's features show topics that are consistently hilarious and incredibly entertaining!

Our very amiable producer and host is Lori Harfenist. Before bringing her interview shows to the Internet she originally created the videos for her cable-access TV show by the same name: The Resident. The shows have run in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and, of all places, Burlington, Vermont.

The Resident introduces itself as "Your much needed weekly dose of counter culture, and "The talk show that talks back." That hooked me. And with the high quality and nice variety of her videos we're surprised she doesn't have more subscribers on YouTube. Perhaps the YouTube generation's short attention span.

The Resident does have somewhat of a cult following from her cable show, YouTube and MySpace viewers. And she regularly receives a lot of feedback from her regular viewers who express their very frank and, uh, alternative viewpoints, on her and her segments.

The video above is "The Year in Review- short version"- the full version is a full half-hour, which I just didn't have the patience for, but my abridged version gets the point across: our ever-entertaining reporter interviews people about their "accomplishments" (and I use that term loosely) in 2006, and their goals for 2007, with the backdrop of the infamous, ridiculously overcrowded lighting of the tree at Rockefeller Center.

The Resident: Episode One (19:12)

There are several things that make The Resident videos stand out: other than outstanding recording quality, Lori Harfenist has a great interview style and she never misses a beat. Her bright smile and perky personality seem to make every one of her unsuspecting interviewees more than amenable to any kind of light-hearted teasing she throws their way ... and everyone gladly plays along, which consistently makes for an interesting show.

NYC Apartment Life

The only real downside (which was unique to the video above) was the "2nd interviewer," who I thought way over-played his "crotchety old man" shtick. It takes more than a loud, strange man to shock a New Yorker, or to provide entertaining reality TV. Remember: us New Yorkers deal with things like public urination, vibrant cross-dressers and B-list celebrities every day of our lives. We're used to it.

My advice for The Resident shows: stick to the up-front interview style you have going on with the young, charismatic Lori Harfenist, and you've got a sure-fire hit.

K-Fed at Webster Hall

I admit that once I started watching The Resident, I was hooked! Perhaps it's because I'm also an embittered New Yorker who is boggled by the absurdity of urban living that surrounds me 24/7, but all the topics really struck a chord.

Other episodes I highly recommend: - How much bang for your buck (yes, that is supposed to be ironic) do you get in your teeny, tiny NYC apartment?

- Exciting, LIVE coverage of the K-Fed Webster Hall concert.

Blanket Markets

- An experiment in the streets of NY: Will people really buy useless crap off a dirty blanket from an anonymous stranger in the City? (short answer: a resounding yes ... though, as you'll see, location really does matter).

For more information about the show itself, be sure to check out their official website too: www.theresident.net.

Labels: comedy, interviews, Lori Harfenist, New Years, New York City, resolutions, Stephanie Hagopian, theresident

All videos and reviews for aconover

We all know that when it comes to a fine glass of wine, we should do certain things to impress the person we're with and fool them into thinking that we actually know something about the whole biz.

You know the drill: stare at the glass intently, and with mock concentration, swish it around and say some nonsense about the "legs" and them being very fine, attractive ones at that...make sure to take a deep sniff of the fragrant aroma and raise your eyes in mock appreciation, like the scent itself has somehow inspired you to suddenly write a ballad or break out into spontaneous song. Oh yes, and try to control yourself from taking down the whole glass in one gulp because you need something to take the edge off from the overwhelming stress you have over this whole wine tasting bit ... where's some good Sutter Home Zinfandel or boxed wine when you need it, huh?

The director of Olde English Comedy takes this facade one step forward in his video, "The Wine Guy." In The Wine Guy, he puts a wildly satirical spin on the whole business -- taking it to absurd (but funny) extremes as his main character markets the bottle he's serving to two rather gullible restaurant patrons. Although the acting is a bit forced and over-done, the concept is creative and the video is fun and amusing.

Olde English Comedy's other videos hit along the same vein: taking pop culture and ramping it up a notch or three. In their video, The Stakeout, two cops spy on a group of gangsters a'la Sopranos-style to perform a bust. While eavesdropping on the hard-core criminals, they discover more than what they bargained for! Again, I think the Stakeout is inspired.

The idea is creative and funny in concept, the film quality is professional, and the dialogue is entertaining and, at many times, even hysterical. The only criticism I have is echoed throughout all their videos: the acting is oftentimes exaggerated and perhaps a bit overdone. A lot of the lines seem forced as they are delivered by each of the characters; some of the reactions are also poorly timed as well, which is oftentimes noticeable to the viewer.

Don't let this sway you from taking a peak, however! Both The Stakeout and The Wine Guy are great pre-Holiday distractions while you're wilting away in your abandoned office building. I suggest watching them with a fine glass of Ledson Merlot Reserve, 2001 Vintage of course...that, as you know, was an excellent year for Merlots ... right? RIGHT?

Labels: aconover, comedy, Olde English Comedy, Sopranos, Stakeout, Stephanie Hagopian, wine, Wine Guy

From YouTube.com user: theresident

Lori Harfenist hones in on random and unwitting Times Square pedestrians with another hot topic for her fanbase: this time, the topic is on "Ageism," a bias that's just as controversial as any of the more widely accepted debates that rampage throughout the public consciousness.

Lori conducts her live interviews with her signature sarcasm and wacky edge, making people open up to her, despite themselves. The result is a hysterical run-down of why everyone's expectations of where they're supposed to be in life at a certain age are unrealistic and ridiculous.

For anyone who's not abiding by life's pre-set timetables (ie, everyone!), this is definitely a must-see!

Labels: Ageism, comedy, interviews, Lori Harfenist, politics, Stephanie Hagopian, theresident

From YouTube.com user: geoffreyg

Take a trip back in time, to the good old days of one-dimensional, 8-bit action-packed game-playing with those crazy Italian brothers, Mario and Luigi. Bask in the nostalgia as you hear those familiar synthetic monophonic notes segue into the deadpan voice-overs of the creative minds behind Overtime Comedy.

Luigi's Band Blues is the first episode in a trilogy of clips that cover the Super Mario Brothers' intense trials and tribulations regarding the management of their MySpace accounts. Mario and Luigi face common MySpace challenges that face most account holders of the popular networking site. If you have ever been a member of Facebook, MySpace or Friendster, you'll find this series of clips to be hilarious!

The masterminds behind Overtime Comedy have more where this came from: if you check out their page, you'll see all sorts of "re-makes" of your 80s favorites, including The Muppet Babies and The Legend of Zelda. All their clips are creative and fun, certainly worth watching if you were one of those late-80s first-generation Nintendo players who ooed and awed over, what was then, cutting-edge technology.

And be sure to watch the 2nd and 3rd spots in the series, Mario In MySpace: Top 8 Tumble and mario in myspace: toad's social not-working, too!

Labels: comedy, geoffreyg, Luigi, Mario, myspace, Nintendo, Overtime Comedy, Stephanie Hagopian, Super Mario Brothers

From YouTube.com user: thanksgiving

In the epic tradition of Tristan and Isolde and Romeo and Juliet, iMac and PC defy the prejudices that mark their parent's generation and strike up a cute romantic interlude in this animated short.

The origins of this clip stem from a Belgian website, so might be hard to track down more like it, but it should serve as a nice Friday distraction! The digital animation is seriously impressive, and the message is a cute one. Since it has to do with computers, you could even pull off viewing it at the office....just a suggestion, of course...

Labels: comedy, computers, iMac, PC, Stephanie Hagopian, Thanksgiving

From YouTube.com user: warren25smash

I've got to give warren25smash credit. He's so passionate about his ideas, you can't help but get captivated by his intensity almost immediately. Be forewarned, though, warren25smash does not keep his commentary PG, but his clear-cut, unapologetic opinions on the blatant stupidity behind many worldwide current events is like a breath of fresh air amidst the media blitz that tends to skew, distort and sometimes outright ignore so much of what goes on in the world today.

Think Ali-G without the comedy shtick, and you've got warren25smash. Already a popular hit with YouTubers, Warren posts his opinions multiple times a day on a wide variety of issues, including gay porn, terrorism, corporate abuse, police brutality, the War in Iraq, and everyone's favorite: taxes. Nothing is held sacred, and that, ultimately, is what gives warren25smash such charm and intrigue when you watch his stuff.

Of course, underlying all the ranting and raving marks some very astute and incredibly intelligent commentary on the state of world affairs. Listen to what he has to say- and he has quite a lot to say at that, but if you listen, you'll find yourself nodding along to his demands for justice in a world bred to adhere to the contrary.

And be sure to keep up with him, too- warren25smash posts new comments up more than once a day- if you like getting your news from a source that's a little spicier than CNN, warren25smash might just be your guy.

In the video clip above, Cowboy Leaders and Gangsta Troops, warren25smash runs through a series of topics, focusing mainly on the War, and drawing a clever parallel between the rules of war being displayed by the US in Iraq, to the rules of the "Gangsta" that he recently heard in a song sung by the famous US-based rapper, 50 Cent. Warren asks why our governments aren't focusing on the things that really matter to the physical development of the human race, like cleaning up the water supply of third world countries or focusing on cleaning up the wreckage that still pervades most of the Louisiana shoreline. This topic eventually segues into a conversation about economy and the nature of big business.

Warren25smash goes in so many different directions in this video that you're simply blown away by the intelligence behind his arguments. Even if you disagree with some of his points of view, you have to respect and admire his passion, insights, and diverse knowledge of current events.

Labels: Iraqi War, police brutality, politics, Stephanie Hagopian, warren25smash

From YouTube.com user: BaratsandBereta

Barats And Bereta show no mercy in their 3-Episode Gonzaga University RA "Cops" Parody. Gonzaga, a private, Catholic Jesuit University that mostly attracts quiet, studious types in humble Spokane, Washington, seems to be the perfect setting for the hardcore RA crackdown that Barats and Bereta enthusiastically embrace through three riveting episodes of Gonzaga RAs. In Backpack Attack, the boys spot a suspicious looking boy "walking home from class"- or so he'd like you to believe.....I'm sure the suspense is killing you, so stop reading this and get watching!

And when you're done, check out Episode 2 Intervis and Episode 3 The Key In, while you're at it!

Labels: baratsandbereta, comedy, Gonzaga RA, Stephanie Hagopian

From YouTube.com user: cheeksdown

Miss The Daily Show tonight and too cheap to afford a Tivo? Then the boys behind cheeksdown might just be your new aficionados for all that is witty political comedy. These videos are consistently smart and entertaining, with- gasp (!) good acting, too! I think the one above, Terror Message from Iraq, is my favorite, but definitely be sure to check out The World Series of Go Fish as well- not so much politically-minded as some of their other stuff, but a parody of white trash America rivaled only by the likes of Will Ferrell as "Ricky Bobby". Be sure to watch out for the tiny, smart details--for example, look at the sunglasses the guy's wearing as he's talking about his poker face. This is brilliant stuff: somewhat subtle, but effective!

In Terror Message, you won't spend any time harboring those typical feelings of guilt that spring up while watching political satire. In no way does cheeksdown make light of terrorist videos. Rather, they take it in a South Park-esque direction, ie: blatantly criticizing our government for continuing to drag the war out and making fun of America's tendency to infiltrate non-US cultures in the most banal of ways....think of a French McDonald's and you'll see what I mean.

Although this is a long one, cheeksdown will keep you entertained every moment with new and interesting material- so stick with it and watch it to the end!

Labels: cheeksdown, comedy, Iraq, Stephanie Hagopian, Terrorist

From YouTube.com user: brothermcleod

In tribute to the inevitable post-Thanksgiving guilt that creeps up on us all after we've eaten for 48 straight hours, here's a great Public Service Announcement on how you get fat.

Although The Brothers McLeod weren't celebrating Thanksgiving themselves (these witty gents are based out of the UK), they were able to hit upon the same key ingredients that cause us to hit the gyms en masse as they do across the pond (ie: sugar, butter, oil, lard). Good to know some basic truths still cross all cultural boundaries!

If you have some time, check out some of The Brothers McLeod's other videos- all of the animation is absolutely spectacular, as is the overall originality and creativity behind their ideas and concepts. There is a constant sense of this "intelligent" sense of humor throughout their material, as well as a strong political and/or social commentary flowing throughout the dialogue.

Labels: brothermcleod, comedy, diets, Stephanie Hagopian

It's a Monday before a holiday, which can spell out only one thing: utter unproductivity at the office. To help you with this task, below is one of the latest of the Office Space-inspired comedic shorts by the dynamic duo, Barats and Bereta.

"Cubicle Wars 2006" is definitely the best thing I've seen from these guys so far- they just keep improving the professional quality of their videos, as well as their subject matter and sense of comedic timing. Filmed like something straight out of "The Office," Cubicle Wars hits that same effective note of deadpan humor and caustic wit.

While ostensibly falling under the facade of a cheesy infomercial, Cubicle Wars really gives the audience dead-on exposure to classic workplace dynamics. Rarely do I come across comedy on You Tube that achieves the tone it sets out for, but Barats and Bereta are two extremely funny guys....you'll find yourself laughing out loud at this one, and, despite the subject matter, it's work-appropriate enough to play on low volume at the office..... (hint-hint).


See more from this YouTube.com user:
Barats and Bereta

Labels: Barats and Bereta, comedy, Stephanie Hagopian