. Panelists Discuss What's Funny Online
This morning at the Samsung Experience in the Time Warner Center, Fred Graver, best known for his role in the creation of VH1's Best Week Ever, Sarah Bernard, president of 23/6, Sam Reich, director of original content at College Humor, and Lou Wallach, senior vice president, original programming and development at Comedy Central, discussed comedy and media on a panel moderated by Time Out New York's Jane Borden for the New York: Media Information Exchange Group (NY:MIEG).
The panelists covered a number of topics such as Sarah Palin's selection as John McCain's vice-presidential running mate and how the selection has benefited comedy writers, how comedy works differently on the Internet, and the age demographic of visitors to online comedy Web sites.
All of the panelists agreed that Palin's selection has been "comedy gold." Reich noted that College Humor's first forway into political humor was a trailer about a fake Disney movie based on her life to date. Bernard called her the "story that keeps on giving."
Graver emphasized how the Internet has changed the rules and Wallach said that there's no barrier to entry into getting your comedy in front of audiences thanks to the Internet. Reich noted that Internet audiences and television audiences are very different though. Apparently, focus groups for College Humor's upcoming show on MTV found the skits based on their office more appealing than anything else in the original pilot.
There was some controversy when Reich talked about how it's hard to appeal to women with online comedy Web sites. Bernard quickly shot him down, pointing out that his Web site doesn't make the effort with its regular feature highlighting scantily-clad, college-age women.
(Editor's Note: NY:MIEG is a client of Trylon SMR.)
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