Comedy Central into fight promotion

by Brian McKim & Traci Skene on April 18th, 2007

Adopting a Don King/Rocky motif, Comedy Central’s news release explaining the rules and regs for their “Open Mic Fight,” “the first-ever multi-platform, national stand-up competition,” although, you’ll get a fight from the producers of “Ed McMahon’s Next Big Star” and “Sierra Mist’s Knock Down Drag Out” (or whatever that was called).

From the Comedy Central site, under “Rules”:

You may not enter or win if you have appeared in any on-air Comedy Central stand-up program.

Does that include Standup Standup? Because, if it does, that pretty much knocks out any comic who started before 1992. (Even comics who appeared on Kevin Ferguson‘s Fort Wayne Night Shift ended up on that show. It was a popular Comedy Central show that was nothing but a host– Wali Collins! Sue Kolinsky! And many others!– presenting clip after clip after clip of standup from shows large and small, fabled and obscure!)

Our second favorite lines from the rules:

The Competition is designed for comedians with some (although not necessarily extensive) prior public performance experience. However, entrants with all levels of experience are welcome.

Hmmm… Is this a minimum requirement? Or a disguised maximum requirement? In othere words: Is this to weed out the goofballs and the wannabe’s? Or is it to keep out the veterans? Fascinating!

Burger King (well-known as a patron of the sweet science) is the exclusive sponsor of the competition.