On Friday, we posted (“Dumbass Quote of the Year Award”) a link to an article in the Philly City Paper about the opening of the beautiful new comedy club just across the river. You may recall that posting started thusly:

It’s always disheartening to see a journalist, while spilling ink on standup comedy, simultaneously promote standup comedy while administering a backhanded compliment or two.

And we always marvel at the journalists who, while berating comics for being derivative or relying too heavily on cliches, will do the exact same thing he/she is so dead set against– being derivative and using plenty of cliches! And so it is with A.D. Amorosi, the author of a recent article on the opening of a new comedy club in Philadelphia, Helium Comedy Club.

So, today, while scooting around on the Philly Comics Newsgroup, we spotted the following post, a promotion for an ongoing comedy night in downtown Philadelphia:

From: “irvruss8”
Date: Sun Jul 17, 2005 10:02 pm
Subject: BAR NOIR OPEN MIC MONDAY JULY 18th

Yes it’s true, tomorrow is the Bar Noir/Fringe Fest open mic and
we’ve got 5 comics representing the (Philly Comics):
ALAN KAYE
MIKE PETRO
RONETTE JONES
BLAKE WEXLER
ALICIA HICKS

WHERE: BAR NOIR 18TH & SANSOM DOWNSTAIRS
TIME: A.D ALWAYS SAYS 9:30, BUT MOST LIKELY 10
***JACK DANIELS DRINK SPECIALS**
COVER: ZERO

Tunes and co-hosted by A.D. Amorosi, and drinks served by the miss/mr Needles Jones.

Come see what all the good stuff is about,and network with the fringers. To all those who have emailed me about spots for the august show, I will not be hosting that event as I will be on vacation. But when I do find out the deal, I will let the board know.

Thanks,

Russell Brand
IRB PRODUCTIONS

What’s this? Seems to be a show, hosted (and seemingly co-produced) by A.D. Amorosi and co-produced by Russell Brand’s IRB Productions. (This isn’t the first time the two have collaborated on a comedy show– they’ve promoted their “Notebooks” series, at the same 18th & Sansom venue, for some months now.)

Normally, we applaud anyone who tries to produce comedy shows (or attempts to breathe life into the particularly torpid Philly comedy scene), but we are struck by the conflicts of interest here.

Let’s set the scene: The editors of the City Paper dispatch a reporter (A.D. Amorosi) to write a review of the new comedy club at 20th and Sansom (Helium). The reporter writes the review and props it up with multiple quotes from his business partner (Russell Brand), all while the two of them are producing a regular Monday night comedy show 2-1/2 blocks away. Where’s the harm, you ask? What we have here, regardless of the content of the article (which was, we noted in our earlier posting, grudgingly positive), is, to put it politely, a conflict of interest.

As a bonus, the article kicks off with this quote from Brand:

“I despise spaghetti joints that have comics on weekends for their “comedy night,” says local comedian Russell Brand, air quotes firmly in place. “It pulls the perception and value of the performance down to a plate of bad linguini.”

Of course, as anyone in Philadelphia comedy knows, this is a thinly veiled swipe at the producers of the weekly comedy show at the Spaghetti Warehouse. So, you have Amorosi (the journalist), giving Brand (the producer) a nice opportunity to hammer a competing Philadelphia producer. Nice.

Would all this be legit if there were an attempt at full disclosure? Maybe. There is a muddled reference to Brand’s involvement in other “comedy events,” and a passing (and somewhat confusing) reference to IRB productions, but it’s not quite clear what his involvement is in any of the events. And it’s never made clear that Amorosi and Brand are essentially business partners in a competing comedy venue. (And that the “RB” most likely stands for “Russell Brand!”) Again, from the City Paper article:

Brand should know from bad and good, he being a veteran of cool, monthly comedy events at World Café Live (with his Chapin Kids improv shows through IRB Productions) and Bar Noir (open mic “Notebooks” showcase) as well as Manhattan circuit spaces like Carolines and Gotham.

Amorosi also takes a swipe at the only real comedy club left in the city of Philadelphia, the Laff House, when he writes the following:

“We’ve been to comedy clubs in other cities — why isn’t there one here?” (Helium owner Marc Grossman) says he remembers wondering.

Sure, they’re discounting South Street’s lesser-of-all-evil Laff House. Everybody does.

Again, we have Amorosi taking a gratuitous slap at the folks who produce shows at another venue in town, the Laff House. All in an article that showcases multiple quotes from another comedy producer (and his associate), Russell Brand. And it’s all piggybacked on an article which is supposed to be about the newest, slickest comedy club in town. He is essentially taking the opportunity of the Helium review to (secretly) promote his own business and aesthetic agenda.

The male half of the staff took Journalism Law & Ethics back in 1979 (got an A minus!), so we speak with some knowledge of how this whole thing might be viewed as… fishy. Sure, it was 25 years ago, but not a whole lot has changed since then. What has changed, however, is that publications like the City Paper have grown from plucky, small-circulation “alternative” newspapers into big, profitable, legitimate newspapers that slug it out with the big chains, go after the same politicians and compete for the same ad revenue. As a result, they’re actually held to the same standards as the big boys. At least they should be.