LCS: Casting for "Pizza Tossers" and "Hotties"

by Brian McKim & Traci Skene on February 6th, 2008

We got an email from an anonymous tipster that said that the producers of Last Comic Standing are seeking to cast “funny people in NYC that have typical NYC Jobs, Cab Driver, Fire fighter, Pizza Tosser, road construction, sewage worker, hot dog vender (sic), etc.”

We are casting Last Comic Standing and we need people who can make us laugh. We want to do a special on a few New Yorkers.

Don’t worry worry if you have done comedy or not if you are willing to try a two min set then we can talk.

You read that correctly– Don’t worry if you have done comedy or not!

Why don’t they just hire actors and fake the entire show? Do away with comedians altogether!

And what is with this “typical NYC jobs” nonsense? What they seek is “stereotypical NYC jobs,” specifically stereotypical NYC jobs that make for the ironically named “great TV.”

This is ludicrous. It would be like Top Chef were to seek out contestants and said, “Don’t worry if you can boil water or fry an egg or toast bread without burning it– if you’re willing to appear on camera, and you have an interesting day job, we want you!”

Why this focus on non-comedians with visually interesting day jobs? Sure, the segment shot at PizzaRama or at Doggie Shampoo Hut will be peppy and possibly rollicking, but when the Assistant Cocker Spaniel Washer hits the stage, the result will be excruciating. A decent segment producer could shoot and edit an interesting package on a real comedian’s hobby, his hometown, his daily routine, his bathing habits– anything! How bankrupt for ideas could they be that they not only feel compelled to go for people with colorful day jobs, they feel compelled to recruit non-comedians with colorful day jobs?!?

Why this focus on non-comedians?

We need hotties!

Another casting call seeks “comedy judges.”

What they are looking for are people to fill the audience for the evening show at Gotham. Why they call them “judges” is a mystery.

The description of the “role” says:

Audience for last comic standing (we need hotties)

Hotties, indeed! Of course, any comic will tell you that a crowd filled with “hotties” is quite possibly the best audience you can ever face!(Note: The sarcasm light is flashing.)

We need very attractive people. All you have to do is watch a comedy show and laugh when it’s funny. This is the callback part for last comic standing.

This is a trainwreck waiting to happen.

We’re not disparaging attractive people (or falling into the trap of saying that all good-looking people are dumb), but, when the focus in your search for an audience for a comedy show is narrowed to “hotties,” the dynamic will be horribly twisted. Instead of a roomful of comedy fans who just want to laugh and have a good time, you’ll have a group of actors who just want to get on TV. This does not a good audience make.

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