The NCCC begins with 32 universities from around the country battling both on stage and online, with public voting helping to determine who advances at each stage of the competition. In addition to besting other schools with the most hilarious stand-up comedy performances, each comedy team must create the funniest rival roast videos and on-the-fly one-liners to avoid elimination. Ultimately, The Funniest Four comedy teams compete in the National Team Finals at the Aspen Rooftop Comedy Festival June 10-13, with the top four individual comics going on to perform at the National Student Finals in Chicago at TBS Presents a “Very Funny” Festival: Just For Laughs, which takes place June 15-19. The Festival lineup for the Chicago event, along with ticket sales information, will be announced soon.

Students, alums and comedy fans of all stripes can catch all of the college comedy action at tbs.com, where they can watch and vote for their favorite comedians and teams at each stage of the series. The site also provides details on where to see the live comedy showdowns around the U.S., the Team Finals in Aspen and the National Student Finals in Chicago.

“Teaming up with Rooftop Comedy for the 2010 National College Comedy Competition is a great way for us to check out some of the incredible talent emerging from the college scene,” said Dennis Adamovich, senior vice president of brand and digital activation/general manager of festivals for TBS, TNT and Turner Classic Movies (TCM). “For the four young comics chosen to perform at our Festival in Chicago, it will be the opportunity of a lifetime as they pursue their comedy dreams in the city that has been the proving ground for some of America’s greatest comedians.”

Check out the 32 competing teams in this year’s NCCC. Follow the NCCC 2010 bracket for the latest on which teams still have a shot at the National Title.

Damn you, Michael Emerson! Your acting leaves me conflicting. As Ben, I want to hate you for everything you’ve done. You’ve killed John Locke, you’ve tortured the Losties we love, and you probably had sex with Juliet (who is super hot) while being a complete dick to her. But yet, Emerson, you somehow make Ben completely human. I feel bad for you. You’re a victim of fate, of jealousy, an abusive father, and fear.

So is the tale of this week’s episode of LOST. I was quite pleased with another solid episode. It really feels like we are gearing up for some excitement.

We got to see how Ben’s life would have been in the flash-sideways. He is a history teacher who lives with his father. And his father is actually somewhat nice to him too. And Alex, who was the child he kidnapped on the island, is his student! (Why she does not speak French or live in France like we suspect her French mother Danielle Rousseau would be is another story and probably a fact we should just ignore).

And the principal is mean. After hearing from Alex about how the principal is going to the school nurse for check-ups (hot and steamy school administrator sex) Ben decides to blackmail him to get his job. But the principal says he will ruin Alex’s life by writing a bad recommendation. What is Ben to do? Think about himself or Alex?

Meanwhile, back on the island, Ilana finds out Ben killed Jacob so she is going to kill him (dang!) And she forces him to dig his own grave (double-dang!) When he is about done, Flocke shows up and tells him to come join him. He set up a rifle for Ben in the woods. Ben runs for it, Ilana chases. Ben grabs the gun but, instead of killing her, he explains why he killed Jacob. It’s freaking heart-tugging. I’m not going to say I had tears in my eyes, because real dudes don’t cry, it was just dust or something. But then Ben says he is going to Locke because he is the only one who will have him. Ilana immediately says, “I will have you.” And then some more dust flew in my eyes and Ben went back to the beach.

And off island, Ben didn’t take the principal’s job in order to save Alex’s future. I think this episode proves that Ben has never been a villain, just a confused man trying to stay in control in order not to be left behind. Will he redeem himself with everyone on the island? Time will only tell.

Elsewhere, Jack continues to do badass things. Richard wants to die, but has to have someone else do it. So Jack lights some dynamite, sits it between them, and says Jacob won’t let him die. And guess what? The wick on the dynamite miraculously goes out. Thank God, because this Jack is awesome. If Jack from the last few seasons had a chance to die, I would have been rooting for it. But I have a feeling Jack is going to come out as a hero in the end.
As my friend pointed out, LOST again has separated the groups into rival camps in the same locations. Jack is at the beach, Locke (Flocke, really) is with the others. They’re setting up for a fight, that’s for sure.

And at the very end, we see a scary submarine heading to the island. It’s Charles Widmore! That old bastard. What is he doing there? My nipples are already hard thinking about it!

Andy Erikson was a member of the University of Minnesota comedy team that took first place at the 2009 Rooftop Comedy National College Comedy Competition, for which she was voted the MVP. She’s that funny. Andy was nice enough to answer a few questions about her experiences at the NCCC.

Rooftop: What have you been up to since your MVP performance?

Andy: Well, I graduated from the University of Minnesota, so I’ve had way less homework, which has been nice. For a few weeks I remember trying to find a job, but that got boring. My degree is in graphic design so I do that every once and a while to help pay the bills. I got a kitten named Mountain Goat, but she also responds to Martin Coat, it’s almost like having two cats. Well actually it’s not my cat, it’s my friend who got the cat. Technically I didn’t get a cat. I’m not really good at taking care of animals. I do have a couple of really life-like stuffed dogs. I hope to someday incorporate my stuffed animals into a really neat youtube video or something. In general I’ve been working on writing sketches and songs to make myself more well-rounded. Recently I realized that a cool way to make friends and meet cool people is to have a podcast, so I starting working on one with some friends called cnsradio. (www.cnsradio.podbean.com) I also help run a comic run comedy club called The Comedy Corner Underground, which keeps me busy, and gives me a sweet venue to put on shows. I’m actually doing a show there tonight that features the U of M comedy team! It’s like a sweet reunion show. I’m really looking forward to it.

Rooftop: Has participating in the NCCC opened any doors for you?

Andy: The contest definitely opened doors for me. The 5 minute set that helped me win MVP also got me into the semi-finals of the Andy Kaufman award in new york last November. Me and my mom went to new york and had so much fun. I got to meet a lot of really cool comedians and perform at Carolines. It was fantastic. I’m really excited I’m going to be performing at a college in Pennsylvania with Erik Allen. Rooftop helped me get that gig. It’s my first headlining gig, should be cool because I like performing for college kids. Whoop whoop! Hopefully I’ll be performing at the first round of the U of M contest this year.

Rooftop: When I think of the University of Minnesota, stellar stand up comedy isn’t the first thing that pops into my head. I associate U of M with ice hockey and having a silly mascot. What makes you U of M kids so damn funny?

Andy: Very good question. Probably a combination of things. I think the funniest people inherently have weird upbringings, and growing up in Minnesota can be pretty odd. My parents for instance never let me eat sandwiches. Also Minneapolis has a great comedy scene. There are open mics that have decent crowds almost every night of the week, and the local comedians are very supportive.

Rooftop: What were your favorite moments from NCCC/Aspen?

Andy: When we found out that the U of M team made it into the final 4 and was going to go to Aspen, it was a frenzy of excitement. And being in aspen and getting to perform at the Wheeler Oprah House was amazing. I remember being so nervous. Ya know that feeling you get right before you’re about to go on stage, and just after you’ve taken a hit of oxygen so that you don’t pass out due to high altitudes? That’s such a fantastic feeling. And then you’re on stage smiling because it’s like some weird defense mechanism you have, and you just can’t help it, that’s so much fun. And then oh my gosh, hanging out with all the other comedy teams, and all the people from rooftop was unbelievably awesome. We partied every night, One morning I woke up in an entryway. Getting to see the professional comics perform was really great too. I don’t think I’ll ever forget Chad Daniels set. He’s frikken awesome.

Rooftop: Have you kept in touch with any of the other comics?

Andy: Luckily facebook makes it easy to keep in touch with comics and people I have met so yeah I have definitely kept in contact. The winning improv team and the filmmakers are some of the coolest people in the whole world. I wish we could have a reunion or something.

Rooftop: Any advice for students competing in this year’s competition?

Andy: Get out to the open mics in and around your town as often as you can. Don’t be afraid to try new things, and definitely don’t just “wing it.” Be nice to everybody and don’t be annoying.

For more information on the 2010 National College Comedy Competition, visit our NCCC page.

Click on it! Thanks, Complex!

Get ready for Coco — live!

Conan O’Brien is about to finalize a plan to hit the road in the next few months, performing a live show in several cities across the country, a person familiar with the plans told The Wrap.

His representatives at William Morris Endeavor, which has a unit devoted to live appearances, have been working to secure dates for several days now.

The idea has been in the works for almost two weeks now, but nobody has wanted to talk about it because mounting such an event won’t be easy.

While nothing’s official yet, if the tour goes forward — and all signs are that it will — it would be a clever work-around to the clause in O’Brien’s exit settlement from NBC that prohibits him from appearing on TV until September.

It would also be a brilliant way to capitalize on the Team Coco mania that’s hit the Internet in the wake of his public battle with the Peacock. Shows such as “Family Guy” and “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” have proven there’s a market in live events tied to TV series.

Expect the road tour to be tied in to a new Intenet presence for O’Brien, allowing Team Coco members to interact via an official hub for the once-and-possibly-future late-night host.

As for when and where O’Brien will land next on TV, all signs continue to point to Fox as the first candidate for a new home — assuming all sides can figure out a way to make things work financially. While neither O’Brien’s camp nor Fox is talking, even privately, late-night industry insiders say it wouldn’t be shocking if the two sides begin face-to-face meetings by next month.

O’Brien’s PR rep was traveling Friday and couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.

“The “Ringtone” track alone, No. 10 of 33 tracks, is worth the price of the album. It underscores Witty’s altogether giddy style and his enviable technique of cobbling fresh comedy from seemingly exhausted premises. His success derives as much from his dizzy delivery as his inventive writing. Witty imagines the unimaginable and mines uproarious jokes from what ought to be mundane sources of humor: middle school gym class, the mall, the grocery store, the windup of his act.”

Read the rest of the review on the Punchline Magazine site.

Purchase “Zero Balance” on iTunes.

The purpose of WOMEN STAND UP AND SHOOT is to promote and encourage women writers, actors and directors in film comedies. The deadline for submissions is April 21st 2010. Films will be screened at the Bryant Lake Bowl Theater in May 2010. Prizes will be awarded for first, second and third place.

Eligibility Guidelines:
1) Films must have a female writer or director
2) Films must feature a female lead or leads
3) Films must be comedic and
4) Films cannot be longer than 10 minutes.

The winners will be determined by a special panel of MN-bred comedians: Lizz Winstead, a writer and comedian, a founding member of Air America Radio and Co-Creator of Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show;” Mary Jo Pehl, one of the original writers for Mystery Science Theater 3000, which aired on Comedy Central and the Sci Fi Channel, and a writer for Minnesota Monthly; Jackie Kashian, a stand-up comedian who has toured nationally for over 14 years, has appeared on CBS, NBC, and the Nationally syndicated Radio/TV show Bob And Tom, and has a half-hour special on Comedy Central.

Click here to apply.

Rooftop favorite Jasper Redd made a special guest appearance on Tosh.0 last night. As you can see, Mr. Redd was robbed!

I have to admit, last month, I was complaining.

I had a handful of one-night bar shows, but precious few (if any) “real” comedy weeks in clubs. I was looking over my finances, adding up the money, and while it looked like I would do fine, I wasn’t happy about all the driving I would be doing.

There is definitely a hierarchy in the comedy world: you have your A-list clubs, such as the Improv chain. Working those is a goal all comedians aspire to. Following that, naturally, is the B-grade smaller room. It’s still a comedy club, but no one has ever heard of it, and it carries no clout in the industry. Down the line come the C-list clubs, which have brutally cruel owners and poor track records concerning comedian treatment (and sometimes payment).

At the rock bottom exists the one-night venue. Usually a bar, but in reality anywhere that wants to offer up a comedy show, the one-night gig has a stigma attached to it. Sometimes it goes un-promoted, and no one shows up. Other times, customers had no idea there was going to even be a comedy show that night; the bar didn’t charge a cover, fearing turning people off at the door, so when you start talking everyone sort of pauses and wonders, “What the hell is this asshole doing?”

I hadn’t done a one-night gig in a while, and was filled with trepidation and mild annoyance before the first one on my run. I expected indifferent, half-full (at best) rooms and under-educated small town folks. And I have to admit, my ego is an idiot and reality punched me in the balls in the best of ways. Several weeks and a handful of nights later, I own up to being dead wrong about small city shows. What I forgot is the most important thing about a tiny town: there is rarely a thing to do in them. Therefore, when someone puts up a sign, “Hey Folks! Comedy Show Here,” the people can turn out in droves.

When Sarah Palin was championing “small town folks” as the “best America has to offer,” I was suspicious. I came from a small town, and all I remember is the racism and ignorance. Maybe I would have felt that way had I stayed in any of the areas I visited recently for too long, but while I was there I was treated with the utmost of hospitality and kindness by unusually large crowds for a nation within the throws of a severe recession.

Sometimes I need to remember that it isn’t the venue I’m performing in, it’s the people I’m performing for. Club classification is all done in the mind; I’ve met A-club audiences that were corpses who had unwittingly wandered in and were uninterested in laughing, and C-list folks that have been the most profitable to both my ego and pocketbook.

Such is life on the road.

The five-week online competition is the precursor leading into CMT’s BIG NEW COMEDY WEEK, which kicks off March 8 and is a week long comedy celebration starring some of the nation’s hottest comics, including Melissa Peterman, Jeff Foxworthy, Bill Engvall, Larry The Cable Guy, Ron White, Brian Regan and Jim Gaffigan. The final four contestants will be featured in short video introductions on-air throughout CMT’s comic-themed week, with the final winner to be revealed March 15.
“CMT fans love to laugh, and we have just the cast of comics to help them do that,” said Lewis Bogach, Vice President of Production at CMT. “This partnership with Rooftop Comedy is a great way to bring our audience more of the content they love, while giving these undiscovered comics a national audience.”

“We couldn’t be more excited to be working with CMT to help find America’s Next Big Comic,” said Will C. Rogers, CEO of Rooftop Comedy. “Recording from our nationwide network of comedy clubs gives us a unique opportunity to identify comics on the verge of really taking off. Now this competition gives America the opportunity to see – and determine – who is going to be the next big star.”

Each week, viewers can watch new material from remaining comics at CMT.com. The field narrows from 12 to eight on February 15, and again from eight to the remaining four on February 22. In the final round, contestants will have three weeks to dazzle America with their style of comedy when they must share the stage in a head-to-head battle for the title of NEXT BIG COMIC.

The top 12 finalists for NEXT BIG COMIC were revealed at CMT.com today, and include Rooftop favorites:

Roy Wood Jr.
Josh Sneed
Pete Lee
Dwayne Perkins
Jamie Lissow
John Ramsey
Jessi Campbell
Andy Ritchie
Chad Daniels
Keith Alberstadt
Ryan Singer
Lachlan Patterson

Visit CMT.COM and vote today!