Access Atlanta > Entertainment > Radio Talk > Archives > 2008 > August > 08 > Entry
8/8: Atlantans get booted from “Last Comic Standing” and “Atlanta’s Got Talent”
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
-Former Atlantan Louis Ramey came in fifth Thursday night in the finale of “Last Comic Standing.” ” ‘Last Comic Standing’ has been a blast,” he said. “I’ve enjoyed every minute of it. I’d pretty much given up on performing on national television and ‘Last Comic Standing” popped up. I got to showcase in front of millions of Americans and that was my goal… I love what I do.”
The winner was Iliza Sclesinger, who was challenged twice and she helped oust four comics. She got more air time than any other comic as a result. She beat who I thought was the favorite, the impressionist Marcus. And Jeff Dye was pretty good too. Jim Tavare was the only foreign dude to make the finale five. Iliza is the first female winner.
This was the lowest rated “Last Comic Standing” in six seasons with about 4.5 million average viewers.
-“America’s Got Talent” update. On Thursday night, the show snipped 60 acts to 40. Among those cut were two acts from the Atlanta area, David Militello (the autistic 9 year old below) and Southern Belles (the cloggers). So was the sword swallower I saw live at the Cobb Energy Centre in March, though one performer injured themselves and he is now a “wild card” for the top 40. With the Olympics starting, we won’t see AGT for more than two weeks until August 26. I’m not actually sure if anybody from Georgia even made the top 40. If you know if any did, please let me know at rho@ajc.com.
Comments
By CxY
August 8, 2008 3:13 AM | Link to this
Re: Last Comic Standing. Correct me if I’m wrong, but Louis Ramey called it. He sat everyone down some time after Iliza won her second straight showdown and warned everyone that she was getting too much airtime. Louis Ramey feared that she would win America’s hearts, but no one else agreed. Ultimately, it didn’t matter because there were no more showdowns, but it seems the damage had been done. In my opinion, Jeff Dye and Louis Ramey had the most talent/content. Ramey was the only one that knew how to play the game. Voting, however, was up to America and in that popularity contest, Iliza won.
By luella
August 8, 2008 9:02 AM | Link to this
I agree with CxY. I wanted to vote for Iliza because I liked her but she wasn’t as funny as Marcus or Jeff so I couldn’t vote for her. But we saw so much of Iliza she was winning hearts. The LCS was disappointing to me all around this year.
By naturalcurl
August 8, 2008 10:13 AM | Link to this
I really hoped and thought Louis would win. He was consistent. He was classy. I’m looking forward to seeing a lot more of Louis. This was the best set of finalists they’d ever had. I didn’t root against any of the final 5. Unfortunately, the show’s producers handled their shortened season very poorly. The eliminations these last 2 weeks were really cruel.
By d'ep
August 8, 2008 10:33 AM | Link to this
I called Iliza winning after she ousted Ku the first time. LCS had never had a female winner and they were catching flack for it. And when Iliza kept getting showcased, I knew it was a lock for her, even though Marcus and Louis were both funnier than she was. And the first words out of Bill’s mouth when she was named was “Our first female Last Comic Standing” pretty much proving what the focus was. (And before I get jumped, I’m female too, not that it should matter.)
I was very disappointed the Louis didn’t fare better—he was extremely funny and consistent.
By Tom
August 8, 2008 11:11 AM | Link to this
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By Rod
August 8, 2008 11:40 AM | Link to this
d’ep - did you watch the whole series? Guess not. You said: “was ‘Our first female Last Comic Standing’ pretty much proving what the focus was.” What focus?
She got air time strictly because the other contestants gave it to her by challenging her. NBC didn’t do it - therefore, there’s no “focus” and no conspiracy, Mr. Oliver Stone.
By John Wilson
August 8, 2008 11:46 AM | Link to this
Ramey has a great stage presence and he should have a fine career.
Iliza rocked, under pressure. She deserved to win.
All of the comics who appeared on last comic standing should have nice careers on the comedy circuit. Hope they like hotel rooms and free hamburger deluxes.
Comedy is tuff. You come up with a killer bit, and other comics will steal it, and then when you do it, people think you stole it.
Jack Benny, Buddy Hacket (from whom the word hack was coined), Robin Williams and Milton Berle were the most evil hacks in the history of comedy.
I loved Jack Benny. I cried when he died. But he was a hack.
So I have this love/hate dichotomy thing about the icons of stand up.
Curly, doing stand up, is a treat. Now there are bits in the stooge shorts where Curly is doing a monologue that have never been touched or equaled or surpassed.
Curly was our greatest clown. And there’s not one person alive who would challenge that fact.
By Nan
August 8, 2008 12:17 PM | Link to this
I thought Iliza was the least talented of the five — most of her act just made me wince. Most of it was really mean-spirited, either towards herself or other women. I don’t think she would have won if they hadn’t shortened the season and changed the format — remember when the person being challenged went up against just one person, and that person had to be one of the people who had voted for him/her?
By d'ep
August 8, 2008 4:05 PM | Link to this
Actually, I did watch the entire season, Rod, so I know about the challenges and why she continued to get airtime. I’ve also read a lot of criticism of NBC (some of it even claiming sexism on their part) for none of the previous winners being female. They were in a bit of a hot seat on that front.
Yes, Iliza was challenged twice, which worked in her favor—not only because she won, but also because it allowed her more airtime, and limited what the audiences saw of the other performers (especially those who were never challenged.)
Furthermore, in the show before the finale, she was given the most airtime and the final set—feel free to believe what you want, but the list of ways she was preferentially treated continues.
And in the future, if you wish to accuse me of being a conspiracy theorist, please at least try to get the gender correct (especially since it was mentioned in my original post). To make it easy on you, here’s a link from which you may choose: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conspiracytheory#Conspiracytheorists
By d'ep supporter
August 8, 2008 4:23 PM | Link to this
D’ep, I just wanted to give you props. Well said response to Rod.
And from a confessed conspiracy theorist, there is no such thing as reality television. Editors, producers, etc. make the final decision. Read the small print at the end of “reality” tv shows based on elimination processes - “decisions were made with input from producers, tv crew etc.”
Take it for what it is - modern day 21.
By FM Fats
August 8, 2008 4:35 PM | Link to this
What was the deal with the Feed & Seed Marching Abominable a few weeks ago. I thought they auditioned at the Cobb Energy joint, but the show was supposed to be coming from NYC that night. I understand they were treated pretty shabbily.
By AtlObserver
August 9, 2008 10:58 PM | Link to this
I agree with d’ep supporter, reality tv is not real reality. It’s scripted, staged and outcomes are arranged. With that said, I am a “reality” tv junkie and will watch most of them (or give them a try). I just know that most of them are not real. It’s entertainment!
By WRF
August 19, 2008 5:56 PM | Link to this
I started watching the show well into the season and Iliza was one of the first ones I saw perform. I found her to be hit or miss - one time I would laugh a ton, the next time not at all. I thought Marcus was 1000 times funnier. Not only was he funny, but his impressions were dead on. I wish he would have won.