The Quiet Genius of Stephnie Weir

In the fall of 2000, at the start of its sixth season, Madtv added Stephnie Weir to their cast as a featured performer. A Texas native and Chicago transplant, former Improv Olympic and Second City performer, Weir was ready for the big time.

During her six year tenure on the show, Weir created characters like Dot, an average yet hyperactive young girl, whose twin (usually played by Alex Borstein) was overwhelmingly brilliant. The comparison of the brilliant sister and Dot’s upbeat normality offered moments of comedy gold. Another recurring character was Dr. Kylie Johnson, a Harvard grad who seemed to be able to handle any medical situation, from infertility to puberty to breast augmentation. Dr. Kylie’s frequent references to her past party life and subtle yet pointed digs at her patients’ shortcomings made her likable as well as hilarious. Weir’s impersonation of Anna Nicole Smith, another recurring character on the show, allowed her to truly run amok. She took Smith’s drug-fueled public persona and amped it up to Brobdingnagian proportions. Continue reading →

Mitt Romney Needn’t Say a Word

If we were to all give Mitt Romney advice right now, it would certainly be to just keep his mouth shut. Yawr, seriously. The last seventy-two hours have been a doozy for fellow presidential hopefuls Herman Cain and Rick Perry. And the one guy who’s probably the most happy about it all has got to be Mittens. Can you say “sitting in the catbird seat?”

Let’s find out why.

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Rahm Emanuel: Public (Library) Enemy Number One

Oh hey, Chicagoans. How’s it going? Did you know that your sexy mayor plans to slash your public library’s budget, with plans to lay off about a third of your city’s librarians and paraprofessional library staff and reduce hours at most of the library’s 78 locations by eight hours a week? Yeah, that’s part of his plan to close Chicago’s $646 million budget deficit.

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Book Review: Manvotionals by Brett and Kate McKay

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If you take your cues from the supermarket magazine aisle, manliness is pretty easy. Spend a few days browsing the selection and you’ll learn all about how you, too, can have ripped abs, a ripped chest, and ripped legs. You’ll be able to run faster at the track, lift more weight on the bench, and bike up mountains in no time. You’ll learn how to buy the perfect suit, cook the perfect meal, and be the perfect lover. But is a superficial checklist all it takes to be manly? Brett and Kate McKay, the authors of The Art of Manliness – Manvotionals: Timeless Wisdom and Advice on Living the 7 Manly Virtues, think manliness runs a bit deeper than having killer quads and looking great at the beach. Continue reading →

Tuesday Open Thread

This open thread has been confiscated by a very confused Rhino who slept through everything. You slores will use any excuse to get drunk and take off your pants, won’t you? Continue reading →

Tell Us Your Real Ghost Stories

Ghost of the winchester mystery house (courtesy of Marioanima via Flicker)

GHOST STORIES! REAL ONES! WE WANT TO HEAR!  Who has had run-ins with real ghosts? Do you have one in your house? Have you encountered one on vacation? Continue reading →

The Crasstalk Halloween Pet Costume Contest

It’s Halloween and for pet-owners, that sometimes means dressing up your little creature like a different little creature. My very first Halloween with Macho, my chihuahua, I took him around the block and told kids that asked where his costume was that he was actually a German Shepard dressed up as a chihuahua.

Last year, I dressed him up as a pumpkin and I don’t think he’s ever forgiven me.

This year he’s rockin’ a wizard hat and cape. He hates it like fire.

But the question, dear Crasstalkers and fellow-pet-antagonizers, is what are your pets going to be for Halloween? And to answer that question, let me introduce the very first Crasstalk Halloween Pet Costume Contest. The prize will be glory and internet fame. Continue reading →