Photo-Illustration: Vulture; Photo: TikTok (@rickglassman, @CharactersWelcome); YouTube (CharactersWelcome, James Austin Johnson, Better Golf Content); Instagram (@hebontheweb, @mattslyon and @marinelayer, @jacecityusa)
Each month, many funny videos are posted to every corner of the internet — from X and Instagram to Vimeo and sometimes other weird places we’ll have trouble embedding. Because you’re busy living your life, you might miss some of these funny videos and feel left out when others bring them up in conversation. Well, worry not! We’re here to make sure you’re not listening in on conversations but leading them … as long as those conversations are about funny internet videos. Here, our favorite comedy shorts of the month.
“Calling Las Vegas Front Desk to Ask for Late Checkout,” by Rick Glassman
Comedian Rick Glassman delivers a hit of a character with his late-checkout-requesting Dr. Glassman. Sure, it’s a laugh, but the good doctor also offers some invaluable life tips for getting what you want while on a boys’ weekend in Vegas, from reminding the front desk operator to refer to you as “doctor” to rubbing loose $20 bills against the receiver. This man … This man is an educated man.
“Every White Male Seeking Asian Female Dating Profile,” by Michelle Chan Bennett
Don’t let Michelle Chan Bennett’s character fool you. This thick-voiced, gi-wearing suitor, a parody of white men on dating apps transparently seeking young Asian brides, is also capable of disturbingly poetic directives like “Take my seed and bear a confused child with me,” a phrase that will stay burned into your brain long after the world ends.
“The Guy in Springfield Who Ate All the Cats,” by Henrik Blix
We can all agree that Donald Trump’s invocation of supposed “pet eating” in Ohio during the presidential debate was a net negative for society and humanity. Possibly the only silver lining to its presence in the public discourse was comedian Henrik Blix’s character, who takes responsibility (or, partial responsibility) for the alleged cat-eating in a bizarre, defensive monologue featuring one of the most memorable freaky lunatic voices in recent comedic memory.
“I Love Evenings,” by Heather Chelan
When the sun goes down, all sorts of magical moonlit things can happen. Unfortunately, they seldom do. What usually happens instead is intense looping thoughts that alternate between existential and practical anxieties stemming from financial, romantic, professional insecurities … and so much more! We’re pleased to deliver you a stellar earworm of a tune from Heather Chelan that unravels some of that very nightmare fuel. Ah, evenings.
“James Austin Johnson – Genius 3,” by James Austin Johnson and Bryan B Stray
Ugh, it’s so good. Now in his fourth season on SNL, the man who’s probably known best for his flawless Trump impersonation hits another gear with this faux-self-serious short about a man transitioning careers from comedy to folk music. What begins with a slow burn effortlessly ramps up to absurdity without ever losing any of its high-minded varnish. Like the impersonations that first made Johnson famous, so much of this film’s brilliance is found in its texture and the hidden bits that you might miss on a first watch.
“Longlegs John Silver’s” by Josh Tobin
Josh Tobin’s contribution to one of Characters Welcome’s recent “portmanteau” shows — in which performers do bits inspired by two combined words or phrases — sees Nicolas Cage’s satanic serial killer from the recent film Longlegs working at a Long John Silver’s (they call him “Managerlegs”). Tobin’s spot-on impression of Cage’s performance is a gift that keeps on giving, but it’s only the tip of the iceberg for this sketch that brings a whole satanic seafood restaurant to life. It’s a blessing to us that his “initially promising but ultimately disappointing” experience with the film still provided the fodder for this character.
“Marin County Dad at a Music Festival,” by Matt Lyons
For two months in a row, we’ve had to celebrate the insufferable talents of Matt Lyons. This time, he’s serving up a special brand of electric-bike-riding, kombucha-brew-sipping Northern California dad with a white-hot real-estate portfolio and a closet full of Marine Layer hemp pocket tees. You don’t have to go for a climb on Mount Tam to know this harbinger of late-stage tech doom hits some pitch-perfect notes.
“Men’s Grill Room,” by Better Golf Content, Kate Scarpetta, and Forrest Shaw
David Hoffman has been in some of the most successful shows on TV, from Bones to Modern Family and American Dad. Hell, he even played a doorman in Bridesmaids, popped up in the sequel to Broken Lizard’s cult classic Beerfest, and is Doug in Liberty Mutual’s very-funny Limu Emu & Doug commercial campaign. But, in this vast archive of impressive performances, some of the best work we’ve seen him do is right here, in this sketch about a men’s-only “grill room” at a country club. Hoffman plays a club manager who won’t let two female EMTs in to save a member who’s just had a heart attack, no matter the mortal cost. Hey, rules are rules.
“My Tits Are Dreams,” by Rumpleteaser
Rumpleteaser, the musical-improv group back in residence at New York’s Upright Citizens Brigade, seems to be immune to a phenomenon that kind of plagues other improv teams: Out-of-context videos of their performances seem just as delightful as if you’d been there in the audience. Case in point: This number led by performer Hannah Solow. See also: their video elliptically summarizing a recent set titled “Dilly Donka and the Donut Factory.”
“Tutorial on How to Use My New Website,” by Jace Armstrong
Online self-promotion is a tricky line to walk, even now that it’s all but a prerequisite for any comedian. One would think it would be impossible to find an entertaining way to announce to the world that you have a new personal website for people to reference. Jace Armstrong has found a way to square that circle with this hilarious tutorial that goes ahead and presupposes we’ve never interfaced with a website at all before.
Like what you saw? Want to be in this monthly roundup? Show us your stuff!
Luke Kelly-Clyne is a co-head of HartBeat Independent and a watcher of many web videos. Send him yours at @LKellyClyne.
Graham Techler has contributed writing to The New Yorker and McSweeney’s Internet Tendency. Send him your videos at @gr8h8m_t3chl3r.
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