Being touched by the hand of Oprah is no small thing; in fact, it’s not too far removed from clutching the hem of Christ’s robe. And now, the queen of the bookstore is turning her attention to the world of stand-up comedy, in the hopes of discovering comedy’s next big as-yet-untapped sensation.
“Are you a comedian waiting to be discovered?,” her website asks. “Are you a funny person? Are you always the life of the party? Do you day dream about becoming a comedian someday? Do you feel like you are destined for the Improv stage or the comedy circuit? We want to know if you think you are America’s next big comedian.”
But it’s not just the reining monarch of daytime TV that’s on the comedy move. Thomas Gibson, president of Lapdog Entertainment, is also angling to uncover new comedic talent. In plans for a nationwide show that sounds suspiciously like it’s already been done before (wasn’t there something about a comic standing? and he or she was the last one?), Gibson announced that he and his production company would be seeking out the “funniest, undiscovered stand-up comedians to showcase each week.”
Up-and-comers, now would be the time to patch together your best material and YouTube the shit out of it.
