The classics are always the best. There might be newer entertainment that makes you laugh, but there are still none better than The Simpsons, The Onion and "Weird Al" Yankovic.
You may not love all of them, but chances are good that at least one of them has been providing you with chuckles, giggles or belly laughs for many years. If, like me, you're a fan of these classic comedic institutions, I hope you're checking out The Onion & The A.V. Club Present the 2nd Annual 26th Annual Comedy Fest. It's taking place in various spots around town right now, and there are many comedians involved, but the highlights of the festival focus on these titans of funny.
Let's start with the masters of news satire and the organizers of the festival itself: The Onion. Those of us old enough to remember picking up a print copy of the paper know that as soon as you were close enough to read the headlines, you were laughing. Two decades worth of those hysterical headlines commenting on current events are compiled in Our Front Pages.
Since 1989, the yellow cartoon family from 742 Evergreen Terrace has poked fun at our American values and skewered everything we hold dear: family life, religion, nuclear power, donuts and beer. The Simpsons gives us a behind-the-scenes look at the creators and writers that have kept us entertained for decades.
"Weird Al" Yankovic is really one of a kind. He's parodied pop culture with his accordion, silly songs and funny music videos since the late 1970s. His hits have spanned generations of musicians, from "I Love Rocky Road" (from Joan Jett's "I Love Rock 'n' Roll") to "Word Crimes," his version of Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines." Weird Al: The Book is the story of his rise to fame.
Other awesome comedians at the fest include Kyle Kinane, whose newest album is I Liked His Old Stuff Better, and Ellie Kemper, one of the stars of the ridiculously hilarious Bridesmaids.
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