One of my favorite things to do is see comedy stand-up shows. Love it! And, Netflix has provided a ton of comedy specials too so I don’t even have to leave my couch, and we all know how much I love my couch. But, I try not to miss seeing my faves when they come to town.

Here’s my top five recent favorites, in no particular order, that I’ve either seen live or watched on Netflix.

1. Patton Oswalt – Patton is my numero uno comedian and always will be. Not only is he a fellow nerd, he’s so damn funny. He came to town back in February and he was great as always. His Netflix special from a couple years ago is awesome so check it out. He has others too so make a night of it.
2. Nate Bargatze– I watched his Netflix episode and was hooked. So, so funny! I was fortunate to then see him live at the Tempe Improv two weeks ago. And, I can’t walk into a Starbucks without laughing. Watch his special and you’ll know why.
3. Christine P. – I just saw her over the weekend at the Tempe Improv and holy shit! So funny! She’s married to Tom Segura, another hilarious human and they’re best friends with Bert Kreischer, yet another funny man. I now feel like I’ve experience the trifecta! Next up is listening to her and Tom’s podcast, Your Mom’s House.
4. Hannibal Buress – He had been on my short list of comedians I hadn’t seen live…and I finally got to see him about a month ago.  Oh man was he worth the wait! Hilarious!
5. Ali Wong – Probably my favorite lady comedian, and I’m a fan of a bunch of the girls. Ali is in a category all her own. I saw her a couple years ago at the famous Comedy Store in L.A. I knew I wanted to see more of her after the few minutes she yelled jokes at the audience. I recently saw her in Tucson. So great. She’s got a couple specials on Netflix. You will piss your pants!
6. Anthony Jeselnik – Because I can’t follow my own rules, here’s a 6th and final for this list. Jeselnik is ridiculously funny…or not really and it was just the three bottles of wine that my bestie and I drank Friday night. One can never be sure. His new special on Netflix made us couple of white-girl wasted bitches laugh our asses off. He’s always great on the Comedy Central Roasts AND I’m super-excited to see him live in June at Clusterfest in SF! And one final, final, comedy-related item is Wine Country, with SO MANY TALENTED AND FUNNY WOMEN! Check it out on Netflix. That’s the real reason why we drank all the wine in the house…Jeselnik was just the dessert. 😉

I watch a lot of TV…I mean, A LOT. A shit-ton to be honest. Definitely more than the average human. It’s to the point where most of my friends and family don’t think I sleep, that I may be a vampire. I can assure you that I’m not. I just squeeze it all in, somehow, but do manage to get some shut-eye. Also, I sometimes “drop” shows pretty easily, since I watch a lot. There’s no time for shitty shows – if they don’t truly hook me, I ditch ’em. I watch too much to spin my wheels and waste time. However, I am not a critic. I’m not looking for any deep meaning, blah, blah, blah like the critics usually critique shows for not having or the story wasn’t strong enough, yada, yada, yada. I just like to enjoy what I’m watching and be entertained. Period.

Since I watch a lot, I get asked often what my favorites are and for recommendations. So here’s my faves for May, in no particular order:

Billions – Season 4 is nearly over and I’m already missing it. This Showtime series is in one word awesome. Everyone is out to fuck over each other, every episode, with the backdrop of NYC, the stock market and the government. The cast, lead by Paul Giamatti and Damian Lewis, is excellent and I can’t wait to see the new episode every Sunday. Five stars, two thumbs up, the works. Watch it.

Killing Eve – OMG this show!! The two leading ladies, Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer, are en fuego!! Everything about it is great!! Bravo to the BBC, and to AMC for carrying it for us Muricans. Love, love, LOVE it. It’s in its second season and my only gripe is that there’s not enough episodes – only 8! I WANT MORE! It’s won awards, so, so, SO GOOD! Watch it NOW.

Barry – Bill Hader is my hero and a former contract killer who’s now a struggling actor in this show – no joke. If you’re a fan of this funny man too, you should be watching this show on HBO. Really unique and hilarious. Henry “The Fonz” Winkler is in it too and won awards for it!! That’s how good it is.

The Act – I just finished this Hulu show last week and man, I wish it wasn’t based on a true story. It’s one and done and I want more seasons. The two leading ladies, Patricia Arquette and Joey King, better get nominated for all the awards. It was so well-done. I watched the documentary too. Coo-coo crazy what happened!

Brockmire – Hank Azaria is my spirit animal and a train-wreck of a baseball announcer. The writing on this show, now in its third season, is some of the best comedy on TV. And the Twitter account is icing on the cake. Thanks to IFC for carrying it. It’s laugh-out-loud funny week after week!

Happy Couch Potatoing! Enjoy!

To Tony Stark: Thanks for the Memories

Over the weekend, while I was still wiping my tears of joy and sorrow away from seeing Avengers, I came across this great image and post.

It’s amazing where this man has come in his career. A career that was close to over, mentally and physically. I joke with my husband often that RDJ was his character in the 1987 flick “Less Than Zero.” I know I’m not the first to make that connection. It was life imitating art at its finest. He literally was on the brink of killing himself and came back from that, came back to something UNREAL. I’m sure there are other success stories like his in Hollywood that I’m forgetting or don’t even know about but his feels like the most awesome, especially given the legacy he leaves as Iron Man.

I knew the Russo brothers would rip my heart out with that movie. It was inevitable. I was prepared for a big loss but I really didn’t think it would be Tony. As the movie went on though, the possibility was there, even after Scarlett met her end. That was too easy that she would be the only sacrifice. I was told to bring Kleenex and it was needed.

I listened to the giant IMAX theater attendees as Tony took his last breath, dying with Pepper at his side, along with all his brothers and sisters. There were gasps and sniffles throughout. My mom handed me the Kleenex box. I looked over and my tough as nails Mean Girl Regina George daughter was crying too, rubbing at her eyes under her 3D glasses.

Even though we lost our hero, it made for great cinema, A+ cinema, according to the interwebs and the buckets of cash they made. I loved every minute of the three hours and didn’t have to leave my seat to pee. I did have to sacrifice my usual beer but it was worth it.

So, Mr. Starks, if that lady of yours was the one that helped you turn your life around many moons ago or some other force of nature stepped in, I thank them from the bottom of my nerd heart. It’s been awesome to see you kick-ass as Iron Man for the past 11 years. Those are mighty large shoes to fill for the next guy (or gal, ahem, Pepper maybe? ;)) who suits up. I can’t wait to see what you do next. Love you 3000.