Mike Birbiglia
Inspiring Young Crackers Everywhere


    A few years ago, right after I got out of college and when I was still in my, "I'm not taking a job that pays less than $18 an hour, I went to college" phase, I was doing what an unemployed ex-college student did best.  No, not look for a job.  I sat in front of the television and watched Comedy Central.  This specific day of watching the central of all that is comedy was not like the rest though.  I was watching Premium Blend, a show I don't usually enjoy but it was better than the other 352 channels we get that are about as fun to watch as tennis narrated in Spanish.  At that time a pale looking gentleman came on the Premium Blend stage.  He kind of reminded me of the guy you would want to watch your kids when you need to take a night out with the wife.  Not that I would know anything about spending time with a wife, let alone babysitter selection.  That is just who he reminded me of. Well, he started out his set with a joke about a man crying over a book, and telling him it was okay; that he couldn't read either.  This joke was followed up by a set of jokes that will forever live in the halls of comic genius.  Those jokes were the reason I spent the next few months trying to find out who this unknown comedian was; if only I would have paid attention to his name when he first came on stage I could have saved my precious unemployed lounging time.  The only reason it took me so long to find who he was the way his name is spelled; well his last name is the real culprit.  His name, Mike Birbiglia; which I found out after religiously watching Comedy Central till they replayed his skit.  Actually, in other bits, Mike's last name is part of his act, a very funny part; then again his whole act is funny.   But now back to the jokes that made Mike Birbiglia my #1 favorite comedian.

The first one is as follows:

"I'm trying to integrate the word cracker into my act these days.  Cause a lot of Black comics use the ‘N’ word.  I'm tryin' to use the ‘C’ word."
See the video I am talking about here.

Since then, Mike has moved on and added many things to his resume such as; not one, but two Comedy Central Presents, Shorties watching Shorties, Motherload, Late Show with David Letterman, The Roast of Denis Leary, Montreal Comedy Festival and much more.  Birbigs, as he has named himself by shortening his last name, has two of his own comedy cd’s.  One of which I am listening to at this moment called Dog Years, that is signed by the man himself, and another one called 2 Drink Mike.  I actually have two of his cd's that he signed personally.  One from when I went to see him in New Jersey, which right there shows you he is my favorite comedian, due to the fact I went into New Jersey . . . a state I despise.  The other cd is from helping on his street team and getting him to 6th place on Comedy Centrals top comedians. 

     Mike has just finished up his Comedy Central tour, Medium Man on Campus.  He is also awaiting the release of an independent film he is in called, Stanley Cuba in which he plays Stanley in a parody of the life and work of Stanley Kubrick.  In a recent interview with Gothamist.com, Mike spoke on what he is currently up to, saying, "I'm finishing editing a series of six Secret Public Journal episodes for Comedy Central's Motherload online content site. They're video blogs from my Medium Man on Campus tour. I'm definitely moving more in that direction. There are some films and TV stuff that I'm writing right now."  Mike is also working on "Sleepwalk With Me."  A one person play that, "leads you on a walk through his world of love, bears, and sleepwalking. Trust us, you want to follow."- Time Out NY

     To sum this article up, Birbigs has been an inspiration to me in the comic world.  Hell, my website is named after one of his jokes.  The reason Mike stands out as one of the greatest comics to live, to me, is because of the intellectual quality of his jokes and his ability to perform without using profanity.  That and the fact that he could make me laugh even if my Grandmother just died because she was sat on by Oprah, because she stole her seat at an all you can eat buffet, not to be confused with an all you can eat Jimmy buffet which is found at the Dahmer Rib Shack.  So go check out Birbigs.com if you haven't already.  That's Mike's official website.  This is Mike's Fan Network.  Two equally good sites for one hell of a comedian. 


-Derrick Michael







DamnCrackers©2006