CBB 501 - "Kevin Bacon"

[Sappho]

When Al folds his leg up to find his shoelaces missing, is he really (still) that flexible or was there trickery?

No trickery! That was all Al!

Holy moly does that man even have ligaments?!

[chickadee]

No questions, but I just have to say that I absolutely loved Kevin Bacon showing his dream of building that town.
His dead serious delivery was absolutely perfect.
There was something so amazingly charming about the whole thing. Plus it was magical when he actually went back to it later on in the episode.
Whoever wrote that and whoever constructed that little town should be congratulated.
It was the most charming thing I've ever seen on TV!

If you can...I would be ever so grateful if you could tell the creators of that concept just how wonderfully enjoyable it was.

I loved it.
I don't know how much feed back the writers get, but with your wonderful presence here on the forum, you're giving us a chance to express our gratitude for their work!!!

[chickadee]

Hey!!! I have a question!
I just saw the photo Al just tweeted. He's sitting on a couch in front of a wall of Vans.
Are those his? Did he donate them to the set?

[TMBJon]

That is actually for the Comedy Bang Bang podcast, a totally different show which I'm not affiliated with. However, judging by the photo, those appear to be original art hanging up at Earwolf, where they tape the podcast. I can see that there are cartoons of several CBB regulars on those shoes including Paul F Tompkins and Reggie Watts.

[Muppetboy09]

Question: How long was Al's intro for Kevin Bacon? You can here some clipping after the word "fakin" leading into the "now". Just curious if that is written (or improvised) as a longer piece in case you need to fill more time.

[TMBJon]

Indeed it was a little longer on stage, and we had to cut it down for time in post. They tend to be a little bit longer than we have time for, so we tend to cut them down a bit. (Usually our audio edits aren't as obvious but this was a tough one.)

[yankochick38]

- Ben Schwartz and Matt Walsh were both fantastic in their roles. They're regulars, right?

Yep. Matt Walsh (who?) plays El Jefe Maninchargo.

Matt Walsh is my favorite WOWAY meme.


Greetings, loved ones. Let's take a journey.


When it started with the rain cloud I was like what? Okay
I don't know what I was expecting to be honest
I like the cloud that goes "buh-bye!" then re-enacts that one emoji cloud girl.
I like that it's canon that the storm cloud follows Scott around EVERY DAY, and FINALLY on this day, it's gone.
Also I love any time Scott talks like a smurfin' idiot fancy guy
"Da Vinci's demons, I've spotted one!!" what a dork
I like that the pot of gold was left by the dumpsters.

HEY here's JON
Question: What is Al talking to you about here??
Great cameo!! Hope there's more of you to come!!
Al's introduction as bandleader is so anticlimactic after all the tweets and promos and everything else about it.
"Where's Kid Cudi??" "Oh, he quit. I'm the new bandleader!" "Eh, fine."
NOOOOOO, Eric the PA is gone??? But I just saw him!!!! But he's such an important character!!!! I will never get over this. RIP Eric the PA. Although all you wore was black, you brought color into our lives.
Al's reaction here is gold. Heyoooo!

"Wow, a pot of gold!!" oh Al
"Sir, is your pot of gold worth a lot of money??" what a stupid question, bring Eric back #BringBackEric
I watch an Irish youtuber all the time (Jacksepticeye, I love himmm) so the AULIS's Irish accent feels off to me but
Love the dramatic zooms with Al's face and he's like "A what?" with his face all scrunchy aaaa
#AULIS

oh smurf here we go now
I am never prepared for the new theme song
And it's back to the original!! Except AL IS SINGING IT YOU GUYS HE'S DOING THE THING AND ANNOUNCING THE PEOPLE WHAT IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW
I will never not freak out about the theme song
"A visit from...an AULIS??????" omg
He says his name so like...I don't know how to describe it but it's so "him"
and "Scott Aukerman" omg what is he doing with his VOICE TO ME
heeeeyyyy AULIS in the drawing there??
aaaaaaa the logoooo, I see your avatar Jon!!!

Dick Hallorann - Scatman Crothers' character in The Shining (1980)
Add that one to the list, people!! I feel like this is an entirely made up thing but there ya go!!
I did laugh at the "always nice to keep mom on her toes."
OHMYGOD AND THIS SONG TOO
WHY
After hearing it a few times (okay a lot times), it's like, his live vocals are SO silly and I love it, but those background ones are so fun!!! Dooooo doo doo DOOO dooo
BLEEEEHHHHHH
when I thought I couldn't love him any more than I already do, he does that tongue thing
omg Scott though with his "OOOouuuh!"
just a matter of fact "Thank you!"
Scott hasn't been nice to Al, he probably shone his phone's flashlight at him upon meeting him so he could remember his face
omg wait I just noticed how unbuttoned Al's shirt is here and you can see some CHEST HAIRS????
this telepathic bit is alright, but it really got me at "Oh, sorry, I'm not telepathic. I AM telekinetic though--" "WHO CARES??????" There's just something about the editing and line delivery here that makes me lol every time.

"Oh, great, it's the AULIS." "The what??" scrunchy faaaaaace
this guy's voice is so stupid
The "Au" looks like a Breaking Bad thing!! Nice one
"Let's just let him have this."
Is Al's laptop screen really dirty or is that just some weird thing happening
#thingsonlyanauliswouldsay
The chroma keying on him does look better when there's a racked focus thing going on but overall it's better than anything I've done so

Kevin Bacon is pretty much wearing the outfit I find most attractive with that blue plaid shirt and those glasses, ugh
BUT OMG AL
Al's song is so LOUD and CONFIDENT and not just in the background!! This feels unfamiliar for CBB but maybe it's just me.
I'm reeeeeally gonna need a CBB Season 5 soundtrack with all of Al's songs, thanks.
"NOOWWW." those EYES
LOVE that Kevin tries to applaud here - Al deserves it!! Lyrics and EVERYTHING
Al's face after "We don't clap here, actually" omgggggg help me

"Is there anything you wanna give Al right now?" Al rubbing his hands together but his hands are like going diagonal
Al DOES know how to play Footloose!! This is true
"This is a poop bag" i'm crying rn
Al deciding which pocket to put the poop bag in
"They're just handy."
~Holllyyyywooooood~
Al pushing his hair back with his hands ugh kill me with the poop bag

"I keep forgetting if I'm supposed to drink eight glasses of water a day or if it's one glass of water every eight days."
GREEN water??? https://www.weirdalforum.com/images/smilies/shock1.gif
Actually I do like that it's normal water on the way down but green on the way up!!
Question: Was Kevin someone who had his own jokes, or did they mostly have to be written for him? It seems like a lot of pre-written bits, actually so it's probably the latter.
Scott's "HUH" at the AULIS
A MINOR INCONVENIENCE.
Hey G drank Kevin's water whaaat
The AULIS has quite a jump here! WHEEEEEE chanananana CRUNCH
Kevin trying to talk about the Ninja Turtles like he's a dad trying to relate to his son is great
Al's eye roll

omg this city planner part is so friggin cute
the music that plays during this definitely helps the adorableness factor
and Kevin's smile and just his delivery all through this is so good, he's so serious about it
I love him explaining the waterslide
"Yeah, I'm the mayor." OBVIOUSLY, Scott come on
"In Kevintown, the main industry is fun." this is so cute
It's great that like it's basically like Kevin is a child explaining his project but Scott is talking to him like an adult about it, it's kinda sad but it just works
PIZZA TOWN
Pizza, every night?? I want to live in Kevintown.
The part where Kevin is talking about how it's a place full of love and hopefulness omg, what an actor this guy is because I am feeling hardcore for Kevin and Kevintown
"It's okay, I'm a successful Hollywood actor."
~Hollllyywoooooood~
Al's face like

Even going into the whole "Scott's gonna count his gold to make sure Kevin didn't steal any" thing I was like buuuuut he hasn't counted it yet so how would he know?
"If it eases your mind, my host." Al's face omg
How does counting it again help any Scott if Kevin supposedly took the gold before you counted it the first time aaagh
But the line delivery is funny at least.
The music that kicks in when he starts counting again!!

DRAGON SICKNESS
Zeke is so good at slipping that explanation about dragon sickness in there
"Scott's becoming more obsessed about the gold than what's best for the dwarves!"
Al's just like "yeah that's true too" so I guess Scott doesn't care about what's best for the dwarves? Which I guess, the AULIS could count as a dwarf, so it works.

Oh man, I love this part where Kevin explains all his "six degrees" to everyone on the show here because it's kind of breaking the fourth wall in a really weird way?? Like even though the people on the show are Scott Aukerman and Weird Al, it's kinda like their characters are Scott Aukerman and Weird Al?? So when Kevin actually explains how he's connected to the REAL Scott and Al it's like mind-blowing, it kinda reminds me more of the podcast this way.
"Brad Pitt." "Of the JOLIE-Pitts??" "I don't know what that is, but Brad Pitt."
"No, Brad Pitt has never been on an episode of Comedy Bang! Bang! and he probably never will" Scott's face it's true tho
oh smurf this is where it gets REAL
Slow JOEY NOOOOO
When Kevin says "Haley plays Slow Joey" my world crashed forever
Like, I KNOW Haley Joel Osment plays Slow Joey but you don't have to say it!!!!!!!!! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaghhhghgh
Kevin Bacon broke me
Al's reaction after Kevin finds out about Sleepers
And then Scott's after Kevin is like, I don't have to be here
Al playing this song that goes to commercial right now??? With one hand?? Or is something else happening here

oh smurf the travelocity gnome
A little while after watching this episode with my mom we saw a Travelocity commercial, and she was like "hey it's the guy from Comedy Bang! Bang!" so I guess whatever is happening here worked
I thought this was just a coincidental thing at first so I thought it was funny but then I found out it was on purpose so idk how to feel about it anymore.
"If we can stop by Ireland, I'M in!!" god shut up

Love that Kevin's "three times in rehab" is just glanced over as they come back from commercial.
He DOES end all his rhymes in "thee"
Al's like silent smirky laugh here
Ohmygod the "CAAAARBS!" part reminds me so much of like an old Youtube Poop except here it's like, professional
Question: Was the AULIS guy on set when everything else was filmed, or was someone just reading his lines and they were told where the AULIS was so they could pretend to look at him or some mixture of all that or was there like a tennis ball on a stick
"I'm going to kidnap all the crew's first-born sons!" haaahahaha oh AULIS, comedians don't fornicate
MATT WALSH
his son is so gross
idk who decided that was "gamer" attire since he looks more like he's trying to be #goffik, like why the fishnet gloves and eyeliner? this is not what gamers wear and I should know because I watch them on youtube all the time but I guess if he's a newb then he doesn't know what gamers wear but it's never explained why he's like trying to be goffik/emo?? anyway the music from "he's a gamer" to "I get pwned a lot" is great
I do like when the AULIS is like MOTHER into his hat though, and then he angrily dances away
The music Al is playing to commercial again!! Omg!! So fancy

It's cool how Scott is able to find a bunch of things to say to "So the guy says 'I wasn't talking to you, I was talking to the duck.'"
YESSSSSS I KNEW MY BENNY WAS HERE
He's like grabbing Scott's legs omg why
Al playing this song with that face too omg
he crawls on his LAP
I love them together so much
Rodney Waber <3 one of my absolute favorite CBB characters
"Hey Rodney!" ("Hey Rodney!")
KID CUDI BABYYYY
"hehehey!!!" i love it
Al's reactions during this seem like his natural reactions and I love it
I can't even say anything, I'm just laughing at Scott and Rodney together so much
Also I LOVE Kevin just watching Scott and Ben's back and forth and following along, you can just tell from his face that he digs it
Al's alley-oops are so funny
omg when Rodney crawls into Scott's lap again, I love ittttt because Scott is like, actually laughing and it's great
Al just shaking his head though
"Comedy comes in different ways and from different forms and when it hits me it hits my funny bone and I feel it all over my face" I love this guy so much
Kevin's face at "I loved it" like eeeeyikes
Rodney holding Scott's hand
I LOVE these two together
love this improv about his neighbor!!!!!
"He wears one article of clothing that doesn't make sense" man this is so good I can't even explain to you
"Wait, is this Daniel Day-Lewis because of My Left Foot?" "Oh, my god. Who is that?" i LOVE him and Scott's just like WHAT
"You're one of Hollywood's top publicists, you should know who this is!" "THANK youuu, thank youuuu" smurf I love him I'm crying
Al seems to be enjoying this too with his reaction here
When they ask Kevin if he knows Rodney's name omg, this part is SO. GOOD. Just everyone here
"is it MARK??" omgggggg
are YOU FRICKIN SERIOUS
I wish Ben Schwartz was in every episode honestly he's the best
"Now everyone knows Martin Scorsese is a famous elephant that flies." omg I can't even

This weird like gear grinding (that's not the thing I'm looking for but) music is funkyyy
"What's the difference between cottage cheese and bad milk?" "God, I wish you would shut up." "What??"
Omg he does the alley-oop after Scott's Father Dowley joke
Wait what was Kevin's involvement in this proposal if they're both crew members
GOLD SHOELACES omg his leg
WAIT OMG HI TIM KALPAKIS
"My gold necklace!!" your bare chestttt! 00
"What is HAPPENING right now??" Rodney you sweet baby boy
"SCOTT, you have to FIGHT through your dragon sickness, and realize what's truly important!!" yeah you TELL HIM AL
"Hey folks" omg I'm gonna cry, RIP Birthday Boys
When Thorin Oakenshield first appeared I thought it was Reggie
This part where he goes down the list of people is so well put together
"Fili, Kili!"
If Fili is the one on the left he's pretty hot
The sound the gold makes when it falls sounds very similar to when you sell something in The Sims??
The AULIS's dance lol
This whole speech part omg
Aaaaaand the Communist Bang! Bang! poster, complete with tiny AULIS.


LOVED IT. Can't wait for Friday to see it again and a brand new one!!!! TWO EPISODES A WEEK AAAAAAA, this is just what I wanted!!!

[minnick27]

So that was pretty good. I loved the Aulis.
Pretty much had that Au joke figured out right away but still chuckled.
"Kevin Town. Its short for Kevin's Town" had me rolling.
Can't wait for more episodes

Sent from my LG-H901 using Tapatalk

[TMBJon]

Whoever wrote that and whoever constructed that little town should be congratulated.
It was the most charming thing I've ever seen on TV!

Well, maybe things worked out for the best then because the writers' assistant, Caroline Anderson, ended up getting to keep the Kevintown diorama.

[TMBJon]

Question: What is Al talking to you about here??

Well, as it's scripted:

INT. CBB STUDIOS - DAY
"WEIRD AL" YANKOVIC and the crew are prepping for the show. Al is mid-story.

"WEIRD AL" YANKOVIC
...so Velcoro and Bezzerides realized the bad guys wanted the hard drive, but for different reasons...

So he is explaining to me the plot of True Detective Season 2. Ironically, about an hour before shooting this, Al was reading through that part of the script and I happened to be standing near him, and he asked me how to pronounce Velcoro and Bezzerides and what the line was referring to, so I told him a little about the (bad) True Detective Season 2 plotline. Then two hours later, the production came into Post and asked me to be in this scene, so there I was having Al pretend to explain the same exact thing back to me...

Great cameo!! Hope there's more of you to come!!

Indeed there is! I also appear in episodes 503 and 504, and I believe that my scene in 504 may even be featured on Al's tour this summer!

Question: Was Kevin someone who had his own jokes, or did they mostly have to be written for him? It seems like a lot of pre-written bits, actually so it's probably the latter.

For every guest, we shoot a full length interview that is completely improvised on the guest's end (Scott has questions written in advance, though he often riffs off of those as well). Then, a second version of that interview is usually shot after Neil (the head writer), Scott, Stoney (the director) and the guest put their heads together and decide which pieces worked best and do a second pass at those segments to get them a little tighter.

Only after the main interview is shot do they then go into scripted bits. You can usually tell what is scripted and what isn't because the scripted parts tend to have characters showing up or props involved. I won't break it down joke by joke, but suffice it to say for all A-guest interviews that some pieces are totally improvised and other pieces are more or less written in advance. The reason it's done this way is so that if a guest isn't that funny, we can make them seem funny. And if a guest is really funny, we don't have to use as many of the scripted pieces.

Question: Was the AULIS guy on set when everything else was filmed, or was someone just reading his lines and they were told where the AULIS was so they could pretend to look at him or some mixture of all that or was there like a tennis ball on a stick

Good question! The AULIS actor filmed in front of green screen on a completely different day from the rest of this scene. This is very common for CBB because of various peoples' availabilities, but also because someone like Kevin Bacon only has so many hours that they can stay, so it doesn't make sense to shoot both halves at the same time. Especially in this case when there's a green screen, so it doesn't matter.

HOWEVER - in order to maintain a perfect eyeline match between Scott and Kevin's shots and the AULIS once we comped him in later, we used a prop AULIS which was this teddy bear with an AULIS on his shirt: