It was a whirlwind tour trying to take in shows, outside acts, concerts and more at the recent Montreal Festimania, which encompassed Just for Laughs within its umbrella, obviously a festival dedicated to all things funny. I had front row seats for a comedy show held at Salle Wilfrid Pelletier in Montreal on Sunday, July 31, 2011 entitled: Decline of the American Empire. How could you not be intrigued, particularly if you’re an American?
British Comedian John Oliver (who now lives in the states), emceed a gathering of incredibly funny comedians from the states and Canada — Alonzo Bodden, Jimmy Tingle, Marc Maron, David Feldman, Mark Crtich, Greg Proops and Colin Quinn, who closed. Take a look at the Montreal Gazette who did a write-up on the show.
I have to admit, John Oliver was probably my favorite but I think that’s partially because I connect with British humor more than I do American humor these days, a long time after effect of living in the UK for years in my formative years. Alonzo Bodden did a great job at taking out the White House and giving some “tasteful” color to Obama and Jimmy Tingle had some great punchlines that had the crowd in stiches. Frankly, they all had their moments and the takeaway was a night full of laughs. My only ask is: where were the women? Not one comedian on the main stage was a woman, so fellas, c’mon get your act together and add some female energy to the pie next year.
Below is a video compilation of the comedian acts for your enjoyment and below that, direct links to each one individually on our We Blog the World YouTube channel. Thx to Bob for helping getting our bumper together and for his editing skills which are clearly better than mine. :-)
Direct links for individual comedians below:
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.
