Patton Oswalt

Keep Calm and Carry On Twittering: Social Media Returns to Form After Tragedy

Less than 24 hours after the worst bombing on American soil since 9/11, one of my friends posted on Facebook a picture of Darth Vader riding a unicycle wearing a kilt and playing bagpipes. I scroll through my Twitter feed and see the familiar jokes, memes, posts about food and talk of the Rockets an ... More >>

The Top 25 Music Videos of 2012, Nos. 10-6

Now we're getting into the real works of incredible genius that hit the Web this year, including one of the few major acts I deign to include on these lists (The art of mainstream music video production being all but dead after all). It's a distinctly sexier set of selections than yesterday, so you ... More >>

This Week in Deliciousness: Doing the Wrong Thing 'Cause It Feels So Right

Welcome back to the weekly roundup here at Eating Our Words, where the hellish heat of the Houston summer months means chefs and bartenders alike are trying to sneak cucumbers into things. QUIT IT. We started the week off right with a great big celebration of things we know are wrong to do, but we ... More >>

Laugh While You Eat: Comedians on Food

"Eat, drink and be merry" is often a salutation thrown out at weddings, bar mitzvahs and other life-affirming events. They rank among my favorite things to do. Combining food and comedy is great, but throw in some drinking, and you are sure to get some good, deep belly laughs. Stand-up is one of ... More >>

20 Albums To Leave Your Children Plus Five To Grow On...

It started as a simple question: What albums would you leave your unborn children, if you knew you were on borrowed time and may not be around to show them the way. At first I asked for albums for sons, but then it grew broader, not out of needing to pacify the PC-thug in me, but to make sure everyo ... More >>

Golden Bozos: Your "Official" Live Blog For The 69th Golden Globes

I know, we're all bummed out the Texans lost. But since you've been drinking anyway, you might as well crack open another one and sit through the one awards show even the People's Choice Awards can look down its nose at. I'll be updating this entry throughout the broadcast, so refresh often and try ... More >>

Pop Rocks: You're Not Fooling Anyone, Downton Abbey

A quick survey of my friends' status updates on Facebook Sunday night confirmed what I'd suspected for weeks: 200% of them were watching something called Downton Abbey. Season 2 just debuted on Masterpiece Classic on PBS, you see, and people responded with an enthusiasm usually reserved for when s ... More >>

Pop Rocks: I'm On To You, Downton Abbey

A quick survey of my friends' status updates on Facebook Sunday night confirmed what I'd suspected for weeks: 200 percent of them were watching something called Downton Abbey. Season 2 just debuted on Masterpiece Classic on PBS you see, and people responded with an enthusiasm usually reserved for ... More >>

Fast Times: KFC Mashed Potato Bowl

I am currently obsessed with comedian Patton Oswalt, and I'm dying to see the movie Young Adult with Charlize Theron, just because he is in it. I have been watching a lot of clips of Oswalt's comedy on YouTube and I recently stumbled upon his KFC Famous Mashed Potato Bowl rant. It is short, but funn ... More >>

Last Night: Ben Sollee At Fitzgerald's

Photos by Jessica Perry​Ben Sollee, Thousands Fitzgerald's July 21, 2011 "I don't know anything about cello or classical arrangements but I like this stuff," Aftermath said to our classical-music teacher, great friend and sometime colleague Meghan Hendley, keyboardist for local group Tyagaraj ... More >>

Jessica Simpson Feels The Pain Of Bullying Victims

Sorry sweetheart, but even Tim Gunn would've made fun of those pants.​There's been a lot of talk about bullies lately. The suicides of Rutgers student Tyler Clementi and Hamilton Middle School's Asher Brown have prompted renewed calls for bullying prevention, leading to things like the It Gets ... More >>

Why Aren't There Any Good Conservative Comedians?

​It's a valid question, even in light of the specter of Satanism rearing its seven heads over Delaware last week. Actually, maybe that's the quick and dirty answer to my question: the reality of the Tea Party is funnier than any airplane food joke Christine O'Donnell could tell at the Improv. ... More >>

The Week In TV: NBC Comedies Are Finally Back

We've missed you.​My parking lot's flooded, I had my first crawfish on Friday, and I feel like funkin' it up. This was the week in TV Land: • Ah, the joys and frustrations of the endless news cycle: Not a couple hours after last week's round-up column went live -- in which I ruminated on C ... More >>

The Week In TV: Mad About Mad Men Barbie Dolls

The Barbie version of Joan appears to have just escaped from Dachau.​I have no idea what day it is, my veins run thick with taquitos, and I took my shirt off in public. This was the week in TV Land: • I'm a little amazed at the amount of TV I was able to watch this past week considering I' ... More >>

Music Cities

Texas has its own brand of March Madness

Year in Film: Three Critics, One List, Ten Best

J. Hoberman, Robert Wilonsky and Scott Foundas put their minds together and come up with their favorite films of the year. Let's hear it for teamwork!

Last Year's Broken Toys: The Most Depressing Christmas Songs of All Time

Lin Pernille Photography​ The Christmas season is supposed to be one of joy and fun, of eating way too much and making drunken mistakes at your office Christmas party. Yet every year we're confronted by songs that frankly aren't in keeping with the holiday spirit. Although it's an urban myth that ... More >>

No Exclamation Point Necessary

The Informant! gets cute with massive corporate scandal and blows the story.

Violent Miscreants and Power-Tripping Sociopaths

Mall cops on parade in Observe and Report.

Brian Posehn

The six-six, bald, nerdy comic admits he’s gassy

Outsider Comedy

Local comedians band together and embrace their dorkiness

Katt Williams

This pint-sized comedian continues his crude crusade with It’s Pimpin’ Pimpin’ Tour

Q&A: Chewing the Fat with Christian Finnegan

Q&A: Greg Giraldo Talks about Carrot Top, Carlos Mencia, Ray Romano, Lewis Black, Patton Oswalt, Dick Cheney and, of course, Paris Hilton

Ratatouille

Brad Bird does it again; health inspectors everywhere shaken to their core

Get Inside. It's Summertime!

Your guide to the season's hottest films (and the other ones, too)

Funny Business

Once upon a time Houston was a hot spot for comedy clubs. Now it's anybody's guess on who'll turn out on any given night

SXSW Preview

Some Kind of Joke

Sam Winch

The Lullabadeer

Humor Can Be Funny

Or so believe the Comedians of Comedy