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The five finalists for Reader's Digest's 2006 Tell Us a Joke Contest competed on stage at New York City's famed Gotham Comedy Club on March 21. Eddie Brill, who scouts talent for David Letterman, was emcee, and comedians Bill Burr, Caroline Rhea and Jim Gaffigan kept the crowd laughing.
Meet Our Finalists:
Mario Smith
Hometown:Blackfoot, Idaho
Occupation: Baptist minister and treatment coordinator for the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare
Family: Mario and his wife, Bonny, also perform with the Blackfoot Community Players
Favorite movies: Airplane and Up in Smoke ("Don't tell my congregation!")
Anise Morris
Hometown: Birmingham, Alabama
Family: She and her husband, Paul, have a ten-year-old daughter, Katie, whom they adopted from Russia
Occupation: Owns a travel agency
Favorite sitcoms: Sex and the City, Everybody Loves Raymond
Thu Huynh
Hometown: Vancouver, Washington
Occupation: Flight attendant (prefers "Global Traveler")
Favorite movies: There's Something About Mary and Kung Fu Hustle
Volunteers with Habitat for Humanity. Also helped out in Phuket, Thailand, following the tsunami
Justin Ezzi
Hometown: Wilmington, California
Family: Married to Tammy, a psychologist
Occupation: Fifth-grade math and science teacher. A former amateur stand-up comedian, he uses jokes--and his guitar--in the classroom
Favorite comedians: Woody Allen, Kathleen Madigan, Steven Wright
Jeanne Corcoran
Hometown: Las Vegas, Nevada
Family: Jeanne and her husband, Daniel, have two grown sons, Casey and Keil
Occupation: Production manager and public relations officer for the Nevada state film commission
Alter ego: Storygenie, host of a kids' cable TV show
Meet Our Host:
Eddie Brill, the host and producer of tonight's show was voted the best male comic in New York City three years in a row. He has appeared on more than 100 television shows in six different countries. A man with a big heart who gets even bigger laughs, he is the warm-up comedian and talent coordinator for the Late Show With David Letterman. Eddie now serves as a contributing editor/humor consultant for Reader's Digest.
Meet Our Comics:
Jim Gaffigan is a triple threat, having achieved major milestones in stand-up, acting and writing. When his sitcom Welcome to New York debuted on CBS, The Wall Street Journal declared him "a true find." He has many other TV acting credits to his name, as well as more than two dozen motion pictures, from indies to big-budget hits. His new performance DVD, Beyond the Pale, was recently released on CD and DVD.
Caroline Rhea gained fame for her role in The WB's Sabrina, The Teenage Witch and has guest-starred on HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm and as Drew Carey's girlfriend on The Drew Carey Show. She was the host of The Biggest Loser and has appeared in films including Christmas with the Kranks and The Perfect Man. She's a regular on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, the Late Show With David Letterman, and has just released a new CD.
Bill Burr makes this promise: "I won't suck. I will stand up and make people laugh." Maybe that's why he performs more than 300 gigs every year. His recent TV appearances include the Late Show With David Letterman, Weekends at the DL and HBO's One Night Stand. Bill was also a regular on Chappelle's Show.
And Your Co-Hosts:
Marlo Thomas, a guiding force in the entertainment industry and public issues arena - from her legendary role in That Girl to her acclaimed performance in Nobody's Child to her winning portrayal of Jennifer Aniston's mom on Friends -- has earned four Emmys, a Golden Globe, a Grammy, the George Foster Peabody Award, and induction into the Broadcasting Hall of Fame. She's also National Outreach Director for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, founded by her father, Danny Thomas, in 1962.
Marlo has created a string of bestselling books and records, including Free To Be...You and Me, Free To Be...A Family, The Right Words at the Right Time and Thanks and Giving: All Year Long and The Right Words At The Right Time Vol. 2: Your Turn! All royalties from its sale will benefit St. Jude. Marlo lives in New York with her husband, Phil Donahue.
Bob Balaban directed and produced the original off-Broadway production of The Exonerated, as well as the television version starring Susan Sarandon and Danny Glover. He recently finished directing Susan Sarandon and Ralph Fiennes in Bernard and Doris. Other directing credits include The Last Good Time and Parents. He produced and co-starred in the award-winning film Gosford Park. His acting career spans more than fifty films including Capote, A Mighty Wind, Ghost World, The Mexican, Best in Show, Cradle Will Rock, Waiting for Guffman, Absence of Malice, Prince of the City, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Catch-22, Midnight Cowboy, and the upcoming Lady in the Water and For Your Consideration. His theater appearances include Plaza Suite, The Inspector General (Tony Award nomination), Speed the Plow, You're a Good Man Charlie Brown, Marie and Bruce, and Some Americans Abroad. He is the author of McGrowl, a bestselling series of children's books.
Jacqueline Leo is Vice President and U.S. Editor-in-Chief of Reader's Digest, responsible for all design and content of the magazine. Prior to joining Reader's Digest, Jackie worked in a variety of media, including "ABC News's Good Morning America" and Consumer Reports. She founded and launched Child magazine in 1986. The New York Times Company acquired Child and appointed her Editor-in-Chief of Family Circle magazine. She later became Editorial Director of The New York Times Women's Magazine Group, where she launched a variety of special interest magazines, including Fitness. She is a former President of the American Society of Magazine Editors and a winner of the National Magazine Award. She received the Breakthrough Award and a Matrix Award from New York Women in Communications, an organization for which she served as President. Ms. Leo is currently a member of the Board of Governors of the New York Academy of Sciences and in 2005 was named by MIN magazine as one of publishing's most intriguing people.
RD Humor by the Numbers:
Fans who watched The Sopranos season 6 opener: 10 million
Readers who enjoy Reader's Digest every month: 40 million
Years Saturday Night Live has aired on NBC: 31
Years Reader's Digest has been making people laugh: 63
Capacity of Yankee Stadium: 58,000
Laugh-out-loud jokes RD has run to date: 100,000
Population of NYC, LA and Chicago: 15 million
People who have submitted jokes, quotes and funny stories to Reader's Digest: 20 million
Box-office take for The Aristocrats: $6.4 million
Total prizes awarded to RD humor contributors: $25 million
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