Tech Comedy: Geek Stand-Up, Sketch Shows and More

What's better than plain old comedy? Tech comedy for geeks of course! What is tech comedy you ask? In case you hadn't heard the news (noob), it's a growing arena that's only getting bigger! Read on for the details! YOU'RE WELCOME (SNL: Nick Burns).

Been on YouTube lately? How about cable TV? Maybe some stand-up comedy? Then there is no doubt you've been exposed to some tech/geek comedy. When talking about YouTube, there is no better tech comedy than The Online Gamer by Reckless Tortuga. It follows an extreme Xbox gamer through his adventures at his job and with his family. Of course he relates everything back to gaming in the most extreme way possible. Very funny, especially if you are pro Xbox (as I am). Of course, YouTube also offers endless hours of tech support call humor. Who doesn't enjoy some TCP/IP humor? Am I right?

Moving on to cable TV (sorry DirecTV subscribers), you may be familiar with G4. G4 was created by Comcast and acquired TechTV back in 2004. The result was a gamer focused show line up, mixed with a tech variety show, Attack of the Show (AOTS), and doses of Cops and Cheaters. My favorite show is AOTS which has segments ranging from popular web videos, tech gear reviews, sketch comedy and interviews that center around current tech topics. The show provides some great info in a laid back, comedy based, format. One of the regulars on the show, Chris Hardwick, has broken out in to geek stand-up.

Yes, geek stand-up comedy does exist and Chris Hardwick, aka Nerdist, plays it well! Hardwick appears on G4's AOTS and hosts Web Soup currently. His whole Nerdist empire is growing and he has gained traction with his podcast with has ranked No. 1  on iTunes this year. He has taken his act on the road performing at small venues across the U.S. and recently visited the Magic Bag in Ferndale, MI where I was able to see him in action. I must say that he is even funnier in person than on his podcast! He was very interactive with the crowd during his show and was quick to add lib to audience shouts. I've seen my fair share of stand-up and have to say he was one of the best I've seen (sorry Pauly Shore).

Finally, this post wouldn't be complete without paying tribute to the first person to enter tech comedy: Nick Burns (Your Company's Computer Guy)! On Saturday Night Live, Jimmy Fallon played Nick Burns in a skit that portrayed the stereotypical tech support guy. I can't lie–I've quoted Nick many times in my professional career and it just never seems to get old! Be sure to Google Nick Burns for some good laughs!

So what are your thoughts on tech comedy? Feel free to comment with links to your favorites!