(Power)Shot Through The Heart

Today on Daily Grace:

It's raining men cameras.
Hallelujah! It's raining men cameras.
Hallelujah!

Seriously. She's giving three sweet Powershots away to three of YOU who helped make her King of The Web!

Hallelujah!

(PS: Now that song is stuck in your head, too. You're welcome.)

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Welcome Back (Big News!)

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Versailles, Tweeted

Hey look, people are saying nice things about our new series Versailles! In 140 characters or less! People like Fred Willard, Gayle King, Oscar Blandi, and Chris Kattan!

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Here Comes the Bride

If you woke up this morning with an extra spring in your step and a little bit of a glow about you, fear not.  It's not a brain tumor (probably)—you're just basking in the glorious psychic afterglow of the Royal Wedding!  I mean, like, OMG, right?

Yes, there's nothing more romantic than a photogenic young commoner being hand-selected by the Illuminati and served up on a silver platter for review and approval by the future king's cadre of clucking, hunchbacked toadies as they strum lutes and swill peasants' blood from pewter goblets.  At least that's how I presume it works.  I don't know.  I'm an American.

But regardless, My Damn Channel is using this opportunity to "say yes to the dress" and provide you with one each of the following:

Something old...

The first ever episode of 'You Suck at Photoshop.'

Something new...

The latest trailer for the new series 'Versailles,' starring Patricia Heaton.

Something borrowed...

Not ours, but still hilarious: a break dancer kicks a baby in the face.

And something blue...

Andy Milonakis's 'Red Blue.'  That works, I guess.

So say "I do" to these videos or forever hold your peace.  Also, don't forget to send the happy young couple something nice.  I'm pretty sure they're registered at Pottery Barn.

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Hall Pass Pass

The new Farrelley Bros. comedy Hall Pass was the #1 movie in the country last week, and much of the credit can be placed on the broad, heartland-handsome shoulders of co-star Jason Sudeikis.  Not surprising, as the man’s talents are legion: one-time Blue Man Group wannabe, dater of Hollywood starlets, George Wendt’s nephew, etc.  And don’t sleep on SNL, where he portrays a wide variety of characters ranging from the pathetic to the nettlesome, including one-half of both Jon Bovi, the world’s worst Bon Jovi tribute band, and the titular “Two A-Holes.”

But by far, Sudeikis’s most daunting role to date has been as none other than our very own David Wain, wherein attacks the role of My Damn Channel’s favorite lovelorn man-child with the kind of method intensity not seen since Ben Kingsley cinched up his cloth diaper to play mankind’s other great savior, Mahatma Ghandi.  Maybe this Believer article was the key to his research.  Then again, maybe there’s a little David Wain in all of us (gross).

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Nice Try, Academy

As we already pointed out a couple days ago, this year’s Oscar nominations were announced this week, sending pop culture dorks the world over into a frenzy as everyone scrambled to figure out who was superior to who -- the douchebag computer programmer, the stammering king, James Franco’s gross-ass arm, etc. But c’mon. We all know the Oscars are a sham created by Free Masons to launder money from their cockfighting ring (thanks, Wikipedia!). Who cares who did the best job ugly-ing themselves up for a role, or which hairpiece was the least ridiculous? The really impressive filmmaking achievements are all right here, on My Damn Channel…

Best Tapestry of Lies and Deceit, Horrible People Murder, alcoholism, infidelity. General rudeness. It’s all par for the course for A.D. Miles’ soap opera. Who needs subtle and naturalistic performances when arched eyebrows, leering, and melodramatic pauses will get the job done just as well? Just watch your back. Somebody’s probably waiting to stab you back there.
Best Tilapia, Cookin’ with Coolio Coolio is a man of many talents. Rapping, acting, gravity-defying braids. But did you know he’s also an accomplished chef? Well, you do now. And while he may not headed on Top Chef any time soon, but hey, he’s the “Fantastic Voyage” guy! Teaching you how to cook! ‘Weird’ Al never did a parody of anything Emeril Lagasse ever did. Just sayin’.

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The King of All Media on CNN

Last night, Howard Stern went on Piers Morgan Tonight to be interviewed by British dude Piers Morgan. Right off, Howard took control, and it was clear why he is the King of All Media - even though it seemed Piers believed that he and Howard were...PEERS! OH!

My Damn Channel's own fearless leader Rob Barnett was asked on to the Howard Stern Show last year on 4/20 to discuss Howard's departure from terrestrial radio and finding his replacement.  And Howard was gracious enough to chat about My Damn Channel - The King!  Talking about My Damn Channel!  What an awesome experience.

Enjoy a clip from the interview HERE.

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Michael Ian Black series shoot today

It's 5a in San Francisco. We've got a non-slouchy 5:30a crew call for a full day of shooting in a city we love.

Michael Ian Black is finally starring in his own My Damn Channel series. We're so happy our face muscles hurt. You'll see why when our show goes live in December.

Our producer is our mega mainman Jon Stern, who gifts you Wainy Days, Horrible People, Childrens Hospital and everything we love.

Michael Ian Black is the kind of Slash King we worship: comedian/actor/writer/director/twitter lord.

His body o' work creates a major fanbase of people we want to hang out with. Evidence includes the genius magic of The State, Stella, Michael and Michael Have Issues and more. And Michael is Chief Content Officer of a co. we're co-conspiring with now...please partake in the wonders of the 24-hour live comedy ticker, WitStream. Ta da.

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The King And I: The Irreplaceable Howard Stern

Like millions of us, my stepmom is a lifelong Howard Stern fan. She just sent this photo taken off of Howard TV, airing our in-studio interview from earlier this week. I had the honor of being Howard Stern's guest on his Tuesday, 420 show (scroll to 840a).

Response is coming into My Damn Channel via email, phones, video views, comments, new subscribers, tweets, wall postings, and even a live spotting this afternoon in a clothing store (to complete the surreality). The influx of intense energy all flows back to a man undeniably uniquely qualified to hold the heavyweight title: "King of All Media."

Howard endures as one of the most talented and honest souls alive. He embodies the freedom of speech with every breath. For all who've been fired, laid off, downsized, pink slipped, discharged, axed, or job eliminated...it's hard to imagine speaking truth to power on a live microphone the way Howard has done it for decades.

I first followed Howard Stern on a carrier current, college radio station, 64 WTBU at Boston University. (There's a great scene depicting TBU in "Private Parts.")

If you've ever chased a radio dream, then your college years are likely the last time and place you ever experienced the fear and thrill of exercising your freedom of speech over a live mic.

Primordial FM rock radio stations were created in the late 1960's. Early heroes like Harry Shearer and Steven Clean were blowing minds at places like KPPC in Pasadena, California (which eventually became the world famous KROQ).

The combined forces of original radio talents and pre-corporate rock music created stations throughout the 70s powerful enough to infect audiences with a sense of community, purpose, passion, sex and fun that began to hit the wall around 1980.

I was sitting on the front steps of my apartment on Beacon Street in Boston with Steven Clean and my best friend, Mike Isabella the night Ronald Reagan was elected President. I was 20. I was about to drop out of college and take a full-time job as a rock radio jock at WAAF out in Worcester, Mass. One year later, I had the only radio thrill that came closest to being on Howard's show this week. Lightning struck and we convinced the Rolling Stones to do a private show for our station's fans in 1981 to start up the "Tattoo You" tour.

But, back to Mr. Clean. I'd been Steven's intern for a time at WCOZ in Boston. At that point in his career, Clean had been fired by many of the best radio stations in the country. He was a real life inspiration for the Dr. Johnny Fever character in "WKRP in Cincinnati." Steven was incredibly talented, brilliant, a true music expert and fan...and he was rebellious enough to drive the most patient souls to the edge of their sanity.

Considering the nation's new President, Steven held a joint firmly in my face and said, "See this? This is OVER!"
By the time of Reagan's second term, most radio station managers had a "Just Say No" policy for disc jockeys expressing free thoughts on mic, or taking free reign over any music playlist.

A small number of former radio station program directors shaved their beards, cut their hair, bought expensive suits, and armed themselves with halliburton briefcases filled with blow and bullshit designed to convince every fearful radio exec that they had the only secrets to ratings success, fortune and fame.

Conformity soon became the norm. Tighter playlists made stations sound the same from city-to-city. The job of disc jockey was transforming free thinkers into people paid to read positioning slogans, timechecks and weather forecasts.

In the midst of all this unholy homogenization, Howard Stern began to build a radio show free from the constraints put on most of his competitors. His talent grew on the radio and expanded with every carefully planned new project he launched.

Superfans know that Howard pays homage to legends who came before him like Lenny Bruce and George Carlin. I can't think of another entertainer who has more succesfully won battles with corporate brass than Howard. One of the many surprises about the real man to outsiders is how he maintains his position with grace and wisdom.

No one knows what the next chapter will be for the Stern show in 2011. Assume Howard can see the possible moves on the chess board more clearly than most. As a fan, I'll be following as I have since the beginning. As a business owner, My Damn Channel stands ready to serve The King anytime he calls. 

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My Damn Channel's Founder/CEO Rob Barnett on Howard TV

If you or your absentee next door neighbor that always leaves the door open gets Howard TV, watch Rob get interviewed by The King, Howard Stern.  You'll laugh, you'll learn, you'll thank me in the morning.

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