Cortney’s Comedy Corner: Top 3 Moments of the Week [Raising Hope, The Crazy Ones, Modern Family] 

While I usually try to find a theme for each week’s Comedy Corner, this week I decided to go with three distinctly different yet equally enjoyable moments. So without further ado:

Comedy Corner Moment #1 – The Chances do taco night on Raising Hope (“Ship Happens”)

Having focused on The Mindy Project last week, I missed out on the opportunity to acknowledge the return of the very funny, often overlooked Raising Hope. Residing in its new spot on Friday nights definitely doesn’t help the show, but giving ua two back-to-back episodes in the first two weeks, reminded me that this quirky, off-beat comedy still makes me laugh. Sure, the humor, like the family, is simple, but it’s in the basic delivery and commitment that the comedy comes to life.

Jimmy: “I love international taco night.”

Virginia: “We have French fries, greek yogurt, Canadian bacon, Chinese noodles, Italian sausage, American cheese and from the country of Chile, chili.”

Sabrina: “It seems like we’re just eating all the food in the fridge that was about to go bad.”

Burt: “Yes, but in a taco shell.”

Maw Maw: “This is like the buffet at the United Nations without all the grab ass.”

It’s silly, but the snappy delivery and the actors’ ability to play off one another still makes it funny. Not to mention, while the show may come off as goofy or even at times offensive, it still has heart. But not in the cheesy, ‘aw shucks’, overly sappy kind of way. It stays true to itself and that’s what sets it apart from other comedies.

 Raising Hope airs Fridays at 9/8c on FOX.

Comedy Corner Moment #2 – Simon’s softball confession on The Crazy Ones (“Sixteen-Inch Softball”)

Whenever you let Robin Williams go on a rant (especially one that plays ironically true to life), you know you’re going to get something good. In this week’s episode, the creatives and suits face off in a company game of 16″ softball. What is 16″ softball, you ask?

Zach: “It’s basically softball’s fat sister, same pretty face, just bigger and easier.”

As the creatives attempt to build their roster, we learn that Simon is actually a bit of a legend when it comes to this particular game. Having hit five homeruns in one game, he set the record and became revered for his softball prowess; however, he hasn’t played since that fateful day and refuses to participate again this year. It is only when he and Zach are throwing around ideas for their latest ad campaign and Zach literally throws the softball at Simon (which he artfully dodges before falling in to both the easel and the table) that we discover the truth.

Simon: “I can’t lie to that face, you’re like a baby who shaves. Okay, I can’t play softball.”

Zach: “You hit five homeruns in one game.”

Simon: “Did you ever hear the story of Doc Ellis?”

Zach: “I feel like you’re about to tell me an old timey story.”

Simon: “He was a major league pitcher, threw a no hitter. He later admitted he did it while tripping on acid. Imagine walking out on to a field and the field is like whoooooosh, thirty thousand disembodied hands are like ‘I’m coming for you’ and then this nice penguin hands you a ball. All the pigeons overhead start to turn in to vulture CAW-CAWWWW…..I unknowingly took a play out of his book. I was high as a kite. I remember looking down at the field going, ‘Wow I look pretty good, huh?’ I haven’t played since.”

Obviously this loses something in the writing…Williams’ flapping arms, robust bird calls and the recreation of disembodied hands…but you get the idea, it’s classic Robin Williams. Don’t get me wrong, sometimes he can be a bit over the top, but in this particular scene, he was right on. And that only continued through the episode as Zach attempted to teach him to hit a softball, he hallucinated himself actually hitting a home run and even in the ridiculous tie-breaking round of pocket motorcycle jousting. It was Robin Williams doing what he does best.

The Crazy Ones airs Thursdays at 9/8c on CBS.

Comedy Corner Moment #3 – Cam and Mitchell play it straight on Modern Family (“ClosetCon ’13”)

As a FBMFF (Former Big Modern Family Fan), I’ve been disappointed that this season has yet to give me something to write about. Don’t get me wrong, it still makes me laugh, but mostly in a single physical stunt or a clever one-liner and even then, not in the way that it use to. That’s why I was delighted when this week’s episode gave me a storyline of substance I could write about. The episode kicks off as Mitchell and Cam visit Cam’s family in Missouri. It’s full of clever “fish out of water” references and a Cam that is nothing like the Cam we’re use to. We’ve heard about this Cam over the years, but to see him is an entirely different experience. From Cam’s famous cattle calling to Mitchell’s Missouri/Misery joke to Lily picking up a southern drawl, the storyline was fun and light-hearted. And then grandma arrived. Apparently Cam’s “gram gram” is the only one in the family who hasn’t caught on to the fact that Cam isn’t in to the ladies.

Cam: “We never told gram about the gay. After a certain age, you worry it could be the thing that sends them over the edge. And she’s been on the edge a long time. We’re actually on death bed number two.”

As expected, this leads to an elaborate ruse where Mitchell is forced to play Bud, the farm-hand who is a bit “simple on account of being mule-kicked.” While this could be viewed as offensive or stereotypical, Mitchell doesn’t play Bud so much as he plays Mitchell PLAYING Bud, which allows us to join in on the joke. It’s never so much about Bud as it is about Mitchell being his normally awkward, uncomfortable and over-the-top self. He obviously isn’t on board in the beginning so he gives it all he can muster (which is often too much) but once gram gram takes aim at Lily, Mitchell steps up to sell the lie.

Mitchell: “I went to Viet-nam and I did some adoptin’. Now I’m raisin’ her all by my lonesome.”

Of course, Cam can’t let the charade continues and he comes clean, but watching the subtle glances and veiled references as these two try to out-perform one another was downright entertaining, y’all.

Modern Family airs Wednesdays at 9/8c on ABC.