Joel McHale
Actor/comedian/The Soup host Joel McHale is a thorn in the side of American entertainers with his hilariously biting commentary on the oddities and absurd happenings of the week in television and pop culture. McHale voices what the rest of us are thinking with charming disdain, and draws attention to those priceless moments of dumbed-down entertainment we may have missed — a morning talk show on the dangers of binge drinking that cuts to a cat eating a bowl of spaghetti, Erik Estrada getting Tasered in a celebs-become-cops reality show, off-hand anti-Semitic comments by Jeanne Bice on QVC. You don't see McHale on tour very often — his regular gig on E! keeps him pretty busy — so his Tampa date is a must-see for anyone who considers themselves fans. Sat., Oct. 4, 7 p.m., Ferguson Hall-TBPAC, Tampa, $35, 813-229-7827, tbpac.org. —Leilani Polk
MORE COMEDY:
Chris Porter, Aug. 28-31, The Tampa Improv.
Mike Birbiglia, Aug. 28, USF Sun Dome.
Job-side Project: LOL with ranney, Aug. 29-30, Shimberg Playhouse-TBPAC.
Greg Hahn, Aug. 28-31, Side Splitters Comedy Club.
Dave Attell, Sept. 5-7, The Tampa Improv.
Sommore, Sept. 12-14, The Tampa Improv.
Cedric the Entertainer, Sept. 13, Ruth Eckerd Hall.
Dom Irrera, Sept. 18-20, Side Splitters Comedy Club.
Pauly Shore, Sept. 19-21, The Tampa Improv.
Margaret Cho's Beautiful Tour, Sept. 25, Carol Morsani Hall-TBPAC.
Pat Godwin, Sept. 25-28, Side Splitters Comedy Club.
Bill Bellamy, Sept. 26-28, The Tampa Improv.
Steve Harvey, Sept. 27, St. Pete Times Forum.
Lewis Black, Oct. 3, Carol Morsani Hall-TBPAC.
*Joel McHale, Oct. 4, Ferguson Hall-TBPAC.
Kevin Nealon, Oct. 10-11, The Tampa Improv.
Todd Yohn, Oct. 16-19, Side Splitters Comedy Club.
Musical Comedians Comedy Tour: Michael Mack, Ron Feingold and Kier, Oct. 21, Side Splitters Comedy Club.
Bert Kreischer, Oct. 21-26, The Tampa Improv.
Jamie Kaler, Nov. 6-9, Side Splitters Comedy Club.
Doug Stanhope, Nov. 8, Crowbar.
Jon Reep, Nov. 21-22, Side Splitters Comedy Club.
Gallagher, Nov. 22, Ruth Eckerd Hall.
Roy Wood, Jr., Nov. 26-30, Side Splitters Comedy Club.
Carlos Mencia — At Close Range, Nov. 30, Carol Morsani Hall-TBPAC.
Rob Little, Dec. 3-7, Side Splitters Comedy Club.
John "Dr. Dirty" Valby, Dec. 4, Side Splitters Comedy Club.
Last Comic Standing 6 Tour feat. Iliza Shlesinger, Jeff Dye, Jim Tavare, Louis Ramey and Marcus, Dec. 29, Ruth Eckerd Hall.
Carol Burnett: Where the Audience Asks the Questions, Jan. 15, Ruth Eckerd Hall.
This article appears in Aug 27 – Sep 2, 2008.