Comedy…If I Ran the GRAMMYs

by Sonny Fox

I’ve been running the Comedy Channels on XM for over five years now and I still can’t figure out why the Gammy folks still lump all the comedy that’s recorded each year into one category…”Best Comedy Album” (Probably the same reason they don’t list it until category # 78) There’s a reason they have “best performance by a female” and male in all the music categories and it’s not because a woman’s voice is higher. Women and men have different perspectives. Same in comedy, Kathleen Madigan shows us a different side of life than Lewis Black. And why is George Carlin lumped together again this year with Weird Al Yankovic? One is a “word craftsman” and the other is a gifted musician and producer (and a great writer).

Here’s my dream list if I ran the Grammys:

Best Musical Comedy recording… Weird Al Yankovic
Best Political Comedy recording… Lewis Black (“politically correct”…as in society, not just the White House)
Best Female comedian recording…Sarah Silverman
Best Male comedian recording… Jim Gaffigan (Sorry Dane Cook fans)
Best “New” Comedian of 2006… Demetri Martin (former reporter for the Daily Show and a gifted comedian/musician)

With all that said, I hope Lewis Black wins this year. I’ve had the pleasure of working with Lewis and he’s a humble man, quite unlike the “volcano about to blow” guy you see on stage. Besides, Weird Al and George Carlin have won enough and as for the “Blue Collar Guys”, well, even though Larry the Cable Guy is a friend, that ain’t new ground they’re breaking. Too bad John Wesley Austin, Tim Wilson and Roy D Mercer don’t have the same management behind them that Jeff Foxworthy does…then the names on that list might be different.

In the end, it doesn’t matter who wins. As long as there’s comedy being recorded and XM Comedy is around to play it for you, (God knows regular radio ain’t gonna) we’re all winners

Thanks for listening.

Sonny Fox
Program Director (and host)
XM Comedy 150 / Laugh USA 151