Siran BabayanOver the weekend, UCB hosted its inaugural two-day Comedy Yard Sale, benefiting the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California. The Sunset Boulevard theater’s Inner Sanctum Cafe was packed wall to wall with all manner of treasures, oddities and junk, from clothes, shoes, art, books, video games and comedy memorabilia to vintage Star Wars–themed cookie cutters, earwax-cleaning kits and even a bag of diapers. Donated by more than 40 well-known comedians, many of them notable UCB alumni, the items ranged from $1 to more expensive ones that were auctioned off on eBay. We found some cool bargains and learned that famous comedians shop like the rest of us and have questionable taste, too. (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend’s Rachel Bloom wears wooden clogs?) Here are our top 10 finds:
Sarah Silverman’s Obamarator; Credit: Siran Babayan
1. Sarah Silverman’s Obamarator
Gives new meaning to Obama’s slogan “Yes we can.” It’s not surprising that one of the edgiest female comics would own a sex toy in the shape of our former president. Released in 2010 by a company called Fun Sponge Inc., the vibrator was marketed more as a gag gift and not “intended for internal use.” It promises to work in five minutes or less, has speeds that go from “conservative to extreme liberal” and is splash-proof.
Sarah Silverman’s Hadassah Guberman puppet from Crank Yankers; Credit: Siran Babayan
2. Sarah Silverman’s Hadassah Guberman puppet from Crank Yankers
Co-produced by Jimmy Kimmel and Adam Carolla, the Comedy Central and MTV comedy series featured prank-calling puppets voiced by the likes of Sarah Silverman, Tracy Morgan, Kevin Nealon and Wanda Sykes. Silverman’s Hadassah Guberman, a long-haired, Jewish, sexually passive-aggressive college student, was a fan favorite. Whatever you do, don't tell her you know the mayor.
Aziz Ansari’s Snakehole Lounge sign from Parks and Recreation; Credit: Siran Babayan
3. Aziz Ansari’s Snakehole Lounge sign from Parks and Recreation
Raise a glass to the much-missed NBC sitcom. Aziz Ansari’s Tom Haverford was co-owner of the Snakehole Lounge, “Pawnee’s sickest nightclub,” where he introduced a Kahlua-style drink called the Snake Juice, which consisted of a “bunch of alcohol … some sugar and coffee, and some other junk.”
Fred Armisen's music; Credit: Siran Babayan
4. Fred Armisen’s music
Before he was a comedic star on Saturday Night Live and Portlandia, Fred Armisen was a drummer in Blue Man Group and in punk bands, including Chicago’s Trenchmouth and New York’s The KGB. Armisen is still making music as house band leader on Late Night With Seth Meyers and in fake bands, namely soft-rock super group The Blue Jean Committee as seen on Documentary Now!
Amanda McCall and Ben Schwartz’s Grandma’s Dead: Breaking Bad News With Baby Animals; Credit: Siran Babayan
5. Amanda McCall and Ben Schwartz’s Grandma’s Dead: Breaking Bad News With Baby Animals
Co-authored by writer-producer Amanda McCall (Late Show With David Letterman, The Wendy Williams Show) and actor-comedian-writer Ben Schwartz (Parks and Recreation), the hilarious 2008 book of postcards is filled with pictures of puppies, kittens, bunnies, piglets and other adorable creatures accompanied by depressing messages such as, “Mommy blew your college fund on coke,” “It’s syphilis” and “The condom broke.” McCall and Emmy winner Schwartz, who co-founded the yard sale, wrote the sequels Maybe Your Leg Will Grow Back!: Looking on the Bright Side With Baby Animals and Why Is Daddy In a Dress? Asking Awkward Questions With Baby Animals.
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“Wheels, Ontario” blue satin bomber jacket given to cast and crew of Kroll Show; Credit: Siran Babayan
6. “Wheels, Ontario” blue satin bomber jacket given to cast and crew of Kroll Show
Nick Kroll’s Comedy Central sketch series featured such memorable characters as ditzy PR girls, L.A. club douchebags and plastic surgeons. A recurring skit about Canadian high schoolers, “Wheels, Ontario” parodied everybody's famous Canadian teen drama, Degrassi.
Oh, Hello: Too Much Tuna plate gifted to special guests and Playbill; Credit: Siran Babayan
7. Oh, Hello: Too Much Tuna plate gifted to special guests and Playbill
Another one of Kroll Show’s recurring skits featured crotchety old men from the Upper West Side, Gil Faizon and George St. Geegland, who wore turtlenecks and sensible sneakers, and loved tuna fish sandwiches and Alan Alda. After the series ended, Kroll and John Mulaney continued playing the characters in live shows. Oh, Hello on Broadway premieres on Netflix this month.
Sarah Silverman’s Swipe Left #DumpTrump poster; Credit: Siran Babayan
8. Sarah Silverman’s “Swipe Left #DumpTrump” poster
Artists Kii Arens and Erin Goedtel’s poster mocks Trump with Tinder-inspired art that describes him as a “racist orange male,” whose hobbies include “sexism, greed, fear mongering, lacking empathy & spray tans.”
Paul Scheer’s “40 Years of Adventures” Disneyland map; Credit: Siran Babayan
9. Paul Scheer’s “40 Years of Adventures” Disneyland map
A must-have for Disney collectors, this map was created in 1995 to coincide with Disneyland’s 40th anniversary. The logo on the bottom is written in the style of the Indiana Jones Adventure ride, which opened the same year.
Signed copy of The Upright Citizens Brigade Comedy Improvisational Manual; Credit: Siran Babayan
10. Signed copy of The Upright Citizens Brigade Comedy Improvisational Manual
UCB is a comedy empire, undoubtedly the most popular name in improv today, so it’s only fitting that three of its founders, Matt Besser, Matt Walsh and Ian Roberts, wrote a book about the art form. The 2013 how-to guide teaches improv’s concept and techniques, especially UCB’s style of long-form improv, including “The Harold” and “The Movie.”
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