A Trifecta of Awesome

Today is a BIG BIG day. Here's why:

1) I am moving today.  

2) Kickstarter funding ends at 9:00 p.m.

3) TJ is performing in San Diego TONIGHT.  I will be there filming.

Here is what that means for YOU:

- If you live in or near San Diego and are 21+, come HERE tonight!  TJ is hosting AND performing!  Dustin and I will be there!  We will celebrate our Kickstarter success!

-If you haven't donated yet this is LITERALLY your last chance.  We have less than 12 hours to go!!  

For the very last time: $$ TJ AND BRIDGET'S ROCKIN KICKSTARTER PAGE $$

We feel so fortunate to have not only met but SURPASSED our goal! Today is a good day.

As much as I would love to regale you with the details of my trip to Vegas (there will be pictures) and I am dying to write the first edition of "The Bartender Chronicles", I'm just a little busy today!  I think you can see why.  I hope to see some of you at the Brass Rail tonight!! It's gonna be funnnnnn!

Thank you all for your unending support!  We love ya.

Bridget

Comedy--the good, the bad, and all that

Happy Tuesday! I trust that you all had a nice holiday weekend. Thanks for checking in. Here we go:

Today I have decided to discuss the pros and cons of being a comic. I wanted to do it yesterday, but I was having a rough day. Guess what? I'm having another rough day, but that is just the way it goes and I guess people need to hear that side too. Sometimes I think people assume the life of a comic is like a musical or something. Don't get me wrong--it's frickin awesome being on stage and making people laugh--but it is NOT at all like a musical. It's more like a bloodsport meets a musical meets teen angst meets the feeling you get when you are about to take the most important exam of your life. Yeah--it's like that.

Here is a list of why I love being a comic
1. I get to make people laugh
2. I get to express myself in my own way
3. I often get free drinks
4. Free therapy
5. I get to meet a lot of new people
6. High fives--I always get high fives--
7. I get to tell people that I am a comic
8. I'm good at it
9. I have the most amazing fans in the world
10. I'm "film" worthy--hence the documentary.
11. I actually make a difference.
12. Black men love me--they love me. They LOVE me, and I think it's because I'm a great comic.
13. I never ever have to grow up
14. As long as I continue doing comedy--I will always be a teacher.

Here is a list of why I hate being a comic
1. It's nearly impossible to make $ doing it
2. It's unpredictable and that can be hard to deal with on a daily basis
3. People expect me to be "on" all of the time. If one more person says--"tell me a joke right now" I WILL punch him/her in the mouth.
4. I have very little control. When I'm on stage--I can do whatever I want, but sometimes the people "running the show" do not have any idea what they are doing. That is why I've decided to produce my own shows. My goal is to produce 25 shows before the end of the year. Now--I'm good to work with cuz I get sh** done. I think Bridget can vouch for that.
5. 5 minutes on stage literally takes hours of prep time. People do not realize that.
6. I'm old. It's hard staying up all hours to perform, network, and keep stuff fresh.
7. There is no such thing as a day off. True story: Joan Rivers still makes her own calls to get shows. Yes--Joan Rivers.

Heroic self disclosure + acceptance of responsibility with the mic= a great comic.

I try really hard to do the best I can every time I get on stage. Sometimes it's awesome, sometimes, it's ok, and sometimes it sucks. That's ok. I expect that. I don't "beat myself up" after having a bad set. I just assume that the audience is wrong, and I move on. I'm sensitive and of course I want everyone to love my jokes, but that is an unrealistic goal. Comedy is very subjective. I certainly do not like every comic I hear. It's fun though, and I am enjoying the process.

Here is a list of things you might not know about comics and comedy
1. A very large percentage of comedians struggle with severe depression (myself included)
2. Many comedians were bullied--some still are! lol Comedy is often used as a survival skill
3. It takes a lot of courage to get on stage and try to make people laugh
4. Even though we should--we do not all support one another. We aren't all friends....which seems obvious, but people always seems surprised when I tell them that. Some comics HATE me--that's aiight though. I'll win--I always do.
5. Sometimes we actually have to pay money to get on stage
6. We HAVE to use the same material for more than one show. Can u imagine Weezer writing new songs for every concert? Yeah--see.  So don't freak out if you've "heard that joke before." <3 U Scott
7. We kinda like hecklers--it's a challenge
8. It's a lonely profession. Studies have actually shown that being a comedian--specifically a comedian who travels causes a great deal of both joy and anguish. The joy is of course, awesome. The anguish can be crippling. Addiction and suicide are the top causes of death for comics.
9. "There is a name for men who like funny women." "They are called faggots." Myriam Gurba. It's hard to be a not so sexy 40 year old queer female in this business. I do well because I'm awesome, but it is not an easy task.
10. It's not about how good you are--it's about being in the right place at the right time.

Ok--now here's a few observations I've made about comedy, other comedians, and some of my highs and lows....
1. No one should EVER bring his/her children to a show unless it's a family show. WORST SET EVER was because of this
2. Confidence--YES!! Cockiness--NO!!
3. Carrot Top needs to lay off the steroids
4. Black men LOVE me
5. Rape jokes are NEVER funny--unless Sarah Silverman tells them
6. Second place is like a punch in the face--first place is magical
7. Always stay for the whole show. If I want others to support me--I must first support them.
8. Drink tickets and free appetizers = the best thing ever! It's actually all we really want:)

This is a very sad yet true reality.

That's all I have for today. I have an interview with "Ellen" (the show) later this week and will probably be scheduled for the fall. Thanks for writing to her. Big stuff is going to happen for me. I just need to be patient, keep working hard, and try to stay sane. It's been a rough week with Myriam's surgery and 11 shows in 14 days. feeling overwhelmed in a lot of ways right now so send me love.

Here are 3 flyers for shows this week--yes--I know I am amazing. Thanks for all of your support. One of us will post in the next day or two. Also, I will be live at 5:00 on Friday right here--tune in. It's gonna be hilarious. I'm giving dating advice, gonna talk about our kickstarter success, and they have some cool stuff to discuss!  KUCI 88.9FM in Irvine, Orange County Public Radio

Also--here is a short film that was done about me. 3 Chapman students looked at me, my comedy, and my love for GLEE!  SHORT DOC ABOUT ME--TJ

I'm the monkey puppet--two men are currently fighting over who gets to be the hand:)

Thanks for reading everyone. One of us will post again soon. TJ

An Ode part deux, we are officially amazed, and what it's like to be a comic

Hello readers. I am so very glad that you are all checking in. This is TJ, and I will be your post host today. I believe Bridget is going to Vegas on Monday--so I will probably be your post host through Tuesday--that is my guess. Here we go:

This will be my last time bringing up Kickstarter, and I am sure that makes you all very very happy. B Naj and I have shattered our goal, and both of us are officially amazed and extremely grateful. We hit the $5,000 mark today which makes our project 125% funded. The "extra" money (if that is such a thing) will assist in the following: travel expenses, DVD production costs (who knew stuff would cost so much), and promotional materials. I think Bridget owes her bookie money again--but I'll make sure she doesn't use up all of our funds on her pesky gambling habit. She did that with her last film and it never got made. SIGH. I'm kidding of course--Bridget is very fiscally responsible. She really knows how to save $. Recently, she taught me about something called "dine and dash." Wow. Again--kidding.

Shout out to our latest donors: Michael, Sue, Anthony, Brenna, Suzanne and Patrick, Ella, Karma, and Karissa. Being a "backer" on a film is actually a REALLY cool pick up line, and it looks good on a resume--so to all y'all who donated--you actually did yourself a favor by giving us money! Well done. Now--for those who did NOT donate--I bet you are jealous now. Well, guess what? You still have 5 days to get on the cool bus if you'd like to. For the very last time--here is the link: Last chance to be a backer on a film. Click here to improve your life!

Ok--Bridget's post yesterday was awesome. I really appreciated the sentiment behind her words and am pretty stoked to be working with her. We are a great team, and the movie is gonna be badass. Logos vs pathos can be difficult to balance--but we manage. She is right--we are VERY different in a lot of ways. Once she realizes my way is better--things will get easier, but until then--we do that dance. I am kidding of course about my way being better. Here is a GREAT example of how logos and pathos can create magic. Seriously--it's one minute long--watch it--especially "my" exit at the end. Here ya go B:
Compromise creates magic!

And here is a song for B. She speaks and feels through music so this is a song that I have chosen as an ode to you, to our project, and to our differences. I have no idea what the real meaning behind this song is--but I'm choosing to look at it through the lens that is tinysuperstars. Song for B. It's by one of your favorite bands BTW!

You know what? This post is getting a little long for me. I really want to talk about what it's actually like to be a comedian, but I will leave that for tomorrow. I will also discuss Ellen, why black men love me, and perhaps I will share a haiku or two.

Thanks for the love--especially the love you all sent for Myriam. SHe is home now and is recovering nicely. I'll be taking care of her AND performing 6 times next week so keep the love coming. Also--join me in wishing the B Najster a safe trip to vegas AND a stress free move. Don't forget--I will be performing in San Diego on the 31st and she will be there. You should all come out for this show to support us AND to celebrate our funding success!

Thanks for reading everyone. I'll be back tomorrow--well one of us will. TJ

An Ode

First, let's all send positive vibes to TJ and Myriam today!  ....

Sent? Okay good...

Myriam had surgery today which she came through like a champion.  TJ sent me the most adorable picture of M post surgery, however without direct consent from Myriam, I will not be posting it on the blog.  I will leave that to TJ.  Big shout out and lots of love to Myriam.  Hoping for a speedy recovery for you!  TJ performed in a comedy competition tonight.  She came in second, which I think is awesome but TJ is less than pleased.  I am still proud of her for kicking ass even though I know she had bigger things on her mind.  A shout out for you too, TJ!

Also, we are officially one week away from the end of our Kickstarter deadline.  That's right, only 7 more days and you'll never have to listen to me talk about it EVER again.  But until then, check out:
THE BEST KICKSTARTER PAGE EVER!

Tonight I was originally going to write part one of what I will call "The Bartender Chronicles".  I will get to that post eventually but I am going to write about something a little bit different for now.  It is going to be short and to the point.

Working on a project like this can be taxing.  It is tiring and emotional.  You work on a very personal level with your counterparts.  It is also amazing and rewarding.  It really just depends on the day.  A lot of readers have commented on the chemistry that TJ and I have.  Between our sarcastic wit, our love for all things pop culture and our disdain for cilantro, it is kinda undeniable that we make a good team.  TJ and I have a lot of differences too.  She is an open book.  I am a locked diary.  She uses her heart when I prefer to use my head.  Our ways of communicating and dealing with life are VERY different...which is kind of ironic for two people who studied Communications.  And even though I don't tell her much, I appreciate that she puts up with me.  Even when I'm throwing up walls and dropping off the radar.  We don't always agree on everything (sometimes we don't agree on anything). But I know she believes in me.  I believe in her, too.  We are a good team.  A great one even.  And we are going to make a GREAT movie.

That's really all I had to say.  I will leave you with a quote from one of my favorite movies.

"Max: Why is it always what will I do? "What will he do", "What will he do," "Oh, my god what will he do", Do, do, do, do, do. Why isn't the issue here who I am? 
Uncle Teddy: Because, Maxwell, what you do defines who you are. 
Max: No, Uncle Teddy. Who you are defines what you do. Right Jude? 
Jude: Well, surely it's not what you do, but the, uh... the way that you do it."
Bridget

My Glee spirit is wounded, but I can still make people laugh

Hello readers. Thanks for checking in. I know that we have a lot of followers here on tinysuperstars and for that I am very grateful. Here we go--

A lot is up with me. I pretty much have back to back shows from now until Iowa, I'm working on several comedy projects, and of course--I'm doing this film. I actually need to leave for a show in twenty minutes so I'll keep this post short and sweet.

For those of you waiting to hear about the IOWA show tickets sales--welcome to the club. The people at Joker's have been less than forthcoming with information. I'm doing my best to get things settled and promise to keep you all posted.

I have a big show tomorrow night at The Sash Lounge in Norwalk. One of us comics will walk away with $500 and the rest of us will just walk away. LOL I'd love to win this competition, but am not counting on it. Truth be told--I think my friend Casey is gonna win, and she totally deserves it. I'll make sure to let you all know how it turns out though. The thing that sucks most about this show is that Myriam will be in the hospital after undergoing surgery. I feel really bad for leaving her bedside to go make others laugh, but she is of course supportive as always. Please send thoughts and love to Myriam tomorrow as she goes under the knife--and send me good energy so that I can beat Casey Balsam's ass and take home the $500. LOL

Not much else is happening with me I guess. I'm actually having a rough day--dealing with lost computer files, uncommunicative people, homophobia, and anxiety regarding M's surgery. I'm also not getting anywhere near enough sleep so I need to fix that ASAP. The 4 hours a night is not really cutting it anymore. Oh--and I miss my students!

Told you this would be a short post. I thank you all for reading and for supporting our project. We are 121% funded and we have a lot of emotional support as well. We'd love to hit the $5000 mark because stuff is really really expensive. We only need $70 to do that so if you'd like to help and haven't--here is the link:  http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/757866528/the-artist-formerly-known-as-trina

I'm sad about Bridget's decision to leave Glee, but I too was very unimpressed with yesterday's episode. My Glee spirit has been wounded. That's it for today. I have a show in an hour. Bridget will post tomorrow. Send us both love and laughter! TJ

5K victories, Glee Finale (No Spoilers) and The Great Gatsby

Good Morning readers!

Sorry for the delayed post.  I know TJ has been keeping you all updated and that you all know how busy this month has been.  And it's not slowing down anytime soon!  TJ still has a grip of shows, including one at The Brass Rail in San Diego May 31st @ 7:30 where she will be performing AND hosting.  We will also be there filming!  I still have to move (and more importantly...pack).  And June isn't going to be any slower.  But TinySuperstars is coming back strong!  Thanks to both TJ and Dustin for posting in my absence.

We have 8 DAYS left to raise money for the film.  We have already met/surpassed our goal, but we are still able to raise money until May 31 at 9:00 pm.  If you still have not donated and would like to..go here
-> Bridget and TJ's bitchin' movie fund! 
We promise to use every single dollar to make this movie the absolute best it can be!!  My new goal is to either hit $5000 or 100 backers.  Thank you to our new donors who have generously pledged money regardless of the fact that we have met our goal: Remy, Dawn, 림 효진, Tammy, Devona, Jose, Tanya, Shaun, Kyle, Melinda, Brian, Kelli, Brooke, Paola, and Logann! Man, that's a lot of names!  I want to send a special thank you Remy, who is not only a dear friend of mine but also the person who introduced me to Kickstarter.  Thanks Remy!!

I wanna answer someone's question from last week.
"Do you love Glee as much as TJ?" Steven
First, nobody loves Glee as much as TJ does.  She is seriously the biggest Gleek I have ever met.  I used to love Glee.  I love musicals, I love campy crap, and I love Jane Lynch.  However, I no longer love Glee.  I just watched the season finale and I can safely say that I will not be back to watch another season.  This news is going to both irritate and disappoint TJ...sorry Teej!  We can't agree on EVERYTHING (LOL!!!).


On that note... here is a list:
Things I Like That TJ Hates
1) Raisins
2) Dubstep
3) Fig Newtons
4) Snakes
5) Dane Cook
6) Kashi


Okay, so as some of you know I participated in my first 5k this weekend.  It was the ROC Race in Del Mar.  ROC stands for "Ridiculous Obstacle Challenge".  Think mud run meets the show "Wipeout".  Obstacles included "Gorilla Bars" (which are oversized monkey bars that stretch across a giant mud puddle, oh and people in gorilla suits try to knock you off), "Eye of the Tiger" (where you had to run uphill with an inner tube and then slide down the hill into a pool of muddy water) and a 100ft inflatable slide.  Needless to say, I had a blast!!!  My partner in crime for the day, Emily, almost broke her ankle and had to leave the race (she kept saying "It doesn't hurt that bad! I can finish!"...what a badass!)  I managed to finish the race unscathed.  However....when I got home I decided to take out the trash and somehow managed to fall in my own driveway and skin my knees.  Awesome...   I certainly wasn't the fastest or most athletic but hey, I FINISHED!  Here are some pictures from the day:

Crossing the Finish Line!

#3686 Baby!

Proud Finishers! (My little friend Lizzy and Me)

Now I'm training (yes, actually training) for the Color Run this November!

Here is what I am excited for today:

This is an adaptation of my favorite book by one of my favorite directors.  Plus the cast is dynamite AND the used "No Church in the Wild" by The Throne in the preview!  This trailer gave me chills.  Sometimes I think that being the person that makes theatrical trailers would be the coolest job ever.   Anyway, the movie doesn't come out until Christmas but I. CAN'T. WAIT!!


That's all I've got for today. Thanks for reading!
Bridget

It's TJ again and I know that is bittersweet. It is for me too!

Happy end of Monday everyone. Looks like I will be posting again today. I'm sure you do not mind because I am so fricking witty and fun. It's gonna be a short post because my day began at 6 a.m. AND I drank way too much Port with my friend Theresa so I am tired! It'll be good though. Here we go:

Had a meeting with B today, and it was wonderful. Here are a few snaps

Just a light lunch for me! Chicken and Waffles.

I always love our meetings. Here are a few reasons why:
1. B is really fun to be around and we have a good connection
2. We eat really good food
3. We always feel motivated after we discuss the goings-on of tinysuperstars

All is well with both of us. B is getting ready to go to Vegas and will be moving at the end of the month. I have about 25 shows scheduled in the next month and am working on a few other projects so....we are just taking it day by day. I wish we had more time for the film--mostly because it is so fun and I like working together. I'll take what I can get though.

Ok--for those of you who have not heard--we are frickin funded. We are 108% funded to be exact. Thank you all so very much for backing this project. We still have 9 days left and would LOVE to hit $5,000 if we can--not because we are selfish but because shit is expensive. It's more expensive than we thought it would be. If you haven't helped us already or would like to donate again which is always fun--please do. Maybe you know someone who would like to help? Pass this on. $600 in 9 days would be a godsend. True story. Here is the link:
BE A BACKER ON TEEJ and B's BRILLIANT PROJECT

Recently a few students from Chapman University (where I used to teach) made a short documentary about me, my comedy, and my love for GLEE for a class. This is a lil taste of TJ for those of you who don't know anything about me. It's fun. This is of course not "our" documentary because we haven't finished it yet. B's movie is scheduled to be out by the end of the year and will be a feature length film. I decided to show this class film to give you an idea of who/what B is working with. It's 10 minutes long. Enjoy: Chapman Students Documentary on TJ

Quick shout out to Mary Najour--she always emails me after the posts but cannot figure out how to leave a comment. I think that is hilarious. I think one just needs to hit leave a comment and then type it in, but I could be wrong. I hope she doesn't figure out how though because I love her emails. Just giving B's mom a hard time. Anyone coming to The Brass Rail show on the 31st can meet Mary, and anyone coming to the Iowa show in June can meet Janice (my mom) so there ya go.

I'm ordering shirts tomorrow that say tinysuperstars. Your Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanza shopping is done. Many of our donors will be receiving free ones so--jump on that bandwagon OR you'll have to buy one when they arrive. B also wants me to make some that say Team TJ--we will see about that one.

Ok--that is all I have for today. I will be performing on the 22nd, 23rd, 24th, 25th 29th, 30th, 31, 1, 2, 5, 6, etc. Check yesterday's post for dates and times. I'm still working on the Iowa show ticket stuff. If anyone who lives in Cedar Falls can help me out by going down there and demanding to see Scotty--that would be awesome. I am very excited about the Iowa show but the people at the venue are horrible communicators. They wouldn't pass my class--that's for sure.

Bridget WILL be posting tomorrow.

Two conversations that B and I had today that made me feel old.
TJ "I graduated from high school 23 years ago today."
B "I was one and a half years old."

TJ "When you guys fly into Iowa you can just rent a car."
B "None of us are 25."

Let it process. Yes--it's true. The good thing about our age difference is that our project has multigenerational viewpoints. The bad thing is that by the time it's a classic--B will be the only one alive to take all the credit.

Send us both love this week. We appreciate your support. Now if I can just get Bridget to bake me some cupcakes. Perhaps me blogging for her today will help in that effort. I'll be back on Wednesday to discuss the following: Ellen, why black men love me, and the grant I am trying to write. TJ