Founded in 1999 by college freshmen Josh Abramson and Ricky Van Veen as a way to share funny images and videos online, CollegeHumor has expanded to a company that creates its own content, works with celebrities and integrates user uploaded goodness. Headlining comedian for the A&O’s winter comedian last night was Anthony Jeselnik, supported by editor Streeter Seidell and writers Dan Gurewitch and Jake Hurwitz. North by Northwestern sat down with the four before the show to discuss comedy, fucksaws and icanhazcheezburger.
What makes a joke? Does the internet affect this?
AJ: Something that has a surprise, or a punchline. You have to find new ways with the internet.
SS: Relatability, if you’re not doing a straight joke. Something people can latch on to. Hold their hand and then let go.
Why keep the name if none of you are in college anymore? Is CollegeHumor specifically for college students?
SS: The company’s been around for 12 years. It’s built up brand equity since it was started by two freshmen in 1999. We had to get away from doing things only about college. We can’t just change the name.
DG: It describes a sensibility. We’re wearing “brand cuffs.”
SS: That’s the problem.
DG:Funny or Die is not only about voting.
Is there room for brand equity in comedy?
AJ: What about National Lampoon or SNL? It’s everyone’s goal. Larry the Cable Guy sells lighters.
JH: You can buy my lighters.
SS: They don’t let the brand overcome the comedy. Lampoon was whoring the brand, though.
You’ve worked with celebrities. Any hilarious/horrifying stories about working with them?
JH: I don’t think they’ve been horrifying or funny. We worked with Rick Fox and we were worried he was going to be a basketball player, but he was a better actor than me.
The job market’s tough. How can college kids end up with a sweet job like yours? How can I create a comedy website start up that gains incredible popularity, soon overshadowing even CollegeHumor?
SS: If I knew that, I wouldn’t be here.
AJ: You just have to throw things at the wall and see what sticks.
SS: The internet has this stumble-upon-a-stupid-idea-and-make-a-ton-of-money fantasy. But the people who are successful online really work. The icanhascheezburger guy built an empire.
JH: Even if you find success on the internet, you might not make money, like the history of dance guy.
How is the internet changing how we view comedy? Back in the day, it was a very small market for comedy. Now everyone can be a comedian. Is the internet becoming over saturated with bad comedy?
AJ: Number one, you have a lot of options. Number two, it’s becoming impossible to pay for comedy. It’s not like music.
What are your thoughts on fucksaws?
AJ: Back in high school shop class, we used electric fucksaws to build bird fuck houses.
JH: The professor can’t get her off himself and he’s teaching about human sexuality? Remember manual fucksaws?
SS: My dad keeps calling me up, telling me how he misses when we had manual fucksaws.
DG: Woke up in a dungeon, there was a dude in a fucksaw mask…
SS: That has to be a porn version of Saw.
DG: If that isn’t a stupid internet idea [already], there’s our way to fame.
After the interview, Streeter signed posters. “We got to get rid of this fucking jester, man.”