Written by | Ray Cornelius
Tonight is the season 2 premiere of ASPiRE’s hilarious comedy series, “Laff Mobb’s We Got Next.” The show airs at 10 p.m. EST and is hosted by Bob Sumner, co-creator of HBO’s groundbreaking program,“Def Comedy Jam.” Filmed before live audiences at the El Portal Theater in North Hollywood, CA, “Laff Mobb’s We Got Next” promises to deliver some of the best new comedians in the country. Sumner should know a thing or two about spotting good talent considering he was also there when many of today’s comic titans like Kevin Hart, Dave Chappelle, Tracy Morgan, Martin Lawrence and the late Bernie Mac, were all making a name for themselves on his stage. Now he’s bringing that same formula for success to Magic Johnson’s ASPiRE network, just minus the profanity.
“For me, it’s all about being funny. A lot of people think that profanity needs to be placed in stand up. But I really think that profanity can be used to put an accent on a joke or something like that if it’s needed. When you have people who constantly throw out the F-Bomb, it’s really unnecessary, says Sumner. “It’s funny because I kind of blame myself to a certain extent for people thinking that way because of my previous shows. We gave comedians a platform to do their night club acts and the networks we were on allowed that. Now that we’re over at ASPiRE, I want to show the world that you don’t have to use profanity in order to be funny. On this show, we have about 16 comedians and none of them are using profanity and it’s all about the flavor. Now, the content may be a little edgy at times.” (LOL)
When asked who the standout faces are in the bunch, Sumner immediately names Rob Powell and Amberia Allen, who recently won the 2014 American Black Film Festival (ABFF) Comedy Wings Competition.
“She [Allen] is a young lady who is definitely a force to be reckoned with. A lot of her humor comes from her upbringing and her family. See, that’s the beauty of this show because it’s that type of comedy that the whole family can watch together,” says Sumner.
He also mentioned that good stand up is not about the gimmicks but rather the authenticity of the comedian.
“I’ve seen it all, trust me. As a matter of fact, I’ve seen it all three times. But then again, I didn’t see it all because when I see “it,” something I haven’t seen, I know it right off. I believe in originality, stage presence, and I want to hear about you. I don’t want to see someone using a bunch of props and doing flips or gyrating on stools. I want you to stand there and say something that I can relate to and make me laugh!”
Check out Amberia Allen and Rob Powell below as well as Bob Sumner’s “TOP 12 Comedians of All Time”:
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Bob Sumner’s TOP 12 Comedians of All Time:
12. Martin Lawrence
11. Robin Harris
10. Chris Tucker
9. Dave Chappelle
8. George Carlin
7. Carol Burnett
6. Chris Rock
5. Bernie Mac
4. Eddie Murphy
3. Redd Foxx
2. Richard Pryor
1. Jackie Mom’s Mabley
Photo Credit: ChristianReview.com
