Standup Comedy - Bruce McCulloch - Shame-Based Man

Bruce McCulloch - Shame-Based Man - 1995



Bruce McCulloch - 01 - Grade 8

Bruce McCulloch - 02 - Stalking

Bruce McCulloch - 03 - Al Miller

Bruce McCulloch - 04 - Heroin Pig

Bruce McCulloch - 05 - 40 Housewives

Bruce McCulloch - 06 - Doors

Bruce McCulloch - 07 - Acid Radio

Bruce McCulloch - 08 - Lift Me Up

Bruce McCulloch - 09 - Our Love

Bruce McCulloch - 10 - Not Happy

Bruce McCulloch - 11 - Answering Machine

Bruce McCulloch - 12 - Daddy's On The Drink

Bruce McCulloch - 13 - He Said, She Said

Bruce McCulloch - 14 - Daves I Know

Bruce McCulloch - 15 - That's America

Bruce McCulloch - 16 - Baby Jesus (Radio)

Bruce McCulloch - 17 - Eraserhead

Bruce McCulloch - 18 - Vigil

Bruce McCulloch - 19 - When You're Fat

Bruce McCulloch - 20 - Lonely People



http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:wxfwxq9hld0eReview by Tomas Mureika



The debut album from Kids in the Hall's quirky comedian is a wonderful collaboration with Blue Rodeo alumni Bob Wiseman, representing the best of both artists. Essentially a collection of twenty of McCulloch's stream-of-consciousness monologues and wacked-out characters, Shame-Based Man veers from black humor to unsettling observations, touching on subjects that include stalkers, repressed homosexuality, alcohol abuse, the Christian right, and obesity, among many others. "Answering Machine" is an ode to the beauty of non-communication in the modern world ("I love my answering machine/It keeps the people I know away from me"), while "Lift Me Up" is a semi-traditional love duet, only between a naive young boy and his dirty old mentor. At once provocative, disturbing, and genuinely laugh out loud funny, Shame-Based Man is that most remarkable of comedy albums: one that bears (frequent) repeated listenings. If there is any justice, this will not be McCulloch and Wiseman's only collaboration.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_McCullochKids in the Hall



As a member of The Kids in the Hall comedy troupe, McCulloch frequently wrote surreal monologues, films or songs. He also directed several of the filmed sketches. Memorable characters included the Flying Pig, Cabbage Head, talkative schoolchild Gavin, pop starlet Tammy, and grumpy middle-aged man Gordon.



McCulloch appeared in the Kids in the Hall movie Brain Candy, released in 1996. McCulloch drew controversy with his Cancer Boy character, introduced on the series' final episode, in which he plays a dying young cancer patient confined to a wheelchair who relates otherwise depressing news in a monosyllabic tone and with a cheerful smile, and even releases a hit single entitled "Whistle When You're Low." Paramount Pictures fought to edit out the offending scenes, yet they were still kept in. Among other characters, McCulloch also appeared as Grivo, a depressed rock star.



He is currently appearing in the Kids in the Hall reunion project Death Comes to Town.



Music



McCulloch has released two albums: 1995’s Shame-Based Man (praised by Allmusic as the “most remarkable of comedy albums: one that bears (frequent) repeated listenings”)[2] and 2002’s Drunk Baby Project.



McCulloch also directed the music video for the Tragically Hip’s song “My Music at Work,” from their 2000 album Music @ Work. McCulloch has stated on his website that he is close friends with Tragically Hip frontman Gord Downie. The video shares much in common with many Kids in the Hall sketches, including its office setting, camera angles, and some thematic elements.

[edit] Movies



McCulloch played Fred Wright in the 1987 TV mini-series Anne of Avonlea. He also had a role in the 1999 comedy film Dick.



McCulloch also co-wrote and had a bit part in Superman's 50th Anniversary: A Celebration of the Man of Steel (1988). In the CBS primetime special, (also featuring Dana Carvey, Al Franken, Jan Hooks, and others) he played a patron of a store that, among other things, sold counterfeit Kryptonite.