Speaking with Amir Blumenfeld and Jake Hurwitz of CollegeHumor on the phone Tuesday afternoon, it was clear that their brand of sarcastic and witty humor played out in perfect harmony—comparable to the relationship of former President Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky. It wasn’t forced, planned or politically correct, but damn was it funny. On Wednesday, they’ll be bringing that wit—politically correct or not—to the Majestic Theatre as a part of their CollegeHumor Live Tour.
Given the option of any having any five rappers on their side in a brawl, the comedians wasted no time in answering the question completely on the spot.
“Uh, 50 Cent because he could take a bullet, Biggie because I could hide behind him, Snoop Dogg so we could get stoned afterwards and talk about it,” Hurwitz said.
“Drake because, like, someone has to get their ass kicked, and I think it would be him. And I guess Jay Z, because I don’t think he’s ever been hit,” Blumenfeld said.
Well played. Blumenfeld and fellow comedian Streeter Seidell have reached internet stardom with their classic prank war series which to date has garnered more than 20 million views on YouTube. Hurwitz and Blumenfeld also hold the title for longest running series on CollegeHumor with “Jake and Amir,” in which an exaggeratedly annoying version of Amir usually bothers Jake as he sits at his desk. The series won a Webby Award in 2010 for “Best Comedy: Long Running Form or Series,” and it has been running strong for almost eight years now.
“We started it in 2006 versus making videos to make ourselves laugh, around the time you were maybe 13 or 14,” Blumenfeld said.
After a few unprintable remarks about that age and their experimentation with illicit substances, Blumenfeld went on to describe his and Jake’s most awkward comedy experience.
“We once did comedy at what we thought was a comedy show but was actually an award show for pretty serious subject matter. And we made light of said subject matter, and a bunch of people stood up and walked out at the beginning,” Blumenfeld said.
When explaining stand-up comedy ethics, Hurwitz and Blumenfeld shared a story in which an old prank on Seidell led to the comic rushing outside close to tears. Is it OK to go that far?
“It was just right, as in it was a prank,” Blumenfeld said. “That’s the point.”
After their time at CollegeHumor is over, the 30-something-year-old comics have big plans in the future beyond sketch comedy and stand-up.
“Hopefully, we’ll be able to, like, work in movies and TV and stuff,” Blumenfeld said.
When asked if he thought he had the face for movies and TV, Blumenfeld was rather modest. “No. Do you think I do?” he said.
While all of us college students study for midterms, Hurwitz, Blumenfeld and Seidell are going on a nationwide comedy tour for CollegeHumor in which many Nattys will be chugged, many co-eds will be slain and many a laugh will bellow from the portly man in the crowd.
“I would describe the tour as like traveling with two acquaintances who are pretty cool, but they’re kind of loud and annoying and obnoxious, and they have really irregular sleeping patterns that screw with you,” Hurwitz said.
These mere acquaintances will pretend to like each other on stage at the Majestic Theatre Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. What can the patrons expect to experience at this soiree, you ask?
“The audience is going to see sketch comedy, stand-up comedy, musical theater and, uh, prize giveaways and trivia. It’s going to be insane. People’s faces are going to melt off. Their balls are going to fall off,” Hurwitz said.
For $16.50 a ticket, you can enjoy an experience about as enjoyable as watching longboarders wipe out on State Street and pretend like they’re fine when they really want to cry and throw their board through the glass of Jimmy John’s. Be there or don’t be there, but sources have been whispering that Seidell is going to challenge Kobayashi to a hot dog eating contest and win. So if you want to see history be made, GO!
