Better Than The Machine » 2010
"One of the top sketch groups in NYC."
-Theater Scene Magazine

"Captures all the random absurdity of
MTV's The State and all the topical
significance of Dave Chappelle."
-The New York Press

Wednesday, August 25, 2010 (3 weeks ago)

3,000 Subscribers!

Hooray! After only four years on YouTube, Better Than The Machine has officially passed 3,000 subscribers on our YouTube channel!

Now all we need are 997,000 more subscribers and then we’ll almost be big time! Almost. Right now, we’re just a little bit less popular than all those 13-year-old kids who just got on YouTube last week and only post rants about how they’re not more popular on YouTube, and we’re just a little bit more popular than Mayonnaise Hitler. No wait–what am I saying? No, we’re still way less popular than all of those people.

New Better Than The Machine videos are coming–don’t worry, we haven’t forgotten about you and your love for our videos. We’ve just been doing some deep soul searching in the remote caverns of our parents’ basements. At least that’s what I’ve been doing. I don’t know what the others have to say for themselves. I think I heard Matt Gallo mumbling something about Hare Krishna.

See you again at 4,000 viewers!

–Reid.

posted by Reid at 1:36 pm  

Friday, August 6, 2010

Better Than The Machine To Sue Little Girl

While taking a walk last Thursday, I noticed a sign on the front door of a neighbor’s house that looked very familiar. Before I was run-off by six young toughs, I managed to capture this image of the sign:

No Boys Allowed Poster

Does it look familiar? It should! The image beneath the sexist message on this sign is clearly the “Don’t Cry, BTTM Guy” logo (see ‘Exhibit B’)!

Don't Cry, BTTM Guy LogoNo Boys Logo

Here are the two logos side by side. Even for me, it is almost impossible to tell which is the true BTTM logo and which is the counterfeit.

I immediately brought these pictures to Better Than The Machine’s money-grubbing law team–Carlos, Matt, and Paul–who, in turn, immediately saw a lot of money to be grubbed in this case. First, we’re suing the leader of this little gang. We can’t release her name because of her age, but here’s a picture of the little copyright infringer. Don’t let her “cutey pie” face fool you, either–those fists really pack a wallop (it’s true what they say: girls do grow faster).

Copyright Infringing Little Girl

Next, if the case against her goes as well as they’re predicting, our lawyers see a lot of potential in suing at least the five other girls who beat me up who ran me off last week. Those “Li’l Law Degree” backseat “Tyke Tycoons” activity boxes I bought for Carlos, Matt, and Paul to play with on road trips to stop them from killing each other are already paying for themselves!

Unfortunately, we had to take preemptive measures and lock Christina in BTTM’s tall, tall tower. This was done for two reasons: 1) She might catch wind of our plan to sue a group of little girls and talk us out of it, as she usually manages to do when we come up with a good plan, and 2) This little “group” of girls that doesn’t allow men or boys into it… it sounds like some sort of a cult of misandry. Sorry Christina, we’re saving you from this man hating cult by keeping you locked up against your will. You have no reason to hate men; none at all.

We’ll keep you updated on the status of our frivolous lawsuit. The verdict is looking more and more like a shoe-in. Those girls are going to have to turn over every last penny from their shattered piggy banks, every dollar traded on their behalf by fairies on the tooth market, and every $10 bill sent to them by dear, sweet Granny for their birthdays! And they’re gonna have to come up with a totally new logo!

You know what this kind of reminds me of? That time The Kellogg Company filed a dubious copyright infringement complaint against us, a teeny tiny group that never wanted to be–and never was–a threat to their company or image. What kind of organization uses all that time and all those resources to make an infinitesimally smaller group that none of their consumers have ever heard of or even care about redo their work? I’m glad they’re not the ones pushing us around this time; those guys were jerks.

–Reid.

posted by Reid at 6:12 pm  

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

2 New Smoshes by Reid: Odd Animal Couples and Failed Military Weapons

Have you ever wondered if a snake and a hamster would make good roommates? Me neither. Check out this new Smosh!

Smosh: Odd Animal Couples

Featuring a frog jumping around with a mouse on its back. What else could you possibly need to know? Mother Nature provided the animals, I provided the jokes.

Later, on the same website…

America has a real f’n ray gun.

Smosh: Failed Military Weapons

Unfortunately, it turns out ray guns are not all they’re cracked up to be.

–Reid.

posted by Reid at 7:55 pm  

Friday, July 16, 2010

New Smosh By Reid: People, Places & Things That Need New Names

Smosh: Stuff That Needs Renaming

I wrote and did all the art for this, except for “Donald Duck,” for whom credit goes to my editor C.J. Arabia.

–Reid.

posted by Reid at 3:26 pm  

Monday, July 12, 2010

Mean Reid Machine’s New Comedy Job!

Howdy!

I thought I’d indulge in some shameless self promotion here on bttm.net and announce that I’ve got a new gig writing for humor website Smosh.com. In addition to comedy content written by writers like me, Smosh.com serves as the homepage of a famous-on-the-Internet comic duo who are also coincidentally called Smosh. Hmmn… that’s quite a lucky coincidence indeed. Maybe too lucky, if you know what I mean…

Which is a perfect segue into this article I wrote and illustrated about a woman who has been so lucky as to win four different lotteries in less than 20 years (which is true). Unfortunately, her extraordinary luck seems to have caused equally extraordinarily bad luck for those around her (which I made up for humorous effect). Check it out:

Woman Wins The Lottery 4 Times!

Yeah!

–Reid.

posted by Reid at 5:55 pm  

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Hell yeah!

Thanks to everyone who came out to Salon des Refusés to support us and drink beer with us!

–Reid.

posted by Reid at 2:56 am  

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Discount Tickets For The Festival This Saturday!

If you haven’t bought your tickets for Salon des Refusés yet, then you’re in luck! The theater is now offering a special discount! Tickets are now only $5 to see any block of the show, or $12 to see it all! That’s chump change! We kick off the 8pm block this Saturday night, so put Mr. Lincoln to work and buy those tickets with the discount code “accepted.

–Reid!

posted by Reid at 5:25 pm  

Monday, May 31, 2010

New Video: Are You Stronger Than A 5th Grader?

In our newest video, the battle between fifth graders and adults three times their size is finally settled! We pit youthful energy against life experience and very, very big muscles! Who will win? Watch Are You Stronger Than A 5th Grader and cheer on your favorite generation!

Are You Stronger Than A 5th Grader? was directed and edited by Ballard C. Boyd, guest stars Li’l Carlos (most recently exploited in our video The Sex Talk), and features Nancy Barbero.

Make sure to check back here (http://bttm.net) soon for our next brand new video!

–Reid.
Reid Levin is Reider Than A 5th Grader.

posted by Reid at 2:43 am  

Friday, May 21, 2010

REJECTEDfest is now Salon des Refusés! Classy!

REJECTEDfest 2010 has changed its name to Salon des Refusés, the Exhibition of Rejects! Don’t worry, Better Than The Machine is still a proud group of rejects in any language! Even French! Vive Better Than The Machine! Nous sommes perdants!

Hmmn… since I have no idea what I just said, I think we’ll stick to performing in English.

Salon des Refusés
“Salon des Refusés takes in the forgotten. This one night only event showcases the overlooked, festival rejected, jilted, shunned sketch groups of the world!”

Better Than The Machine kicks off the last block of Salon des Refusés shows at 8:00 pm on June 12. After us, Foolhardy Manor, Dystopia Gardens (co-everything’d by our stage director Will Nunziata!), and Dominizuelan will each take their rejected acts to the stage for your amusement, whimsy, and tomato target throwing pleasure! Remember to bring your own tomatoes!*

Salon des Refusés takes place at The PIT (The Peoples Improv Theater). The PIT is located at 154 W. 29th St. between 6th & 7th in New York City. Admission is $8; to purchase tickets, visit Brown Paper Tickets.

–Réid.

*Please forget to bring your own tomatoes.

posted by Reid at 4:13 am  

Saturday, May 8, 2010

REJECTEDfest 2010

It’s not important to know exactly which NYC sketch comedy festival rejected which hometown sketch comedy group for the fourth year in a row. This year somebody noticed that if they put together the best rejected comedy groups, they could hold one hell of another comedy festival. Better Than The Machine is proud to be a part of the first ever REJECTEDfest! It’s just like that other sketch comedy festival in NYC, but one block over and a couple blocks up.

REJECTEDfest 2010

REJECTEDfest 2010 starts at 6:00 pm on Saturday, June 12. There are three blocks of shows, each with four groups that perform 15 minutes of material. It will be held at The PIT (The Peoples Improv Theater).

We kick off the last block of shows at 8:00 pm. We’ll be doing 15 minutes of material. After us, Foolhardy Manor, Dystopia Gardens, and Dominizuelan will perform for 15 minutes each. Of particular interest in our block (other than our own REJECTED selves) is Dystopia Gardens, a sketchplay co-written by and co-starring our stage director Will Nunziata. The last block is gonna rock!

REJECTEDfest 2010 is playing at The PIT (The Peoples Improv Theater). The PIT is located at 154 W. 29th St. between 6th & 7th in NYC. For more information and ticketing, visit The PIT’s website.

–Reidjected.

posted by Reid at 1:56 pm  
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