FILM DIRECTING
AND EDITING

The official lyric video for "Static," by Sue Newberry and the Odds. Produced by Maryanne Macdonald.

The official music video for "Coyote," a song off David Newberry's third full release, Replacement Things. Produced by Maryanne Macdonald. Exclusive premiere at Vancity Buzz.

SELECTED ESSAYS

"The Lives and Laughs of Bunglers, Incompetents, and Ineffectuals" This essay gives credence to the existence of a psychological entity known as the bungler, incompetent, and ineffectual (BII) (Bergler 1998). Embodied by such politicians as Rob and Doug Ford, the BII is presented as a menace whose diagnosis will make us all safer. By taking this entity seriously, the essay also puts forward a nuanced definition of incompetence, arguing that an individual’s pretense of competence, despite evidence to the contrary, tends to win them the incompetent label.

"Between Goofball and Rebel: Steve Martin’s Disney-Styled Comedy" This essay uses Steve Martin’s biography to explain his distinct brand of stand-up comedy. Outside an unloving home life, Steve Martin spent his childhood working at Disneyland, where he marveled at the entertainers, all of whom would have an influence on his act. They added up to a protest against his father, who openly criticized Martin’s early career and mustered praise only when his son began writing highbrow material. These characters were protests because they were failures—they were bad magicians, bad joke-tellers, and bad dancers. By playing and celebrating popular culture figures who failed to meet his father’s expectations, Martin honored his childhood refuge as a place that protected him from his father’s harsh judgment.

"And Adam Called His Wife--Steve." Poking fun at the Harper government's homophobia, this opinion piece was originally published in The Globe and Mail.

The official music video for "That Little Part of My Heart," the title track off Christa Couture's latest album. Produced by Maryanne Macdonald. Exclusive premiere at Grayowl Point.

A Public Service Announcement for Voters, a parody of a public service announcement for the Canadian federal election.

PLAYWRITING

I wrote, produced, and acted in the 2023 Hamilton Fringe Festival play Zero Dark Poetry. Read the Beyond James review.

 

RADIO THINK PIECES

Written and delivered for CBC-Radio's Definitely Not the Opera:

Ragging on the Red Carpet

Hug a Curmudgeon Today!

Mr Miyagi Vs Yoga

Keys to a Successful Life

Advice for Will Farrell

Bill Murray: Groundhog Dad

Lovable Loansharks

Love in the Twitter Era, featuring an original score by James Scott

A Guide to Surviving Your PhD in Cultural Studies at Stony Brook. Based on interviews with real live students who survived their PhD experiences, this animated guide offers tips and reassuring words to those students struggling through first-year at Stony Brook University.

RESEARCH

I recently received a PhD in cultural studies from the State University of New York at Stony Brook.

In my dissertation, I look at the representation of comedic creativity in the American mainstream press. Using Lenny Bruce, Richard Pryor, Andrew Dice Clay, Sommore, and Amy Schumer as case studies, I seek to understand why the term “filth” continues to be bandied about as a way to categorize what certain stand-up comedians do on stage. Instead of looking at whether comedians should or should not tell filthy jokes on stage, I look at why audiences deem a comedian’s jokes as “filthy” in the first place. The dissertation’s thesis is that the filthy label gets applied to comedians who represent the working classes, i.e. "the great unwashed."