History
Olde English was formed by a group of students at Bard College, and was originally conceived by Ben Popik. While traveling in Europe during the summer of 2002, Popik chose the name for the group and began writing some of the early sketches. In the fall of 2002, Popik returned to Bard and held auditions for the group. Olde English currently consists of Adam Conover, Ben Popik, Raphael Bob-Waksberg, Dave Segal, and Caleb Bark, although several others have joined and left over the years.
Olde English has been producing videos on its website since 2002, usually posting one sketch approximately every two weeks. In 2004, Olde English released its first self-produced DVD, Gorilla Warfare. The group first gained popularity in 2003, when their video "Gym Class" became a viral hit. In 2006 the group released a video titled "One Picture Every Day," starring Ben Popik and featuring an original song by former member Jesse Novak. The sketch, a parody of an internet phenomenon popularized by Noah Kalina and Jonathan Keller, rapidly gained popularity on YouTube, where it has been viewed over three million times. The video has since been featured on Good Morning America as well as a Mountain Dew ad campaign. On January 17, 2007, Olde English announced that its videos would be regularly featured on the comedy website Super Deluxe.
Olde English has performed live at the Chicago Sketch Comedy Festival (2005), the San Francisco Sketchfest (2005–07) and the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival (2007).
Olde English's "Free NYC Rap," a rap music video protesting the restrictions for independent New York City filmmakers that were proposed in Fall 2007, was nominated for a 2007 ECNY award.
Read more about this topic: Olde English (sketch Comedy)
Famous quotes containing the word history:
“A country grows in history not only because of the heroism of its troops on the field of battle, it grows also when it turns to justice and to right for the conservation of its interests.”
—Aristide Briand (1862–1932)
“The principle office of history I take to be this: to prevent virtuous actions from being forgotten, and that evil words and deeds should fear an infamous reputation with posterity.”
—Tacitus (c. 55–117)
“Every generation rewrites the past. In easy times history is more or less of an ornamental art, but in times of danger we are driven to the written record by a pressing need to find answers to the riddles of today.... In times of change and danger when there is a quicksand of fear under men’s reasoning, a sense of continuity with generations gone before can stretch like a lifeline across the scary present and get us past that idiot delusion of the exceptional Now that blocks good thinking.”
—John Dos Passos (1896–1970)