Let's Clear Up Some "Angry Rumors"

Well, we are in it now. New York, Montreal and San Antonio are done. I think the most controversial pick had to be Mel Silverback, half man/half gorilla. Some loved him, some hated him and everyone remembered him. Besides being funny, I picked him for the commitment to something that ridiculous. I loved him. We had some great and obviously some not-so-great [wannabe] performers. I only enjoy the not-so-great ones when they are truly a train wreck, and believe me we had plenty of those. The scary thing is that the guy who asked us to throw tomatoes at him wasn't nearly the worst comic we saw in New York. One guy told us if we didn't like him, we could leave. So we did. We walked out and he kept on talking. He may still be there telling bad jokes for all I know.

People ask how we pick. Well, there are certain things we like. Funny helps, that's big. Originality of topic or original take on a topic. We also look for acts that can sustain. There are some people who only have a couple of jokes or maybe five good minutes, and you need more than that to compete. That's why you will see some headliners you have seen elsewhere. They have enough material. You go through jokes pretty fast on TV.

Now here's what doesn't happen, contrary to angry rumors: The show is not rigged. Yes, we do know many of the comics. ANT, Kathleen [Madigan] and I are comics and we have worked with many of the people who tried out. There is no way around that, but we didn't play favorites. Some of my good friends didn't make the cut. The producers and networks don't tell us who to pick. They do have input, but I must admit even I was surprised by how much they left it up to us. They didn't, for example, say we have to have two women or a black comic and an Asian, or tall or short or hot or any of that. They didn't even insist we pick a left-handed relief pitcher, but if I saw one, I'd grab him because they are so valuable.

There are also a limited number of spots, so, yes, some good comics don't get picked. That sucks, but it's the way it is. We make mistakes. I said no to Jane Condon and she won "audience favorite."

Congrats to all the comics who moved on. Thanks to all who tried out, especially those who stood in the cold and snow in New York and Montreal. And thanks to the fans for watching!

NBC's Last Comic Standing airs Wednesdays at 9 pm/ET.