(3 of 3)
Drawing on the proud comedic tradition of fat people making fun of themselves, Mo'Nique enters the stage yelling, "Y'all give it up for my fat ass!" For some reason, from that moment on, the audience is on her side. "Once you fall in love with Mo'Nique," she explains later, "I can say anything." That includes energetic rants against Victoria's Secret's refusal to carry size 22. Though her material isn't brilliant, the former full-size model has a persona that's perfect for TV. And, conveniently enough, she's already closed up her comedy club in Baltimore, Md., to move to L.A.
ELIZABETH BECKWITH, 23 Circle of Hell: III Seems like: Jenna Elfman, if Jenna Elfman were funny Next Seinfeld: Next Elaine
In an industry swamped with angry men and penis jokes, recent college grad Beckwith's material is a tough sell. In a seven-minute set, she'll maybe get through three long jokes, but the traveling is interesting. In one bit, she dismisses big-screen TVs, arguing that the joy of television is having tiny people entertain you. "I think there should be openings for food and water so that it's as if you could actually feed the tiny people. 'Hello, tiny people! It is time for supper! Feast! Feast!'" But while she wanders to that punch line, she takes some rest stops to chat with her hand, as if it were a puppet. "You'll notice it," she says, "because I very cleverly turn to the side." The hand says, "Shut up! Tell your joke!"
THE NEW BOZENA, 28-33 Circle of Hell: II Seems like: Salvador Dali, the clown Next Seinfeld: No
Three minimalist clowns expressing existential discomfort doesn't sound like a funny pitch. That's because it has the word clowns in it. But watching these three guys try to impress a casting director by head-butting a ham through a paper target, or a female audience member by singing, dancing and yelling "Look at me!" is the brainiest physical comedy in a long time. Their performance skills are Cirque du Soleil quality (one of them, Michael Dahlen, is a member of the surreal mime troupe the Blue Man Group), and even they hope to bring their slacker vaudeville to TV. When clowns are having meetings with MTV and Castle Rock, you know TV has killed the stand-up star.