I'm In Love with Amanda Barrett

To look at Amanda Barrett is to understand why she was a fashion model for 11 years. But she's more than just a (very) pretty face - she's a comedienne and musician to boot. Specifically, she's one half of LA band The Ditty Bops, for whom she sings and plays mandolin/dulcimer alongside her girlfriend/partner Abby DeWald(yes, I'm sorry boys, she's gay!).

And she's also one half of the online gender-bending comedy sketch troupe The Pretty Things, which she does with best friend Michael Lucid. The two produce the animated arthouse films spoof Popcorn, as well as the arts school parody Mulberry Commons. The Pretty Things are pretty funny. According to their website bio, the comedy collaboration began as an NYU on-campus TV show in the fall of 2000. Michael Lucid was hosting a music video show and strated slipping comedy skits he created with friends Amanda, Abby DeWald and Adam - which soon took over the show. Moving back to LA in 2001, they got picked up by cabless access TV and now screen episodes online and at film festival across the country (Slamdance, New York Underground, Silverlake, Outfest, NY Mix, etc.) In September 2003, the Pretty Things sketch "Popcorn" won Slamdance's Anarchy Online competition.

Anyway, thanks to Kid Flash Sketch's blog for turning me onto Popcorn. Here's The Kid's take:

These are the folks that brought you the YouTube hit, Straight for Minute. POPCORN is a web sitcom based in an art house movie theatre. All the patrons of the theater are drawn with bic pens but the workers are live actors. The production itself is a parody of art house movies. In a very po-mo style the segments include parodies indie films. This stuff is great… maybe NBC can pick it up to replace some of the crap they’ve been churning out.

Below is a sample episode of Popcorn.

POPCORN - Season 2, Episode 1 (2:04)


And here's a sample clip of Mulberry Commons:

MULBERRY COMMONS - "A SPECIAL ASSEMBLY" (3:54)


I love the line about anal sex: "It just takes practice. It's like riding a bicycle. Or rather, it's like having someone ride a bicycle into your ass."

Here's a Ditty Bops music video that uses the same animation technique as Popcorn:

THE DITTY BOPS - "SHORT STACK" (2:50)


Popcorn Season 2 is available on YouTube:

To see Popcorn Season 1 go to www.prettythingsss.com.

Related Links:
Ditty Bops Website
The Pretty Things Website