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Arts and Entertainment

FUNemployment: Free Laughs @ The Laugh Factory

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Photo courtesy jcolton via Flickr.
While LAist certainly doesn’t condone all you able-bodied folks out there mooching off the government in this age of budget shortfalls, we’re not one to lay down the law when it comes to having a little fun, either. And apparently we’re not alone. The Laugh Factory in Hollywood and Long Beach have recently begun to offer free shows for those of us who can prove that we’re unemployed. Sounds like fun to us.The show, called Laughing With the Stars, is the brainchild of Laugh Factory owner Jamie Masada and initially touted Tom Arnold as being attached to the project. No word if the star of Big Bully and True Lies is still involved, but that shouldn’t be a deterrent either way. We’re talking about free comedy here.

It’s getting tougher and tougher these days to stretch your already thin dollars, so things like this should really be applauded. And, to be completely fair, Masada really does have the positive attitudes of Angelenos in mind. In fact, he’s currently petitioning Congress to try to get a $700,000 fund started to send comics out to perform for those hit hardest by the recession. One might question the viability of such a plan, but you definitely can’t blame the man for trying.

So, if you’re unemployed and able to prove it, you might want to try the Laugh Factory in Hollywood on Wednesday nights at 10p or Thursday at 8p. For those in the south bay area, try the Laugh Factory Long Beach on Thursday at 8p. Otherwise, you can always still giggle at us chumps trudging off towards our mindless day jobs at 7am while you sleep in until dinnertime.

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Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.

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