Michael Ian Black Disses Sedaris

Per Gawker:

Actor/comedian/VH1 fixture Michael Ian Black is sick to death of memoirist David Sedaris hogging all the best-seller lists for himself, so he’s taking the NPR man down. To get the ball rolling on his would-be literary feud—and to promote his own book, My Custom Van: And 50 Other Mind-Blowing Essays That Will Blow Your Mind All Over Your Face—Black offers suggestions on ways to belittle Sedaris in casual conversation:

“At a cocktail party, a bottle of lousy champagne is uncorked. You take a swig, grimace, and say, “Send this swill back to France where David Sedaris is undoubtedly enjoying a baguette.” (I admit this probably doesn’t seem like much of a put down on paper, but if you say the word “baguette” with a sneer, trust me, this will be devastating.)

Hm, this is weird. Is Michael Ian Black actually jealous of David Sedaris? And not the fake kind of jealous, like how I’m jealous of Gisele Bundchen, but the real kind. Like my jealousy towards the person who got to the breakfast leftovers of another department’s morning meeting one second before me, claiming the last chocolate chip scone. Something that could have/should have been mine. Is this feeling of “if only I had gotten there first” comparable to Michael Ian Black’s feelings towards David Sedaris’ success? As if Black could have the life of Sedaris, had he gotten to NPR first? Methinks Black is living in a dream world.

Not to discount MIB’s comedy or comedic timing, he’s a funny guy. I was once a huge Stella fan and still think The State is great. But calling out the country’s most beloved humor writer for being pretentious, when you yourself are just as pretentious but not as good a writer, is a bold move.

Anyway, I think Michael Ian Black should get off his high horse. We all know he’s just as pompous as Sedaris, and looks down on most people. I’ve seen Black at live shows; he acts like a dick. So, whatever. The two are equally arrogant. IMO.