MIKE STANLEY
	Wry, witty, cunning, and crass. Hot-shot comedian Mike Stanley is all of these things, but none, when put on paper, quite manage to serve the justice dealt by Stanley onstage. Yeah, he’s pretty fucking hilarious, but more than just coarse anecdotes about life and sex, there’s an enviable amount of heart and warmth behind Stanley’s humor. Given his penchant toward brutal honesty, spiced up with a healthy dose of insatiable wit, it’s not difficult to see why Stanley was named in the top 10 of the best comedians in Chicago by a poll on Comedy.com, and “Best Chicago Stand-up Comedian” by the Chicago Reader. Originally hailing from Detroit, he’s a Windy City transplant who tours constantly, both domestically and internationally. Additionally, Stanley recently became the subject of a feature-length documentary, Salty Language, Peppered Morals, which follows him on the road to the Boston Comedy Festival and explores the intricate inner-workings of his explosive onstage persona. Don’t miss out on an incredible opportunity to catch the man in action – this high level of killer stand-up is too remarkable to sit out.
	Mike Stanley "Tough Luck Chump" DVD Mike Stanley is a bald, whimsical huckster. No, wait. Mike Stanley looks like a Sears mannequin without the wig. No, wait. Mike Stanley could be mistaken for Popeye’s drunken nephew. No, wait! Oh, who are we kidding? Despite all the self-deprecating humor this Tough Luck Chump sends flying his own way, you can actually see Mike Stanley take the stage in his brand new DVD, out now from Stand Up! Records. The problem is, he’s kind of a looker. With a mouth on him. Just the way we like them. Stanley, who’s named his memorable turn live at Chicago’s Lakeshore Theater for what his dad would say if he needed bail (“Tough luck, chump!”), is particularly helpful as a giver of solid advice. For instance, on the topic of fathering, he astutely points out that he knows he’s not ready for fatherhood. You have to learn to drink and drive, pay child support, and look idiotic in shorts. That’s a lot of responsibility. Hell, he’s still busy getting DUI’s while riding his bike around Boystown. Just because about the only damage he’s doing drinking and pedaling involves breaking his waffle cone, doesn’t mean Mike Stanley’s not a menace to society. Find a finger in your fast food? No, you just found a way around those germy elevator buttons! And for all you single ladies, Stanley’s got at least one big secret (okay, it’s not that big…) Beyonce won’t tell you. Also included in this special DVD package is the short documentary, “Salty Language, Peppered Morals,” which finds Mike Stanley taking on a 1200 mile drive to do 5 minutes against 70 comics at the Boston Comedy Festival. Filmed by two of Stanley’s best friends and featuring behind-the-scenes interviews with stand-up veteran and mentor Danny Bevins, the feature gives both comics and comedy lovers a backstage look at life on the road. While people ask Mike Stanley how he can stand the pressure, the travel, the uncertain pay and hectic, sometimes heartbreaking schedule of the comedy life, he can only ask how they can do anything else. “Salty Language, Peppered Morals” is an alternately serious and silly look at a life most of us will never know.
	Mike Stanley is particularly helpful as a giver of solid advice. First, stay outta Indiana: “That’s Mellencamp country, you’ve got no business being there.” Don’t get super drunk and try to give your buddy a haircut. Don’t try to trick sick kids into thinking the Ronald McDonald House is gonna be a good time. You can’t pass off chemo with a jaunty “Here’s your McWig!” And while we’re on parenting, Stanley shares a sure-fire test for whether you’re ready for fatherhood: you have to learn to drink and drive, pay child support, and seriously hike up your shorts. That’s a lot of responsibility. Another tip: don’t freak out if you find a finger in your fast food—you just found a way around flushing public toilets! And for all you single ladies, Stanley’s got at least one big secret (okay, it’s not that big…) Beyonce won’t tell you. Self-deprecating and world-weary, an astute assessor of all weather conditions and all conditions of drunkenness, a guy who’s spit up on a baby and celebrated when the market crashed (“Sweet! We’re all even!”), Mike Stanley’s an erudite everyman. Who else could use the word “tally-whacker”? This bald, whimsical huckster’s got all the dark charm of the devil on one shoulder with the winking sweetness of the angel on the other; in an act full of salty language and peppered morals, Mike Stanley’s still astoundingly endearing. Which is to say, we’ll let you decide which way you want to follow.