Skip to content
Brick Wall Comedy
Brick Wall Comedy
Promotional art for Premature
Cover image credit:

Source

Premature

Elliott Morgan

Vimeo · 2015 · 61 min

An internet host transitions to the stage with dark, cynical stand-up.

Watch on Vimeo(opens in a new tab)

Elliott Morgan spent years behind a desk delivering fast-paced, highly edited internet news before deciding to walk onto a physical stage, pick up a microphone, and talk about goat sex. Best known as one of the original hosts of the YouTube channel SourceFed, he spent three years quietly working on open mic sets to transition from digital personality to stand-up comic. His debut hour is a deliberate shift away from the clean, jump-cut-friendly persona that built his online following, leaning instead into longer, stranger narratives.

Filmed at the intimate El Cid bar in Los Angeles and released in December 2015, the hour features Morgan making fun of his own demographic position as a privileged white male while telling bizarre stories. He gets into the weeds of biblical mythology, imagining God battling a sea dragon, and spends a chunk of time laying out exactly why James Cameron’s Avatar is a stupid movie.

The production is simple, keeping the focus entirely on a performer trying to prove he is more than just a guy who reads internet scripts for a living. His online fanbase, accustomed to his quick-witted hosting, largely embraced the darker and more cynical tone of his live set.

The set list

4 bits

  1. Creation of the world and goat sex

    Addressed through saucy banter and self-deprecating commentary.

  2. Struggles of the skinny-fat community

    Explores bodily insecurities and identity humor.

  3. Making fun of the Bible and growing up religious

    Introduced midway through the set, commenting on his religious environment.

  4. Social media and YouTube culture

    Opens the set contrasting his digital background with stand-up comedy.

How it plays

Tone
Saucy banter, whiskey-buzzed self-degradation, dry humor poking fun at himself and middle-class white male privilege without relying on shock value.
On stage
Described as a lovable boy-child and an entitled, privileged white male delivering witty, dry, and charming self-deprecating comedy.
Pace
Whiskey-buzzed banter.
About
Creation of the world, Struggles of the skinny-fat community, Goat sex, Common misconceptions, Social media and YouTube, Religion and the Bible

What the critics said

Noted as including material outside of Morgan's typical digital content, but generally well-received.

In the room: Energetic room dynamic that included Morgan's parents and philosopher friends, interrupted momentarily by spontaneous music playing over the venue speakers.

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: broadwayworld.com, themoviedb.org, tubefilter.com, allmovie.com, en.wikipedia.org, elliottmorgan.com, cinafilm.com.

Backstory

Filmed for release as part of a multi-feature distribution deal between Supergravity Pictures and Vimeo On Demand, marking Morgan's transition from short-form edited YouTube hosting into live hour-long stand-up comedy.

Details

Released
Taped
El Cid, Los Angeles
Runtime
61 min
Where
Vimeo
Director
Ryan Polito
Topics
After
Holy Sh*t (2019)

More from Elliott Morgan

If you liked this