Humor

Jimmy Fallon did his best Joey Chestnut impression during last night's Rangers playoff game in NYC  ... the late-night talk show host dunked his hot dog -- bun and all -- in his beer before devouring both, and spilling everywhere!

'The Tonight Show' host was in the building for game 5 of the Conference Finals game between the NYR and Tampa Bay Lightning ... when Fallon found himself on the big screen at Madison Square Garden, hot dog and beer in hand.

Fallon, a NY native, has clearly seen a Nathan's hot dog eating competition or two in his time ... Jimmy softened up the bun using his brew, before it all went down the hatch.

Of course, if you've watched competitive eating, you know that's the preferred method for eating quickly.

FYI, Chestnut's record is 76 hot dogs/buns in 10 minutes. He routinely puts away over 70.

For Rangers fans, the antics off the ice were far more entertaining ... the team lost game 5 by a score of 3-1, and now trails in the series, 3-2. And, now the team must go on the road to Tampa ... where NY is 0-2 this series.

It's reminiscent of the New York Knicks fan a few years back who was captured on camera dunking chicken nuggets into her soda.

Howie Mandel's partnering with a unique tech company that's making life a lot easier for a germaphobe like himself -- instead of showing up in person, he can be displayed anywhere ... as a hologram in a box.

To quote Howie, now he's "the Jew in the box!!!" That's his funny take on his new gig, but more technically, he's been named an advisor for Proto Inc. ... inventors of the world’s first 4K, volumetric, self-contained holoportation machine.

The video gives you a better idea of how it works, and Howie's already having tons of fun!

On top of keeping away from germs, he also sees it as a great way to work more efficiently -- this tech makes it possible for him to do stand-up at multiple venues, all in real-time.

Proto's been in the game since 2019 and has seen a ton of celebs use their hologram tech. Diddy wasn't able to be at his son's 23rd birthday party last year, so the company hooked him up with a box and the ability to virtually wish him a happy birthday.

Country star Walker Hayes was even able to play some of his hits live for a crowd, thanks to Proto.

Bill Maher knows America has a ton of problems, but the biggest might be we've all become so f***ing stupid ... and that's the real existential threat to this country.

It starts out hilarious ... listening to our youngins whose ignorance is just mind-blowing -- the first person to walk on the sun is a dude named Lance. The biggest city in the world is Asia ... no, it's Europe.

As for how we got this dumb, well the 'Real Time' host says schools and politicians are to blame because they're all so caught up in causes, they've abandoned education.

As for how this becomes an existential threat ... well, the captains of our ship are politicians, who now get elected with ads that are ridiculous and demagogic. Bill plays a bunch of them and the candidates all sound just wretched ... yet that's the drill for getting elected. As he says, the end of each ad should say, "I approved this message, you dumb f***s!"

You gotta see the ad for Marjorie Taylor Greene ... and all the other candidates who think they can win by shooting guns and obliterating cars and bottles of Bud.

Point is ... this is what gets people elected, and exactly who are these people? They're the ones who are guiding our nation and setting policy.

Johnny Depp still knows how to make his fans laugh ... cracking a joke about his disfigured hand -- the one with that missing chunk -- following his big win in court.

Johnny was signing a bunch of autographs Thursday night in Newcastle, England when he leaned down to one of the kids in the crowd, pointed at their hand, and had a laugh comparing the number of fingers they have.

"You have five, I have four and seven-eighths. Mad."

Of course, he's joking about his own claim, and trial testimony, that Amber Heard sliced off a good chunk of his finger with a vodka bottle while fighting in Australia.

As you know, Johnny's been spending time overseas with pal Jeff Beck as the verdict rolled in, and the support for Johnny has been overwhelming -- with a wall of fans straining Thursday night against barricades, trying to get to Depp.

Not since Eddie Murphy have Beverly Hills cops gotten this many laughs -- the department's getting roasted for posting a video of officers nabbing an alleged thief ... of one cup of Starbucks coffee.

Here's the deal ... the official Instagram page for Bev Hills PD reposted a video Thursday where folks inside a Starbucks say cops rushed to retrieve the stolen goods -- likely worth $5 or $6.

The "hot pursuit" puns are flying in the comments, and there are a fair amount of coffee and donut jokes too ... naturally.

Customers inside the Starbucks definitely sound happy with the officers who they say took only a few minutes to track down the man who allegedly stole a woman's drink -- but the sentiment doesn't seem shared, at least online.

The cops don't seem to be taking themselves too seriously, adding a playful caption and hashtags to their repost ... "Cop Catches Coffee Caper at Starbucks. #NoCallTooSmall #answerthecall #joinbhpd #starbucks #coffee #brew #grande #drip #latte #espresso #bean."

"The Match" is starting off hot ... with Patrick Mahomes opening up a barely healed wound, clowning his own golf teammate Josh Allen over the Bills' BRUTAL overtime playoff loss to the Chiefs!

The two QBs are back on the green for the first time since the AFC divisional round ... taking on Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers in a celebrity golf match.

But, before the round began, the four superstar signal-callers were asked a series of questions from fans on social media... one question being, "Josh's biggest fear?"

Mahomes' (super cold) response ... "A coin toss."

OUCH!!! And, Allen must have felt it too 'cause his reaction was priceless!!!

Of course, KC beat Buffalo during their January playoff game, with a trip to the AFC Championship game on the line, scoring 25 points in the last 2 minutes of regulation, forcing OT.

The Chiefs won the coin toss ... and the rest is history. KC advanced, but ended up losing to the Bengals.

Another fan asked Allen if it's true he throws up before every game.

Allen confessed ... saying, "I do throw up before every game."

And, with all the pressure of The Match, is it possible he might blow chunks before he tees off?

"If I start thinking about it, I get a little queasy."

There's more -- Brady dropped an "F" bomb right off the bat ... with the hot mic picking it up.

Allen also hit a spectator in the hand on the second hole ... so yeah, this is nothing short of entertaining.

Tracy Morgan got a rare, high honor Friday night ... a coveted Friars Club award, and he did not miss an opportunity to tell a couple of hilarious jokes about his near-death experience.

Tracy received the Icon Award in NYC, where 500 people showed up to honor the comedian. Among them ... Sherri Shepherd, JB Smoove, Chris Kattan, Allan Houston, Obi Toppin, Immanuel Quickley, Paul Shaffer, Ben Vereen, Bill Boggs, Carol Alt, Joe Piscopo, Geraldo Rivera, NYC Mayor Eric Adams, Vincent Pastore, Brian Quinn, Joe Gatto, Rudy Giuliani and Anthony Weiner.

NYC Mayor Adams presented TM with a framed document declaring May 26, 2022, as Tracy Morgan Day. Friars Club President, Arthur Aidala, honored Tracy with an Icon Award trophy.

His speech was great! As you know, Tracy was in a limo that was hit by a truck and it was touch-and-go for a while ... Tracy's rehab was arduous and long, but he bounced back, clearly NOT losing his sense of humor.

He explained when you fall down, you have to get right back up, unless you're hit by a truck and then you just lay there and wait for a lawyer!!!

The gala event was held at the Ziegfeld Ballroom in Midtown on Thursday night.

Not many celebs have received the award ... among them -- Sinatra, Cary Grant, Robert De Niro and Tom Cruise. The award's only been bestowed 9 times in the history of Friars.

The event also honored Betty White and Bob Saget.

David Spade survived the gauntlet that is "Saturday Night Live" ... and isn't all surprised by the mass exodus we've seen from some of the show's major players in the last week.

We spoke with the 'SNL' alum at LAX who didn't mince words when he told us the show is a "F****** beating" -- AKA, a grind. Spade's comments come directly on the heels of the departure of Pete Davidson, Kate McKinnon and others from the weekly comedy show.

David says while he was able to last 6 seasons on 'SNL,' it's both tough on a comedian's brain and their body ... saying it's insane that some comedians are able to last 8, 9, even 10 seasons.

Pete Davidson did 8 seasons on the show, and our photog asked Spade if he thought now that it's all said and done, if Pete will be remembered as one of the greats. David doesn't give a direct response, just saying he hasn't seen enough of Pete's time on the show.

Ellen DeGeneres is ending her show after 19 seasons ... and to celebrate her last episode ever, we've put together some of the standout celeb moments during her epic run.

Over nearly 2 decades, Ellen undoubtedly made a huge impact on daytime television ... sharing laughs, stunts and tears with her special guests, some of whom she's become close friends with over the years.

Of course, Ellen's greatest scares were a hilarious part of the show, where she'd startle the bejeezus out of guests with a huge surprise right in the middle of interviews.

We can't forget Ellen's most generous giveaway, when she helped an underprivileged school in Detroit ... and the countless other times she's given back to others in need.

As we've reported, Ellen announced she was ending her show, during a taping earlier this month. While she's not retiring from showbiz, she will be taking time off to decide what's next ... and she has some pretty big ventures in the can.

We do know, she recently signed a multi-year deal with Discovery ... on top of shows on NBC ("Family Game Fight!"), FOX ('Masked Singer') and HBO ("Ellen's Next Great Designer") and the upcoming Tig Notaro animated comedy special).

Just when you thought the Jack Harlow and Brandy saga had come to an end, the R&B singer is trading in her high notes to drop bars ... and they might hit below the belt!!!

On Wednesday, Brandy used Jack's chart-topping "First Class" single for a freestyle with some pretty clever lyrics. Hot 97's "Ebro in the Morning" premiered the track, which is fitting since that's where Jack first revealed he didn't know Brandy is Ray J's sister.

Brandy raps "Cinderella scriptures/But that don't mean Jack in the streets/Jack of all trades/Now I'm here Jackin' for beats" ... then later acknowledges her "Queens" series cancelation and even plugs her brother Ray J's "unbreakable" glasses.

ICYMI, Jack Harlow admitted on Hot 97's "Ebro in the Morning" that he never knew Brandy and Ray J were fam ... causing many in hip hop to question his cultural IQ.

Hot topic in the industry, which we tackled on an episode of "TMZ Hip Hop." Is Jack getting a bad rep? Watch the clip, and you can be the judge.

Johnny Depp's face in this clip is pretty much everyone's ... 'cause he had a perfectly perplexed reaction to an expert witness Amber Heard's team called to the stand.

Psychologist Dr. David Spiegel testified Monday, claiming to have evaluated Johnny's cognitive abilities based on watching his interviews. That premise alone seems kinda weird, but it really got bizarre when Johnny's attorney, Wayne Dennison, asked the good doc if he'd watched "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" as part of his evaluation.

Spiegel not only hemmed and hawed, but also smacked his lips and opened and closed his mouth searching for a response ... before finally asking the judge if he needs to respond.

While Johnny's mostly remained stoic throughout the trial, he couldn't hold back this time -- looking totally confused by what was happening with Spiegel's face.

Hell, even the judge sounded confused, telling Spiegel ... "You have to answer questions. Yes, sir."

Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker's extravagant wedding was definitely a picture-worthy event -- but, there's one dude who was NOT down with photo ops -- Kourt's son, Reign Disick.

Walking alongside Kim Kardashian and North West ... Kourt's 7-year-old son gave paps the ol' "no pictures" on his way to see his mom exchange vows. Evidently, the photographers didn't scatter fast enough, because Reign loudly added ... "Give us a break!"

It's hilarious ... while he's the youngest of the 3 walking to the wedding, he's the one to speak up and give the paparazzi a piece of his mind.

As you know, Sunday marked Kourtney and Travis' 3rd time tying the knot.

They went all out ... exchanging vows in front of family and friends at the seaside compound of Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana in Portofino, Italy.

Of course, this wouldn't be the first time a little member of the Kardashian clan fired off at photogs. It's almost like Reign took a page out of his big cousin's book.

Remember ... North told off paparazzi a few years ago, while leaving the extremely popular Museum of Ice Cream.

The man accused of tackling Dave Chappelle -- and who seems to be copping to it -- says he did what he did because he was "triggered" by DC's LGBT jokes ... which is an apparent change of tune.

23-year-old Isaiah Lee did an interview with the New York Post, and explained his reasoning for hopping up on the stage and attacking the comedian -- and wouldn't you know it ... he says he was, in fact, offended by Dave's material, and wanted him to know about it.

Lee is quoted as saying, "I identify as bisexual … and I wanted him to know what he said was triggering." He adds, "I wanted him to know that next time, he should consider first running his material by people it could affect."

Dave is reported to have addressed his transgender controversy that night before Lee allegedly rushed the stage -- talking about how he didn't have a problem with trans people, until now ... when he says they took his 'Closer' content out of context and warped it.

Here's another element that apparently sent Lee over the edge ... jokes that Dave apparently made about homelessness, which Lee says personally hurt him -- as he himself had experienced it at a young age.

Lee says, "I’m also a single dad and my son is five. It’s a struggle and I wanted Dave Chappelle to know it’s not a joke." Plus, jokes earlier in the night (made by an opener, it seems) talking pedophilia rocked Lee as well. He says he was sexually abused as a minor.

On his gruesome injuries, Lee said ... "They spat on me and twisted me as if on purpose." He also acknowledged having the fake-gun-turned knife on him that night, adding Chappelle asked why he did it. Lee says ... "I told him my mother and grandmother, who fought for his civil rights to be able to speak, would be upset at the things he said."

All of this is a new and different twist on Lee's motives. As we reported, Chappelle has said Lee told him backstage -- before he was arrested -- that he'd rushed onstage to draw attention to his grandmother's plight in a gentrified neighborhood in Brooklyn.

Amanda Bynes might be back on the small screen sooner than later -- she says she's potentially interested in getting back into the TV biz ... on her signature sitcom, no less.

The one-time child star -- who was recently released from a years-long conservatorship -- tells TMZ ... yes, she's "very interested" in a possible revival of her WB series "What I Like About You" -- a fan fave that ran for 4 seasons in the early 2000s.

She adds, "I think it's a great idea to reboot the show," while hedging a bit -- explaining that she hasn't talked to Leslie Grossman or Jennie Garth about it just yet.

Still, there's certainly some hope here -- AB says, "I miss them and would love to work with them again. I don't miss acting but I loved this show, so I'd be down to return to acting for this revival. It would be a great experience to continue the show."

That's a pretty big deal ... especially when you consider Garth herself recently said something to the same effect -- namely, expressing interest in getting the gang together again.

She noted on Behind the Velvet Rope with David Yontef she wasn't going to count Amanda out -- and now she might even wanna pick up the phone if there was any hesitation before ... 'cause her old costar sounds like she could easily hop on board for this.

Of course, it'll take more than just their mutual interest to get a would-be reboot off the ground and on the airwaves -- there's gotta be a studio that wants to produce it.

Pete Davidson ended his 8-year stint on "SNL" Saturday night, telling jokes that were laced with truth and humor.

Pete was front and center at the anchor desk for 'Weekend Update,' and right out of the gate he made it clear ... he was not holding back. He began with, “Hello Colin and Che and millions of people only watching to see if I bring up Kanye.”

Davidson never mentioned Kim Kardashian, but he did bring up another flame -- Ariana Grande, with whom he got engaged after dating only 2 weeks. Lorne Michaels' reaction to the engagement is hilarious.

He also cracked a joke about people being confused by his race ... “Now everyone knows I’m white because I became hugely successful while barely showing up to work.”

John Mulaney is usually beloved by all, but right now -- he's getting slammed big time ... all because he let Dave Chappelle open for him, and the guy told "anti-trans" jokes.

Here's the deal ... John had a comedy show Friday night in Columbus, OH -- where phones were locked up in a pouch so no one could record -- and according to folks who flocked to social media afterward, DC was a surprise guest who did a set before John came out.

A lot of these people say they felt ambushed by Dave's presence, especially since he allegedly went on to tell what they characterize as transphobic/homophobic jokes.

The argument is that these paying customers came out to see JM -- not Dave -- and many of them are either part of the LGBT crowd, or consider themselves allies ... going on to say they never would've purchased tickets if they'd known Chappelle was going to show up.

Of course, this all dates back to the controversy over his Netflix special, "The Closer," which some have said is transphobic -- despite DC denying that, and the streamer sticking by him.

As for what exactly was said that's transphobic (in these users' minds) ... you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who actually detailed the crack(s), but someone finally did. The supposedly harmful joke was about the stage crasher and the gun/knife he had on him.

Dave apparently said something to the effect of ... it was a knife that identified as a gun, which some took as an allusion to gender fluidity -- and sure, that's a fair assessment.

He moved on from that -- this after getting laughs, it seems -- and then made a joke about a couple of audience members he speculated might be gay ... adding, not that there's anything wrong with that. Apparently, that's about all that was said ... but it's got people up in arms.

We'll say this ... Dave does seem to be obsessed with joking about trans topics -- he did so during his Hollywood Bowl sets a few weeks ago ... and even said something about the alleged attacker, Isaiah Lee, joking that it was a "trans man" after he was tackled.