A few years ago, I had the pleasure of working alongside a lady named Erica Watson at a dreary desk job. She’s one-of-a-kind: nice as can be, whip smart, hilarious, and just an all-around bundle of good vibes. It was a total bummer Erica and I lost touch after we both moved on to other jobs.

Then I randomly saw Erica performing at a stand-up comedy club one night last spring and when we reconnected, I learned her career has blown up. The Fabulous Miss Erica Watson has a small, but significant, role in “Precious,” which you might have heard has OSCAR written all over it.

But not only is Erica a star on the big-screen: she’s also been performing a one-woman stand up comedy show about body image called—get this—“Fat Bitch.” After wrapping up performances in New York City this fall, Erica will be performing in a Chicago run of “Fat Bitch” at the Chicago Center for the Performing Arts from November 19th-28th, 2009. (She’ll be back in NYC in February 2010—check Erica’s web site for more details.) 

After the jump, Erica and I chatted about playing an abusive mom in “Precious,” freaking everyone out by naming her show “Fat Bitch,” and how Erica wishes she could be more like Santa Claus:

Stand-up comedian Sunda Croonquist is being sued by her mother-in-law. Why? Because in her comedy routines, Sunda—like, oh, every other comedian ever—makes fun of her background, mainly the fact that she’s half-black, half-Swedish, was raised Catholic and is now married to a Jewish guy. Her mama-in-law, Ruth Zafrin, says that she’s been defamed by Sunda’s jokes, which allegedly portray her as racist and ultra New Jersey-esque. Croonquist claims her hubby’s fam used to laugh at her routine, but decided it was no laughing matter when she put info about them on her website that gave away their identity. Watch the video above and tell us if you think it’s sue-worthy.

The recession is no laughing matter. Or, maybe it is? Since the economy went down the tubes, more and more people have started pursuing careers in comedy. A lot of unemployed peeps are looking for work and they’re lining up outside places like New York City’s Gotham Comedy Club for a chance in the limelight. Open mic nights at the Laugh Factory in Hollywood are booked solid. But before you quit your day job, you should do your research or, at least, read the rest of this article. Because it turns out comedy isn’t an easy career to crack.

English “comedian” Johnny Vegas isn’t talented, but he is up to some serious funny business. Last Friday night, at one of his shows in London, after admitting he “had no material, and that he was there mostly to get laid,” Vegas allegedly singled out a teenage girl half his age in the audience.  According to Maureen O’Hara’s Guardian U.K. article. despite the 18-year old’s trepidation, six members of the audience supposedly carried her on stage. O’Hara’s says that Vegas made the girl pretend to be dead so she would lie still, but she couldn’t stop giggling from nerves.

Sex and sketch comedy go together like penis and vagina.  And the good people at Planned Parenthood of Portland, Oregon get both apparently.  While the health videos we watched in high school were dull, outdated, and often gross, their take on taking care of down there features cool hotties and is laugh out loud awesome.  Especially the silly “Down There Song”, which has made us want to rename the vag and dub it the “hot pocket.” So check out the site and use a condom!

Who says women aren’t funny, indeed. Even the cover for the current issue of Vanity Fair (typically kind of a snoozefest, in our opinion) is funny, as Saturday Night Live‘s Amy Poehler gently cups Tina Fey’s breast. The inside photos feature even more hysterical ladies, like our fantasy best girlfriend, Amy Sedaris, Sarah Silverman, Chelsea Handler, and Jenna Fischer, all proving that, yes, women are effing hilarious and that there’s nothing sexier than a person who can make you laugh until you pee your pants. Check out some knee-slappin’ moments from behind the scenes of the momentous VF shoot, after the jump…