I'm Sorry, Do I Know You? Photos You Get When You Google "Elizabeth McQuern"

Because I am associated in the public sphere with comedy more than anything else, a lot of image searches for "Elizabeth McQuern" reflect this. Then, of course, there are always the random "huh?" ones that pop up. Here's a sampling of the photos that show up when you google my name, and a brief explanation of whatever connection I might actually have to the people in the photos.

Aziz Ansari. I talked to him on the phone for about a half an hour once, resulting in this interview. He is an amazing comedian and writer who did "Human Giant" on MTV recently, and agrees with me that Bobb'e J Thompson is a genius beyond even grownup comedians.




Demetri Martin. Like Aziz, Demetri is also adorable and hilarious. I've seen a little of his comedy, and he's clearly a very special talent. But I've never chatted with him.






Charna Halpern, iO theater owner, is someone I know. She was my first big interview at the Bastion. She's teeny tiny in person and very nice but somehow still intimidating. Then again, I'm a dork.





Yanni. What? I've never met this guy. I think he dated Joan Collins or Bo Derek -- no, it was Linda Evans for awhile. But he's never been one of my MySpace friends.








Ew! Who is that ghostly, fug, ginger...oh, wait, that's me. I guess this one popping up when you google my name is the one that makes the most sense.






Jason Bateman*. Never met him. Not to say that I didn't go through a fervent fan letter writing phase when I was young, plying NBC with schmoopy fangirl letters until I received autographed glossies of Bateman and Ricky Schroeder. Ahem. Also, he did great work on the late, great "Arrested Development."





Fred Armisen performed at a People Under the Stares show the Bastion wrote about once. Like everyone else my age, I had a crush on River Phoenix from the time I was about 13, but I never met his ex-girfriend Martha Plimpton.






"Guy on the left"and John Mulaney, who grew up with several people I know here in Chicago. I saw him open for Mike Birbiglia at the Lakeshore, and he was wonderful. He's still quite young but is very talented and moved to New York early. He does stuff on tv, and other stuff.




TJ Miller. Super nice kid. Our first Bastion interview, and Chicago comedy's "most likely to succeed" since well before I came on the scene. He's already jumped the shark, having moved to L.A. to star in ABC's "Carpoolers," and is starring in J.J. Abrams mega budget monster movie"Cloverfield." You'll be seeing more of him.




Mike Burns. Comedian. Clothing designer. Chicagoan turned New Yorker (perhaps soon to turn Angeleno?). I met him at a party once or twice. K-Rock vouches for him. Our big brother the Apiary took our word for his coolness and interviewed him. I hope he'll pop into my show whenever he's in town.



Eugene Mirman and Bobby Tisdale. They run "Invite Them Up" in New York. I interviewed Eugene for the Bastion. He is a total goofball and totally brilliant.






Matt Besser. I mentioned a funny project he did on Bella Rossa right about the time the Apiary's Nate was (unbeknownst to me) reading along and thinking about offering me editorship of the Bastion. Besser cut his teeth on improv here in Chicago and, along with the rest of the UCB, is about to bring some of the best live comedy from both coasts right here to Chicago's Lakeshore Theater, so I'm a big fan.

*EDIT: Not Jason Bateman. Michael Delaney, of the UCB's Swarm. I need new eyeballs. Whatever.