East Palestine pals produce comedy sketches for Web
By LEONARD GLENN CRIST
POSTED: May 8, 2008
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Bull Skit’s core members are brothers Lee Boyle, 24, and Steve Boyle, 18, and Brandon Hull, 20. Other members include fellow Boyle brother Jack, Pepe Parrish, and Craig Beight. All members live in or are originally from the East Palestine area.
The troupe has made Bull Skit T-shirts and submitted a DVD to a film festival, but for the most part, making sketchesis just a way to pass the time.
“It’s more of a hobby than a business,” Steve Boyle said.
Lee Boyle said, “We haven’t been too serious with it.”
Several of the members are in music projects and score the sketches with their original music. Lee and Jack Boyle and Parish perform in the alternative rock band Third Class, while Steve Boyle performs piano pop songs as a solo artist.
Bull Skit has performed live just once, and it went over well with the audience, Lee Boyle said, but because of their existing music projects, the troupe doesn’t have enough time to devote to a live show.
The humor in Bull Skit sketches is “weird,” Hull said. He compared it to the online sketch comedy troupe Lonely Island, which featured Andy Samberg, who is now a Saturday Night Live cast member.
In the Bull Skit sketch,“Locked Out,” which was directed by Jack Boyle, Lee and Steve Boyle and Hull play friends who, after being cooped up inside the house all day, decide to go out and get some fresh air but end up getting locked out of the house. The image cuts to black and white and the guys are wandering aimlessly outside, lost and hungry. Suddenly, Lee starts to lose it. The camera changes to Lee’s point of view and shows him looking at his friends and then flashes to images of sausage links and broccoli.
“You guys look different,” Lee says. “You guys are looking a little more delicious than usual.”
Lee then reverts to cannibalism. After gorging himself on his friends, Lee goes back to house and realizes the key was under the doormat the whole time.
“Locked Out” is a favorite among the Bull Skit members.
One of the most popular sketches is called “Shakes Dat,” which is a rump shaking rap music parody. Lee Boyle said he wrote the song while delivering pizza.
“People never believe we do our own songs,” Steve Boyle said. “People never believe it’s actually us.”
The troupe started informally about 10 years ago with the young members making skits for themselves on an out-of-date camcorder. About four years ago, they realized they could post their sketches online to share with the world.
When they were younger, the material was more family friendly. In the last year and a half though, the content has matured to at least a PG-13 level.
“I think a significant turning point was when we decided we could be offensive,” Lee Boyle said.
For new fans, Lee Boyle recommends watching “Locked Out” first.
“Locked out is a good gateway skit,” Lee Boyle said. “I get hungry and I eat Steve and Brandon. Anyone can relate to that.”
Bull Skit Productions can be found online at www.bullskit.com.
Leonard Glenn Crist can be reached at lcrist@salemnews.net
