Welcome to The Second City Archives, in which we post an exclusive clip each week of some of comedy’s biggest superstars performing early in their careers on the legendary Chicago stage. Second City has generously given us a glimpse into their extensive archive of live performances, and over the coming weeks we’ll be sharing some rare and retro comedy never before seen on the web.
With Election Day right around the corner and Bob Odenkirk now on a nationwide book tour, there’s no better time to unearth this clip from Second City’s 1990 revue Flag Smoking Permitted in Lobby Only or Censorama featuring ensemble performers Chris Farley, Tim Meadows, Bob Odenkirk, Jill Talley, Tim O’Malley, David Pasquesi, and Holly Wortell. In the above sketch “Debate,†Odenkirk and Pasquesi face off as two political candidates who try to one-up each other with public confessions. Odenkirk went on to create and star in Mr. Show with David Cross just a few years later, where they aired a “Debate†sketch of their own starring Odenkirk, Jerry Minor, and Paul F. Tompkins.