Day Three Hundred and Twenty-two - Rowan Atkinson Live! "Oh, well... I'm sorry... I didn't, um... right."

I know it's sacrilege, but I'm really not all that much of a fan of Mr.Bean... and Blackadder could be hit or miss, depending on the episode... and don't even get me started on Johnny English (poor Gillian Anderson). Still, it's not that I don't think Rowan Atkinson is a good comedy writer/performer, it's just that his schtick generally isn't my thing.

To be honest, I could really see the wit and humor that went into the majority of the sketches in LIVE, but I just never really felt like laughing. In fact, for the entirety of the performance, I'm pretty sure that I only chuckled a few times... and never outright laughed out loud. There were many jokes that brought a smile to my face, but that's about it.

Standout performances for the set I think were the dating sketch, the three-part wedding sequence, and the acting class bit that rounds out the show. I was especially fond of that last one due to all of the hammy, melodramatic pantomiming. Good stuff, but as I mentioned before, just amusing.

On the flip side, I really had a problem with his Indian Restaurant bit where he playacts being a server, complete with wardrobe and accent, to a bunch of drunk of their ass football fans. Sure, it's comedy, but I found it blatantly offensive. I mean, at least he didn't cork his face, but it was still pretty bad.

I think, if you're a big fan of his physical comedy, this show will be up your alley, but it didn't do anything for me. Maybe I'm just too much of a comedy snob of late, as it seems like most of the routines that I watch just aren't up to my standards.

Hmm... a little light in the bytes, today. Just not much to say about this show, unfortunately. Oh well.

Until tomorrow, Potatoes~

Day Three Hundred and Six - Russell Peters: Notorious, "How many people? 140,000?"

I don't know, that theater looks pretty big. If I were to hazard a guess, I'd say 15,000, at least. Either way, 15 or 140, that's really packing them in, don't you think?

To be honest, I had never heard of Russell Peters before watching this "exclusive to Netflix" special. Seriously, never. Apparently, though, he is one of the most bankable standup stars of the current generation, having made an estimated 15 million dollars a year recently. If I could make that kind of money doing an hour long set a night while traveling the world, I wouldn't be sitting here typing out a Netflix blog, let me tell you.

Wow, am I jealous?

And it's not that I don't think he doesn't earn his money. His set is pretty sweet, even if I was never ROFLing. He did manage to get a few good laughs from me at various points, but nothing really wowed me like Eddie Izzard did in Dress to Kill.

A combination of low-key racial humor and life observations, Peters' set covers the world and lightly touches on the class divide, immigration, and the never-ending problems in the Middle East. To be honest, I've never seen a comic do a whole bit on getting a handjob from a Thai masseuse... with his MOTHER in the stands, no less... and still manage to keep the audience from turning. He's just that personable.

It is safe to say that a lot of his set keys on racial stereotypes, but they never really seem to offend. He just rolls into them and lets the audience do the catching up, but never quite calls them on it save for one or two moments. I think it helps that he's as self-deprecating to himself to the same level or worse than the situation he is describing. There's a bit in the set where he's trying to find a particular color of paint at a Big Box home improvement store and is stymied by the language barrier, but it's more his fault that the Hispanic immigrant's so the jokes are less aimed outward than inward... and it works.

It doesn't work spectacularly... but it manages to pull off without leaving any bitterness. There's innocence and the every day in these bits and the do manage to please. They just don't astound.

I can say that I really liked his audience interactions, he showed off a couple of improv'd one-liners that definitely helped win over the audience (and me). 

Still, as comedy specials go, Peters had me right up until the credits rolled and the camera started following him back stage. I thought that meant he was doing an encore, but no such luck. It was a solid set, I was just disappointed the after-footage went nowhere.

Until tomorrow, Potatoes~

Day Two Hundred and Thirty-six - Daniel Tosh: Completely Serious, "But I don't know any older Samoans, so The Rock is my dad."

To say that I hate Daniel Tosh is a mistake. I don't hate Tosh. In fact, I think he can be a pretty funny guy. It's just that he's so damned random... all the freakin' time!

Take this hour long set, Completely Serious. You barely have enough time to catch your breath before he's on to something else entirely that has absolutely no connection to the joke previous. It's like one long string of ADHD rambling that occasionally is hilarious, as if James Joyce and Jackass had a love child.

I say occasionally because he's also hella offensive.

Racism, sexism, pedophilia, making fun of the handicapped. If there is something, anything out there that will push your buttons in the wrong way, Tosh is sure to find it, then call you on it immediately. It's a perplexing duality of discomfort and hypocrisy. When it comes to comedy, I think that's a good thing because it brings us all together at the bottom of the barrel. You don't have to worry about high brow or low brow jokes, intellectual versus frat humor, because by shaking the tree trunk, he sends us all tumbling down, no matter what our preferences.

In that, Tosh is pretty damn genius.

But the lengths he has to go to get us all there... and the constant skipping from one topic to another, it's all so annoyingly scattered.

There are a few jokes that definitely miss the mark, particularly when he (of course) randomly starts doing a silly voice that obviously goes nowhere, either with me or the recorded audience. But that never really stops him as he moves so briskly along that you've forgotten the duds in order to try and track where he currently is... which is usually several jokes down the line and way off that topic.

I think that the set is decent. It never comes close to "grand" or "perfect" thanks to his style... as the best comedy (at least, to me) has connection, an organic thread flowing through it, not just throwing darts at the wall... but it still managed to pull quite a few laughs (and more than a few of them guilty ones) through sheer force of numbers and variety.

I can see where people might be turned off by him... particularly as he has no qualms going after race, sex, misogyny, you name it... but it's probably worth at least a single viewing, if not more.

Until tomorrow, Potatoes~

Day Two Hundred and Sixteen - Eddie Izzard: Dress to Kill, "In heels, no less!"

I'm going to come right out and say it now (in case you get bored with my gushing)... this has to be the greatest comedy set that I have ever seen.

Now, to be fair, I've seen it before, as Eddie Izzard is my favorite standup comedian and Dress to Kill is my favorite set of his... I own it on DVD and force my friends and occasional girlfriends to watch it at least once a year. In the case of the occasional girlfriends, it's my first pick for the inevitable "Movies on the Couch" date which crops up around two or three dates in. I have no idea if this fact moves up the timing of their decisions to eventually stop dating me.

We may never know.

Even so, it is very much available on the Stream and is just as grand a performance here as it is on DVD. I only wish I had been there when it was recorded.

If you don't know him (or, perhaps only recognize him from his film and television roles where he's not in a dress and "tarted up a bit"), Eddie Izzard is a transvestite who brokers really intelligent humor that spans the gamut of human existence. Fashion, Sex, History, Language, it's all there.

I particularly love him because he owns his alternative lifestyle without necessarily banking on it. While, yes, his transvestism is a major part of the act, it's not played gratuitously, nor does he fawn over himself. Instead, he has a very humble but confident demeanor that is both self-effacing and unapologetic.

This particular set was filmed in San Francisco and it's hilarious to hear all the hissing at the beginning of it, a bit of heckling that he smartly defuses without losing the audience. I find the feat very impressive due to the fact that he makes quite a few claims about the alternative lifestyles in a town that's very touchy about said lifestyles.

Now, fair warning, it's a long set... clocking in at six minutes shy of a full two hours! But, every single bit of it is engaging and entertaining. From puberty to the druids to the British Empire... Clinton's impeachment to Speed to The Great Escape, it's all hilarious, if a bit dated.

I mean, c'mon, the set is almost fifteen years old at this point, it's going to be a little dated.

I've watched tons of standup specials on Netflix (though, I've only reviewed a few)... and this is still the only set where I'm so deliriously happy that he comes out for an encore... mostly in French, I might add... and done in such a way that even a big dumb American, like me, who hasn't had a lick of French since elementary school, can still follow along (for the most part, as I still don't get the Monty Python in French bit).

My final recommendation is for you to WATCH THIS... IMMEDIATELY... with a quick shout out to my dear friends Todd and Tina for introducing me to Eddie's comedy a decade ago.

Until tomorrow, Potatoes~

Day One Hundred and Seventy-seven - Louis C.K.:Live at the Beacon, "That is, like, the worst thing I've ever said..."

You know, I don't think I've ever sat down and actually watched anything Louis C.K. has ever done before.

Sure, some of his bits and a small portion of his television show have somehow managed to filter through the white noise of the conglomomedia I consume on a regular basis, but I've never watched anything that he has ever done from start to finish.

Never.

I think I have truly been missing out, because I was laughing out loud for the large majority of this special and was wearing a goofy grin on my face for the rest of the time.

Louis C.K. is vulgar, obscene, and profane... yet, also, subtle... complex... honest.

There's just something about the way he delivers the worst possible line in the best possible way that boggles my mind. He can take something horribly disgusting, racist, and sexist and put a spin on it such that not only are you laughing, but you're right there with him, unable to disagree.

Whether it's dog-faced babies or ejaculating in a friendly person's eyes, what should've filled me with revulsion and disgust instead had me almost falling out of my seat because I find it so hilarious.

I don't think it would have the same effect the second time as a lot of his best jokes tend to rely on shock factor to boost the gain on the laughs, but still... that first time was pretty darn tight.

Now, it's not exactly the smartest humor out there. He's certainly no Eddie Izzard when it comes to intelligent, well-connected humor with tons of callbacks sprinkled throughout a brilliant set. No, Louis C.K., for as funny as he is, is still catering to the LCD crowd, but at no point do I feel like an idiot for being there in the bilge with him (and everyone else), laughing all the way.

Can I recommend Louis C.K.? Most certainly. Is he my favorite comic of all time (or likely to be)? Not a freaking chance. But I definitely enjoyed his set at the Beacon much more than I honestly expected to... and I look forward to hunting down more of his routines.

Until tomorrow, Potatoes~

Day One Hundred and Seventy-five - John Hodgman: Ragnarok, "Jobs, Dates, Movies, Boredom"

I'm about to commit a blasphemy.

I like John Hodgman, but I don't love John Hodgman.

It's funny. He epitomizes what it is to be an erudite, New York hipster. A true hipster, not a scene kid, who makes light of his intellectualism while doing his best to successfully rock a porn'stache and belittle both the audience and his "assistants" with faux ridicule and disdain.

He's playing a very specific character and there's just one problem... he's a little too awkward at being, well, awkward.

There's an odd hesitance to quite a few of his jokes throughout the special that pull you out and ruin the mood he's trying to create as a fake holier/smarter-than-thou guru of the Mayan apocalypse.

He does try though, and for that I laud him.

While I cannot really get behind the kooky mid-performance interlude by Cynthia Hopkins, it was an interesting change of pace from your normal standup special, making it an almost vaudevillian variety show with guest spots and supporting crew.

I just find it a bit sad that most of his jokes never quite hit the mark. At best, he's able to elicit a smile or two and the occasional chortle, but there are never any real laugh out loud moments. I definitely could've done without him reminding us of TDS or Mac vs. PC, as a comedian should make a show that stands apart from his previous gigs.

Overall, I enjoyed myself... but not immensely. Ragnarok has this sort of quiet buzz to it, a series of mellow vignettes loosely strung together. Experimental, interesting, but certainly not even close to spectacular. I'd call it an admirable failure, but it doesn't really fail... it just doesn't succeed, either.

Ragnarok is neutral.

Until tomorrow, Potatoes~

Day One Hundred and Fifty-three - George Carlin: Life is Worth Losing

He's old, he's crotchity, he's popular, he's vulgar... and that's all well and good. It's just, he's boring.

I have to admit, his memorized, rapid-fire opening monologue was impressive in its delivery, but really rather lacking in anything meaningful. He was just spouting off idioms and sayings that were barely strung together structurally, let alone coherently.

Then there was his actual routine.

Let me also admit that it's been a loooong while since I've seen a Carlin routine, with my favorite (and pretty much the only one I return to) being his many uses of the word "fuck." That said, maybe this is reminiscent of his past shows, I honestly cannot remember.

Either way, it just wasn't all that interesting.

He goes on and on about the various evils that we do to ourselves and one another, long diatribes that don't quite celebrate necrophilia, genocide, and suicide. It's all very common sense (if "edgy," emphasis on the bunny ears) but barely droll and not really interesting at all.

I don't know... maybe he was just getting old, maybe his comedic ship had sailed, but I just wasn't impressed at all. This was especially the case with his ending monologue concerning the rebirth of the universe, where all the hate humankind spews congeals into a new pre-mass singularity for the next Big Bang that reshapes everything into a heaven for the downtrodden "Uncle Daves" of the world.

What unjust, unfair, utter crap.

I've got nothing against unhappy endings. Sometimes they just fit, but he delivers his possible rebirth with such matter-of-fact disharmony and ill karma. He's a Debbie Downer breaking the bad news that the jerks will inherit the afterlife... and it bugs the heck out of me.

This is certainly not the Carlin that I remember (though, granted, my memory may be a hazy thing regarding him)... and it's certainly not the Carlin that I want to remember, now that he's gone. It's probably not his fault. In fact, it's almost certainly mine... but that doesn't stop these feelings of regret and annoyance.

I'll see you on the other side, George. Hopefully you're wrong about douchebag heaven.

Until tomorrow, Potatoes~

Day One Hundred and Thirty-two - Craig Ferguson: I'm Here to Help, "Makes Me Want to Try Standup Again."

This isn't the first routine of Craig's that I've reviewed... and, if I have my way, it certainly won't be the last.

I think that, over the years, Craig Ferguson has developed into quite the comedian.

Most folks probably know him from his late-night show, though I'm sure a majority also saw him as the mean-spirited boss on The Drew Carey Show in the late 90's, early 2000's.

Because of the former, he's garnered quite a bit of good will, I think, though the world tends to favor his rival, Jimmy Kimmel.

Ah well, I still love you Craig... and I think there's good a reason for that which is exemplified in this new routine filmed in Washington, D.C. just this year.

With jokes spanning the gamut from the clitoris to aura massage to shark week, Craig manages to present oddly prescient and smart humor without really going over the line.

Sure, he jokes that something is "too far" and he has to dial it back a bit, but it's never really the case. I think the only things that are really too on the nose are the little five second fan-blurbs in the opening credits where someone comments that they hope he curses a hundred times.

Really? That's what you came for? The cursing?

Now, don't get me wrong, I only refrain from dropping the f-bomb when I'm on the air, not wishing to get fired or deal with a large FCC fine, but Craig's cursing is your main draw? The man is fucking funny whether he's cursing or not! I'll never tell him to stop, but don't just come because he's live, in person, and uncensored.

Yeesh.

Now, as with my previous complaint concerning his last show, "Does This Need To Be Said," he does manage to date himself a little with recent pop culture, like the Honey Boo Boo bits, so a few jokes won't stand up in a few years, I think... but overall the majority of the set is spot on and will stand the test of time.

And, Honey Boo Boo included, I don't think there was a single joke I didn't enjoy. If I wasn't laughing out loud, I was still smiling... his humor never ran me raw and I appreciate that.

Yes, folks should be aware of the adult content. He does curse, he does talk about sex, etc., etc., but I'd like to think most folks are mature enough to handle it.

For those who aren't? Fuck off!

Until tomorrow, Potatoes~