Stand-Up Comedy from the 2000s

George Carlin: Complaints and Grievances
      2001 | USA | Laughs: 4.2 (Laugh and Smile) | imdb: 8.5
      wikipedia | who was involved?

Recorded two months after 9/11, this show is the last before George Carlin gets (understandably) upset with US policy and makes the American way of life the focus of his sets.

I see on my notes that there were "disgusting bits" in the earlier part, but the overall impression I was left with was one of awe at George's outstanding command of the language. I laughed once, chuckled a few times and smiled a lot.

Themes included 9/11 clichés, farts, hit-and-runs, scabs, people who ought to be killed and the ten commandments. (Last viewed: September 2018)

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Kathleen Madigan: In Other Words
      2006 | USA | Laughs: 4.2 | imdb: 7.0
      who was involved?

It took me a while after watching Kathleen's Gone Madigan to find the motivation to watch another of her sets. As it turns out, this earlier set is far better, though it took me a few sittings to finish it as the boring parts kept putting me to sleep. That lethargy, mind you, was not induced because the material was brain-taxing in any way. (I would never watch a show by one of my favorite stand-up comedians—such as Eddie Izzard—unless I'm able to focus: they're too smart and I'm too slow…) Indeed, the material is generally about as low-grade and harmless as a light beer.

The set opens promisingly, but often slides into mediocre territory, where minor personalities of yore, whose names mean nothing to me, are discussed. But there are enough funny bits to make the set worth watching on a slow day, and the show did leave me with greater appreciation for Madigan. (Last viewed: August 2013)

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Gad Elmaleh L'Autre C'est Moi
      2005 | France | Laughs: 4.0 | imdb: 8.2
      who was involved?

After discovering this French-Moroccan comedian in The Valet, I learned that he was first and foremost a stand-up comedian. This show didn't make me laugh nearly as much as Gad's earlier sets, but it was very polished, and I enjoyed it thoroughly. Gad is clean and original. At times he reminds me of Jerry Seinfeld, and, when he mimes, of the Seinfeld show's character Kramer—for instance when he pretends to walk with ski boots. There is a lot of physical comedy, such as when Gad makes an inventory of the types of dancers often found in night clubs.

Even if you don't understand much French, there should be enough here to keep you entertained. (Last viewed: Jan 2011 June 2015)

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Michael McIntyre: Hello Wembley!
      2009 | U.K. | Laughs: 4.0 | imdb: 7.4
      who was involved?

My review for this set is essentially the same as for his earlier Live and Laughing. In short, Michael gets top grades for energy, but his humor is not my thing—nothing personal, we're all different. This time, even though the beginning of the show gave me some good chuckles, I soon became bored and had to turn it off around the thirty-minute mark. (Last viewed: October 2013)

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Stewart Lee: 90s Comedian
      2006 | U.K. | Laughs: 4.0 (Chuckle) | imdb: 8.6
      who was involved?

Involving the audience into the inner workings of the show as it is being performed, Stewart takes on such topics as plagiarism, terrorism and catholicism, and undertakes to deliver a joke that cannot be stolen. I was very entertained and enjoyed more than a few chuckles. A fine piece of comedy (or a piece of fine comedy) which has my unreserved endorsement, except if laughing at the expense of religion makes you uncomfortable. (Last viewed: September 2018)

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Brian Regan: I Walked on the Moon
      2004 | USA | Laughs: 3.8 (Chuckle) | imdb: 8.5
      who was involved?

I hadn't heard of Brian until 2011. Discovering him was a surprise and a treat. This set made me laugh harder than I had in a long time. Feeding my stand-up comedy addiction, I get tired of watching people who must cram three expletives in every sentence and spend half their time discussing reproductive functions. So I love that Brian Regan has a clean mouth and keeps it above the belt. Does that make him boring? On the contrary. His humor finds themes outside the beaten track, and new angles to themes one might have thought overworked, such as air travel. Moreover, one is left with the impression of having listened to a genuinely nice person. I'll be looking for Brian's other DVDs.

Edit: More than seven years later, I thought I'd treat myself to something that was sure to make me laugh, as my original rating for the show had been an 8.5. I was therefore surprised not to find myself laughing even once. Have I become hopelessly depressed, or have I changed so much that what used to be funny no longer is? I enjoyed some of the bits, perhaps most of all the one at the end when Brian speaks about people who seem to have a low level of emotional intelligence. But many moments were loud to my ears—loud in the sense that Brian started shouting. Still a very watchable show, just not one for the museum of best-ever stand-up comedy. (Last viewed: Apr 2011 September 2018)

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George Carlin: It's Bad for Ya!
      2008 | USA | Laughs: 3.7 (Chuckle) | imdb: 8.6
      wikipedia | who was involved?

During this set, George looks and sounds physically uncomfortable. He's stopped smoking, he's gained weight, and he dies four months later of a heart attack. He was only 71 years old, but I'd guess that he had already said everything he had to say. Once you've expressed your disgust for people's overwhelming lack of critical thinking, it doesn't matter that things get worse and that a bush gets chased by a trump, you have nowhere else to go.

The delivery is not quite as fluid as on the previous sets, but the show is entertaining. Up to his last set, George was a funnier comedian than most of his younger colleagues. If you're a fan, you won't want to miss this set, not just as a touching goodbye to someone who'd been making people laugh since his handsome looks burned the video tape, but simply because it's good.

Fittingly, death is very present in the show. The themes include friends who die, what people do in heaven, trite sayings such as 'every child is special' or 'children are our future', having to listen to rubbish stories, the lack of critical thinking, the saying 'god bless America', swearing on the Bible, and rights. (Last viewed: September 2018)

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Joe Rogan: Live
      2006 | USA | Laughs: 3.5 (Chuckle) | imdb: 7.3
      who was involved?

After trying Joe's awful 2001 tape Live from the Belly of the Beast, this show was a good surprise, even though I almost gave up in the first ten minutes owing to the vile start centered on female anatomy.

Apart from the excessive amount of humor focused on reproductive functions, this is probably the best set of Joe's that I watched so far, including his later 2016 set Triggered and the 2018 special Strange Times.

I particularly appreciated seeing that Joe had woken up to the fact that there was a moron in charge of the country, a fact that seemed to have eluded him five years earlier, when the same guy was already in charge.

(Last viewed: December 2019)

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Demetri Martin: Person
      2007 | USA | Laughs: 3.1 (Don't Bother) | imdb: 7.7
      wikipedia | who was involved?

Low-key, often clever and charming set involving song and cartoons, but not funny in a laugh-out-loud way, making me wonder whether those who laughed hard in the audience had a crush on Demetri or were paid to laugh. No doubt Demetri is a talented young man, but the audience seemed to laugh and clap at just about anything. (Last viewed: December 2012)

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Stewart Lee: Stand-Up Comedian
      2005 | U.K. | Laughs: 3.0 (Watch Once) | imdb: 8.5
      who was involved?

Even though this set is about half an hour too long for my taste and only gave me a few chuckles, I'm glad I didn't miss it as it was stimulating and I enjoyed it. Apart from his trademark deconstruction of his own act, Stewart compares himself to Jesus and brushes on entertaining themes such as Americans in their natural habitat, Eddie Izzard's fake improv, and Princess Diana's achievement of underachievement. (Last viewed: September 2018)

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Bill Bailey's Remarkable Guide to the Orchestra
      2009 | U.K. | Laughs: 2.5 (Light-Hearted) | imdb: 7.7
      who was involved?

This is not a traditional stand-up set, but rather a humorous musical tour (with some elements of stand-up) with the full support of the BBC concert orchestra. Those who are familiar with Bill's material will recognize many of his humorous songs, whose recycling is not always enhanced by the orchestral backing. The funniest part was the very end of the show, when Bill and the orchestra compete for who will play the final measures.

For those who are familiar with Bill's earlier material there is not much else to laugh at—but there is lots to smile at, and this is still a fun and worthwhile performance. If nothing else, the idea of having Bill (the epitome of "casual" in past days) in charge of an orchestra in full pomp—and in a grandiose setting—is a delicious premise, and the contrast created thus is the only humor this show needs. (Last viewed: January 2014)

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Lewis Black: Red, White and Screwed
      2006 | USA | Laughs: 2.5 (Don't Bother) | imdb: 7.8
      who was involved?

This 2006 show has little more than fast-aging, circumstantial material focused on the main preoccupation of the city where it was taped, Washington, D.C.: the two main political parties of the United States. It is slow, it is weak, it is not very funny, except for a laugh or two that fail to redeem the show. Black on Broadway, by the same comedian, is older but much funnier. (Last viewed: January 2012)

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Jim Gaffigan: King Baby
      2009 | USA | Laughs: 2.3 (Watch Once) | imdb: 7.9
      wikipedia | who was involved?

Perhaps his kids have grown up and it's now fine to have more 'mature' themes (what a strange use of that word), but this show wasn't as clean as I recalled Jim's earlier ones to be. The themes included bowling, laziness, camping, bacon, religion and overeating. To me the set was fairly boring: it felt like Middle America humor—plain and unchallenging. Maybe I'm asking for too much out of stand-up comedy these days. (Last viewed: September 2018)

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Kevin Hart: I'm a Grown Little Man
      2009 | USA | Laughs: 2.2 (Don't Bother) | imdb: 7.7
      who was involved?

There's lots to like about Kevin, but apart from a few segments this show barely made me smile. One reason is that I am not interested in some of Kevin's themes (such as his babies). Another reason is that the themes that do interest me have (in my view) been developed far more intricately by other comedians. But comedy has a lot to do with where you are in your life, and you might love this show. One thing I loved was when Kevin acted out various characters—he has uncommon talent for becoming someone else by changing his voice, face and gestures. I liked that the show ended on one of the stronger segments, unlike the many shows that die out like a wet firecracker. (Last viewed: December 2012)

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Wanda Sykes: I'ma Be Me
      2009 | USA | Laughs: 2.0 (Don't Bother) | imdb: 7.7
      who was involved?

I loved others of Wanda's shows, but this one bored me stiff. The beginning is "circumstantial comedy"—jokes that might have been funny for six weeks shortly after Obama was first elected. Much of the rest of the set relies on low-grade anecdotes from Wanda's life, drawn out far too long. The public seems intoxicated with Wanda, but that's less a measure of the show's quality than of her fans' devotion. (Last viewed: December 2012)

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