Stand-Up Comedy from the 2010s

Dave Chappelle: Equanimity
      2017 | USA | Laughs: 0.5 (Don't Bother) | imdb: 8.1
      who was involved?

The worst thing about this show isn't that it's not funny. (Spoiler: it's not funny.) It's that the intonations are all wrong. To my ears, it sounded like the delivery was scripted to the millimeter. Of course we don't expect stand-up comedy to be all improvised, but it shouldn't sound all fake. And that is what it sounded like: fake—with pauses and chuckles in pre-determined places, with emphasis given to certain syllables. I'm not sure whether it was in a Ted talk or a political speech, but I had recently heard a presentation with the emphasis falling in the exact same awkward places. Dave and that guy must have the same trainer. You would think that at this point in his career Dave could handle public speaking more competently. The show was one big disappointment. (Last viewed: August 2018)

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Pete Holmes: Nice Try, the Devil!
      2013 | USA | Laughs: 0.3 (Don't Bother) | imdb: 7.4
      who was involved?

I decided to try out a set by Peter Holmes based on a friend's recommendation of two of his skits (Subway and Magic), neither of which worked for me. Well, neither did the show, which I quit a quarter of the way in as the camera panned across the ecstatic faces of Pete's young and beautiful yuppie audience. To me the humor was bland and dull, but hey, we're all different so you might find it smart and subtle. (Last viewed: September 2018)

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Greg Davies: Firing Cheeseballs at a Dog (a.k.a Greg Davies Live)
      2011 | U.K. | Laughs: 0.2 (Just Awful) | imdb: 7.7
      who was involved?

Greg seems to be marketed as a 'former schoolteacher'. As far as I can tell, he still aims his material at the intellect of a fifteen-year-old—or perhaps a very unsophisticated adult, which is about the same. Of course there's nothing wrong with staying young, it's just that this old dog doesn't find the same things funny as someone whose life is just starting. I gave this show fifteen minutes, trying to get at least a chuckle out of it, but having to constantly cringe at the lameness of the humor, I just had to quit. This was a surprise for a U.K. production: I've gotten more out of Canadian comedy. (Last viewed: September 2018)

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Brian Regan: Nunchucks and Flamethrowers
      2017 | USA | Laughs: 0.1 (Just Awful) | imdb: 6.0
      who was involved?

As far as I can tell, Brian has lost whatever he once had. First off, he seems to be out of topics: the set begins with a weak segment about the scoring system of the game of tennis, and soon moves on to a discussion of various uninteresting aspects of American sports. Second, none of it is remotely funny. Perhaps Brian is confused by the contemporaneous political situation in the Trump United States and doesn't know his place as a comic in that sad place. To me, this unfunny show was a pathetic window into a decaying society. (Last viewed: September 2018)

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Joe Rogan: Rocky Mountain High
      2014 | USA | Laughs: 0.0 (Just Awful) | imdb: 7.5
      who was involved?

I was surprised at how awful this show was. On previous attempts to watch Joe's shows he'd often managed to make me smile or chuckle, but this was gutter humor almost from start to finish. When this barrage of filth finally let up, Joe closed the show with weak material cashing in on his audience's presumed prejudice against certain alternative groups.

This man really needs to reduce his doses of protein powder or whatever he takes to make his body bigger and his brain smaller. It's a real shame, as he's a bright guy with the potential to apply his intelligence if he ever came across a meaningful fact. I'd be happy to hear his insights if he ever grew up.

One thing that surprised me was the consistent imdb ratings of Joe's shows given their wide discrepancy in quality. I came up with a hypothesis, but it makes me sad. Could it be that Joe is so much smarter than his fans that they can't tell the difference? As long as he keeps dedicating most of his stage time to bodily functions and the female anatomy, they seem to be happy.

(Last viewed: December 2019)

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