Stand-Up Comedy from the 2010s

Joe Rogan: Triggered
      2016 | USA | Laughs: 3.5 (Smirk) | imdb: 7.4
      who was involved?

This was the second show by Joe Rogan that I watched, and I found about as entertaining as the first: lots of smiles, no laughs. I appreciated the lower level of "gross-out" material, but the ending was weaker.

Religion, parenting… I already forgot most of the themes, but I doubt they included any that you haven't already seen developed somewhere in a funnier way, which doesn't preclude this set from being likeable.

One thing that would really improve Joe's sets for me is if he wouldn't yell.

(Last viewed: December 2019)

More About Joe Rogan: Triggered:
=> Read what people say on Amazon
=> Add your own Review or Comments on
      laughDB's full page for Joe Rogan: Triggered

Pete Johansson: You Might Also Enjoy Pete Johansson
      2016 | USA | Laughs: 3.5 (Watch Once) | imdb: 5.2
      who was involved?

After watching an excerpt from one of his sets, I thought I might enjoy Pete Johansson, so my lady friend and I popped this tape in to give him a go. We both liked him—she perhaps more than I. What I liked was that Pete appeared to be fairly bright and that he made me laugh a few times. His brand of humor seems to be somewhere on the Bill Burr - Louis CK continuum. For now I found the set a bit diluted (not enough laughs), but it's entirely possible Pete may devise something more potent in the future. (Last viewed: May 2017)

More About Pete Johansson: You Might Also Enjoy Pete Johansson:
=> Read what people say on Amazon
=> Add your own Review or Comments on
      laughDB's full page for Pete Johansson: You Might Also Enjoy Pete Johansson

Doug Stanhope: Before Turning the Gun on Himself
      2012 | USA | Laughs: 3.5 (Watch Once) | imdb: 8.1
      who was involved?

If you've enjoyed one of Doug Stanhope's older sets, then you may want to watch this show, not so much for the laughs (which are not that frequent or intense) than in the same spirit you'd visit an old friend with whom you'd like to catch up, a friend who has moved on a bit. (Last viewed: December 2012)

More About Doug Stanhope: Before Turning the Gun on Himself:
=> Read what people say on Amazon
=> Add your own Review or Comments on
      laughDB's full page for Doug Stanhope: Before Turning the Gun on Himself

Joe Rogan: Live from the Tabernacle
      2012 | USA | Laughs: 3.5 (Chuckle) | imdb: 7.3
      who was involved?

During the first part of this show, I thought it was the best of Joe's that I'd seen so far, including his later 2016 set Triggered and the 2018 special Strange Times.

But sometime after the half-hour mark, the set takes a wrong turn and ends up focusing solely on male physiology and female anatomy. It's a shame, and a problem that probably wouldn't arise if Joe went easy on the protein powder. Maybe time will fix that — hopefully not in the form of prostate cancer, but with these unnaturally beefy guys the risks are high.

(Last viewed: December 2019)

More About Joe Rogan: Live from the Tabernacle:
=> Read what people say on Amazon
=> Add your own Review or Comments on
      laughDB's full page for Joe Rogan: Live from the Tabernacle

Ali Wong: Baby Cobra
      2016 | USA | Laughs: 3.3 | imdb: 7.6
      who was involved?

For some time I must have had Ali confused with another female stand-up comedian whom I couldn't stand, because it took me three years to give this show a try.

It was not nearly as bad as I had assumed — I may have been pushing it, but I was able to get through it in only three sittings. Sure, it was far cruder than I like my stand-up to be, but nowadays that seems to be standard fare, which would make Ali "middle of the road" if she were a white US male comedian.

There were some good moments, particularly when Ali demystifies the point of marriage from "the female perspective". Planning to try her next set, Hard Knock Wife.

(Last viewed: November 2019)

More About Ali Wong: Baby Cobra:
=> Read what people say on Amazon
=> Add your own Review or Comments on
      laughDB's full page for Ali Wong: Baby Cobra

Russell Brand: Messiah Complex
      2013 | U.K. | Laughs: 3.0 | imdb: 7.3
      who was involved?

I enjoyed Russell Brand in Get Him to the Greek but hadn't seen him in another context until this show. For me, it was similar to listening to a kid who is quite bright (but not that bright) excitedly share his latest views. The kid may make you break out a smile, but if you've had a chance to entertain all sorts of ideas over your long life, the kid's ideas are probably not that interesting. Russell is not a kid, of course, but that's a way to describe what watching the first twenty minutes of the show. I walked away at that point, so I can't comment on the overall performance, but for the intended audience, this is probably a fine show. (Last viewed: May 2014)

More About Russell Brand: Messiah Complex:
=> Read what people say on Amazon
=> Add your own Review or Comments on
      laughDB's full page for Russell Brand: Messiah Complex

Tom Segura: Comedy Central Presents, Season 15 Episode 1
      2011 | USA | Laughs: 3.0 (Don't Bother) | imdb: 6.7
      who was involved?

This twenty-minute comedy central special was the third of Tom's sets that I watched (after Completely Normal and Mostly Stories). I was surprised not to like it, but that was not Tom's fault: the audience had been so fluffed beforehand (instructed in the art of laughing for the taping) that it made an abominable background noise, laughing at the wrong moments, before the punchline had been delivered. Robbed of build-up and timing, Tom is only a quarter as funny, as his comedic power draws as much (or more) from his perfect delivery and his demeanor than from his material. Near the end, the audience was a bit more relaxed, which allowed me to laugh (I'm sad to admit) during a cruel segment about little people. (Last viewed: June 2017)

More About Tom Segura: Comedy Central Presents, Season 15 Episode 1:
=> Read what people say on Amazon
=> Add your own Review or Comments on
      laughDB's full page for Tom Segura: Comedy Central Presents, Season 15 Episode 1

David Cross: Bigger and Blackerer
      2010 | USA | Laughs: 3.0 (Don't Bother) | imdb: 7.2
      wikipedia | who was involved?

A very slow set that nearly put me to sleep. To start with, it was not a good sign that David ripped off the title of Chris Rock's mediocre Bigger and Blacker show. Early in the set, some of the comedy is circumstantial (based on the political highlights of the time), never a good sign for a show—unless it's a sign of a short expiry date. Later in the show, David tackles religion, but anything David does about religion, Doug Stanhope and Jim Jefferies can do a hundred times better. I've seen stand-up comics in a coffee shop of a 200-person village who were ten times funnier than David Cross in this show. The one redeeming point is David's excellent impersonation of a rabbi trying to guilt you into buy a more expensive product. (Last viewed: December 2012)

More About David Cross: Bigger and Blackerer:
=> Read what people say on Amazon
=> Add your own Review or Comments on
      laughDB's full page for David Cross: Bigger and Blackerer

Jerry Before Seinfeld
      2017 | USA | Laughs: 3.0 (Light-Hearted) | imdb: 7.0
      wikipedia | who was involved?

In this special, Jerry Seinfeld revisits his early career as a comedian. Although the show as a hole is not terribly funny, it has good moments, and it's wonderful to see Jerry on stage again. If you're a fan, I'm sure you won't miss it. (Last viewed: May 2018)

More About Jerry Before Seinfeld:
=> Read what people say on Amazon
=> Add your own Review or Comments on
      laughDB's full page for Jerry Before Seinfeld

Jim Gaffigan: Noble Ape
      2018 | USA | Laughs: 3.0 | imdb: 7.2
      who was involved?

That show didn't entertain me nearly as much as the previous two that I'd watched. It's still Jim, and it was certainly a treat to be able to consume his demeanor and facial expressions for over an hour. But I found the material a little dull, and it surprised me to hear this reputedly clean comedian get into bathroom jokes. Nevertheless, the set can be enjoyed when sipped in small doses, and I'm sure it will please many, especially perhaps those of the Catholic persuasion as Jim (a self-professed Catholic) closes the show with a story of how he opened for the pope. (Last viewed: August 2018)

More About Jim Gaffigan: Noble Ape:
=> Read what people say on Amazon
=> Add your own Review or Comments on
      laughDB's full page for Jim Gaffigan: Noble Ape

John Cleese: The Alimony Tour
      2011 | U.K. | Laughs: 3.0 | imdb: 7.2
      who was involved?

As a John Cleese fan, I found this set just watchable, and only out of interest in John Cleese. Aided by slides and video clips, Cleese navigates through episodes of his life and career, episodes which include a costly divorce that forced him out of retirement—the show's premise. There were a few chuckles, but overall this is not a great piece of stand-up. Unless you have a rabid interest in John Cleese, you can safely skip it. (Last viewed: May 2012)

More About John Cleese: The Alimony Tour:
=> Read what people say on Amazon
=> Add your own Review or Comments on
      laughDB's full page for John Cleese: The Alimony Tour

Stewart Lee: Carpet Remnant World
      2012 | U.K. | Laughs: 3.0 | imdb: 8.6
      who was involved?

While this show doesn't rank very high for pure laughs, it gave me a lot of pleasure. I had read that Stewart Lee is "a comedian's comedian", and as a large consumer of stand-up comedy I enjoyed how he weaves comments about that art into the show. In parallel to the apparent thread of the routine, Stewart deconstructs his own performance, which often serves as a greater comedic device than the "plain jokes".

The show was at least half an hour too long for my taste, a taste that I don't mind apologizing for. This was my first encounter with Stewart Lee. I'll be excited to discover more of his material. (Last viewed: August 2018)

More About Stewart Lee: Carpet Remnant World:
=> Read what people say on Amazon
=> Add your own Review or Comments on
      laughDB's full page for Stewart Lee: Carpet Remnant World

Gad Elmaleh - Without Fanfare (Gad Elmaleh: Sans Tambour)
      2014 | France | Laughs: 3.0 | imdb: 6.6
      who was involved?

This set was a marked improvement over Dad is Upstairs, as Gad returns to stand-up comedy without all the frills from the previous show. Sadly, he fails to trigger laughter with his ease from fifteen years earlier (Jet Lags and Regular Life). I chuckled a few times, but this is not a show I would recommend. (Last viewed: June 2015)

More About Gad Elmaleh - Without Fanfare:
=> Read what people say on Amazon
=> Add your own Review or Comments on
      laughDB's full page for Gad Elmaleh - Without Fanfare

Ryan Hamilton: Happy Face
      2017 | USA | Laughs: 2.5 (Chuckle) | imdb: 7.2
      who was involved?

This was the first set of Ryan's that I watched. I didn't laugh, perhaps because I was tired, but I enjoyed it and had nothing to complain about. Ryan belongs to this endangered breed of stand-up comedian who do "clean" humor. I appreciated that, not because I'm a prude (hell, I'm a big fan of Jim Jefferies) but because bathroom and bedroom jokes are usually the refuge of people who aren't clever enough to talk about other things.

I don't mean to imply that this was "intellectual comedy". Nothing was learned. The topics ranged from New Yorkers to hot air balloons. But it was light-hearted, Ryan was likeable and I was entertained. On that particular night, I couldn't have asked for more. (Last viewed: August 2018)

More About Ryan Hamilton: Happy Face:
=> Read what people say on Amazon
=> Add your own Review or Comments on
      laughDB's full page for Ryan Hamilton: Happy Face

Florence Foresti: Madame Foresti
      2015 | France | Laughs: 2.5 (Don't Bother) | imdb: 7.5
      who was involved?

When a friend told me about Florence Foresti, I had completely forgotten that I had watched and enjoyed her earlier shows—so reading my own reviews excited me in anticipation for her latest set. There is no doubt that Florence is still an outstanding performer (I love how expressive she is) but the material didn't work for me: a few chuckles but no laughs. Some of the themes: turning 40; Twitter, animals, being a mother. You might like it. (Last viewed: September 2018)

More About Florence Foresti: Madame Foresti:
=> Read what people say on Amazon
=> Add your own Review or Comments on
      laughDB's full page for Florence Foresti: Madame Foresti