John Oliver's New York Stank-Up Show proves the truism established by Russell Simmons: People will watch anyone try to tell a joke if you put a famous guy's name in front of the title. Russell Simmons' Def Comedy Jam, anyone?
John Oliver's show is in the same mold. We watch because we love John Oliver as a correspondent on The Daily Show, but the vaguely familiar comics that follow are all over the place. So, your handy dandy Tonic writer will handicap the evening's performers for you and tell you why it's Tonic worthy. Or, you can skip right to the bottom and see the bottom line, you know, if you're in a hurry and stuff.
John Oliver
Funny! Oliver is just as charming as he is on The Daily Show, and we discover he can hold the stage with or without Jon Stewart. Yay! Only this time, instead of just showing the hypocrisy of American politicians, he educates us about the voting habits in Australia too. Apparently they booze it up down under on Election Day and somehow that makes people vote in a more conservative manner. Who knew? Educational and enjoyable. Thank you, John Oliver!
Maria Bamford
I'm sure she was funny once upon a time — she's had two half-hour Comedy Central Presents specials. Certainly, she has her moments here. Standouts: A two-headed Snuggies joke (we love Snuggies round these parts). And, a clever bit about how moms are joy-sucking creatures specializing in raining on parades no matter how sunny the moment. Sadly, she's just so nervous, it makes the jokes more painful than enjoyable.
Nick Kroll as Fabrice Fabrice
I don't know enough about Kroll to know why he took the stage as Fabrice Fabrice, a man in a half-shirt, thong, rolled-down Uggs, presumably dowsed in Pepto Bismol. (Everything on him is pink.) I'm fairly sure that Nick, the actual man, would be demonstrably less annoying without the schtick. The character Fabrice seems like what the world would be left with if Britney Spears and Bobcat Goldthwait had a kid. So, if you're willing to sit through minutes of getting screamed at, Nick, er Fabrice, will deliver the goods with a knock on Michael Jackson's dad. We'll save the actual joke so you can watch it yourself, but as Fabrice says, "It's funny because it is so accurate."
Greg Fitzsimmons
The Comedy Central vet delivers his usual: mildly funny, a little wrong, insightful looks at the every day stuff we never initially thought was that funny. In this episode's menu: aging is what keeps marriages together and adopting dogs can do more damage to a family and the dog than leaving the pup at the shelter.
Eugene Mirman
Never heard of him until I watched this, but it was worth it. He's not roll-on-the-floor funny, but sweet and mercifully schtick-free. Check it out...
Tonic Worthy?
So, is all of this ha-ha really doing any good for anybody? Duh. Haven't you heard laughter is the best medicine?
Bottom Line:
The beauty of John Oliver's New York Stand-Up show is that it's a lot like any stand-up show. There's some stinkers and awkward moments of staring into blank faces, but if you're patient, there's some serious laughs too.
