Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee

Jerry Seinfeld, 2012-

Website

4/5

Jerry Seinfeld's personal creation is a fine display of what is possible in the world of independently-produced internet-based content. He doesn't need to bow to advertisers (though he has sponsors like Acura but their presence isn't overbearing). He can choose how long each episode is. He decides what direction he wants to take it. Literally. He decides where they're going to eat. He decides what they are going to talk about. But although he has a certain formula to it all, it all feels very organic. He gets in a different car each episode (with each car outfitted with multiple dash-mounted Go-Pro-like cameras) to pick up his buddies, whether they be long-time collaborator Larry David, fellow comedian Brian Regan, or even longtime friend Michael Richards hoping to strike some comedic vein and see what flows out. All in between close-up shots of steaming coffee and mouth-watering diner-porn. There's a certain deconstructionist approach to his lunch dates. He likes to hear what his friends think is funny. But he also wants to know what they do when they get up in the morning. What they eat for lunch, and why they eat it and why have they been eating it for so long. There's comedy in all of it. After all, he's made a career with observational humor and why stop now? And what's great about it is it's not over-edited. The fat hasn't been completely trimmed to the point where there are no awkward pauses or jokes that didn't land. That sense of purity is the charm to the series. You could argue its a new incarnation of a show about nothing. And Jerry presumably has enough cars in his garage and enough comedian friends that he can do this for a long time. Or at least as long as he wants to.

Marc Maron: Thinky Pain

Lance Bangs, 2013

Netflix

4/5

Marc Maron performs in front of a small crowd in an intimate setting in this made for Netflix special. Any fan of Marc Maron's very popular WTF Podcast or his recent Television series on FX is familiar with his personality. He is an open book. He is experienced but he has work to do. He is reflective but neurotic. Intelligent. While he is admittedly not a religious person, he certainly channels some of the neurotic Jewish comedic chords in the same vein as Woody Allen, Richard Lewis, or Mel Brooks. Maron is not a set-up to punchline guy. He is proud of his lack of preparation. He comfortably sits on the bar-stool and throws the unnecessary notebook to the floor. He is taking it moment to moment, reading the crowd. He knows that it can go either way, and that's fine with him. Brilliant deconstructionism. Breaking down his method as he shows chicken scratches on hotel stationary. His act at times comes off as more of a cathartic therapy session. It becomes an outlet to confess some childhood fears. They are all going to get through it together. He doesn't hesitate to let you in. Some frustrating elements of his relationship with a much younger female. Possible damage to the body from past drug use. Psychologically damaging moments in childhood sports. Frustration about having to deal with alpha males in childhood and in adult life. The hypochondria created from having a doctor for a father. The food guilt with being a fat kid from with an anorexic mother. And while it all comes from real place, it's all funny. The highlight of the special is when he pinpoints a childhood moment on a baseball field. He confesses that his life would have gone in a completely different direction had he caught a baseball. And while there is clear trauma and a bit of tragedy associated with the story, it's relatable and the vulnerability makes it pure. You get a clear sense that he's done a lot of the hard work, and while some of it was done on a stage, most of it was done inside himself. The honesty of the evolution is inspiring. He's come a long way and he wants to talk about it, or perhaps talk THROUGH it. It's thinky pain, and it's real.

Louis C.K.: Oh My God

Louis C.K., 2013

4/5

Louis C.K. is funny. It's been long overdue that the world comes to realize this, and maybe they finally have. He has a popular television series on FX that garners favorable ratings. He is getting cast in mainstream full feature films (Blue Jasmine, American Hustle). He's at the peak of his career, and we are all lucky to get the opportunity to see it. Our grandchildren will be envious of the fact that we were around to see him at his best. The closest comparison to Louie could be drawn to the late George Carlin. And understandably, because C.K. adored him, even had the honor of eulogizing him on stage (tearfully). Carlin examined the simple things in life, and dissected them to the point where there was nothing more to draw on.

What's different about this special than some of his others is there is a surprising sense of evolved confidence and comfort coming from Louie. Not that he's ever timid on stage, but there's something different going on. He crosses subjects that he may have crossed before, but at different angles. The horrible things we say while driving, and the odd sense of confidence we have yelling at our fellow man. Filming kids at school plays with our phones, while they are literally 10 feet in front of us. Examining slavery, and how it created some of the wonders of the world. And of course, boobs.

Louis always has his themes. Animals, sex, the human body, the horrible things that we do as humans, the horrible things that he may do AS a human. It's always going to be dark. It's going to have its irony. It may at times just come off as pure existential truth. It's amazing that he's still able to keep it fresh. And savor what you hear, because its not going to be there a year from now. He's going to discard the bits that absolutely killed on stage and start with nothing. And that must be the most rewarding part of his life at this point. Building it up, taking it down, starting over, and repeating over and over again while the crowds continue to come.

Louis C.K. - Live at the Beacon Theater

Louis C.K., 2011


5/5

You are doing yourself a great disservice if you have not seen Louis C.K. perform. You're missing out on someone who is in their prime, performing at the top of their game. He is writing a new hour, EVERY YEAR. He throws away the old hour completely, even though that material was KILLING in front of crowds of 2500 people or more. This is unbelievable considering there are many stand-up comedians who are still using the same material they were using a decade ago. He's raising the bar, and inspiring the stand-up community. I don't believe any stand-up would argue with you if you said hes the best stand-up out there right now. He's put in his time, he deserves every minute of this success.