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July 21, 2008
Reviews and Appraisals: Louis CK's 'Chewed Up'
By: Dan Wilbur
Louis C.K. at Comic Relief in 2006 | Photo: Daniel Langer
REVIEW WITH WORDS
More than any other profession, stand-up comedy blurs the lines that separate professional and personal life. And judging by the material in his new one-hour Showtime special "Chewed Up," Louis C.K. is on a career ascent similar to that of Pryor and Cosby. His special, which is scheduled to air in October, shifts away from anecdotal reflections and isolated events of stupidity, to much deeper revelations about his personal life as an uncontrollable mass of tragedy. Set-ups often trump punchlines: "My wife and I have been together for nine years ... so we're just about done." Though Louis C.K. does relent -- he respects his family's sacrifices for his own worthless, fat self; in fact, his routine feels like a twisted homage. I wonder how much material he could mine from just explaining the justification for exposing his family's fucked-up qualities. As any fan knows, Louis C.K. favors the bold. His set begins with an analysis of the words "Cunt," "Faggot" and "The 'N' word." But good comedy is never about just pushing boundaries -- you gotta make 'em laugh. And Louis C.K. acknowledges that by not only rejecting the safety of P.C., but also by rejecting the simple, easy premises about family that have since gone stale.
REVIEW USING A PICTURE
--Dan Wilbur is a founding member of Bard College's Stand-Up Comedy Club and comedy show producer in New York. He has performed with Seth Herzog and Becky Donohue. He currently works as an assistant to Kambri Crews at Comix.
Posted by keith h. at July 21, 2008 12:00 PM
Comments
Not being broadcast until October but reviewed right now! Awesome!!! LCK rules. I don't think he's very fat, although I do think his bit about discovering his boobs is hilarious.
Posted by: soce at July 21, 2008 5:06 PM