I understand that comedy is subjective. Along with music, it is one of the harder categories of entertainment to judge because, oftentimes, it just comes down to a matter of taste. But comedy DVDs have an additional stigma that other DVD choices don't face. They have less replay value. If you are a fan of a particular comedian and you follow them, you have to expect that you will hear some material that they've used successfully in the past. The most common complaint I see leveled at comedy DVDs are that the jokes aren't fresh. That's right, folks--every time a comedian steps up to the stage, his entire act isn't going to be newly devised and original. And if you were going to tape a show for the general public to buy, wouldn't you use jokes and material that have proven popular and successful? I would!
That said, I'm a fan of comedian Sebastian Maniscalco. In his latest comedy endeavor "What's Wrong With People?," he does cover a number of topics that will be familiar to those that have followed his career. The entire set is dedicated to the daily annoyances of living in the modern world. And just about everything annoys Maniscalco, and rightly so. It's an absurd world we live in, and making fun of ourselves and our peculiarities provides plenty of comedic material. As I said, the themes that he employs over this 75 minute concert are quite familiar but Maniscalco executes the jokes with precision. I have found oftentimes that comedians will lead with their strongest material, but there tends to be a middle section that lags. I found this to be evenly paced and quite funny throughout.
In truth, I don't know that "What's Wrong With People?" is the most uproarious performance that I've seen from Maniscalco. In this case, though, I don't know that it matters. I'm giving this my highest ranking for two reasons: (1) I laughed consistently and (2) I agreed with EVERYTHING he said. I so strongly identified with the material, I felt he was reading my mind. So I had a very personal connection with this set. Perhaps I am just too easily annoyed! Sebastian Maniscalco is a big talent that deserves wider recognition, so if you aren't familiar with him--please check this out. It probably helps if you're a curmudgeon, but this humor is easy to identify with and very funny. KGHarris, 1/12.