Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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39 of 42 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
More Funny Stuff From David Cross, December 23, 2002
If you dig HBO's Mr. Show you'll likely enjoy this more bitter cup of tea. This is intelligent, insightful, angry social satire comedy a la George Carlin, Dennis Miller, and Bill Hicks. IMO these sets most resemble, in tone and style, Bill Hicks' later albums 'Arizona Bay' and, in particular, 'Rant In E Minor'. Here, Cross has a more free-form rambling style than in his HBO special that occasionally dips into a self-indulgent one man show vibe. There's also a shrill cynicism that can be draining at times. However, these sets weren't performed in traditional comedy venues. Nor do I think it was intended for these to be anything less than what they appear to be, for in the liner notes Cross lets listeners know what to expect. Two CDs makes for a lot of material and a lot of laughter. David Cross is extremely funny and right on target with much of his comedy. This album is welcome relief and counterpoint to the backwash of banal comedy and infotainment news pumped out by the mass media these days. Pointed commentary and brutal honesty about uncomfortable truths is what great social satire is all about. But as a professional stand-up comedian and fan of comedy I'm probably more than a bit biased. The tea may be bitter, but chances are you'll be doing a Danny Thomas spit take from lauging so hard. Keep up the good work.
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42 of 47 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
People love or hate this CD., January 8, 2004
Right-wingers tend to hate David Cross, and even left-wingers can find themselves shifting uncomfortably in their seats. Cross is an angry comedian whose material is wrapped in bitter irony and social commentary. For starters, the track names on this CD are comments on the sad, sanitized state of standup comedy -- he satirized standups by using every tired, cliched comic topic he could include. He's not going to tell jokes about airplanes or the difference between men and women or whatever. That's just the beginning. Cross is insightful, loud, brash, and brave enough to point out inconsistencies in America, Judaism, Catholicism, and patriotism while most other comedians are busy talking about their wives or whatever homogenized, unoffensive, boring material Comedy Central allows. Sure, David Cross makes fun of southerners. Well, guess what, he's from Atlanta, so he can speak from experience. And besides, what southern comedian doesn't make fun of Yankees? It's nice to have a twist once in a while. Sure, David Cross makes fun of Southern Baptists, but didn't Lenny Bruce pick on Pentacostals thirty-five years ago? Didn't Sam Kinison make fun of the Pope? Doesn't Ben Stiller make jokes about Jews and Christians? Didn't Bill Hicks make fun of Republicans? Doesn't Dennis Miller make fun of Democrats now? Cross is merely following the path established by his bravest predecessors -- these comedians pull no punches and take risks to talk about what they really believe in (go figure, you can still do that in America). This album is not perfect, with a couple of stretches of rambling during which I wanted to fast-forward, but overall this is a solid comedy album. Cross rants and preaches and puts on his best Bill Hicks/Henry Rollins rendition, for lack of a better descriptor. If you enjoy comedy based in social satire and political commentary, as the late Bill Hicks used to do and Lewis Black and Henry Rollins currently do, then this is a great buy. However, if you prefer the blue, barroom "low-brow" humor of Rodney Carrington, or the clean, family humor of Bill Cosby, then David Cross might not be your cup of tea. David Cross' remarks will offend most right-wingers and even a few left-wingers, so buyer beware. Critical thinking and an open mind are required. David Cross will not dumb his act down or sanitize himself, and that's worthy of respect. Bottom line: if you are uncomfortable having your ideas challenged or don't want to risk being offended by a fellow American who thinks differently and isn't afraid to speak up, I suggest saving your money and sticking with what you already enjoy. Freedom is great like that.
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18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Gorgeous vitriol from David Cross, November 13, 2002
If you've never seen Mr. Show, buy the DVD now. I mean, stop reading this review and type Mr. Show into the search box. This CD is spit-milk-through-your-nose funny. Cross's targets are rednecks, George W. Bush, and [more] but his real hatred is reserved for stupidity in all its myriad forms, eg: putting an American flag on your Lexus SUV. My favorite quote so far is on the support for GWB after 9/11. "We treat him like he just won third place in the Special Olympics. Good boy, George!"
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