This Weekend: Louis CK: Shameless and Demetri Martin: Person

What about Marc Maron??  His new CC presents is this weekend too!

Duly noted, Jesse! Missed that last night, but if you want to catch Maron, his Comedy Central Presents airs 3AM Saturday Night (or 3 AM Sunday Morning depending on your perspective). Set those TiVos/DVRs. I will be.

I went to law school with Demetri.  I casually knew him (he prob doesn’t remember me)...such an inspiration - a guy who really followed his passion.  His comedy has only gotten better over the years and thanks for this clip - shows how far he’s come along.  Psyched to see the show!

The difference between Louis CK and say, Patton’s riff on old people having sex and giving birth, is that, while both are gross, the former tells the events without any attempt at creative description (notice the complete lack of modifiers or similes), while it’s not the content of the latter’s riff that’s hilarious but the bizarre and disturbingly evocative imagery used to describe the subject of the bit.

Demetri Martin, on the other hand, suffers for a number of reasons.  First of all, he’s a skinny white guy who says “bitch” without anger and not towards a woman, which is hacky.  More importantly, his punchlines are easy to anticipate.  If he’s not going to do truly incisive observation comedy, he needs to develop a more neurotic or explosive persona (which could possibly have saved the handshake bit).

I can’t really tell if you dislike Louis CK’s style or not, but you’re correct in that he isn’t as focused on comparison as a comic like Patton Oswalt. Louis CK doesn’t really dress up what he saying because I think his material is focused more on the inherent comic reality of the situation rather than on contrasting/equating it to something else. There’s still so much that people are uncomfortable about that the bluntness works.

I love both comics’ work, and I can’t say objectively who’s work is best. But I know that I find Louis CK’s current work really revelatory because of his willingness to share the humiliation that can often be a part of a sex life in the truest terms possible.

As for Demetri, I really reject the idea just because he says “Bitch” makes him a hack. First off, in the joke here, he’s reflecting the faux Afro brother stuff that’s a part of many of a white boys lexicon. In other words, he’s says “bitch” because that’s how a lot of skinny white boys act. I’m sure he’s fully aware of how silly that could be coming out of his mouth in everyday conversation.

BTW, I don’t think “bitch” must be directed to a woman to be funny or valid. Particularly if it must be delivered in anger. That style can work, but it’s the more crippling hack that infiltrates comedy today.

Demitri was great.

Guys,

Hmm, I disagree with Dr. Octagon with his take on Demetri, but I think he’s right about CK.

Demetri doesn’t need to be neurotic, he doesn’t need to be the same as the other observation comedy greats. I mean, look at it this way - We have enough Seinfeld and Woody Allen as it is - it’s hard to top their respective acts, and not very creative. We need new approaches, not the same old acts. If not, everything just becomes tired and clichéd.

Also, I was trying to think of someone to comment Demetri Martin to, but I can’t really think of anyone? Ideas?