Katt Williams Also Playing Liberty City’s Split Sides (in GTA IV)
Filed Under Funny 2.0, Stand-Up Comedy
A second stand-up found in the nigh-upcoming Grand Theft Auto IV is Katt Williams. Here’s a video of his appearance, which gives a bit more of an idea of what the club looks like. (The clicking sound you hear is the filmer’s video camera.)
Williams routine is interesting in that it refers to Liberty City by name multiple times and has a relatively long segment on how difficult it is to buy a car with bad credit. A sort of meta-funny bit for a game that’s all about stealing cars. Can you even buy a car in GTA?
Williams also references a second comedy club that he calls “Club Bullshit” and describes as very small. I’ll put this down for creating an atmosphere of a big city, but who knows? Maybe Liberty City can support two comedy clubs.
A couple of things can be deduced from the exterior:
- Ricky Gervais and Katt Williams are likely the only two comics in the game, since they’re the only ones with posters beside the entrance.
- 2) The club entrance looks to be based on the Laugh Factory TImes Square, which has since closed and is now the TImes Square Arts Center.
I’m a little surprised considering Rockstar’s satirical tone that I haven’t noticed any details that making fun of stand-up comedy yet. Split Sides isn’t even a childish pun. It’s probably there, but it hasn’t come out yet. Perhaps in the form of a radio ads or maybe there’s a poster for a fake stand-up who’s a stand in for a famous real world name.
Oh, and from the comments on the YouTube video we also learn that you can’t shoot the comics. So save that shit for the hookers.
Previously: Ricky Gervais performance at GTA IV’s Split Sides
Well, call me cynical, but the combination of the comedians in the game with the constant barrage of the word “satire” sets off my B.S. detector. I’m starting to think that the main reason comedy is such a part of GTA4 is so Rockstar PR flacks—and others—can deflect criticism about the game.
In the past, they had to make long-winded explanations about how their game is not this/that/other.
Now, they can trot out the word “satire” as a way of defending their game.
I’m not too comfortable with this because in the end, this game will never be considered a great piece of satire and the comedy in the game will be barely memorable in 6 months to a year. So ultimately, comedy/satire is being used as a way to defend the game and any critics. Not a good deal at all.