Jim Gaffigan: Beyond the Pale

"Dad" comic Jim Gaffigan steps into the spotlight for his first stand-up special. However, Gaffigan had already released 5 albums by the time this special premiered, so he was no novice. Perhaps one of the least controversial comics working today, Gaffigan's material may be considered a bit slight by some. He tends to keep to minor annoyances and innocuous observations, usually involving food (it is truly amazing how much material he is able to pull out of Hot Pockets). In addition, using asides, Gaffigan comments on his own comedy as a member of the audience in a peculiar voice, which may put some off, but otherwise, should appeal to most people across the spectrum. Definitely one of the strongest family-friendly comedians out there.

A few weeks ago, I watched Jim Gaffigan's stand-up video, "Mr. Universe". My daughter and I really enjoyed it, so today we decided to give "Beyond the Pale" a try. My feeling now is that if you liked one, you'd like the other, as they a very similar. Both feature Gaffigan making his strange observations while interposing his fake 'dumb person in the audience' comments. For the most part, the routine is amazingly clean and family-friendly--though, oddly, the captioning is actually a bit dirtier due to mistakes made by the captioner. You'll head Gaffigan talk a lot about good as well as restaurants, holidays, vegetarians as well as some stuff about Jesus at the end that might offend. Overall, an enjoyable DVD--not quite as good as "Mr. Universe", but still better than the average stand-up DVD.

I discovered Jim Gaffigan kind of late apparently. I heard him on Sirius XM comedy channels sometime after 2014 and just about every clip was a riot. "Beyond the Pale" is a gas. Gaffigan begins with his favorite topic: food--Food Network, food packaging, and all the fattening foods he prefers over health food. He even dedicated some time to Hot Pockets and Cinnabuns LOL.

After food he went into holidays, gifts, and being Catholic. Jim always keeps it relatively clean, which is an anomaly in the comic biz. I think that makes him especially gifted that he can be funny without profanity.

Gaffigan is funny without using a single obscenity or sex joke. Unlike Kevin Hart, who I like also, Gaffigan is not shouting or talking about his penis or his sex life at all. Gaffigan makes everyday events funny. He makes remarks and observations about the daily life experiences we all have, and he makes them sound funny. I really enjoy his humor. It is easy to laugh, and to see life in a more humorous way.

My wife and I watched this, primarily as a distraction while she was on the verge of labor with our first child, and we absolutely laughed our respective asses off. I can't say for certain that it actually sped the labor, but it's entirely possible that it did so.

Gaffigan is a comic genius with remarkably impeccable timing and phrasing, as well as a penchant for the completely random subject material, especially when random has anything to do with food... There seems to be a very special place in his heart for Hot Pockets, and his ability to speak the thoughts of the audience is clear demonstration of his ability to both read and steer his fans and critics alike.

If you like stand-up, watch this recording - Brilliant!