Louis C.K. Oh My God

In 1987 George Carlin filmed his special at the exact same theater. When I watched Louis CK enter the stage, I had to think about Carlin's special and it felt in a way as if a part of George was still there. They even look a little bit alike.

Louis CK shows us in this amazing special that he is in every way worthy to carry on George's legacy. His jokes take you into the darkest places, and make you see the nonsense and humor behind it.

Louis is probably not even aware that he himself became an idol for a new generation of directors and artists, showing us with his special that even if the most horrible things take you down during your career, someday you will stand on your former hero's stage.

Thanks Louis!

I have no intention of going through and naming each comedy bit, that would ruin the surprise and fun of watching this new hour from Louis C.K..

The core of C.K.'s comedy is not the material itself. He is not reliant on comedy mechanics for laughs. Nothing he says ever feels like a joke in the traditional 'setup, punchline' sensibility. No, the humor is sourced in his energy and inflections, where the audience is experiencing the world through his point of view as if we were in his body, thoughts or fantasies. Sometimes it's all three.

Often I find myself laughing at his word choices and visual descriptions. At times, he's merely just stating the obvious. But the way C.K. utilizes a metaphor or simile is artful in how he can conjoin two separate ideas together, where he can wormhole the audience's minds to some unexpected grotesque places for comparisons. And then he builds on it by acting out these ridiculous thought trains. There was also one improvisational moment where he accidentally spills water and he comments on it that had me aching in laughter. The bit he did as his closer was truly the climax of this new hour.

C.K. makes a point that being older makes a more intelligent and interesting person. He is the living embodiment of his own point. We're watching a comedian who has grown into himself, and we're intrigued not just for the laughs, but because he has something to say. A voice with true gravitas that he has earned from living a life.

And for that, Louis C.K. seems eternally connected to the grotesque and the morbid, but it's all enwrapped over a positive message: appreciate life and what you have. That's how he gets away with saying very horrible things on stage. As an audience member, I rather enjoy watching him get away with it.

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Louis C.K. has gone from strength to strength in the last 12 years, on an escalator to the top of the pile of stand-up comedians struggling to be relevant. And Louis C.K. is arguably the most relevant of them all. By discarding his material for each tour, he gives his fans exactly what they hope for every time he steps into the limelight.

Although much of his material doesn't tread new ground, it doesn't matter - his arsenal of jokes about growing old and waving goodbye to youth with a sigh are always fresh and bleakly hilarious.

His material comes from thoughts that most people have every day but never talk about, and the audience's secret familiarity with the subject matters makes laughing at them all the more relieving.

This is the one stand-up show that comedians everywhere would work their entire lives to emulate. But it's not made for comedians. It's made for you and me to join in laughing at the misery of the average life, and be completely comfortable with it.

I might still be processing, but at the moment, I'm leaning toward thinking we should separate a great piece of art from its creator's shameful social behaviors, judging each as separate entities as best as we can. With that in mind, as a free-standing product, "Louis C.K.: Oh My God" is truly hilarious.

Throughout, "Oh My God" points out keenly-honed absurdities that sit right under our noses. It's uproarious stuff.

We need laughter. Maybe the argument is that we can find something from someone else whose character is more worthy of our collective approval. But if this is where you're inclined to look for laughs, it's truly a hysterical ride. - (Was this review of use to you? If so, let me know by clicking "Helpful". Cheers!) - WATCHED IT? THEN WATCHLIST: "George Carlin... It's Bad for Ya! (2008)," "Stadium Anthems (2018)," "Jim Norton: Contextually Inadequate (2015)."

The first third of this didn't seem to be as great as his other shows, but the last thirds, especially the last third, were pretty incredible and non-stop hilarious. I just have a blast hearing CK in pretty much everything he says, and this was no exception. And it's still sort of weird seeing him doing stand-up and seeing his brilliant, brilliant series, a series that is quite often melancholic and dark in its approach. Regardless, he is my favorite comedian at the moment and I don't see that changing anytime soon. Definitely a great show as expected and cannot wait to see what else he has in store for us later on in his career.