Ralphie May: Too Big to Ignore

First thought, I remember May's breakout on LAST COMIC, he was unforgettable and totally original. He did not win but, hey, if you pay attention to these "talent" shows (thank you Ted Mack from the 1950s) the right people almost never win, thankfully there are talent scouts around to pick up the good ones....

Second thought. This special is brilliant. May is brilliant. In the opinion of this reviewer, who BTW worked in LA in the 80s as a comedy scout, all the great standups have gone. (Except possibly Coz, who now sits down during his "stand-up" but still has the gift of storytelling.) That leaves a gap. It is large gap but May is a large guy and if he can maintain consistency he could potentially fill the gap. He can tell a story, he can segue, he sing, he can make you laugh.

Last thought: a friend loaned me another May concert on DVD. I don't have the date. He wore a bright orange jumpsuit, so die-hard fans will know what I am talking about. He was terrible. I mean horrific. He was self-conscious, oblivious to the mood of the crowd, and stared blankly at the camera as if he could not believe the jokes weren't landing. He was not the same guy as he was here.

So there is a consistency thing. If he overcomes that, he could be one of the greats.

The majority of his jokes are not funny. Some are outright stupid and juvenile. His agent must've turned on the laughing gas full blast over the audience. Either that or the video producers used a laugh track and video of a different audience. I kept trying to figure out why the audience was laughing at jokes that were not close to being funny. Sometimes they would just laugh in the middle of a stupid story. It made no sense. Don't waste your time. Speaking of which, watching the second hand of any clock spin around the dial might be better entertainment. I gave this video 2/10 only out of generosity for the not-funny comedians who need to find other work.

Couldn't disagree more with the previous reviewer, this stand-up gig is one of the funniest I've heard in quite a while. Of course humor is subjective, and some will not like the crude and puerile nature of some of the skits. If you're one of those people, then this is not for you. But if you're able to accept crude depictions of ordinary people at their stupidest, then May's characterizations of people he has known, along with his insightful take on everything from warrantless wiretapping, racism, homophobia, and poverty should make you roar with laughter. Pay particular attention to his solution to hurtful words, which, without spoiling it for you, involves creating delicious desserts out of the pejorative denigrations people use to hurt each other. Brilliant.

My only complaint - I laughed so hard I started getting ab cramps!