Louis C.K. Oh My God

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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It was only in the last few years that I learned of Louis C.K. Fortunately, I've seen some of his material, including "Louis C.K. Oh My God". In this special (also released as a comedy album) he discusses things like how lucky humans are to exist outside the food chain, and what would happen if murder were legal. I'd say that C.K.'s humor corroborates what Lenny Bruce, George Carlin and Richard Pryor proved: the problems in the world make for some great humor. Admittedly, C.K.'s humor isn't usually as edgy as Sarah Silverman's, but I've liked everything that I've heard from him.

In conclusion, I recommend the special. It deserved its Emmy win.

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)."

Louis C.K. does his HBO special in Phoenix. The stage is 360. He does his highly inappropriate material as usual. He's a 45 divorced New Yorker father of two girls.

His brand of observational comedy is brilliant. He is lovable. The crowd is into it. It hits all of his various hot spots. He's growing breasts. There's a lot of jerking off, getting off of the food chain, dating and so on.

Comedy is always a matter of taste. No two people have the same funny bone. This is not for the easily offended. His fans will love this. It follows his many other specials.

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.