Lewis Black: Red, White and Screwed

I should be used to his sarcastic, insulting humor by now, but still am surprised. Don't tune this in if you're at all conservative (and certainly not if you're way toward that end of the spectrum) and/or easily offended. Otherwise, this is Lewis Black the modern Don Rickles - perhaps not vintage or at his best, but still outrageously honest at times.

Black describes his outlook well, but his insight into subsets of various American cultures from Jews to lobbyists (wait - are they different?) is certainly less than opaque in this hilarious routine. I find myself repeating the jokes - even translating them for relatives from foreign countries - to the delighted laughter of many. Linus Pauling - Nobel laureate in Chemistry - once said words to the effect that he hoped all the horrible racial epithets would be used to the point that they had no more shock value. Like Chappell and others today, Black certainly helps us all down that road. His commentary brings all manner of issues - contemporary to biblically archaic - into sharp focus, forcing the conflicted laughter over the human situation from Moses to Bush and Cheney. Highly recommended for repeated consumption.

I like Lewis Black and his ultra-high strung style of comedy. He certainly is NOT for everyone and his profuse use of the f-bomb is ample reason not to show any of his stand-up DVDs to your mother, children or Father O'Reilly. But he is terribly insightful and terribly funny.

That being said, however, this was my least favorite of the half a dozen or so Black specials I have watched. Most of it is because often his rants seem less funny than just angry. There is a fine line here and Black usually does a great job of balancing the two. But here I just found myself laughing less than normal. And, it's not just because the special features him bashing Republicans--you'd expect that since it was made in 2006 plus Black is also careful to say that the Democrats aren't a whole lot different. No, to me it just seems like Black was having a relatively flat stand-up routine...and that's okay since he has hit many, many bullseyes in other DVDs. Still worth seeing...just not one that had be in stitches.

While this time around Lewis Black, coming live from his hometown, takes some time in some of his 'bits'. There's lots of story that he needs to cover, or at least the great pauses and inflections that come with them, chiefly his account of his staggering experience at the White House correspondent's dinner (the President has 'handlers' is priceless). But for the most part, Black delivers many of his biggest laughs sometimes by not even delivering the typical punchlines. In Red, White and Screwed, as in Black on Broadway, his approach is to give a punchline- or one that might look like one- and pepper it with a vocal style and slight physical mannerisms that are the most ingenious I see today in stand-up comedy. What might be my favorite section of the special involves this style- or attack- on Dick Cheney going duck hunting, and its metaphor for the middle east. There are other great bits and one liners too, a good deal of which has also been recorded on Black's Carnegie Hall performance CD. If you're coming to this guy fresh not knowing who he is (which is a little surprising after so many years in stand-up and on the Daily Show), it might be hit or miss as he is not for everyone to be sure. But for fans it's quite the new eruption of topical bile with a heap of sardonic wit and perfectly timed pauses, expressions, and anger that isn't thrown at us but is likely the kind we might share (and laugh at) ourselves.

I have seen this special and i thought it was great... he's political humor is just the kind of comedy i like and i think a lot of what he says is true.. i definitely recommend this special to anyone who like a good laugh and most of all anyone who dislike Dick Chaney or George Bush. He brings everything that is wanted in comedy up on stage with him.. he brings his jokes and his act .. his jokes are hilarious but the way he presents them is just priceless.. a lot of people think that it is not right to swear maybe as much as he does but it is funny and that is what the audience wants then that is what the audience will get and that is Comedy.