Mark Normand: Soup to Nuts

Normand might be the best stand up act of this generation. A challengning thing for many comics who saw a significant increase in audience due to podcasting, is creating original material for the stage, and conducing material to a mainstream audience, thus catering to both hardcore fans, and casual audience members not in the know on inside jokes. Normand doesn't use lazy shout outs and references to fellow comics or podcast bits for cheap applauses. He sticks to the basics: setups and punchlines. Though he is anything but basic. He has a unique voice and hits you with so many jokes per minute i found myself pausing the special to finish laughing and make sure i don't miss any jokes, and even rewinding certain bits multiple times. Although he disagrees and says Out To Lunch was the superior special, i think he keeps getting better and this is his best work yet. Must see special.

In true Mark Norman fashion of speed balling the jokes, Normand fits more jokes into a single 50 minute set than most comedics would have spread across five different specials. The low tone zingers are plentiful, but so is the constant pacing back and forth and flailing hand gestures that become borderline nausea inducing. The jokes are wide ranging, but they never really push the edge or go too far. As social commentary, Soup to Nuts is a safe play. While I never found myself laughing hysterically, those who are removed from watching comedy regularly will probably find it just satiable enough to keep watching.

Combines a great, unique delivery with very funny material. His style is often like a throwback to comedians from before the Carlin/Pryor era but his jokes and stories are, in no way stale. There are just so many great comedians with specials out there now and hopefully this doesn't get lost in it because it's a gem of a show. And it's nice knowing that the next generation will have guys like Normand and Morril around for a long time. It's hard to review stand up specials without ruining the jokes, but if you like humor about things like having sex with down syndrome people, you will enjoy this show.

Certain eras coin people and elevate them above others forever but when it comes to comedy specials this is not such a time, and Mark Normand, despite his talent, remains derivative of others- particularly Chris Rock (who he practically mimics at one point) and Jerry Seinfeld. He has some great lines but the man/woman stuff doesn't quite work, the "let's go back to fun racial slurs" is the plea of an old man and his unvarying tone and setups lose your attention at times. He remains king of the podcast one liners but even he can't change the fact that specials are starting to look like something from another age.

Constantly pacing back and forth, same basic mannerisms for every punchline. How many times is he going to grab his chin? Waiting for the funny, still waiting. Starts a rhetorical question, followed by two to three Constantly pacing back and forth, same basic mannerisms for every punchline. How many times is he going to grab his chin? Waiting for the funny, still waiting. Starts a rhetorical question, followed by two to three Constantly pacing back and forth, same basic mannerisms for every punchline. How many times is he going to grab his chin? Waiting for the funny, still waiting. Starts a rhetorical question, followed by two to three.