It’s week nine. Chances are you’re overwhelmed by all those last-minute projects, essays and tests to the point of exhaustion. The best way to relieve this stress? Laughter. Check out these stand-up comedians available to watch instantly on Netflix.
Eddie Izzard, recommended by Rebecca Sedlak
Like British comedy? Check out Eddie Izzard@@http://www.eddieizzard.com/@@. An English comedian with a Monty Python-like style, Izzard has a rambling, whimsical and world-relevant dry wit that will have you snorting with laughter. Unlike other stand-ups who often go on profanity-laced tirades or talk about gross, vulgar stuff, Izzard pulls his material from history, current events and pop culture, all with his own thoughts mixed in. That’s not to say he doesn’t curse — this is comedy, after all. He’s a transvestite, but instead of making cheap jokes or not addressing it, Izzard sets out to educate his audience and make them laugh. Netflix has several recordings of his one-man shows, including “Dress to Kill” from 1999, where he performs in San Francisco.@@http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0184424/@@
Jim Gaffigan, recommended by Kelly Ardis
Judging from his 2006 “Beyond the Pale,” it would appear Jim Gaffigan@@http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0815456/@@ is obsessed with food, as the majority of this 55-minute special is made up of jokes about everything from cake vs. pie, the instant regret of eating Hot Pockets@@plural@@ and the shame of buying Cinnabon@@spelled right@@. He also jokes a lot about how lazy he is. This sounds pretty sad, but trust me, it’s hilarious. While his jokes are really funny on paper, it’s Gaffigan’s delivery that makes him one of the best comedians today. A good example of this is his recurring asides, where he takes on the high-pitched voice of an aghast, indignant audience member and critiques his own jokes: “Actually, I only dated one Asian girl, but she was very Asian. She was a panda,” he jokes in his regular voice before adopting his other and saying, “Hey, I like pandas. They’re endangered, fella.” Another unique trait with Gaffigan’s comedy is that he doesn’t rely on cursing or controversial topics such as sex and drugs to get his laughs. Aside from a few curse words here and there and some fairly innocent references to sex, he’s pretty family-friendly.
David Cross, recommended by Alando Ballantyne
Stand-up comedian and actor David Cross’s career blew up when he played the hilarious, never-nude Tobias Funke in the forever-epic (although short-lived) TV series, “Arrested Development.” As it turns out, Cross is pretty funny even when not wearing short shorts in the shower. He has been doing stand-up since the age of 17, more than 30 years ago.@@http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0189144/bio@@ Since then, his resume includes working as a writer for “The Ben Stiller Show,” @@http://www.denofgeek.com/misc/524615/david_cross_interview_standup_arrested_development_mr_show_ben_stiller_and_more.html@@co-creating the HBO hit “Mr. Show” (a sketch-comedy series)@@http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112084/@@ and playing fictional liberal talk radio host Russ Lieber on “The Colbert Report.” @@http://www.colbertnation.com/video/tags/Russ%2BLieber@@During Cross’s stand-up act he tackles current political issues as well as random, everyday jokes. “My favorite thing about the health-care debates is the idea that Obama wants to kill grandparents,” he said during one routine. Take a look at “David Cross: Bigger and Blackerer” @@http://www.subpop.com/releases/david_cross/full_lengths/bigger_and_blackerer@@on Netflix, and you’ll be pleasantly surprised that one of your favorite actors from “Arrested Development” is also a great comedian.
Demetri Martin, recommended by Kaitie Todd
OK, OK. I’m late on the Demetri Martin train@@http://demetrimartin.com/@@. Does that make it any less awesome? No. Not being especially familiar with the stand-up comedy realm, I stumbled through a number of unfunny specials by other comedians before finally finding this one, and I’m glad I did. The beauty of “Demetri Martin. Person.” @@http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0954327/@@comes from its surprise — at least to me. Being a stand-up comedy newcomer, I wasn’t expecting a show that included more than talking. This special features not only talking, but snort-worthy “data” drawings, random and seemingly unscripted musical interludes as well as creative artwork and props. Many of the jokes seem at least somewhat rehearsed, but Martin succeeds in adding a spontaneity to his words and actions, working with an admirable comedic flow and timing. Add to this some quirky longer-form scenarios about things like squirrels @@SQUIRRELS?!@@and Hummer ownership, plus some surprisingly witty one-liners, and you have a pretty entertaining 42 minutes on your hands.
Louis C.K., recommended by Ben Kendall
Louis C.K. is offensive@@http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1190722/@@. He’s foul and over the line. He’s also hilarious. True, C.K. plays to the lowest common denominator with most of his routine but the shock in his material isn’t what’s funny about it. The man is actually funny. One of my favorite stand-up shows of his on Netflix is his “Chewed Up” special. There isn’t any dead air or ruined timing with his performance; he just kills it. There isn’t much I can say in this recommendation that would be fit to print, but the man is a nonpolitically-correct comedic genius. Check out “Chewed Up,” or any of his other shows that you can find for an “oh-my-God-I-can’t-believe-I-just-laughed-at-that” kind of good time.
George Carlin, recommended by Franklin Bains
There is little I can say in this section of the week’s Netflix picks to sum up George Carlin. There is scarcely enough room here, and I don’t have the time at the moment to sum up all the reasons Carlin is a comedy icon, the foundation upon which many other comedians now try to emulate. That’s why this isn’t a “Who is Carlin” sketch like the above have been. Instead, I thought I’d point out, for those who don’t know, that all of Carlin’s HBO specials are available for instant watch on Netflix. If you haven’t seen one the whole way through, it’s a real treat as he spares no barb for the ideologically confusing elements of modern culture with the true grace of a wordsmith. Obviously, his style is not for everyone, and he frequently verges on the vulgar. But, as previously mentioned, he is a cultural icon. and you are truly doing yourself a disservice if you don’t watch at least one of these all-purpose critiques.