Anyone see this stand up act? I saw it the other night on HBO.
I laughed and thought it was ok but by the end it seemed like he was reeeeeeally struggling.
I know I would have been disappointed if I would have paid money to see that show live. It just kept getting weaker and weaker every joke. His encore was barely passable as stand up.
Quote: Curt @ December 15 2008, 5:22 PM GMTAnyone see this stand up act?
No.
Quote: Curt @ December 15 2008, 5:22 PM GMTAnyone see this stand up act? I saw it the other night on HBO.
I laughed and thought it was ok but by the end it seemed like he was reeeeeeally struggling.
I know I would have been disappointed if I would have paid money to see that show live. It just kept getting weaker and weaker every joke. His encore was barely passable as stand up.
Hasn't been screened here, but from what I understand it features him performing bits and pieces from all three of his stand up shows? I imagine it'll wash up over here at some point.
saw it yesterday (bit torrent).....grim.
He should take up darts. That would be funny.
I enjoyed it.
To elaborate, my three problems where:
For UK viewers it's just bits of his UK gigs so not much new.
He kept checking his notes which (along with doing the same old gags anyway) made it feel like a badly done presentation instead of an intimate interaction with the audience.
Maybe it's me but I'm seriously going off his approach to comedy....this idea that he acts a cock and we all laugh AT him just doesn't fly. His gags about kids with cancer don't create any room to laugh at him....the gag is about the kids, which is fine - but don't then try and hide from that with the wink to camera to say "I'm not nasty really" (also, he has said he gets away with fat gags cause he's chubby.......I think gags about dying children may go down better with me if he was a parent).
I don't think he is a wanker....I just think he plays one very well which is only great if you find that funny or find the jokes of a wanker funny - and there are LOTS of people who are laughing at the joke, not the wanker.
Edited by Aron.
Quote: Pete @ December 16 2008, 9:43 AM GMTI think gags about dying children may go down better with me if he was a parent
The gag should live and die by itself, to me Gervais's parental status is irrelevant.
Lot's of gags don't work like that...Chris Rock's gags couldn't be done by a white bloke and Jo Brand's act would be lame from a man.
And with Gervais it's not so much the gag that's funny as it is the bloke who's telling it (in The Office we don't laugh at blacks and disabled people....we laugh, in thoery, at Brent) - I just find his stage act quite hard to see where he draws the line. His gay stuff would fit right into a Jim Davidson routine from 20 years ago....do we laugh for the same reasons?
For those of you who still like Ricky G. he's due on the Steve Wright show just coming up on Radio 2. I know this means listening to Steve Wright, but...
Ricky Gervais Out of England?
Is that a promise? 
Quote: Matthew Stott @ December 15 2008, 6:03 PM GMTHasn't been screened here, but from what I understand it features him performing bits and pieces from all three of his stand up shows? I imagine it'll wash up over here at some point.
Recycling old material? Well it works for Peter Kay I suppose.
He didn't do it for the UK, did he?
I was under the impression is was for a US audience. Who haven't seen all his standup tours.
Quote: zooo @ December 17 2008, 12:37 AM GMTHe didn't do it for the UK, did he?
I was under the impression is was for a US audience. Who haven't seen all his standup tours.
No doubt we'll get it on DVD, special edition, never before seen in the U.K.
I wouldn't assume so. He really doesn't tend to do things like that.
He's not Peter Kay.