Gilbert Gottfried - has Been??
Last night, T and I went to Side Splitters Comedy club. I had taken her there for her birthday a couple of weeks ago and we had a blast. It is a wonderful place, small or intimate and it is non-smoking, which is a plus for both of us. When we heard they were bringing in Gilbert Gottfried, we went online and got tickets for his last performance, the 10 pm show.
When we got there, the lounge was packed. All the shows had sold out. There were people hanging around from the last show and people waiting to get in. Gilbert was sitting at a display case selling his CD/DVD “Most Dirtiest Jokes”, signing autographs and being photographed. T and I stood around chatting with each other and people watching. I overheard one guy saying that it was the best show he had seen in years and that his sides were still hurting. Soon the doors opened and we proceeded to our seats.
We were seated with another couple, Rick and .... I cannot remember her name...I want to say Jennifer, but know I am wrong. We tried to make some conversation before the show, but they clearly were not interested. The show started with the same local comic from two weeks ago (Paul Smith, I believe). If you are going to MC or open or warm up, you need to keep it fresh and use new material. You need to have a variety of jokes and use them, intermix them. His routine was the same, almost word for word, as it was from two weeks ago. I know, it is SO much easier to be on this side of the mic, huh?
The featured comic was okay. He was Puerto Rican and had some good material and good interaction with the audience. No racial group was safe from him, nor were puppies.
Finally, it was time from Gilbert to take the stage.
First off, let me say that I am a fan of his work, from his work on voice over works, to his parrot imitation of Iago in Disney's Alladin to his wise cracking business manager in Beverly Hill's Cop II. However, last night was a disappointment. Many of his jokes were old, some using references and imitations to actors and actresses that were dated. I mean, some of these kids in the audience were not old enough to know who Andrew Dice Clay was (and those who remember know he did not enjoy a long career). As I looked around the audience and watched their faces (I was bored at this point and only half listening), I watched as punch lines were dropped and many laughed with dazed looks on their faces, like Pavlov's dogs. I could almost see the “Applause” sign lighting up, and people obeyed, even though they were not sure why. The jokes were rattled off, one after another, like he had done hundreds of times before. They had lost meaning to him and I felt it. Even towards the end, when he was wrapping up with his “most dirty jokes”, they were delivered with a dryness that could only be described as washed up. Maybe I was expecting more from “comedian's comedian”, from someone who has been doing stand up since the age of 15. Whatever I was expecting, I did not get it.
T and I talked on the drive home and I found out she felt the same way. It won't stop us from going back to Side Splitters, but it will make us think twice about going to see someone based on their name and fame.