The problem with Comedy shows, is the minutes before the comedy show, everyone in the audience thinks they are a Comedian.
But the nice thing about Comedy shows, is that despite all the amateurs cracking jokes to each other in a totally annoying way, is knowing that people are there to have a good time.
They they aren’t like me, there to hate on everything like the comedy snob that I am. Which isn’t an intentional title, it just sort of happened with age and time spent watching comedy, realizing that it is so contrived and predictable, even safe in this era of everyone is scared of social media backlash for what they do.
It’s refreshing….
But not as refreshing as seeing a true talent on stage deliver. Which is exactly what happened and Tom Green’s show.
Before tonight, I wouldn’t identify myself as a Tom Green fan. I would say he got annoying when he was at his most famous.
I appreciated him on cable access in the late 90s, when people from Ottawa would record his show and pass it around – eventually having it end up in my VCR. It was viral video before viral. It was a DIY level of trolling, insanity, screwing with people I liked. There was a reason MTV picked it up amongst all that they had the option of picking up…but I would have never said I was a Tom Green fan. I would have never said I liked his comedy, sure who doesn’t like a good fucking with people for your own entertainment and letting your audience in on the fucking with people, but if asked in conversation what comedians I liked, it would probably never have been Tom Green.
That has all changed because tonight was the first time I saw him perform live, I am sure there were opportunities I’ve missed in the past, but I got some tickets and made a point of going because at this point he’s a legend and I couldn’t miss the chance to see what he does.
Remember, he went viral before social media ruined pretty much everything, including comedy. Where people didn’t complain about everything amongst themselves, and where bullshit marketing manipulators figured out how to get themselves to go viral with gimmicks. Where you actually had to be good to get noticed and not just followed on IG by robots in Russia before giving people the illusion they need to follow you because you post epic MEMES you didn’t create….
What I experienced was almost a perfect show. Within minutes of Tom Green’s set, I was laughing, and I don’t laugh….I actually find laughing and Comedy as a whole pretty stupid….but I immediately understood why he was picked up from Canada and thrown into MTV, where he became the massive star he became. I mean he dated Drew Barrymore.
There was a perfect balance of weirdness, of insane, of dark and all of it, despite going into it thinking his comedy was more idiotic that clever, it was really smart. It all spoke directly to my soul, it was relatable. Like
The general theme, after using a couple named Chanel and Al as an example, was that social media, technology and cell phones are bad…even if they give you gang bang porn in your pocket at any time. It ruins marriages and lives and anyone under 30 has never officially been bored, which is obviously more entertaining when you have someone like Tom Green really committing to the point, acting it out, quick on his feet, with great energy.
He even took the time to sing some of his songs, and brag or boast about how he wrote them…including but not limited to a song about Crack Babies from his cable access show. To Daddy would you like some sausage.
He also mentioned politics, without getting into politics, beyond addressing the fact that Trump fired him on the third day of Celebrity apprentice for drinking with Dennis Rodman during his challenge. Something Trump apparently yelled at him for. Reminding us all that anyone Tom Green personally knows on a personal level knows has no business being President.
Overall it was Brilliant.
There are many other great shows at the JUST FOR LAUGHS Festival. To find out more CLICK HERE