You probably know Jim Gaffigan even if you don't recognize the name. He's that pale comedian. That really pale comedian who speaks in two voices while standing on stage. The near albino fellow who confiscates your Sierra Mist. If none of that helped, just look at the DVD cover. If you still don't know Jim Gaffigan - you've been missing out. Jim Gaffigan is one of the best up and coming (if not newly established) comedians today. His first DVD special Beyond the Pale was comically hysterical. If you don't think it's possible to stand on stage and talk about food for two hours - then you've yet to be enlightened by the Gaffigan. For King Baby, Gaffigan's second DVD special, Gaffigan resumes his food-oriented routine while hearkening back to a few of his earliest routines about that good old sedentary lifestyle.
"I watch bowling on TV - because I use my time wisely."
The earliest segment of Jim Gaffigan I'd ever heard was about the joys of laziness. King Baby reprises many of those comedic tangents while tying into the food jokes that made Beyond the Pale so popular.
The allure of Jim Gaffigan isn't in finding absurdity in everyday occurrences like Jerry Seinfeld, Gaffigan takes all of the guilty habits Americans have and makes them hilarious. Imagine if Jeff Foxworthy was concerned with lazy people instead of rednecks (assuming there is a difference) and gave us lists of "you know you're lazy if...". That's Jim Gaffigan. And it's hilarious.
"The escalator really makes you look down on stairs. They're nothing more than an organized hill."
Bowling, escalators, surviving bear attacks, hammocks, snooze buttons, futons, bean bag chairs and every other icon of laziness get their moment in the sun. The trademark of Jim Gaffigan's stand-up is his multiple personality routine. Jim plays his own worst critic with a voice a few pitches above his own. On paper, this might sound awfully strange - on a stage this is perhaps the saving grace of the Gaffigan routine. In his first few presentations (before the days of DVD) Gaffigan essentially stood on stage and had a conversation with the critic after each joke. Again, reading about it doesn't do the routine justice. Jim Gaffigan is incredibly quotable - this is one of the best comedy experiences to share with your friends.
"The pig is an amazing animal. You give it an apple and it makes bacon."
Shifting away from laziness, Gaffigan swerves back onto the road that made him ever so popular: food. If you don't think it's possible to talk about bacon for five minutes while still eliciting laughs every ten seconds - you need some Gaffigan in your life. If you need to be reminded why we eat bacon despite all the glaring detriments to your health - you need some Gaffigan in your life. Clearly.
"You never see anyone crying in a hammock. ‘My life is awf - Oh, this is delightful!"
Here's a man who can make a convincing argument for laziness on all occasions. Jim Gaffigan is an incredible comedian. King Baby is well worth your time, and while you're at it pick up Beyond the Pale. Laugh yourself silly for a night. Thank me later.
DVD Bonus Features
"Pale Force"
Jim Gaffigan and Conan O'Brian combine their bleach-white bodices in a series of animated shorts. Animated by Jim's brother, the Pale Force episodes are a funny superhero farce.
"Our Massive Planet"
As an unlicensed zoologist, Jim Gaffigan may be one of the foremost scholars in fake knowledge about animals. For these shorts he shares this dearth of knowledge with us. Laughs are had.
XM/Sirius Interview
Jim Gaffigan gives us 26 minutes of his time at the Comix Comedy Club in New York. Answering questions about his experiences as a comic on the rise, Gaffigan wavers between the serious and self-deprecating in a fun segment.
The remaining four featurettes are all tongue in cheek segments having to do with Gaffigan's tour experiences. The "Never Aired British Interview" and "The Sexy Tour Friday Night Stand Up" are the more recent pieces to promote The Sexy Tour of which King Baby was a part. The former is a very self-deprecating piece where a British journalist asks questions of Gaffigan who just lies; the latter is comprised of the commercial break tie-ins from Comedy Central. "The Beyond the Pale Tour Stand Up" is just like the segment for the Sexy Tour, but the version that should have been included on the last DVD - better late than never, I suppose. Still funny. "Atlanta: Meet and Greet on Demand" is a straightforward video clip of fans commenting after a show in Atlanta and Jim joking around with them.
This is stand-up comedy on DVD at its best. Go get it.
"Jim Gaffigan: King Baby" is on sale March 31, 2009 and is rated NR. Comedy. Written and directed by Jim Gaffigan. Starring Jim Gaffigan.
