David Cross – It’s Not Funny

David Cross really knows how to build a joke.

This is evident in his 2004 stand-up comedy CD It’s Not Funny and right from the first track where he starts off with a dig on how parents bore you to death with stories about their child’s latest exploit and how hard it is to have children and then immediately whacks you with the darkest possible reply to that statement. This is a very good example of how stand-up comic David Cross likes to set up his jokes so although his routine seems fairly stream of consciousness you know it most certainly isn’t.

This first track is also a good example of how It’s Not Funny itself is set up. Comic David Cross goes from safe material like electric scissors and cutting out a Family Circus strip to one of the most dead on, vicious attacks on George Bush in the closing track with the George Bush version of Martin Luther King’s I Have A Dream speech.

The fact the heart of this stand-up comedy CD is Cross’ take on September eleven and its repercussion shows he is not afraid of taking on serious and very risky subject matters. That he can not only make you laugh but actually say something about the topic at the same time shows how funny and intelligent this comic is.

If David Cross has a weakness, and he does, it is his almost constant use of “you know” on some tracks, you know. This, you know, is, you know, extremely annoying, you know, and definitely takes away, you know, from the stand-up comedy routine, the joke, the set up, the material, and how intelligent a comedian David Cross is. He does not do it often but seems to do it very often when he tackles more dangerous stuff and this really takes away from the material.

Still, if you like serious and intelligent comedy that rises far above your standard comedy club or comedy CD material, It’s Not Funny by David Cross is a strong addition to your collection and a funny CD you will enjoy time and again.

David Cross
It’s Not Funny
Stand-Up Comedy CD
Sub Pop Records
74 minutes

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