Greg Behrendt
Uncool
Warner Brothers 2005
60 plus minutes
Greg Behrendt, as seen on the Oprah Winfrey Show as the author of It’s Called A Breakup Because It’s Broken and He’s Just Not That Into You, a couple of relationship guide books, is also a good stand-up comedian. Uncool is an hour or so performance by Greg Behrendt. Uncool is a cool stand-up comedy DVD.
Greg Behrendt shows he is much more than a relationship guru on Uncool. He is a solid stand-up comic who definitely knows what he is doing and uses the art form of stand-up comedy to its fullest. His comedy is often aubiographical as he does jokes about growing old and being too old to go to rock concerts. He also throws in a couple of jokes about being on Oprah, a fan’s reaction to this appearance, some material about his two books that does not feel like he is plugging them, and gives some cues on how to play good air guitar.
If Greg Behrendt has a weakness it is obvious on Uncool. He often steps on the laughs during his show and this sometimes garbles a few of his very funny jokes. This may be because he is a high energy (without being stressful) stand-up comic who reminds me at times of a motivational speaker in both his body language and delivery.
My favorite bit on Uncool, Greg Behrendt’s stand-up comedy DVD, is his nice, long Halloween piece in which he covers fun size candy bars, chocolate food groups, candy situations, gives advice to trick or treaters, and talks about the “bag of punishment” for those who do no know how to trick or treat properly.
This stand-up comic’s forte however, and as books like It’s Called A Breakup Because It’s Broken and He’s Not Just That Into You might suggest, and as his job as consultant on Sex And The City clearly indicates, is relationship jokes. He has a lot of very funny relationship jokes that, because they are set up inside a funny tale, do not feel like a series of one-liners. His bit about couples’ game night and Pictionary may run a bit long but most of it is excellent. Just as solid is Playmate Playdate about his daughter’s playmate’s mother being in Playboy and the intimate conversation his wife had with her. He also has some very funny jokes about growing old and being, as the title suggests, uncool.
Greg Behrendt was a wanna be rock star and he has not totally given up that dream on Uncool. He suggests we should approach life as we do a rock show and closes with a heavy metal, with band, version of Itsy Bitsy Spider.
Purists will notice Behrendt’s comic timing is sometimes a bit off on Uncool but his delivery, the strength of his material, and the very appreciative women in the audience make for a very good stand-up comedy DVD.
Track list:
Do It, Dude
Col. Nick
Chain Wallet
Adult Rock Show
Air Guitar
CD Repair Guy
Ointment
Chicken Situation
I Don’t Understand My Robe
My Sexy Faces
Crybaby Spiderman
Tattoos For Daddy
A Free Sunday?
Pictionary
I’m No Picnic
Playmate Playdate
He’s Just Not That Into You
You Must Rock
Baby Rawk
Black Rattle!