The Comic Trifecta

Love them!!!!!!!!!

I was never a big fan of comics as a younger adult. I found certain people funny, like Seinfeld, but I couldn't imagine paying for an entire show and feeling it was worth my time and money. That was before Jav introduced me to a DVD of Eddie Izzard. I laughed so often and so hard through the whole thing, then found myself thinking about how smart and funny and true it all was weeks later. I couldn't wait to see his older stuff, and I knew my attitude was changing because I dreamed of possibly seeing him live. I never thought he'd get big enough to want to come to conservative, Bible Belt wearing Texas. The day I found out he was coming to the Majestic Theater a few years back was a happy one indeed (selling out, no less!) And the show passed all expectations I had going in.

Since then I have added two more comedians to my "I Will Pay To See You Live" list: Craig Ferguson and Ricky Gervais. My brother forwarded a You Tube video of Elmo interviewing Ricky Gervais to me, and I was a fan after that (although I found his hosting efforts of the last Golden Globes awards ceremony more mean-spirited than funny). Jav and I discovered Craig on his Late, Late Show a few years back and found him so funny that we decided to start watching him every night. We drifted away from him when Joel was born, but then about three weeks ago found ourselves looking at the Winstar (Shreveport casino) schedule to see if he had any shows scheduled over the summer. There were none, but then Jav, being the wonderful persistent husband that he is, found that he was going to be at Bass Hall the following Sunday night. He bought tickets and surprised me for our anniversary. Good, good husband!!!

He had an opening act, a guy we think is always on his show, who was vulgar and shocking and not very funny at all. There's something shocking and uncomfortable about hearing the F word over and over again in Bass Hall. And even though Craig cursed like a sailor here and there during the show, he was so incredibly smart and funny that I didn't really notice it. (Or maybe I just got used to hearing it in that place). I grinned, giggled and guffawed so much that my face hurt after the show was over.

The two men we've seen live are so different. Eddie Izzard thrives on making fun of history, organized religion, and other large topics of general human interest. Craig Ferguson's humor is more self-deprecating (and BOY does he have a store of material!) But both have that smart British sense of humor that I apparently love.

Now I have my eye on Ricky Gervais.