Comedy ethics

[mburbank]

I'd have to actually go back and watch any of his non prop stuff to recall it enough to comment on it, but here's what I hate about his prop stuff.

No damn joke.

I saw him do a thing with a giant couch, and all the jokes boiled down to:
"LOOK AT THAT COUCH! IT'S BIG! IT'S BIGGER THAN IT OUT TO BE! IF I FIND STUFF BETWEEN THE CUSHIONS OR UNDER THAT YOU MIGHT FINDIN OR UNDER A COUCH, THEY'LL BIG BIG TO! WOAH! LOOK AT THIS QUARTER! IT'S BIGGER THAN A REGULAR QUARTER WOULD BE IN DIRECT PROPORTION TO THE COUCH!"

The peak of this 'look at this thing' schtick? He had a doll of a fat woman on a long pole hat he waved over the audience. It was rigged to drop little doll poops out it's ass, while Gallagher yelled

"LOOK OUT! I'VE GOT A FAT BITCH ON A STICK! SHE'LL POOP ON YOU! SHE'LL POOP ON YOU!"

Now admiytedly, that sounds funny. And it could have been done by a comedian who was either committed to the insanity of the moment (say Andy Kaufman) or invested in what was going on with audience expectations at that moment (like David Cross) but I honestly felt nothing happening beyond.

"I'VE GOT A FAT BITCH ON A STICK! SHE'LL POOP ON YOU! SHE'LL POOP ON YOU!"

He thought the prop was funny. He has always thought getting stuff on his audience is funny. He used the prop. I find him to be canned outrageousness, all surface, no content.

'LOOK, I'M OUTRAGEOUS! YOU CAN TELL BECUASE OF THE OUTRAGEOUS THING I'M DOING RIGHT NOW!'