2/1/09

(Updated) Brian Regan wrings the towel dry

(Updated this post with a version of the clip that works.)

According to Patton Oswalt: "Brian Regan's THE BEST stand-up working today." I don't know if I'd go that far, but I def enjoy watching Regan perform (and I give guys like him, Birbigs, Gaffigan, and Paul F. extra points for being clean yet still funny).



One thing I noticed while watching this "Me Monsters" clip: He really knows how to wring the towel dry. By that, I mean he really gets every last drop out of an act out. A couple of examples...

Example 1: At 1:40 in, he makes fun of people who have to outdo ya with their medical tales. A lot of comics would end after one or two examples (say where he gets a laugh on "I've had nine wisdom teeth pulled.") But Regan milks it for a good 20 seconds more. Turns a premise that most comics would get only a chuckle out of into a full bit that hits hard. (Applause break but who knows if that was sweetened afterwards.)

Example 2: At 3:14 in, he makes fun of "Me Monsters" who talk about themselves too much. Again, he turns what would be a one-line punch by another comic into a full 20 second act out. (Maybe 20 seconds is some kind of magical amount of time for act outs?) It's not just stretching for the sake of stretching either. He goes somewhere by ending with the chest thumping and the whole extended thing offers the perfect contrast for the short moon line that follows.

1 comment:

Mo Diggs said...

I am learning to "beat the shit out of an idea," as Mirman said describing what makes Louis CK great.

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