MIDLIFE VICES GRADE: C-
If Comedy Central-affiliated comedian Greg Giraldo was aiming to offend every demographic possible, he has done so in his recent comedy CD “Midlife Vices.” Just rolling through his track list is an introduction to those he plans to attack, including fat kids, people who are homeless, old, female, Chinese, handicapped, gay, asthmatic or Puerto Rican — emphasis on the female.
Newly-divorced former drug addict Giraldo indulges in a number of slightly (yes, slightly) humorous tirades in his June 2009 New York City Union Square Theater performance. According to Giraldo’s Web site, he has previously done work on Comedy Central’s “Root of All Evil” and “The Gong Show” in addition to appearing on multiple “Comedy Central” celebrity roasts. Maybe Giraldo should stick to that type of late night comedy — bringing his type of humor out in the light of day is just flat out distasteful.
Recording his performance in NYC lent itself to the introductory section on jokes for New Yorkers, beacuse in New York, there are parades nearly every weekend in the summer, creating traffic jams throughout the city. Giraldo’s choice of focus was the Puerto Rican Day Parade, which he claims offered empowering messages to women like, “You’re never too fat to wear a tube top.”
The snippets that are appropriate enough to be repeated to friends without being pummeled for offending mass groups of people aren’t worth the time spent on the whole disc.
Giraldo touches on a lot of recently controversial subjects such as stem cell research, the economy, athletes and steroids and gay marriage. He discussed homosexuality and how he doesn’t believe it’s a choice, just as his attraction to women isn’t a choice.
“I don’t choose it,” Giraldo says on the CD. “I happen to be attracted to women. It sucks, but I don’t choose it. Every 10 years or so I have to give all of my shit away and start from scratch,” he said, referring to his divorce.
Giraldo’s bits are amusing if one enjoys laughing at others’ expense, but not funny enough to spawn audible laughter — unless discussing which animals would be fun to have sex with forces you to laugh (Koalas? Kangaroos? Let’s talk about it for three minutes in great depth — Giraldo does).
His bit on the female anatomy is revolting. When he describes his thoughts the first time he saw a nude woman, it makes one want to shut off the disc. Though that part is contained in the first half of Giraldo’s set and the second half of his performance proved to be better than the first, it still does not warrant the purchase of the entire CD.
Some of Giraldo’s comedy is somewhat entertaining, specifically a track entitled “Texting/Technology/Wall Punching,” which almost produces audible laughter when he grapples with new rainwater windshield sensor technology in cars. Apparently we’re too lazy to twist the windshield wiper stick, but we can still text and drive. This routine is worth a listen — but just find it on YouTube.
Giraldo proves that he is capable of clean, inoffensive humor when he finds a Jamaican man asleep in the dead center of his audience in the middle of his performance. He then mocks the man and tells a funny anecdote from his trips to Jamaica. It’s the kind of humor one can get from sarcastic friends after a family vacation.
Though some of Giraldo’s material is funny, don’t waste time or money picking up this CD. Finding the best of his skits on YouTube or searching blogs for his highest-rated routines is a better option — it’s just not worth the purchase.
You can reach this staff writer at thescene@theagleonline.com.
