Season four Last Comic Standing finalist Chris Porter certainly isn't the ugliest comedian around — although, as he mentions during his 2014 Netflix special Ugly and Angry, he does look like he walked out of an Allman Brothers Band photo — but he's certainly one of the angriest.
Unlike someone like Lewis Black, Porter's pent up anger isn't directed towards the wider cultural trends in an attempt to better society, but the nitty-gritty details that dot our daily lives — like the idiots in line at Starbucks who ask fellow customers what the names of beverages mean. ("'What's a macchiato?' I don't know. If I knew that I wouldn't be here!")
A better name for the special would have been, as he says during one particular bit, "Tired of Being Nice"; he's fed up with the world's bullshit, and whether it's Taco Bell lying about how much beef is in their actual beef, or how we should separate the stupid people from the smart ones by taking away warning labels, the only answer Porter has to our problems seems to involve being more up front.
That's one of Porter's biggest strengths: being clear and direct. Really, the only moments when this special suffers are when the Kansas-born comedian reverts from acting like the smartest Southerner around to just one of the boys, complaining about his girlfriend putting a pickle next to his "sammich" when she makes him lunch, or saying there's no real difference between clubbing a girl over the head and dragging her home compared to plying her with nine shots at a bar. Thankfully, those moments rarely rear their ugly head.
"I'm part of a generation I don't understand," the then 35-year-old says near the end of his set. If you feel the same way, this special may help alleviate some of your frustration.
Exclaim! is reviewing every standup comedy special currently available on Netflix Canada, including this one. You can find a complete list of reviews so far here.
Unlike someone like Lewis Black, Porter's pent up anger isn't directed towards the wider cultural trends in an attempt to better society, but the nitty-gritty details that dot our daily lives — like the idiots in line at Starbucks who ask fellow customers what the names of beverages mean. ("'What's a macchiato?' I don't know. If I knew that I wouldn't be here!")
A better name for the special would have been, as he says during one particular bit, "Tired of Being Nice"; he's fed up with the world's bullshit, and whether it's Taco Bell lying about how much beef is in their actual beef, or how we should separate the stupid people from the smart ones by taking away warning labels, the only answer Porter has to our problems seems to involve being more up front.
That's one of Porter's biggest strengths: being clear and direct. Really, the only moments when this special suffers are when the Kansas-born comedian reverts from acting like the smartest Southerner around to just one of the boys, complaining about his girlfriend putting a pickle next to his "sammich" when she makes him lunch, or saying there's no real difference between clubbing a girl over the head and dragging her home compared to plying her with nine shots at a bar. Thankfully, those moments rarely rear their ugly head.
"I'm part of a generation I don't understand," the then 35-year-old says near the end of his set. If you feel the same way, this special may help alleviate some of your frustration.
Exclaim! is reviewing every standup comedy special currently available on Netflix Canada, including this one. You can find a complete list of reviews so far here.