CD REVIEW
Jim Norton: Despicable
Rating: 4 stars (out of 5)
By Ryan P. Carey
Jim Norton is filthy.
Despicable is perhaps the dirtiest comedy album I’ve ever heard. But it’s probably funnier than the next ten runners up combined.
Being that I’m not particularly attracted to extremely raunchy comedy, it speaks volumes about Norton’s joke writing that he is always hilarious and never lets the muck and grime obscure the punch lines. He takes on his usual topics like adult entertainers, personal grooming, marginal sexual preferences — and even manages to bring abortion and spousal abuse into a four-minute bit about penguins. It seems there is no topic from which Norton can’t glean implications of death, sexual assault, humiliation or perversion. And even though these aren’t topics that necessarily appeal to me, it’s thrilling getting the equivalent of a Nova special about a truly fucked up individual’s psyche. And his chops are right where they need to be, and further
He manages to tell racist jokes without ever sounding like a racist, homophobic jokes without ever sounding like a homophobe and misogynistic jokes — well the jury’s still out on that one. But a transcript of his act would indicate a universal misanthrope, while his personality suggests just a messed up dude sorting out the modern human abyss.
It’s foul as fuck, funny to beat the band and just as good as any Norton product we’ve come to expect.
Ryan P. Carey, D.D.S. is a Philadelphia-based comic and senior contributing writer for STAGE TIME. Check out his blog at http://dolphindentist.blogspot.com.
