[Note: This review includes tracks that will appear on the album/DVD available for purchase, but were edited out of the May 12 Comedy Central airing.]
If you’re depressed and can’t afford therapy or Zoloft, just buy a copy of Pete Holmes’ “Nice Try, The Devil.” It is a delightful, goofy, silly, fun, funny hour of stand-up that will leave you with more happy checks ready to cash than when you started.
Pete Holmes’ style is neither traditional setup-punch nor standard storytelling. Instead, each bit creates its own goofy pocket universe where the comedy comes from the character, the situation, and, sometimes, just a silly voice. Like tiny, very oddball sitcoms.
The words “silly” and “goofy” are often used to describe Pete; I’ll use them a bunch of times here. But that isn’t to say his comedy is superficial fluff. He tackles a lot of deep topics (dying, religion, loneliness) but he’s a “Fun Dad” (or a youth pastor in every other alternate universe, if you like) so it all feels safe and pleasant.
It’s almost like he’s bringing a really great torchlight of humor into these dark places. I mean, the man compares porn to baking a cake on “cake day” and I’m not sure anyone else could say “we’re gonna die” so many times in such a short period of time and actually make everyone have an even better time than they were having the minute before he said it.
“Nice Try, The Devil” starts off very goofy, with hardcore fan favorites “Salon Dijon” and “Peirce!!/Juan!!” Then Pete does probably his two bits that most resemble standard jokes or stories: “Atlanta” and “Dropped a Dog.” It was a nice one-two punch so the viewer can jump in the deep end or wade slowly into the old Petey Pool.
After “Dropped a Dog,” each successive bit goes deeper and deeper into Pete’s multiverse of delightfulness. Just about midway, Pete does what’s become a pretty signature bit in the last year or so in “Gay For Gosling,” a great take on the old “would you suck a dick for a million dollars?” question apparently every guy asks every other guy all the time.
The DVD includes a lot more meat in the second half, including one of Pete’s excellent “playground bits” in “Video Game Doctor.” Regardless, both the DVD and Comedy Central versions are strong going from “Gay for Gosling” right until the end. And if you don’t kind of pee your pants a little from laughing during the closing bit, “Telemarketers,” you’re dead on the inside.
Some viewers will be annoyed that Pete pulls a Fallon and laughs at a lot at his own jokes, especially at the beginning. It’s definitely one of those things that doesn’t translate as well into edited-down two-dimensions. He’s got a couple other mannerisms that might be off-putting if you aren’t already a weirdo. He likes to punctuate setups with “do you hear what I’m saying?” and often bridges into a detailed restating of the premise with something along the lines of “if you aren’t laughing, then you aren’t picturing…” I tend to find these charming devices that help establish a nice rhythm at live shows, but they didn’t feel as natural on the special.
Those little niggles might trip up a few people, but overall, even those completely unfamiliar with Pete should really enjoy this special. Weirdos, of course, will love it.
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