STAND-UP TUESDAYS: Marc Maron

August 9th, 2011

Angie Frissore

We have been saying it for weeks, but Under The Gun Review is undergoing an evolution of sorts and part of this change involves the unveiling of many new, recurring features. Today we are continuing the debut one of our most anticipated features, a weekly comedy spotlight written by the wonderfully talented Angie Frissore. Covering both known and unknown comics, Stand-up Tuesdays is your new source for all things funny.

This week, we are putting a spotlight on Marc Maron and his latest release, This Has To Be Funny. If you or your comedy troupe would like to be featured on Stand-Up Tuesdays, please email utgjames@gmail.com.

There’s nothing I love more than smart comedy, so, naturally, when I found Marc Maron’s new CD waiting in my mailbox, I all but squealed with delight. The podcasting legend and long-time comedian’s fourth CD, This Has to Be Funny, hit stores today.

In a recent keynote address as this year’s Just For Laughs Festival, Maron recalled a time not too long ago when his agent referred to him as ‘unbookable’ – but with an astounding twenty million downloads of his podcast WTF with Marc Maron – in a mere two years – Maron is clearly comedy’s comeback kid.

Let’s face it, Maron is a comedic genius. He’s smart, sharply witty, self-depricating – pretty much all that you could ask for in a stand-up comedian. What’s refreshing about his latest recording is that, while we of course get to see the neurotic, ‘heady’ Maron we know and love, there’s really not too much in the way of politically-themed material.

Maron has a sort of outside-looking-in view, of both himself and the world that we live in, from which he derives his clever comedic tales. In one track from This Has to Be Funny, Maron explains his habit of seeking advice from his cat.
“I’ve sat there, and I’ve looked him in the eye, and said ‘I don’t know what to do, should I break up with her? I don’t know what to do!” Maron states. “And Monkey just sits there…like a cat.”

Maron’s blend of conversational storytelling remains refreshingly unique – there are no truly dirty jokes, no one-liners (except when he is relaying a story of coming up with said one-liners). His talent for engaging his audience is unmatched, which is not surprising given his remarkable ability to interview his fellow comedians and evoke their true selves. He’s totally comfortable talking with people – and they’re comfortable talking with him.

While there’s not a lot of political commentary, there’s certainly hilarious social commentary. If I wasn’t already a huge Maron fan, his view on hipsters would instantly sell me.
“I literally get angry at a handlebar mustache – angry,” he muses, reflecting on the lack of ‘annoying’ hipsters in the crowd. “I get angry when I see a handlebar mustache – or a fedora.”

He jokes about his own personal habits, home ownership, the Creation museum, and – my favorite – texting while driving, in such a way that he’s almost expressing that little devilish voice inside all of our heads. That’s the great thing about Marc Maron – he’s unassuming and relatable, so when he talks about wishing his ex-wife’s baby was born without a face, you can’t help but be on his side.

Maron’s podcast celebrates its 200th episode this Thursday, but you can get a head start by checking out This Has to Be Funny, today.

Written by: Angie Frissore