STAND-UP TUESDAYS: Bob Saget

July 2nd, 2013

Grant Trimboli

Stand-Up Tuesdays is 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, Angie puts a spotlight on Bob Saget’s comedy career. If you or your comedy troupe would like to be featured on Stand-Up Tuesdays, please email utgjames@gmail.com.

In case you weren’t born prior to the nineties or happened to have spent a great deal of that decade in a coma, Bob Saget played the father on Full House – just so you know. If for some reason you have a difficult time remembering that, pick up a copy of Saget’s new special, That’s What I’m Talking About, as the comedian spends a great deal of time during his set reminding folks of that (and that he’s friends with John Stamos and Dave Coulier).

As someone who lived through the Full House era as an adolescent, I’m always surprised to hear about how blue Saget’s brand of stand up was to begin with – the family-friendly Tanner father was, in fact, one of the dirtiest comics known in the industry. Unfortunately for Saget, he happened to also have a distinct “sitcom dad” look to him, securing him his most famous role. Given his usual comedic style, one would naturally expect Saget to be enjoying his professional life free of any family-friendly restrictions – and yet, he simply cannot stop bringing it up.

Strip out the references to why the world knows Saget and you’re left with a very sloppy, unorganized mess of a comedy set that relies heavily on audience interaction. Saget is unfocused and everywhere, picking certain audience members out and making jokes that just don’t seem to fit all that well with each individual. At one point, Saget advises audience member “J-Bone” to not put a sea urchin on the end of his penis while standing down by the docks…because that’s a sensible direction in which to go, clearly. Saget had obviously meticulously planned out his chosen interactions prior to his arrival at the Seattle venue and stuck with them, despite how awkwardly they seemed to fit in.

Next, one must try to ignore the plethora of name-dropping moments Saget presents us with, ranging from his friend Howie Mandel to more John Stamos references – each one a more desperate attempt by Saget to stay relevant.

I’ve always been told that Bob Saget had a ‘late night’ bit and was known to be a very dirty comic. What I wasn’t told, however, is that Saget didn’t actually have any jokes per se – he just gets on stage and makes references to having sex with the women in the crowd, dishes out dick and fart jokes (a LOT of dick jokes…one starts to wonder), and spouts off tired one-liners that have been around for years. When it comes to substance, Saget simply has none at all.

“I don’t care if that’s a negative reaction. You’re still laughing,” Saget quips, “and that’s all that matters.”

Sadly, Mr. Saget, I disagree. No matter how many times it happens, I will always laugh at my dog’s flatulence – that certainly doesn’t make dog farts universally clever. One cannot simply stand on stage and make references to butt sex, wieners and, well, more wieners, and expect to win over a crowd.

This critic expected slightly more from Bob Saget, though she’s not so sure why.

Bob Saget’s That’s What I’m Talking About aired on Showtime on May 10 and is now available on CD and DVD via New Wave Entertainment.

Grade: D+