STAND-UP TUESDAYS: Jim Gaffigan

April 29th, 2014

Angie Frissore

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 Jim Gaffigan’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 missed it, comedian Jim Gaffigan‘s brand new special, Obsessed, premiered on Comedy Central this past Sunday, proving once again why the comedian is one of stand-up’s most treasured performers. Musing in his usual absurd and goofy manner about everything from his utter disdain for lobster to his family’s vacation to Mount Rushmore, Gaffigan truly delights in his latest effort.

And for this particular critic, it certainly doesn’t hurt that Obsessed was taped in my hometown of Boston at the historic Wilbur Theatre, either.

Gaffigan is wildly entertaining to watch as he expertly delivers his set with such variety in his inflection and character that one truly can’t be sure of where he his headed with each joke. His performance is akin to taking a ride on a brand-new roller coaster: you’re going to go through twists and turns, and hell, you might even get the slightest bit queasy – but you know the experience is going to be amazing and exciting.

One of my favorite aspects of Gaffigan is his ability to take the most mundane of subjects – unsalted french fries, let’s say – and turn them into colorfully detailed bits of comedy gold. He seamlessly glides through his set almost like it’s a musical performance, with every little detail orchestrated so perfectly that you are hooked from start to finish. In fact, I challenge you to view only some of Obsessed and see if you can walk away from it (I still haven’t been able to).

There’s one thing that I can’t shake, however, and I’m certain the issue lies solely with me and my complete over-saturation of stand up. I can’t help but hear a little bit of Patton Oswalt in Gaffigan’s mannerisms towards the end of Obsessed – but again, I take in far more stand up than most people, so that’s probably not something many might agree with me on. There’s so much similarity between the two comedians’ personalities that I was bound to make the connection anyway.

If you did miss Sunday’s premiere, worry you not. Comedy Central released Jim Gaffigan’s Obsessed today, so you can own it for your comedy collection. Download it now at CC: Stand-Up Direct and get obsessed!