TV Review: Lewis Black - Red, White and Screwed

Crankiness is quickly becoming the top by-product of our insane society. There are so many of us who are worn thin by the more irrational and dysfunctional among us, it's difficult to find any other emotional response that fits the circumstances.

Comedian Lewis Black is the Moses of crankiness. In his struggle to understand the actions of others, Black screams, stomps, and crosses his eyes in vexed frustration over the utter void of common sense inherent in our new system of ‘American values.’ In his new HBO special, Red, White and Screwed (premiering June 10 at 10:00pm EST), Black takes his rambling rants to an entirely new level as he skewers the Kennedy Center, the Bush administration, and the White House Correspondents Dinner.

Black, an acquired taste, is probably best known for his Daily Show segment called "Back in Black" on Comedy Central, where he dissects some of the more idiotic and bizarre circumstances people carve out for themselves. Those into acerbic humor will find all of Black’s work brilliant including Red, White and Screwed, even though Black takes a slightly new direction in this special. His previous specials, including Black on Broadway and the DVD Unleashed have more of a random, scattershot approach to subject matter.

In Red, White and Screwed, Black becomes much more focused on his targets, using his lethal wit to completely obliterate the callowness of those who represent the New World Order. This new direction may be the result of the venue where the special was taped, the Warner Theatre in Washington, DC. It is Black’s home turf — he was born and raised in Silver Spring, Maryland, just a stone’s throw away from the Capitol. His longer monologues are devoted entirely to his perceptions of corrupt, gutless incompetence at work in the halls of the legislature and the White House.

Some may find Black’s commentary on Washington politics somewhat preachy. But I think Black is trying to fill the giant footsteps of his comedic mentors here by being the cold splash of water in the face of people unwilling to come to grips with the reality that impedes them. Much like Lenny Bruce, Richard Pryor, Sam Kinnison, and George Carlin, Black is bearing a mirror through his material, reflecting back the delusional and disgraceful way America has conducted itself in recent years.

As with any comedian dealing with controversial subjects, how successful Black is with the new approach on Red, White and Screwed will depend entirely upon your world view. But it’s hard to deny that when it comes to crankiness, Lewis Black has hammered out some scathingly funny Commandments for his followers to live by.

Article Author: Larry Sakin

Larry Sakin is a former music executive and non-profit medical organization administrator. He advocates for literacy issues and provides advocacy training for grassroots and non-profit groups around the country.

Visit Larry Sakin's author page — Larry Sakin's Blog