Written by Pederastro del Diablo
Louis C.K. has one of the most impressive and respected bodies of work in the comedy world. He's written for shows like Late Show with David Letterman, the terribly underrated The Dana Carvey Show, The Chris Rock. Show, Late Night With Conan O'Brien, and "TV Funhouse" segments for Saturday Night Live. He even had a short-lived series on HBO based loosely on his life titled Lucky Louie. Not only is he an impressive comedy writer, but he's one of the best stand-up comedians of the newer generation. I say "newer generation" with a bit of hesitation since I'm giving it a gray area of post-George Carlin and Richard Pryor, still within the realm of Jerry Seinfeld and Steven Wright, but not reaching into Zach Galifianakis or Demetri Martin territory. Got it? Good. So, why is it Louis CK isn't as well known as some of his peers? It's something I've never been able to figure out myself, but among comedians and those who know of his work, they are extremely grateful for his presence.
Chewed Up is the follow-up special to his successful 2007 special Shameless. Here we get a bare bones set that is just a stage with a black backdrop and a few stage lights, which is refreshing and complimentary to his style of standup. There are no flashy lights, loud music, or someone screaming his name as he comes out; it's just him, the man, Louis C.K. doing standup from his heart and gut. And that's exactly what Louis C.K.'s standup is, honest and true standup that comes straight from a man without it seeming manufactured or false. What we see and hear is what we get. It is often said in comedy that sometimes the truer things are and the more someone can identify, the better. Louis C.K. nails it and takes it even further.
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