Louis C.K. Live At The Beacon Theater

(2011; 62 minutes)

I know, I know... a stand up comedy act. I was once just as skeptical as most people. Whenever I saw stand-up on shows like America's Got Talent or Last Comic Standing, I cringed when someone made a joke that wasn't funny. 

My brother once showed me a clip of Louis C.K. comparing zoos to slavery. I loved it. So I hit up Netflix and found one of his acts. I've seen Live at the Beacon Theater 3 or 4 times now, and it doesn't get old. Louis C.K. says whatever he wants. He goes on a fifteen minute rant about how much he hates a 6-year-old in his daughter's class. At one point he says, "I want to water-board that motherfucker."

Louis has no limits when it comes to his comedy. He knows what makes people uncomfortable, and then exploits those weaknesses. Yet, I can't help but to love him. He makes it clear that he is a family man. His daughters are the light of his life. However, he still loves to poke fun at them. He talks about how boring it can be to be a dad by mentioning the frustration of kids learning how to read.

The best parts of Louis C.K.'s comedy come when he goes on tangents that have little to do with his overall story. For example, he starts a story with his daughter struggling to learn how to read, then talks about how stupid Clifford books are. Before you know it, he is talking about Clifford sitting on the electric chair with all of his fur shaved off. It's like when a teacher gets off topic during class. You want it to just keep going.

His range is fantastic. This show features topics such as: raising children, playing Monopoly, admitting his hatred towards a young child and the child's mother, and smoking weed. 

Watching Louis C.K. is a little disturbing. Not only because what he says is so horribly wrong, and pushes the limits of "going too far."But also because you occasionally realize that you can relate to his jokes. I found myself thinking, "I totally understand where he is coming from. I'm a terrible person."

There isn't a moment in his show that I would want him to leave out. There aren't any jokes that flop like the comics on reality shows. He provides so many details that you can picture yourself standing in the situations he is describing. He is a true artist--the Leonardo da Vinci of comedians. He is a comic god.