WHAT'S SO FUNNY?

David Sedaris is a funny man. He writes hilarious books. Read his books and send him gifts. (read one of his stories here)

Humor, of course, is relative. You might not like Sedaris. Some people prefer jokes, puns, pratfalls, put-downs, and the same old familiar shtick. Some people like humor of the "take my wife, please," variety. I like that, too. But I applaud comics who surprise me. Ricky Gervais is just such a comic. The excruciating everyman of the now defunct television series, "The Office," (British version, of course) is absolutely painful to watch. Gervais makes you cringe. What's so funny about cringing, you ask. Oh, it's funny. I've seen you cringe. Ha.



Part 2 of Ricky Gervais is here.

RICKY GERVAIS IN KENYA

Ricky Gervais--you know him as a comic, author, actor, singer--as the asshole boss David Brent in the British television series "The Office," and the desperate actor Andy Millman in the series "Extras." His humor is excruciating. He is everyman, and we watch in horror as vanity and ego bring him down like cheetahs chasing a gazelle. Gervais is a funny, all right, but did you know he was also a caring humanitarian and philanthropist? Of course you didn't.

Ricky Gervais as David Brent on "The Office"


Ricky Gervais on Late Night with David Letterman, January 9th, 2009.

POLITICALLY INCORRIGIBLE

Chris Rock is one of the funniest men alive. He's in your face. He doesn't shy away from controversy. He's willing to be politically incorrect, but more important he's willing to be political in a good sense. In other words, he's willing to make fun of the powerful and not just the powerless. Rock gets up in the grill of conventional wisdom. Here he gives some practical advice about dealing with the police.

I hate the term "politically correct." If you ask me, "Political Correctness" is really a straw man argument. Sure, there may be some overly zealous PC types, but the real issue is that conservatives want a free pass to blurt out attitudes of race, gender, and religion, and to do so without challenge. The actual threat of progressive social change to these folks has always been minimal, but they resent losing their undisputed perch on the top of the heap, and the "freedom of expression" that went along with it. They whine that the PC types and the "liberal media" are out to get them, but really it's about the world changing. There is a new sense of decorum. Deal with it. Evolve.

Ricky Gervais is also a very funny man. As fans of the British series The Office can attest, his humor can be excruciating. He also isn't afraid of controversy. Here is a routine about Hitler interpreting Nietzsche.

EXTRAS CHRISTMAS SPECIAL TRAILER

Ricky Gervais is a very funny guy. His humor is excrutiating. An Everyman trapped in a hell of his own making, he represents us all at our worst, bantam roosters with bruised egos and prickly arrogance stuffed sausage-like into portly packages and placed on a grill. This extended trailer for the Extras' Christmas Special will make you wince, and you'll probably be singing the Bowie tune all day long.