David Cross – It’s Not Funny

Finally, something to fill the void left behind when HBO’s fantastically bizarre Mr. Show left us all too soon. Though this live comedy record is a far cry from the program’s out-there Bob-and-David sketches, Cross and his stand-up comedy are the epitome of the underdog. Always looking the part of the nerd—with his shiny head and thick-rimmed glasses, forever in khaki shorts and a faded T-shirt—Cross’ humor skips back and forth from quirky political satire to cleverly observant people-watching.

Recorded earlier this year, the material focuses heavily on Iraq and the War on Terrorism. Spitting forth hysterical diatribes on the idiocy of the terror alerts, Strom Thurmond’s “color-blind johnson,” George W. Bush’s baby-eating habits, and racism in his hometown of Atlanta, Cross sounds fiercely intelligent without crossing over into the overbearing snobbery of some social commentary. Pulling off the “guy at the bar” mentality with seasoned comedy class, he’s a speaker you can relate to, yet look to for insight and answers in today’s slightly mad world.