Norm Macdonald: Hitler's Dog, Gossip & Trickery
May. 09,2017In this new stand-up special, Norm Macdonald delivers sly, deadpan observations from an older -- and perhaps even wiser -- point of view.
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Right, well this was the first and most likely also last time that I watched Norm Mcdonals doing stand-up comedy.Sure, there were some good jokes and a good laugh here and there, but as a whole then the show just didn't pack enough of a punch.The onstage presence and the inanimate mannerisms of Norm Mcdonald just made him look like a wooden puppet put on the stage to perform.Some of the delivery of the material was a bit scrambled and confusing, as if he wasn't properly prepared or had problems remembering his own act.This was not an outstanding stand-up comedy performance, and I have actually been deterred from watching more of his act.
If I had to guess, the only times I've seen Norm Macdonald were on his Saturday Night Live appearances. Seems to me he was funny in those bits, but I had a bit of a tough time with this stand-up special. Macdonald had his moments, but there were also times when he seemed to just wind up standing there lost in thought and wondering what to say next. More so in the first part of his act, he hit a better stride in the second half. I like comics who focus in on the mundane and make it funny, and Norm does some of that here, but every now and then he would lament the fact that he was old. Not getting old, just being old. So much so that I had to look up his stats here on IMDb and he was born in 1959, so that only makes him fifty eight as I write this. Heck, I'm a decade older and feel a lot better about myself than Macdonald does. It could just be part of his schtick but the way he came across I don't think so. My favorite bits here had to do with the unknown astronauts who have walked on the moon, and Germany taking on the world twice in a losing cause. Those were pretty funny observations. For those who enjoy the more morbid, I thought his idea to blame someone else in a suicide note was kind of interesting. Don't think I'll try it though.
In this new stand-up special, Norm Macdonald delivers sly, deadpan observations from an older -- and perhaps even wiser -- point of view.I'm not sure if I have heard these jokes before, or if I accidentally watched this special twice. Either way, despite a feeling of deja vu, it was still a knockout performance.The style is not for everyone. The deadpan delivery, the odd observations... this is not Jerry Seinfeld and it is definitely not a series of laugh-out-loud jokes. This is a slow burn that builds until you are inside the world of Norm. Apolitical, not terribly obscene or offensive... just offbeat. And it works.
I am a little surprised at the negative reviews. I thought the whole thing flowed well and was an enjoyable hour. He had a lot of subtle jokes and observations that I was entertained by. He is able to riff on mundane subjects and make humorous observations. He had a few very funny jokes. This isn't the funniest thing I have ever seen Norm Macdonald do but I would watch again.