Jim Gaffigan – King Baby

Comedy, by its very nature, is a subjective element. What I find funny you may find ridiculous and vice versa. So, I feel it’s only fair that I tip my hand early on here by admitting that I was a Jim Gaffigan fan well before taking on this review. Yes, I’m a card-carrying member of the pale club, complete with well-worn copies of Beyond the Pale and Doing My Time in my possession. And I’ve found that once again, the dry wit and weird split personality of the funnyman from the Midwest again tickles my fancy with his latest release, King Baby.

King Baby picks up essentially right where Beyond the Pale left off. Its chock full of Gaffigan’s wry observations on everyday life and, of course, the glories of food. And, less prior fans expect any drastic changes, no, he hasn’t dropped the signature high-pitched “audience member” commentary either. That’s still in full effect as he riffs on everything from Speed Stick to Waffle House and his love for bacon.

The bacon diatribe is in fact one of the key highlights of the show. Much like his signature “Hot Pockets” routine, Gaffigan spends a near ridiculous amount of time discussing the merits of bacon. It’s one of those moments where you find yourself thinking, “How many more bacon jokes can he come up with?” when he assails you with just a few more. But, while some comedians may wear out their welcome on a subject quickly, Gaffigan somehow makes it work with solid delivery and an awkward charm.

The comedian also takes viewers on a little trip through the Bible, giving a head nod to him and his wife’s Catholic roots. Discussions of the first circumcision and the sacrificing of Abraham’s son, Isaac, just get the ball rolling as Gaffigan delivers great punch lines left and right, handily navigating the waters of religion with respect as opposed to offering up some below the belt shots. It’s a funny bit and is refreshing to see an artist handle faith-based comedy with this kind of tact.

The DVD release is a nice deal, containing over 30 minutes of additional stand-up footage not seen in the Comedy Central special as well as a solid lineup of extras. Among those extras are some Comedy Central bits that ran during their Friday Night Standup times advertising Gaffigan’s Sexy Tour which, bit by bit, prove to be pretty funny. There’s also a never-aired (not sure how they got it then but…?) British interview as well as an XM/Sirius interview. Internet fans will enjoy the four episodes of Gaffigan’s spoof, Our Massive Planet, while fans of the true power of pale, Pale Force, will delight at the inclusion of three episodes of the Emmy-nominated web series. For the uninitiated, Pale Force is a cartoon featuring the likenesses of Gaffigan and late night talk show host, Conan O’Brien, as they fight crime and generally get into mischief. It’s bizarre and yes, ridiculous. But it makes you smile.

Jim Gaffigan is a funny guy and he doesn’t seem to be slowing down. Beyond the Pale still stands as his best work yet but King Baby doesn’t disappoint, still bringing great laughs and good times.

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