The Diceman Goeth; The Queen of Mean Cometh
Was Andrew "Dice" Clay a victim of political correctness? Has our country changed that much since the late '80s and early '90s, when "Dice" ruled the comedy circuit and outraged the better part of the country with his vulgar, racially and sexually-charged routines?
I ask because watching insult comedian Lisa Lampanelli's first hour-long special for HBO (her third special overall), Long Live the Queen, I couldn't help but think about how, in the broader sense, her act resembles what Clay used to do -- and she's beloved for it. Queen consists of Lampanelli calling every race and minority group the most offensive words she can think of and telling obvious jokes based on stereotypes. She talks graphically about sex; sometimes her own experiences, sometimes as a more general topic. She uses every single word that could possibly offend anyone -- most more than once. Really. If there's a word you're offended by, Lampanelli can't say it enough.
Of course, it's not entirely fair to compare her to "Dice" Clay. For one, Lampanelli does manage to craft actual punchlines and one-liners. She's an old-school joke teller. There was often something lazy about Clay's routines; he didn't tell jokes as much as shouted angry rants. Plus, it seemed like Clay really was the guy you saw up on stage; it was hard to tell whether or not he was kidding. And the reason Lampanelli is embraced (often by the very groups she continues to target over and over) is because they know it's all a put-on. She's being outrageous for the sake of being outrageous. Actually, at times during Long Live the Queen, she's visibly embarrassed by some of the comments she makes and even apologizes for a few of them. One of the charms of her HBO special is the rapport she establishes with the audience, picking out a few members she returns to over and over again and demonstrating her quick ability to think on her feet. She's even gracious enough to thank those people at the end of the special.
Likable, But...
What works best about Long Live the Queen is how likeable Lampanelli comes across, despite the fact that she's saying really vulgar and sometimes vile things. The trouble is that many of those things aren't very funny. It's a lot of dirty talk and third-grade name calling, but it's all kind of obvious and wears out its welcome fairly quickly. My favorite joke of the hour was about George Carlin being dead, which worked because it found a different way to be shocking. Fans may enjoy the special if they lower their expectations. Anyone new to the comic probably won't last long.
I like Lisa Lampanelli. I believe she's a genuinely funny comic. It's just that this special isn't her best work. Maybe she works better in smaller doses; that's why she always kills at roasts. She can get up for a few minutes, knock out her hand-picked best lines with her precise delivery, and still manage to be more outrageous than all the comedians that came before her. On Long Live the Queen, she ends up trying to one-up herself. That's a difficult task for any comic.
- Original Premiere Date: January 31, 2009
DVD Details
- Release Date: March 31, 2009
- Running Time: 93 minutes
- Full Frame Presentation
- Studio: Warner Bros.
