Craig Ferguson Presents Hobo Fabulous

Continuing the theme I began in my previous entry, I'd like to repeat the question: did you know that April is designated, "National Humor Month?" I sure as hell didn't.

That said though, in this time of all times, we all could use a lot more humor in our lives. We need to laugh more to keep the existential anxiety from taking up permanent residence in our minds.

If you're looking for a source for laughter, then I highly recommend, if you have an Amazon Prime account (who doesn't at this point?), to see Craig Ferguson's six-episode comedy-documentary Craig Ferguson Presents Hobo Fabulous. 

Now, if you have no clue who Craig Ferguson is, why he's notable, or even believe that he's actually funny, please stop reading now. If, however, you're curious what makes him so great, please check out this video-essay by the inimitable Nerdwriter:

Rest assured, you read the last sentence of the second-to-previous paragraph correctly. This is not a "comedy special." Though Ferguson is a masterful, sharp, and somewhat campy (nothing wrong with that), comic on stage, this is--supposedly--the very last time we, his fans will ever be able to see him do something like a special.

In truth, the six-episodes that comprise the series are really less about the stand up--though several performances of it feature throughout, and in the end, you do see a whole hour of material--and more about the business of stand up. It's a behind-the-scenes look into what it takes to really be a performer in this artform. Through interviews given by both Ferguson and his touring staff, we the viewers get an insight into how much old fashioned grind and hustle goes into this life, which many might think is simply 100% glamor. Like anything though, it isn't.

Like any job, being a stand up involves everyone's least favorite four-letter-word, work.

And, at least at the time of the show's recording, this is the last time Ferguson is going to do anything like this. The grind and hustle have finally got to him, and he needs a break (for how long, who knows?).

To Ferguson's credit, however, in none of the clips that we see from the gigs featured in the show, that discontent with stand-up and touring never bleeds into Craig's performance. The second he steps out on stage, he becomes the bubbly, cheeky, naughty-minded man that those of us who remember his late-night show recall seeing on our TV screens. And, as always, he is funny.

Probably my favorite episode out of the six is the finale of the show (no, not for the reason you're thinking), titled "Dying Jokes." It's my favorite one because it has, what I think, are the funniest, most savage, and dark jokes out of all of them. If you've got a relatively similar sense of humor to mine (wry, off-beat, and darker than midnight), then you'll enjoy it as much as it did.

For anyone, however, who enjoyed Ferguson when he was still on network TV, doing his talk show, and even for people who might enjoy a nice introduction to his style of comedy, Hobo Fabulous could definitely serve as a decent introduction.