Denis Leary Tribeuce

So tonight is the Comedy Central Roast of Denis Leary and besides the fact that Comedy Central has been promoting the fuck out of this show, they have also had alot of Denis Leary stuff on all weekend. I haven't exactly loved his movies and I dont think I ever saw an episode of The Job, which from everything I have heard, is definitively one of the worst shows ever made.

Nonetheless, having not seen this Roast, I must give Mr. Leary his props. It might just be because I had this routine both on CD and video tape but No Cure for Cancer is one of the best acts ever. There are so many classic bits included, the NyQuil bit, the asshole song, the restaurant with two smoking sections. I think almost everyone knows at least a couple lines from No Cure for Cancer:

"Oh yeah, the filter's the best part. Thats where they keep the heroin. Only us real good smokers know that fuckin secret."

"I built a bong out of my head!! Stick the pot in this ear smoke it out of this one."

"NyQuil, NyQuil, NyQuil, we love you, you giant fucking Q."

"I had a six-foot erection with a giant cheeseburger on the end."

I could go on and on, but I am sure it would just bore you.

Anyway. Maybe at some point I had enough in common with Denis Leary politically that this was alot funnier for me than it was for others. Even though I no longer agree with him on almost anything, his bits are so well done, so perfectly timed and arranged and have the kind of staying power that you rarely see in stand up. To some extent No Cure for Cancer might be referred to as a "one-person show" rather than simply stand up. Its filmed in that fashion, everything is even meore rehearsed than your average Comedy Central special. I need that DVD too, I gotta get on top of these DVDs that I need.

Regardless, I just wanted to give some mad props to Denis Leary on his roast day. It will probably always be my favorite routine and I doubt I will ever lose the ability to do the rant at the end of Asshole. "And when I'm done suckin down those greaseball burgers I'm gonna wipe my mouth on the American flag, then I'm gonna toss the styrofoam container right out the side, and their ain't a goddam thing you can do about it, you know why? Because we got the bombs okay. Russia, Germany, Romania, they can have all the democracy they want, they can have a big democracy cakewalk right through the middle of Tianneman square and it won't make a lick of difference because we got the bombs."

As an actual argument about the political order of the world at the end of the Cold War, this may be pure nonsense. But it is brilliantly written and "democracy cakewalk through Tianneman Sqaure" is fucking comic gold.

Peace,

MB-K