Drinking Buddies

The art of Stand Up Comedy is not my jam. When I was an anxious and insecure adolescent, I loved Russell Peters. Every joke of his had a healthy dosage of racism as its foundation. “Somebody gonna get hurt real bad”. I was never a Chapelle guy. I was never a Chris Rock guy. Well, until I saw his post slap session. Bill Burr, Ali Wong, or Sebastian Maniscalco don’t do it for me. And I can’t stand Andrew Schulz. A couple that I have been fond of are Tom Segura and Bert Kreischer. Now saying that, I don’t particularly love their standup but I love their podcast: Two Bears One Cave. Segura is the straight man along with his very funny wife, Christina P. But Bert’s an animal. He’s my type of hang. In fact, my dream Vegas Trip is with Bert, Bill Simmons, and Dave Chang. Authentic, abrasive, and an acquired taste. Kreischer’s also somehow managed to merge his party and domestic life together seamlessly. I understand the criticism of his “festivities” for a lack of a better word. Actually, I think most people would call it alcoholism. But fuck off. He’s got it all. A successful career, a beautiful family, and a childish excitement most 9-5 workers would envy. And now he’s got a really entertaining miniseries called “Free Bert”. And no, I don’t count “The Machine” because it frankly sucked.

“Free Bert” is excellent. It shows the uphill battle of a man who constantly questions his authenticity to others. Bert is fantastic in his portrayal of…. well, himself. His captivating candid screen presence, coated with his tinge of sugar on the rim of the margarita glass, makes it hard for the eyeballs to go anywhere else other than that hairy visceral fat even though this series has the beautiful Arden Myrin. My first introduction to her was in “Friends” when she plays the cleaning lady who Monica thinks is stealing from her. For anybody who has seen LeeAnn Kreischer in podcasts or interviews, they know that Myrin absolutely nails the role along with that deadly Southern Accent that so many actors get wrong. Chris Watiske’s nefarious turn from his sensitive portrayal of Pete from “The Bear” is pleasant. Mandell Maughan is absolutely vicious in her role in a good way. And, the handsome Matthew Del Negro is solid in his attempt to be a vulnerable but pretentious father. Now, the star of the show. Bert…no its Lilou Lang who plays Ila, Bert’s younger daughter. Her imitation of her “father” along with being the brutally honest voice of reason in a situation where the man of the household is constantly struggling with his identity is riveting. The foul language used by a teenager is extremely crucial to show that the present is more important than the package it is wrapped in.

I want to take some time to talk about a specific theme described in the series. There are different types of people who have achieved aristocratic wealth. But the ones who have managed to retain their genuine personality in the process are the ones who overcome any sort of depression. Talk to anyone who is facing the wrath of a terminal disease; their dying wish usually revolves around the concept of straightforwardness. The price most people pay to portray a fabrication is too costly regardless of the socioeconomic results it provides. Imagine if everybody in the world had the clout to play themselves on screen then cinema would be phenomenal like The Truman Show. And I don’t mean Carrey’s “Truman Show”; I mean the actual show Christoph created for Truman in the movie. Not this Kardashian “reality” TV crap.