Worth: $7.50
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Cast:
Jamie Kennedy
Intro:
It would be nice to have some material that justifies the second adjective in the show’s title.
For many, Jamie Kennedy will be known as Randy Meeks, the horror movie rule touting nerd of the Scream franchise. In his new stand up special, Stoopid Smart, however, he’s introduced to the stage as the star of Tremors 6. Yep, even he’s surprised there’s a sixth Tremors movie and admits that he’s negotiating to be in part 7. This self-effacing tone appears to be the crux of Stoopid Smart; an acknowledgement of Jamie’s place in the Hollywood hierarchy.
Filmed in the back of a bowling alley, in front an intimate crowd, Kennedy sighs, ‘Career’s going well.’ Obviously, it’s all part of the act, with Kennedy playing up to the label of a ‘washed up’ actor chomping at the bit to get a part in a seemingly never-ending horror franchise. In a way, Stoopid Smart could be the pilot to a show starring Kennedy as Jamie, a heightened version of himself. Hey, it didn’t stop Jerry Seinfeld, Larry David, Andrew Dice Clay or Rob Schneider.
This fatty vein of self-deprecation runs throughout the 60 minute gig, with Kennedy talking about lost auditions, not being recognised (he gets Alexa to read out his Wikipedia page on dates) and desperately trying to get women to sleep with him. And on that last point, boy, does he go strong.
Not every routine needs to reach the heights of George Carlin, Richard Pryor or Bill Hicks. However, despite amusing bits about folk singers getting involved in gangland fights and a spot-on Matthew McConaughey impression, Kennedy seems inordinately hung up on getting women into bed. He likes to get them full of food, he jokes, so that they can’t run away. Whilst the comedian admits that he also becomes bloated and tired from the ‘gluten bomb’, meaning that he falls asleep too, entrapping women for sex seems a little dated at the least.
Later on, he takes shots at broad targets such as women who nag, women who just want to be friends and how you can’t joke about anything anymore. This low hanging fruit is decidedly not fresh.
As any fan of Mrs Brown’s Boys will tell you, humour is subjective. Kennedy’s crowd are clearly appreciative of his comedic stylings, but it all just feels light on content. It would be nice to have some material that justifies the second adjective in the show’s title.
