Written by Linda
September 20, 2010
"I don't mean to offend you, but you look like Janeane Garofalo." - Starbucks barista
Poor Janeane Garofalo... so loved by liberal hipsters, but so hated by conservatives, and so... forgotten by everyone else. Janeane's stand-up is fueled by the public's perception, both good and bad, and covered in a thick layer of self-deprecation. Her sardonic wit can either be right on, or kind of exasperating, as she jumps from topic to topic in her stand-up show.
Filmed at the Moore Theater in Seattle in spring 2010, Garofalo covers timely topics as Lady Gaga, Tea Baggers (aka the Tea Party... but everyone knows saying "Tea Baggers" is much more fun), and, well, her fascination with the perfection that is Natalie Portman (huh). She was informed by her manager (scoldingly) that she had no "web presence"... some of the reason that people other than her fans have forgotten her? She also avoids learning about cell phones ("hand cancer") which I can relate to and doesn't use computers. Like at all. Making her role as a technology expert on the TV show 24 all the more ironic.
There are friendly benign topics such as her old-timey Irish grandmother (some of the funnier bits in her show), dog parks (and the need for "fireman parks", which is an excellent idea), and whether or not to have children (in her case, no). A little touchier and intimate is Janeane explaining her choice to be celibate with her boyfriend of 10 years (what does he think of that?) and her overall asexuality (calling her a lesbian gives her too much credit). Then there is her fight against alcoholism ("Do you know what my dream is? To be a highly functioning alcoholic.")
Clocking in at 65 minutes, the show almost overstays its welcome. Truthfully, the tone of the show seemed a bit scattered. Garofalo opening uses giant notecards during her show to give her topics, and it seemed that she was just kind of winging it. There are some good laughs, but not all-out guffaws in my opinion, and I'm a fan of hers.
The two extras were actually funnier than most of the show, with an "interview" with Representative Richard Martin (R) from Ohio (fighting for the right), and a bit called "Janeane on Pets" where some eager fans give Janeane one of their "extra" kids, because they felt bad when Janeane's last dog passed away. That is some good stuff!
