OUTLAUGH

I was a little nervous that this DVD compilation of performances from the comedy fest would be a stinker...

In July 2005, The Gays held their first comedy festival in Santa Monica, CA, dubbed Outlaugh, "America's Queer Comedy Festival". I have to admit that I was a little nervous that this DVD compilation of performances from the fest would be a stinker (reinforcing the baffling trend where The Gays run the entertainment industry, yet when they create comedy that is earnestly gay-made and gay-themed, it is often dreadfully unfunny). Well, relief of reliefs! There are more hits than misses in Outlaugh.

Of course since it is all about stand-up comedy, and it is all about gay comics, the DVD (and supposedly the event) opens with the ubiquitous Lea Delaria. Personally, I find her abrasive demeanor and in-your-face style a bit off-putting (my mom taught me that English allows you to be a lot more creative than simply re-using the "F-word" over and over). Frankly, she's a bit exhausting. But Outlaugh only gives her as much time as most of the other comics, and it was the folks I had never heard of that I found most delightful.

I was pleased to find that most of my favorite comedians were women. I have a female friend who is a stand-up comic, and believe me, it is not a women-friendly scene. I was delighted with the droll stylings of Stephanie Howard, who used her alchoholic blackouts to explain how she "used to wake up in relationships." I enjoyed Page Hurwitz's story of deciding not to come out to her mother on a cliff-side winding highway, because (in a moment of lucidity) she realizes that's probably what caused Princess Grace's car to careen off a mountain when her daughter Princess Stephanie was riding with her. And there is the older, cranky butch Karen Ripley who is refreshingly blunt, and a delight simply because of her position of not being a young scenester.

The men, in my opinion, fare less well, except for the warm and amiable Bob Smith. Many of the men resorted to tired cliches about queens, clubbing, and phone sex. Smith, on the other hand, has a style that appeals to a broader audience, and—surprise!—doesn't have to shock or offend you to make you laugh.

Comedy is a style of performance that benefits from being with a live audience. Unless a performance is exceptional, watching stand-up on DVD is not the most visually stimulating choice for a night on the couch in front of the TV. But the assemblage of people included in Outlaugh are certainly a lot better than most performers I've seen the few times I've gone to comedy clubs. Pick and choose who to watch, but you are sure to find someone to make you laugh in this collection.