Review: Louis C.K. “Oh My God”

Matthew Greenberg, Sports Editor

 

4.0 out of 5 Stars

Louis C.K. is back in all of his self-depreciating glory in his newest stand-up special Oh My God, which aired exclusively on HBO on Saturday, April 13. As one of the foremost comedians on the stage today, Louis C.K. has grown to magnificent fame from past stand-up specials such as Hilarious (2010) and Live at the Beacon Theatre (2011), which won the Grammy for Best Comedy Album and the Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music, or Comedy Special, respectively. He also portrays an even more morose and shameful persona of himself in his show on FX, Louie, which has also seen its fair share of awards, including the Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series.
Oh My God finds the burly comedian on a round stage in Phoenix’s Celebrity Theatre. He discusses various topics, mostly staying to his classic mode of either storytelling or passively observing, including the difference between seals and sea lions, why divorce is awesome, older people are smarter, how to deal with being below-average looking, and a soon-to-be classic bit called “Of course…but maybe.” The entire ordeal is rather dark, but Louis C.K. thrives within the darkness of his own disturbing, horrendous consciousness.
The coolest thing about Louis C.K. is that, besides being an awesome parent and a generally funny guy, he writes, produces, edits, and directs all of his material. His show, Louie, is currently on hiatus between its second and third season, because he wants to make sure that the final cuts he delivers are the absolute best they can possibly be. He has taken control of his own titles and holds himself to a very high standard concerning the material he produces.
This is even more the case concerning his revolutionary method of selling these products. He has bypassed all of the shenanigans of Ticketmaster and other such ticketing services, and offers his specials for download on his personal website for a low price. He also only does shows at theatres that do not receive stipends from these companies to only book shows that they offer through their services. In fact, part of his deal with HBO was that he would not even do the special on their network if he was not allowed to offer it on his website. Essentially, Louis C.K. has made it clear to every network and ticketing service that he does not need them in order to be successful, but he is more than happy to work with the ones who are willing to accept his basic terms.
Oh My God will be available to download for $5 on Louis C.K.’s website September 2013.