The culmination of many years of hard work and dedication to a craft is extremely evident in this one hour comedy Special. Ari Shaffir takes you into the storied, dark Original Room of The Comedy Store where greats such as Sam Kinison, Andrew Dice Clay, and Richard Pryor have created some of the finest moments in comedic history. In the special's 73min runtime (44 on Cable) Ari is able to attach the audience to the warmth and intimacy of real Stand Up Comedy, and give the world a glimpse of what its like to be a Paid Regular at The World Famous Comedy Store.
Paid Regular starts by setting a chill pace to the special, and eases the audience in to the style of comedy they're going to hear. I feel this is an important thing for a debut Network special, because even if the audience in the room knows Ari's comedy, many people at home have probably never heard him before, or even any dirty or alternative comedy for that matter. Though as I mentioned, the special isn't set in a high energy mega-reverb super-spotlit room, and it's really easy to focus on the intention and execution of the comedian. Every shrug, eyebrow raise, and stutter is emphasized through the setting rather than intrusive closeups and odd viewing angles. Everything felt smooth and the cameras were able to sit comfortably for the hour without feeling repetitive.
However, its hard to see anything as repetitive when you're keeled over laughing for most of the hour. The laughs start out from specific lines or gestures, but once the connecting themes and tone of the jokes set in its hard to catch up. The bits are so relatable that the audience can find their own tag to every joke based on their experience with what the comedian is talking about. In the first viewing I wondered if this was entertainment designed for my demographic (and it probably is), but the humor appeal seemed to translate a few decades when I watched with my mom a second time. It was awesome to see that comedy could stretch across personal belief or experience, if you have a great comic.
Beyond laughter, Paid Regular explores a thoughtful side of comedy and presents the views of a figure that many people agree with, but views that are misunderstood by just as many people. As a fan of alternative comedy and someone who exposes myself to a ton of similar material, its hard to see the cerebral impact of a joke. My mom highlighted in a couple points that, "I never thought of it like that.." or, "I guess I do act like a lot of people". Films can make people think through dramatic narrative and theme construction, but in many cases that's less powerful than someone laying out a point or topic in simple, concise terms. Just like in film, there has to be a balance between the entertainment factor and the persuasive factor of a comedy special, and Paid Regular hits the mark with it.
I keep going back to my mom's opinion because it's probably more objective than mine on the piece, and my favorite thing she said about Paid Regular is, "He's quite the guy, eh? Pretty goofy." This statement brought back a thought or feeling I always overlooked, that I became a fan of Ari because of who he is, the personality he displays on and off stage, and the lifestyle or belief system he represents. I don't agree with every statement, or laugh at every joke, or even listen to every Podcast. But I do know that there's people out there who think about the things I do, enjoy the culture I enjoy, and succeed at the things I want to do in life. Appealing to audiences across the world in every active age range, Ari Shaffir represents a staple of our culture and promotes many opinions which are failed to be voiced in most areas of our society.
Stand Up Comedy will always be an important medium of art and expression, and its specials like Paid Regular that remind us why we need to laugh.
