Louis C.K.: Shameless (2007)

Am I Missing Something?

A lot of fun.

It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny

Louis C.K. does one of his specials for HBO. He's 39 living in NYC with his family. It's got his highly inappropriate writing style. It's masturbating and his family, and sometimes it's both masturbating and his family.The jokes are a tub of duck vaginas, hating people, bumper sticker "Tell your girlfriend I said thanks", bag of dicks, masturbating his 11 year old best friend and his daughter is a real dick.This is really sharp writing. He is relentless and he's a solid performer. He is so lovable that his vulgarity is actually endearing. I just love his amiable nature.

It's hard to think of a more underrated entertainer than Louis CK. The multi-talented writer/director/comic/actor, best known for his work with Chris Rock, has been a driving force for the state of comedy for over a decade. In a perfect world, or even a decent one, Louis CK would be as big as Chris Rock. Unfortunately, a little unfunny frat-boy by the name of Dane Cook stole some of his best material, and legion of drunken college students who worship Cook helped make him the celebrity he is today. If I were Louis CK, I'd be taking legal action, but Louis is smart enough to let it go, and continue coming up with new, funnier material. That better material is prominently featured in 'Shameless', one of the few stand-up specials that have truly left me crying from how much I laughed. Like George Carlin, Louis CK has the ability to show that anything, no matter how mean-spirited or dark, has the capacity to be funny, if not hilarious. He also has the type of brutal honesty that the popular comedians of today lack. He's not afraid to talk about any aspect of his personal life. His humor is frank, original, and daring. 'Shameless' is a must-see for anyone with an interest in comedy. 10/10

I watched his previous two specials, they are all funny as well, but this one started a little slow, plus his canceled TV show "Lucky Louis" made me a little nervous, perhaps he is slipping a little? No such luck, said Louis, 5 more minutes, he got into his new material about "Duck Vaginas", "Hating people in post office", "Bag of dicks", "Having had sex with some pretty chicks and being their bottom", "Most pathetic hand job", "Being fat", "Asshole kid daughter" etc, I found myself laughing out LOUD, almost non-stop, I found myself thinking, "Louis did it again, I got to tell all my friends to watch this! Even my girlfriend who usually does not like vulgar material", this is simply too funny!Many comics makes me smile or even giggle, and occasionally you got people like Richar Pryor, Bill Costby, or more recently Bill Burr who can make me laugh out loud, but not throughout the show. The kind of HEARTY laughs that shake your entire body violently, you know what I am talking about? That's what this "Shameless" can do to you, what I felt afterwords is a little "shameful" as I suspect some people would feel since most of the material is dirty and offbeat, you almost feel a cringe as you laugh at it, but you just can't help it.It is simply a, to use a cliché, "Must Watch".

I've heard about, of, and from Loius C.K. on numerous occasions in the past from his work as writer and performer on various talk shows and his own shows and movies, but really hadn't paid much attention, other than enjoying the results of his behind the scenes work and seeing him perform occasionally.His work on "Shameless" is exceptional. Vulgar and potentially offensive to those who only look skin deep, but for those who hunt for true talent and brilliance regardless of the wrapping it's contained in will LOVE this incredible performance.I kept thinking of the notion of "fantasy" in so many of his stories and personal anecdotes, most of which are obviously as false as Phyllis Diller's face, but the delight with which Loius paints these pictures is absolutely mesmerizing. I found myself almost hypnotized by a twisted weave of stories that seemed to marry "40 Year Old Virgin" with "Pulp Fiction". As profane as some of his material is, it always seems "tasteful" and simply brilliant.If you missed it tonight, watch it on HBO On Demand whenever you want beginning on Monday.