Three men who 'stand up' for themselves
By Lindsay Rice, Staff Writer
February 22, 2008 | 8 p.m.
Not everyone has it: the perfect pace, improvisation ability and a faultless delivery method. These attributes comprise an elite group of quick-witted talents. Speakeasy evaluates three of the best below.
Steve Byrne
Steve Byrne was born in Pittsburgh, Penn., to a Korean mother and an Irish father, allowing his ethnicity to fuel many of his jokes. Byrne’s widespread repertoire continues to grow under manager Matt Schuler of Levity Entertainment. Along with various nighttime talk shows, Byrne is hitting the theaters with Jeremy Piven and Will Ferrell in the flick “Don Ready,” according to his Web site.
His standup is gaining immensely popular and rightfully so. Byrne spares no one in his skits, not his mother and her background or his current girlfriend. His ability to poke fun at himself, his hilarious sound effects and his relatable jokes combine to form an undeniable ability to make people laugh, as noted on his first comedy CD Little by Little. Many of Byrne’s jokes relate to relationships and their quirks, and he attempts to tell them from a man and woman’s point of view. As an actor he will need to prove himself, but on the stage Byrne has already earned credibility as one of the leading funny men of our time.
Daniel Tosh
Daniel Tosh is the next up-and-coming comedian to watch, and he will not disappoint. Although Tosh was born in Germany, he was raised in Titusville, Fla. Tosh’s first network appearance was on CBS on “The Late Show with David Letterman.” From there he went on to appear on the other late night talk shows, as well as a few appearances on Comedy Central.
Tosh released his CD, True Stories I Made Up, in 2005, making his style clear. He is outrageous, uninhibited and extremely blunt. From his suggestion to move the war in Iraq to the U.S. so that the soldiers can drive to war to his eagerness to become a “creepy grandpa,” Tosh leaves audiences with mouths gaping. He is not afraid to go against the grain and make fun of popular trends, such as tattoos. Tosh is reminiscent of a more outspoken Dane Cook without the ego but with jokes adapted for a wider and older target audience.
Katt Williams
This comedian is a fellow Ohioan. Katt Williams was born in Cincinnati and raised in Dayton by two involved parents that promoted education above everything else. Williams’ first national television appearance was on Nick Cannon’s “Wild 'n' Out” on MTV. He went on to do standup alongside one of his primary inspirations, Dave Chappelle, in the “Def Comedy Jam” on HBO.
Williams is involved in films, but it is clear that his beginnings in standup are the reasons that his career has ascended. His comedy is not for the obscenity-sensitive crowd, and his explicit style is apparent from his first joke. If listeners are able to get past the swearing, his jokes are surprisingly relevant to even the most conservative person. Chappelle’s influence is highly evident in Williams’ material, making situations laughable to people of all races.
Marijuana use is a common theme of Williams’ jokes. Another area he tends to focus on concerns the value of having friends of various ethnicities and the stereotypical traits that each friend brings to the proverbial table. His humor knows no boundaries, and that is precisely the factor that adds to so much of his appeal as a comedian.
Byrne, Tosh and Williams
All three men have worked for years to become as successful as they are today. As a result, all might soon become household names. While each strives for more extensive careers in other fields, it is obvious why their original success lies in their roots of stand-up comedy.
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