I seem to be progressively liking Bill Burr more and more. His currently most recent special, Paper Tiger, doesn’t disappoint. He doesn’t let you forget that he’s a middle-aged man that grew up in a world different from the one we’re in now. He shows this through his writing and performance. When he describes an experience he’s had, his face and body expressions show so much. Even when he just rests his arm on the mic stand, you see him. He’s relaxing or he’s tense or he’s something else.
This special is relatively short on jokes, in comparison to typical hour long comedy specials. He’s mainly telling stories, which are very interesting and funny. It seems like it’s unintentional that there are fewer jokes, but the special still delivers on being entertaining. Admittedly, I am more interested in the performer than the comedy when I watch these specials. Dave Chappelle succeeds in his shows, not because of his writing, but his performance. Get a bad comedian and the writing of Chappelle and Burr falls completely flat. Get a talented comedian, like those two, and the writing is exceptionally brilliant.
The stories Burr tells here have a common theme. He’s discussing his disconnect from other people. One story discusses how him being white and his wife being black led to an argument which was racially divided. He’s critical of modern Feminism, which to many has a large impact on the current culture. This moves into him talking about sexual harassment and how he sees hypocrisy in the way men as opposed to women are treated. His opinion is emphasized by a personal anecdote. This recurring theme makes the special feel more solid. This is a cohesive whole, though if there was no recurring theme, it wouldn’t be much of a hindrance. Comedy specials main priorities should be good performing and writing, which this special isn’t lacking.
Perhaps this is a nitpick, but I never like it when a comedy movie or stand-up routine doesn’t end on a killer joke. This special ends on something that could barely be considered a joke and leaves a bit of a bad taste in the mouth. Even if Burr was trying to prioritize subtlety in his ending, subtlety can still be done well. The final joke of John Mulaney’s stand-up special, The Comeback Kid, isn’t performed with much grandiose, but with its elements and the knowledge of information learned earlier in the special, the final joke is incredibly good. The filmmaker legend, Alfred Hitchcock, ends his film, North By Northwest, on a joke so subtle you might miss it, but it’s absolutely hilarious to no end.
Overall, Paper Tiger is a funny, solid affair that shows the long and plentiful abilities and talent of Bill Burr. He commands his audience and improvises based on how they act, demanding more and larger laughs which he certainly earns.
The Filme Diary 