Reviewing the Review

I just came across this review on The Pun website the other day, while indulging in the little self-pleasuring rite otherwise known as googling. I performed in this show, (The Hot Comics' Showcase) on a few different nights so I'm afraid I can't even recall which night he's writing about except that I do remember there being a few brits in the crowd (as he mentions). Nonetheless, I've decided to seize upon an idea put forth by my 4ZZZ co-host and lovely friend Alex Oliver and 'review the review'.

Drumroll please...

***
Now, if I were a truly bitter wench, I would start this review with:

"A comedy review hey? Well maybe we need to get a different reviewer because this one did a pretty awful job. "

But I'm not. Because:

a) I'm not a wench;
b) I'm not truly bitter (just bitter); and
b) The reviewer didn't do an AWFUL job, just a lazy one.

Let me be clear - I don't object to the fact that the review is mostly negative. That's fair enough, it probably was quite a mediocre night for all I can remember. And I definitely did a few crappy performances during the fest. But what I do object to is the gross over-generalisations and over-use of 'each performer' did this, 'each performer' did that, 'each performer' sucked, and so on. Ladies and gentlemen of the jury:

The night wasn't a total loss though, as the question of the differences between men and women was answered thoroughly by each performer in turn.

Uh, sorry sir but that's just not true. As I said, I can't even remember the exact night but I know for a fact that I didn't do any of my hack 'battle of the sexes' material in Melbourne. I saved that gold for Tassie. ;-)

But wait, it gets better:

It was not that most of the performers were predominantly sexist, racist or unimaginative; it was the fact that it was all so profoundly uninteresting and dull. If just one of them had perhaps decided to do more than tell jokes about how a section of the audience were British (end of punchline) then I would have been impressed.

Uh, sorry sir but my BS detector is going off and I can't find the pin. From my (admittedly sketchy) memory, only a few comics at most even addressed the British component of the audience. But when you say "all" I assume you mean, well..."all." I'd like to inform you that there are other words in the dictionary. That's not confirmed but it is an educated guess - I've got an Oxford's sitting in my cupboard and it does look rather thick.

With all due respect sir, you are an obvious meistro of exaggeration, deception and bullshit: if this reviewing thing doesn't work out, might I suggest you consider a career in comedy?

On a personal note, at least I did rate a mention:

Of all the comics who stepped up (there were more than 10 during the night, with five minutes each), young Gareth Moloney got the most few laughs. Jenny Wynter got a clap at the end and a bit of a cheer for at least being confident, if not outwardly humorous.

Oh thank God. NOW I know what that cheer was for - my confidence. Because you know, I had started to wonder, wearing my humorous-ness on the inside and all.

Thanks reviewer.

I applaud and cheer your review for at least being confident, if not outwardly...you know, sensical.

*Did that sound way too bitter?