Another comedian with the last name Martin released a new show this week, Demetri Martin’s Demetri Deconstructed.
I’m a big fan of Martin’s MENSA comedy, with his palindromes and multilayered word-puzzle jokes. At its core, his material is relatable and universal. The intellectual layer is there if you want it, but if you don’t get it, you don’t need it.
I appreciate that he always tries to do something unique. With this special, he used even more voice-in-head narration than in his previous special, The Overthinker. This device took me out of the comedy a bit too much. He also made an unnecessarily complicated framing device.
In a world of AI and online isolation, audiences are craving the simple and genuine act of a human being talking to them and sharing funny observations. This aspect of the show was top-notch. I’m not sure what he thought he was adding with all the other stuff.
The audience was more subdued than in most comedy specials. They sounded like they were in a soundproof booth, not a theater, and there couldn’t have been more than 100 of them. They matched Martin himself, who’s more subdued than most comedians. He is, after all, a progenitor of the don’t-make-funny-faces-funny-voices-or-raise-your-voice style of stand-up that’s become vogue in recent years.
Martin is one of the best joke writers in the business, and he’s a master at using different media beyond the stage to accentuate his jokes and create a unique experience, even when sometimes the experience feels more experimental than entertaining. I happily accept both, because the entertainment is so satisfying.
Did you see it? What did you think?
We had such a good time playing with the Jukebox
Yeah, it was funny, very original and creative in a nerdy but relatable way. The art comedy at the end. That part got my brain going.