Wednesday night was the season finale of Important Things with Demetri Martin. The central theme for the episode was "Games." Here's the opening monologue about sports team names:
After the jump, a couple more examples of sketches with humor that hinge on finding it funny that Demetri points out the obvious fact that he isn't gay.
Wizards versus Heat: freaking awesome! Magic versus Jazz: that's a little too gay for me, I'm going to pass on that one.Um... didn't we go over this months ago? When you say, "That’s so gay," do you realize what you say? Knock it off. Also, as someone whose shtick consists of self-consciously clever and twee prop comedy, aren't jokes with a gay punchline lazy, boring and too old-school?
After the jump, a couple more examples of sketches with humor that hinge on finding it funny that Demetri points out the obvious fact that he isn't gay.
For a game called "Greater Than or Equal To" he compares two things to see "if they're equal or if one is greater than the other one:"
But even if I weren't taking intentionally humorless offense for people with diverse sensibilities (e.g., a sense of humor that might defend Demetri's attempt to be funny as the only relevant point in comedy) that I couldn't be any more out of touch with, isn't one ¡r0ny-free nullus joke more than too-many for an episode?
In this last example Demetri, as da Mici, explains the origins of "Spin the Bottle:"
Oops, the bottle pointed to a guy! If da Mici were gay he would have had to kiss the man. But he's not gay! So he's left with no option but to force a woman who chose to play this game, apparently without knowing its one simple rule, to kiss him! Get it?
I'm reading bad intention into how clueless these gay topics were handled in this one episode, aren't I? Gay(nes)s is just exploited as another prop that anyone who was taking this show not-too-seriously would understand as clever jokes, even if made at their expense, that are entirely innocent and harmless, right? There are probably some gay people who thought these games were funny, which sort of throw myover-wrought COY accusations — of homophobia? stereotyping? — out the window. Oh well, I tried.
Finally, a Rubik's Cube is equal to a drag queen because it's really colorful, but I don't want to do it.Demetri thought it was the pipe > bong reference that'd prove "controversial"? I found the casual use of hate speech far more offensive. Listen, I'm as repulsed by the thought of drag queens as the next person, and even willing to throw the trans part of the LGBT acronym under the bus whenever it becomes politically expedient for gay men to attain heteronormative assimilation, which as non-procreating entities We all agree is the ultimate goal in life, right?
But even if I weren't taking intentionally humorless offense for people with diverse sensibilities (e.g., a sense of humor that might defend Demetri's attempt to be funny as the only relevant point in comedy) that I couldn't be any more out of touch with, isn't one ¡r0ny-free nullus joke more than too-many for an episode?
In this last example Demetri, as da Mici, explains the origins of "Spin the Bottle:"
Oops, the bottle pointed to a guy! If da Mici were gay he would have had to kiss the man. But he's not gay! So he's left with no option but to force a woman who chose to play this game, apparently without knowing its one simple rule, to kiss him! Get it?
I'm reading bad intention into how clueless these gay topics were handled in this one episode, aren't I? Gay(nes)s is just exploited as another prop that anyone who was taking this show not-too-seriously would understand as clever jokes, even if made at their expense, that are entirely innocent and harmless, right? There are probably some gay people who thought these games were funny, which sort of throw my
I think what you're doing here is feigning concern about the possible homophobia of Demetri Martin's act as a sly method of pointing out his (far greater) offense: being stale and unfunny.
I've actually liked some of Martin's comedy in the past but based on these clips from the new show I'm probably done. He looks overlit, too made-up, and too aware of the audience's affection to pull off his old relentlessly deadpan persona.
Plus, one has to admit that "Magic versus Jazz" is pretty gay.
I'm very exhausted by the notion that "that's so gay" should in any way be seen as offensive to actual gay people. And I do want to have sex with Demetri Martin. But I have to agree with Bobo that his show just ain't that good. Part of it is, of course, that even at his best, I'm not sure his act is really all that different from Carrot Top's -- he's essentially a very mild version of a prop comic. And when he strays from that strength -- and flimsy as it is, it's just not going to create a real career -- he seems entirely unsuited to the kind of frantic, deranged energy that makes the best sketch comedy.