STAGE TIME Magazine: Meet the Creeps Vol. 2, Steve Hofstetter

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Camera, and continued by the likes of Ashton
Kutcher, there's no happy endings to be found
here; no moment where everyone is let in on the
gag and a good laugh is had by all. This is just
the good stuff: some very funny guys making
people very uncomfortable without shame or
inhibition.

Jim Florentine makes for the perfect host. His
straight-faced, deadpan delivery and heartless
ability to annoy have long been his greatest
strengths. Don Jamieson reprises his role as
co-host once again, strengthening the duo's
legacy of antagonism built by the Terrorizing
Telemarketers CDs. A predictable cast of familiars
joins in the fun with Florentine's former roommate
Jim Norton, long-time friend Reverend Bob Levy,
and a host of other comics, along with John "Club
Soda Kenny" Feder, who may not be a comic, but
certainly is a creep.

The disc kicks off with Florentine and Jamieson
joined by husky friend Tommy J as they patronize
a Chinese buffet. The three bring buckets to dump
food into, sit down at the table and begin feeding
themselves with plastic shovels, much to the
dismay of the restaurant owners. Anger and
disgust ensues until the trio is ejected from the
restaurant. They promptly flee the scene before
the authorities arrive-something they've evidently
gotten quite used to doing.

At times these stunts go from absurdly obnoxious
to downright silly. One of the best laughs on the
disc comes when the Creeps bring a gerbil
encrusted with chocolate frosting to a dry cleaner
to have it washed. Florentine explains calmly that
Don put the gerbil in his butt, and they really need
to have it cleaned so he can give it to his nephew
for his birthday. Amazingly, the distressed owners
don't seem to get the gag and repeatedly explain
that the machine would surely injure the furry fella.

Another great bit has the gang posing as valets at
a local restaurant. They park the vehicles and then
retrieve them, each time with something extra,
like a mattress draped over the roof, or a preteen
girl in the back seat who asks the car's owner
"Why did you leave me back here so long?" These
bits seem completely over-the-top, but the great
straight-faced delivery seems to keep people
going a bit longer than you'd think it should.

Of course, there are a few bits that don't work so
well, too. There's a few thunderingly dull scenes
where Jim Norton and Kenny wander through
stores, swearing excessively (Oh my!). It could
just be that these don't seem too far off from the
way people really talk, or the fact that they got no
real reaction from the people around them, but
whatever the reason they fail to entertain.

Their presence is made up for by some very funny
scenes where a shirtless, overweight Norton escorts
and verbally berates a lumbering, child-like retard
played by Club Soda Kenny. Some scripted
sketches intersperse the hidden camera hi-jinks
as well, but seem a bit clumsy and amateurish,
and will probably be skipped on subsequent
viewings.

The whole thing comes to a crescendo with the
closing bit, set at a local abortion clinic. This
particular clinic is being heavily protested by
anti-abortionists, waving signs and shouting at
women as they go enter in hopes that they might
see the error of their ways.

Florentine pulls up with Desiree Bauer, who is
wearing a pad and looking about eight months
pregnant. The couple gets out of the car and
Desiree shouts, "What the fuck is this? You told
me we were going to the diner!" Florentine calmly
explains "No! We're going to this abortion clinic.
You're not having this kid."

The two fight heatedly in front of a dumbfounded
protestor, until Florentine pulls out a wire coat-
hanger and proceeds to chase Bauer around the
car until she hops in and speeds off. The horrified
protestor looks at him in disbelief and asks, "You
want to kill your baby?" Florentine matter-of-factly
answers "Yeah. I'm gonna go get her now," and
runs off after the car.

That sketch in all its dark, silly, and sadistic glory
embodies the spirit of this DVD. The material that
works will win over fans of black comedy every-
where. The stuff that doesn't work is disposable,
but easily ignored.

I can say for certain that this DVD will have you
talking, one way or the other. Hopefully, Comedy
Central gives the Creeps the freedom they need
when they film the pilot for the televised version
this fall, so Florentine and Jamieson can continue
to do what they do so well.

If you have even a passing
interest in stand up and
haven't heard of Steve
Hofstetter, don't worry, you
will. With a recent feature
article in the New York Times
and an online column on
Sports Illustrated, his popu-
larity and reputation as a "The
Thinking Man's Comic" is
spreading fast.

The strength of his recent
CD/DVD release, Cure for the
Cable Guy is his writing which is
sharp, direct and opinionated.
Steve lists Bill Hicks and Eddie
Izzard among his influences,
but he comes off more like
Mort Sahl, without the sweater.
It's not that his material is
overly political, but it's set up
more as a series of essays
rather than one-liners.

"Violence causes society".
"Drug addiction is a problem,
not a disease." "Don't make
fun of America? How are we
going to improve?" "The #1
reason for overeating is
shame." These are some of
the topics that Steve chose to
riff from. Pretty heady stuff for
a crowd used to dick jokes.

The moments where Steve's
personal side shines are
hilarious. On trying to appear
racist while having a black
adopted sister: "I can't stand
these black people. They're
always reading my diary." His
frustrated response when
asked by his girlfriend if he
were a vegetable what kind
would he be?: "Terry Schiavo!"

Where "Cure for the Cable
Guy" falters is the production.
Steve seems stiff at the
opening and the crowd is
practically lifeless. His energy
picks up in the second half
and gradually the audience
responds. Still, it has the look
and sound of an audition tape,
without the emotion and
excitement you get from a live
show when the joint is jumping.

However, that doesn't take
away from this comic's
"fresh young sound." I'll be
curious to see how this
"Thinking Man's Comic"
develops and walks the line
between clever and funny.

-Ken Carlson