Published on Mar 1, 2001
Sometimes, it feels like I can write the exact same review for a
certain artist’s CDs… and sometimes, that isn’t a bad thing.
Take comedian Jackie Martling, for example. I’ve reviewed two of
his CDs in the past on “The Daily Vault,” and each time I’ve
basically said the same thing. His material is not meant for the
younger crowd, but he’s got elements of his act which everyone
should find funny at some point.
I’m working in reverse release order on his CDs, but his 1998
effort
Hot Dogs & Donuts continues this streak for Martling.
You’ll laugh at things you never expected to laugh at, catch
yourself in embarassment… and find yourself repeating this
scenario often over the course of over 70 minutes.
There are no sacred cows to Martling; everything and everyone is
subject to his skewed view of the universe. (Wait, that’s not
entirely true; Martling admits early on he’s not aiming jokes at
the “motorcycle hoodlums”. Smart boy.) If you’re easily offended…
well, chances are you’re not listening to this disc in the first
place, are you?
Martling invites any and all comers to take an irreverent ride
through the dark side of comedy — and more often than not,
Martling hits the target with this collection of off-beat,
off-color jokes. Having grown up on the
Truly Tasteless Jokes books, I happen to love this kind of
humor. Do I find everything Martling says funny? Honestly, no…
but I still believe that’s the way Martling has planned it all
along. As I’ve said time and time again, I believe Martling
structures his act so that you’ll find yourself laughing at
something. (I happen to like the Irish jokes – and being part
Irish, I’m laughing just as hard.) Good grief — he even sneaks in
a clean joke or two… and they’re just as funny.
Some people might claim I’m just sucking up to Martling in the
hopes of getting mentioned on Howard Stern’s show. (If this was the
case, it hasn’t happened yet.) Truth be told, I’d find Martling
funny if he were a nobody just standing on the street corner
spewing these for all to hear. I still find
F. Jackie to be my favorite of Martling’s releases, but this
particular disc also ranks up there as being one I find hard to
take out of the CD player.
Comedy isn’t always safe — and, frankly, it shouldn’t be. On
Hot Dogs & Donuts, Martling continues to push the
envelope, and succeeds more often than he stumbles. He’s brash,
he’s crude, he’s tastless… and frankly, he damn well better never
change.