Holiday Traditions

I chose Jim Gaffigan's bit called "Holiday Traditions”, from his national tour Beyond the Pale. Jim Gaffigan is by far my favorite comedian; every time I watch his standup, I end up on the floor laughing. He generally talks a lot about everyday life, and how he perceives it. This is not unlike many comedians nowadays, but I would say his style is unique. What really sets him apart is the “audience voice” he does with frequency. He will tell a joke, then do a high pitched voice immediately after, which says what a rude audience member would think of the joke. It created a funny dialogue that always gets the crowd laughing. This particular piece is about Christmas holiday traditions. First he talks about the backwards nature of standard decorating. He points out that we take a tree a put inside of our house, and then take all of our lights and put them on the front lawn. He also gives his take on stockings and mistletoe. Gaffigan concludes that Christmas decorating mirrors what a drunk man would do. Next he talks about Easter, questioning what eggs have to do with Jesus. This standup reminds me of being a kid, as my Mom was really into decorating around Christmas time. I can remember every year, being dragged into the living room and forced into putting on the ornaments, and hanging the stockings, and putting fake snow on the windows. I dreaded it then, but looking back now, it was great to get to spend those times with my family. The way that Gaffigan pokes fun at the decorating is a great reminder of those memories, and I think that most people can relate. This is why I love his standup so much, he constantly sparks memories of life within your mind.