"JO KOY: DON’T MAKE HIM ANGRY"
DVD Review
by Kevin Carr
| MOVIE: *** (out of 5 stars)
DVD EXPERIENCE: *** (out of 5 stars) STARRING Jo Koy as HIMSELF Not Rated Studio: Comedy Central Back to DVD Review Home |  |
WHAT IT’S ABOUT
Independent comedian Jo Koy takes the stage in his Comedy Central special, “Don’t Make Him Angry.” Fresh off an international tour, Koy vents about terrible places to visit (including the deep south and France), the challenges of growing up as a Filipino, his somewhat crazy mother and what it’s like to be the father of a five-year-old son who constantly plays with his “ting ting.”
WHAT I LIKED
Unless you watch a ridiculous amount of stand-up comedy specials on cable, Jo Koy may have slipped completely under your radar. Like other ethnic comics of recent years, Koy makes a living out of his own background and family structure. And, like many of these other popular ethnic comedians, he makes the jokes work.
I wouldn’t say that Koy provides us with the most original material seen on stage. In fact, there are several moments in his show that I have heard in various other formats. However, it’s when he brings a level of honesty to the crowd and just relays the crazy things that happen to him with his family life that Koy really shines.
Highlights of his show include his hilarious impersonation of his mother, who speaks with a thicker accent now than when she came to America and has an ability to pick up things with her feet and point with her lips. Another hysterical moment comes when Koy relays the difficulties of communicating with a five year old. Any parent in the viewing audience should get these bits all too well.
Other funny bits come from equal opportunity offending of the French and rednecks at home.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
There’s a lot of relationship humor that Koy delivers that I have heard in different forms from many other comics. I’m not accusing him of stealing material, or even of making overly similar jokes a la Dane Cook. Rather, he has been given much of the same experiences as other comics, which leads to a new packaging of existing material.
The special runs a surprisingly short 43 minutes, which fit into an hour of broadcast time on Comedy Central. Normally, we get some bonus material on the DVD, but that’s not edited into the show proper.
DVD FEATURES
The meatiest part of the DVD bonus materials includes a two-year old Comedy Central Presents Special, featuring Koy from two years prior. This special contains roughly 60 percent unheard material as Koy tells of his struggles in communicating with a three year old and his love for the vagina. Still, the new material is quite funny and delivered with the same fresh style as the “Don’t Make Him Angry” show.
Because Koy is known for having hip-hop dancers introduce his sets, there is a full video of the Black Eyed Peas’ APL.DE.AP performance before he comes out. Koy also interviews two of his dancers for the special features, and there’s an outtake moment of him busting his own moves.
The most interesting feature, however, is a one-on-one interview with Koy in which he explains how he used his wits, creativity and zeal to create his own buzz as a comic. While his stand-up may not be the best out there, anyone aspiring to a position in the entertainment industry can take some valuable lessons from his story.
WHO’S GOING TO LIKE THIS MOVIE
People who like do-it-yourself ethnic comedy.
