As for the stand-up comedians themselves, there are some heavy-hitters here. Lewis Black, the "Bulldog of Comedy," brings his angry, yet insightful brand of comedy to the stage. Dane Cook has an over-the-top delivery reminiscent of an ADHD afflicted five-year old hopped up on sugar. And I mean that in a good way. Jeff Dunham is a comedian and ventriloquist, playing the straight man for his interesting and somewhat eccentric puppets. Jim Gaffigan is my favorite comedian and someone I've actually seen in person. This performance seems to be one of his earlier performances. He uses his self-heckling gimmick very few times in this performance, but later on it becomes a more prevalent signature of his on-stage performances. The late Mitch Hedberg is also featured in The Best of Comedy Central Presents: Uncensored. Mitch Hedberg had a unique delivery that was novel and really worked. Although I have heard several of his skits on XM Comedy before, this is the first opportunity I had to see one of his performances. His performance was great here. Another brilliant comedian here is Demetri Martin. I had seen this material before, in Demetri Martin's Special on Comedy Central, but if you haven't seen him before, you're in for a treat. He uses visual aids and different practicals and props, but his comedy is far from mindless. You'll need to think about his jokes sometimes, but his insights and comedic manipulations are highly enjoyable. Carlos Mencia is a well-known name and has a funny presentation, but this performance, in particular, is highly patriotic, taking place after the tragedy of 9/11. He talks about the necessity of being able to make fun of each other and finishes with a moral: live, love and let your loved ones know how you feel; you may not get another chance. Finally, Brian Regan finishes up the collection, with his caricature-heavy comedy; he plays comedic roles in his delivery, helping to drive the joke home.
The likelihood of someone actually loving all of these comedian's styles is probably fairly low. However, with such variety, if you find that you honestly don't like any of the artists in The Best of Comedy Central Presents: Uncensored, then you probably just don't get comedy. There's some funny stuff in this disc. If you're trying to find a comedian that you like or trying to find something that your best friend, girlfriend or boyfriend likes, this is a good way to feel them out. Once you find their favorite, you can look for shows by that comic. Because, as you know, when you go back the second time, you know to get the steak.
