Big Daddy Kane

Post-modern insult comic scores big at Comix in recurring show

By Cristina Merrill / Jester correspondent

Stand-up comedian Colin Kane unleashed himself on a very grateful audience in his "Unzipped" show at Comix Aug. 12. Wearing jeans and a V-necked grey t-shirt, his blond, spiky hair perfectly coiffed, Kane displayed a charismatic, easygoing attitude throughout the show, never rushing into any jokes and taking time to schmooze with Comix-goers. He warned the audience of what they were in for, such as racial and ethnic jokes, and delivered on his promise. Kane is not afraid to make fun of anything or anyone, including himself, which is why his humor works so well. Kane’s material is too good and delivered too well, and his balance between making fun of others and making fun of himself makes it impossible to hold any grudges.

Kane started off by speaking the words that so many stand-up comedy audiences must think when they go out to hear comedy: “Make me laugh, dick.” Kane made a point of resisting this pressure and eased into his routine, pointing out that when you get to your job, you do not start working right away. There was definitely a warm-up period going on, one in which Kane tested the waters and gauged his audience. He met with approval and let it rip. He connected with audience members of various ethnic and racial backgrounds, including an interracial couple, and made fun of them all. For example, he joked about an interracial porno he watched, purportedly by accident (“I wanted to call the cops”). He even spanned the ages, befriending a grandmother who was at Comix with her granddaughter and away from her retirement home. He made fun of “ugly, confident chicks” with “I can have everything I want” attitudes. “Just not men,” he cracked. “I’m losing my fans one at a time today,” he said soon after. Au contraire. The audience was receptive throughout the entire show. Indeed, Kane has a gift that many comedians want but few possess (Don Rickles being the master of this art) -- the ability to insult everyone in a room and make friends with them at the same time.

This is not to say that Kane is immune from his jokes. He made fun of himself several times throughout the show. For example, he noted that one of the most depressing aspects of masturbating to pornography is waiting for the pornography to start. Revealing even more, Kane joked about his lack of attention to trimming his private areas. “My dick has bangs right now,” he said. Telling such self-deprecating jokes was smart on Kane’s part, as he was able to successfully walk the fine line between being a funny man and being a first-class jerk.

It is up to a comedian to set the tone during a stand-up act, and Kane excelled at doing so. He was smart to test the waters and play it cool before fully diving into his dirtier, more shock-inducing jokes. This approach helped him win over his audience. He has a natural charisma that makes you like him, even if he happens to be making fun of you without mercy. He is aware of this ability of his, and spoke to the audience’s ambivalent feelings when he said, “I’d like to fuck him, but he’s kind of mean.” 

Kane will perform again at Comix on Friday, August 20 at 10 p.m.