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Brick Wall Comedy

Beer Hall Putsch

Doug Stanhope

Tubi · 2013 · 59 min

A bleak barstool sermon on death, charity, and doing absolutely nothing.

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Doug Stanhope titled his 2013 hour after a failed 1923 coup attempt in Munich. As he explains the choice, the historical parallel lies in the execution: getting a bunch of people together in a room, yelling about the government, and then ultimately doing absolutely nothing about it. Working the stage at Dante’s in Portland, Oregon, Stanhope leans into his role as a professional barstool nihilist. The material is heavy, anchored by a long-form story about assisting in his own mother’s suicide. He delivers it with the casual, smoke-stained pacing of a guy holding court at last call.

By this point in his career, Stanhope had cultivated a dedicated fanbase that allowed him to avoid traditional comedy clubs and clean theaters. He favors rooms with low ceilings and an audience that shares his aversion to sobriety. He builds routines around overpopulation, the mechanics of charity, and the bleak reality of trying to have a good time without a drink. The set found its exact audience, peaking at number one on the Billboard comedy albums chart.

The set list

6 bits

  1. A half-dead boxing legend propped up by his trophy wife to sell tickets to community theater

    Narrative bit titled 'The Lady and the Champ' that transitions toward more poignant personal reflections.

  2. Assisting in his mother's suicide

    A poignant yet darkly funny recounting of helping his mother end her life ('Farewell, Mother').

  3. Failings of the Occupy movement

    A harangue criticizing Occupy Wall Street titled 'Occupy Elsewhere'.

  4. The underlying sloth and triviality of charities and fun runs

    Questioning charity walks and fundraising runs ('Triage the Charity', '10k Fun Run for Nothing').

  5. Defects of sobriety and defending alcohol use

    Defending drinking with the declaration: 'I have a problem? No, lady! I have a solution!'

  6. A twisted NFL sex fantasy

    Raunchy bit titled '60 Inches of AIDS on Any Given Sunday'.

How it plays

Tone
Irreverent, raunchy, acerbic, dark, and unfiltered.
On stage
Acerbic, visceral, and un-ingratiating comic who thrives on hostile crowd energy and chaotic rock club environments.
Pace
Assaulting and haranguing delivery fueled by barroom yelling and drinking.
About
Assisted suicide, Failings of the Occupy movement, Charity and fun runs, Sobriety and alcoholism, Eugenics, Sexuality and sports

What the critics said

Praised as an assaulting, visceral performance proving Stanhope to be an uncompromising and essential stand-up comic who renders deeply taboo subjects hysterical and relatable.

In the room: Recorded in a chaotic rock-club setting at Dante's in Portland before an intense, rabid crowd.

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: comedydynamics.com, en.wikipedia.org, muir.tdslib.org, netflix.com, nytimes.com, toledocitypaper.com, imdb.com.

Backstory

Named after Hitler's failed 1923 Beer Hall Putsch, a title chosen to reflect Stanhope's feeling that he talks a lot of shit and yells in bars without taking action. Personally addresses assisting his mother's suicide.

Details

Released
Taped
Dante's, Portland
Runtime
59 min
Where
Tubi
Director
Jay Karas
Honors
Peaked at #1 on the US Billboard Top Comedy Albums chart
Topics
Before
Oslo: Burning the Bridge to Nowhere (2011)
After
No Place Like Home (2016)

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