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Comedy Central Presents

Russ Meneve

Comedy Central · 2005 · 21 min

A high-energy half-hour of New York club comedy.

Russ Meneve treats mundane anxieties with the intensity usually reserved for emergencies. The New York club regular spends his 2005 television spot zeroing in on the absurdity of modern childhood, the logistics of email breakups, and the undeniable superiority of food over sex. He is particularly concerned about the pizza getting cold during adult films. It is a tightly wound, fast-paced set from a performer who spent years learning how to control late-night crowds.

Aired in April 2005 as part of the ninth season of Comedy Central Presents, the 21-minute broadcast caught Meneve as his industry profile was rising. A former accountant and NBC page, he had become a fixture at venues like the Comedy Cellar and co-founded the New York Comedians Coalition in 2004 to secure better pay for local performers. Around the time the episode debuted, he earned a spot on a New York magazine list of the ten funniest comedians in the city who were still largely unknown. The half-hour garnered a quiet response from general television viewers, but Meneve retained a reputation among his peers as a highly capable club act.

The set list

5 bits

  1. Why it is hard to be a kid today and the many things to fear in life

    Observational humor exploring everyday anxieties and childhood perils

  2. Talking dirty to food

    Absurdist approach to cravings and dietary struggles

  3. Worrying about the pizza getting cold in porn movies

    Fixating on trivial logistical absurdities within adult film scenarios

  4. Struggles with obsessive-compulsive tendencies and anxiety as a neurotic city dweller

    Self-deprecating look at personal foibles and mental quirks

  5. Embarrassing encounters with women in the dating scene

    Self-effacing personal anecdotes punctuated with expressive physical reactions

How it plays

Tone
Light-hearted, relatable, witty, and self-deprecating without ever feeling negative or mean-spirited.
On stage
Energetic, engaging, neurotic, and self-deprecating city dweller.
Pace
Fast-paced, natural, and energetic delivery with deliberate pauses to let the audience recover from laughing.
About
growing up in New York, anxiety and obsessive-compulsive tendencies, dating and embarrassing encounters with women, healthy lifestyle vs. fast food temptation, fears in life and childhood

What the critics said

Praised as a masterclass in stand-up comedy, highlighted by sharp jokes, accessible topics, great timing, and an effortless, highly likable physical performance.

In the room: Consistently laughing out loud, needing pauses to catch their breath.

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: tvmaze.com, yidio.com, postcredit.tv, en.wikipedia.org, stagetimemag.com, comedyanatomy.com, imdb.com.

Backstory

Season 9 of Comedy Central's premier half-hour stand-up showcase series; Meneve had recently co-founded the New York Comedians Coalition in 2004 to secure better compensation for working comics.

Details

Released
Taped
Hudson Theatre, New York City
Runtime
21 min
Where
Comedy Central
Honors
New York Magazine's 'The Ten Funniest New Yorkers You've Never Heard Of' (2005)Cringe Humor's 'The Impact Player of 2005'
Topics

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