Voodoo Child
HBO · 1997 · 57 min
Rapid character work and broad impressions from a 1997 HBO hour.
Eddie Griffin thrives on kinetic, restless energy, bounding across the stage to cycle through rapid character work and switch voices. He anchors the front half of his 1997 hour with a story about trying to get through high school while completely stoned, showcasing a physical looseness that elevates his observational premises. He is at his best when he drops the standard setup-punchline rhythm entirely and relies on sheer performance momentum.
Shot at The Palace in Hollywood and broadcast on HBO, the set arrived a few years before he found a larger audience in films like Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo and Undercover Brother. The material grows aggressively vulgar as it progresses, eventually culminating in a long Michael Jackson impersonation that openly mocks the singer while relying on a mimicry of his stage moves.
The set list
-
Skewering religion, the Bible, and organized faith
Unsparing, irreverent satire targeting sacred beliefs
-
Skewering Michael Jackson
Pop culture parody and celebrity mocking
-
Musical performance of 'Voodoo Child'
Live stand-up musical performance written by Jimi Hendrix
How it plays
- Tone
- Irreverent, raw, and razor-sharp
- On stage
- Hip-hop swagger mixed with raw, unfiltered honesty and 'butt-naked truth'
- About
- racism, sexism, homophobia, education, religion, the Bible
What the critics said
Characterized as one of the most irreverent stand-up performances ever, featuring razor-sharp wit and raw truth.
Details
- Released
- Taped
- The Palace, Hollywood
- Runtime
- 57 min
- Where
- HBO
- Director
- Jerome Kay
- Topics
- Before
- HBO Comedy Half-Hour (1994)
- After
- Undeniable (2018)
More from Eddie Griffin
-
E-Niggma
Comedy Dynamics
-
Undeniable
Showtime
-
One Night Stand
HBO
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