Skip to content
Brick Wall Comedy
Brick Wall Comedy

I Walked on the Moon

Brian Regan

2004 · 55 min

Everyday frustrations elevated by high-energy physical performance.

Watch it free on YouTube (opens in a new tab)

Brian Regan turns the minor indignities of being an easily confused adult into physical theater. He spends several minutes on stage physically twisting his body to peer around a giant cardboard box to see the numbers on a bathroom scale. This 2004 performance at the Irvine Improv captures a comedian operating at peak efficiency, utilizing a rubber-faced delivery to elevate everyday tasks like shipping a package or visiting the doctor into memorable physical comedy.\n\nAt this point in his career, Regan was a rare anomaly: a headliner filling theaters nationwide almost entirely on the strength of his touring and Late Show appearances, without the benefit of a network sitcom. This special cemented his reputation as one of the premier clean acts of his generation. Rather than relying on shock value or edgy commentary, his jokes focus on common frustrations, like trying to choose a number on the doctor’s pain scale or coping with a refrigerator salesman whose only pitch is that the appliance keeps food cold.\n\nThe show closes with the title routine, where Regan acts out a bragging ‘Me Monster’ at a dinner party who gets effortlessly humbled by a retired astronaut.

The set list

5 bits

  1. Pop Tarts instructions and serving sizes

    Observational critique of food packaging instructions and absurd serving size recommendations

  2. Visiting the eye doctor and vision exams

    Self-deprecating examination of the awkwardness and uncertainty during optometrist tests

  3. Airline travel and flight attendants

    Exaggerated physical comedy and humorous complaints regarding airline experiences and first class passengers

  4. Dinner party conversations and one-upmanship

    Hypothetical scenario of trying to trump conversation at a dinner party by claiming 'I walked on the moon'

  5. Shopping for a refrigerator

    Interacting with refrigerator salesmen and dealing with appliance specifications

How it plays

Tone
Clean, observational, sarcastic, and self-deprecating
On stage
Animated observational comedian utilizing exaggerated facial expressions, body language, and physical comedy without relying on profanity or taboo subject matter
Pace
Relentless onstage momentum, described as not missing a beat or losing steam, blending energetic body language with classic cadence
About
Emergency room and doctor visits, Food and serving sizes, Shipping packages with UPS, Refrigerators, Airline travel, Vision exams and eye doctors

What the critics said

Widely praised by fans and comedy peers as a masterclass in clean observational standup and tight joke construction, noted for replay value and expressive physical delivery

In the room: Energetic and roaring with laughter despite a small venue and compact stage

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: allmovie.com, letterboxd.com, socinety.com, screensearch.co.uk, nytimes.com, brainfuel.tv, fuzzyco.com, en.wikipedia.org, clownjewels.com, allmusic.com.

Details

Released
Taped
Irvine Improv
Runtime
55 min
Director
John Brenkus
Topics
Before
Comedy Central Presents (2000)
After
The Epitome of Hyperbole (2008)

More from Brian Regan

If you liked this