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Loose in Chicago

Kyle Kinane

Comedy Central · 2016 · 76 min

Kyle Kinane returns home to talk gout and mass shootings.

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What makes Kyle Kinane worth watching is his uncanny ability to transform the absolute worst habits of his own life into sweeping, majestic narratives. For his third Comedy Central special, filmed at the Metro in his native Chicago, he walks directly out of a neighborhood bar and onto the stage to greet a crowd of people he affectionately labels “hirsute fart factories smelling like expired mustard.” He spends the first half of the hour dismantling his own health, specifically a recent gout diagnosis he blames on ordering too many menu items with the word “rodeo” in them. Kinane’s gift is making his own decay feel like a collective victory, admitting he received his official diagnosis on the exact same day his eBay ghost-hunting gear arrived in the mail. As the set progresses, he pushes into darker territory, managing to talk about mass shootings and the Westboro Baptist Church without adopting a preachy tone. After taking a Jack the Ripper tour in London, he finds himself feeling a bizarre wave of American exceptionalism because the historical killer only managed five victims (an amateur number in the States, where Kinane notes people get shot over depleted Egg McMuffin supplies). He handles these radioactive topics through a lens of pure curiosity, culminating in a sequence where he imagines a friendly exchange between a Hell’s Angel and a gay protester who find common ground in their hatred of Fred Phelps. He also takes a moment to address trivial, everyday conspiracies, like his firm belief that Trader Joe’s parking lots are intentionally constructed to be too small.

The set list

6 bits

  1. Concealed carry dress code

    Argues that gun carriers need strict fashion standards after spotting a man packing a weapon in board shorts and flip-flops held up by drawstrings.

  2. Gout diagnosis and aging

    Riffs on receiving a gout diagnosis the same day his ghost-hunting equipment arrived from eBay, culminating in a doctor conducting a testicular exam during a sandwich discussion.

  3. Jack the Ripper tour in London

    Compares serial murder rates with American patriotism, expressing comedic disappointment that Jack the Ripper only killed five victims.

  4. Westboro Baptist Church counter-protest

    Imagines surreal solidarity between disparate counter-protest groups, depicting a Hell's Angel and a gay activist bonding over complimentary vest fashion.

  5. Rationalizing meat consumption

    Explains that to justify eating meat after watching documentaries, he must invent deep character flaws for the animal, such as an adulterous cow.

  6. Ketchup on a hot dog

    Deliberately triggers boos from his hometown Chicago audience by defending putting ketchup on a hot dog to challenge audience consensus.

How it plays

Tone
Self-deprecating, amused, perplexed, droll, and absurdly introspective.
On stage
Gravelly-voiced, conversational barfly raconteur who is relatable, self-deprecating, unguarded, and slightly absurd.
Pace
Relaxed and loose pacing with sharp comedic detours, unhurried setups, and improvised-feeling extended narrative solos.
About
aging and physical health, gout, gun control and concealed carry, conspiracy theories, Westboro Baptist Church, Jack the Ripper

What the critics said

Widely praised by critics who lauded Kinane's mastery of conversational storytelling, his playful detour-filled structure, and his ability to tackle darker and weirder topics without cynicism.

In the room: Warm and receptive hometown crowd at a rock venue, receptive to intimate storytelling and playfully engaged in back-and-forth banter.

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: tv.apple.com, letterboxd.com, pro.imdb.com, filmcentrum.nl, knoxnews.com, pastemagazine.com, vulture.com, floodmagazine.com, en.wikipedia.org.

Backstory

Filmed in his native Chicago, reflecting on aging (turning 39), personal health scares like gout, and the 2016 election cycle while leaning into escapist rabbit holes like conspiracy theories.

Details

Released
Taped
Metro, Chicago
Runtime
76 min
Where
Comedy Central
Director
Marcus Raboy
Topics
Before
Sold Out, Suck It (2015)
After
The Standups (2018)

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