No Offense

Theo Von relies on a persona of Louisiana eccentricity, delivering a series of absurd anecdotes about his hometown and family while using the title phrase as a shield for his edgier material. He spins bizarre yarns, like the story of an uncle who masturbated in his sleep and was forced to wear sleigh bells on his wrists so the family could hear him dashing through the snow.

Filmed at the Civic Theatre in New Orleans, this 2016 release caught Von at a transitional point in his career. He was still trying to shake off his reputation as an MTV reality television star from the Road Rules era and establish himself as a serious touring comedian, years before his podcast empire took off. Directed by John Mallory Asher, the hour includes bits about getting bitten by a middle-aged black widow spider and an uncomfortable run-in with Brad Pitt.

The hour split audiences and critics alike. Some reviewers compared his aggressive, tell-it-like-it-is posture to contemporary political figures, taking issue with several punchlines aimed at marginalized groups. For others, the set showed the early, unpolished promise of a storyteller who would eventually find a more natural home in loose, long-form conversation.