Bloustien tells the story of a court case that stemmed from a performance on a high school party cruise that he was never paid for. His employers claimed it was because he wasn’t funny. Bloustein breaks down what one actually has to say in order to offend someone, while simultaneously weaving in jokes about starving kids in Ethiopia. His political opinions come from a seemingly-solid knowledge base, and he appears to make such offensive jokes simply for a reaction.
His more recent tidbits include his frustrations over the Kony campaign, and the concept of hipsters being confused with nerds. Claiming that he was an uncool nerd at school, he is upset about this new trend, because “hipsters are nerds with social skills”.
“Being a hipster doesn’t automatically make you a nerd, it just gives you access to Google.”
Bloustien comes across as a natural onstage; he is confident and engages with the audience with ease. Unfortunately, it seemed as if the new parts in the show were under-rehearsed, as Bloustien was often stuck for words and looking down at notes, but carries on with minimal fuss.
The Social Contract (Redux) is a really well-constructed show that tells a great story. It’s not rolling-on-the-floor type comedy, but thoroughly entertaining all the same.
