You could be forgiven for thinking that the idea of sophisticated humor is an oxymoron in this day and age of stand-up comedy.
Amongst all the dick jokes, swearing, toilet humor and controversial gibes said for shock value and cheap laughs, it’s reasonable to wonder if today’s comics have lost the ability to find the funny in inoffensive topics.
Jake Johannsen hasn’t. His show Jake Johannsen is Talking Show, his first for the MICF and produced by Adam Hills, sees the veteran of the US comedy circuit and The David Letterman show tackle Twilight, going to Mars, aging, parenting, Donald Trump, social media and low-calorie dog food, in an hour that allows people of all ages to laugh without feeling like a terrible person.
Johannsen’s topics quickly pile on top of one another in his show, and his 30 years of experience in standup are visible in his seamless segues between these ideas and his subtle weaving in of punchlines that catch the audience off guard, ensuring their laughter is out of pleasant surprise as well as an appreciation of the joke.
The relatability of Johannsen’s jokes are further emphasized by his delivery, which is warm, measured and conversational, with the odd cleverly-timed burst of sarcasm or bamboozlement. It creates a sense of intimacy between Johannsen and his audience, as if you’re an old friend of his and he’s telling you something interesting that happened to him since you last caught up.
The other notable point of Johannsen’s show comes at the very beginning, where he plays a snippet of an interview he did prior to coming to Melbourne. In it, the interviewer describes his relief that a “traditional stand-up” will be at the fest, having apparently had to interview a dirty-minded burlesque performer and screaming women with musical toys before him.
“Right, now we’ve got the parameters of my show sorted, let’s get to it!” Johannsen then says before taking the stage, and there’s a beautiful irony in the interviewer’s words that is emphasized by Johannsen’s performance.
While he’s certainly not the most quirky or avant-garde comedy act at the Melbourne Comedy Festival, Johannsen is nonetheless unique. He is one of a small number of comedians that can consistently find the funny side of PG-rated subjects and translate them into a show with no weak points.
The title Jake Johannsen is Talking Show could thus not be more appropriate: His act is him talking, and that’s all he needs to do to be a great comic.
BY ALEXANDER DARLING
