Patton Oswalt’s latest standup special features less KFC, more middle-age angst

Patton Oswalt has reached such a rarefied level of comedic standing that he no longer has to try. That is not just hyperbole. On his latest standup special, Tragedy Plus Comedy Equals Time, he recounts a long story about being flown in to perform at a Vegas hotel for a rowdy room of drunken gamblers, so content to simply yell out things they’ve seen him in, that he never manages to get out a single joke. That sort of “success,” and the inherent challenges of fighting against complacency, form the backbone of Tragedy Plus Comedy Equals Time.

His latest special consists mostly of a series of long-stories, with Patton ruminating on his weight, getting older, and raising his daughter. If a lot of that seems like Louis CK territory, be assured that Patton has his own unique delivery on material like this, and is more generally flabbergasted at life than outraged by it. Only Patton could have an extended bit breaking down the minutiae of the Lean Cuisine product line, with the correspondingly crippling realization that he has reached the point where they are an appealing prospect.

Much of Tragedy Plus Comedy Equals Time focuses on Patton coming to terms with getting older and mellowing out. He takes his 25 year-old self to task for his firebrand elitism about “selling out,” and admits to not having the energy to hate any music anymore, even offering a sort of defense for Nickelback (“It ain’t Pol Pot!”)

While the epic rants of past Patton specials are out (see: KFC bowl) in favour of this story-telling approach, he still manages to get worked up about Florida of all things, in what is easily this special’s highlight (“The only reason to visit Florida is to identify your daughter’s dead body.”)

Patton’s act may be maturing, but he still remains one of the sharpest comedians on the planet, which is fully evidenced by Tragedy Plus Comedy Equals Time. The “Wackity-Schmackity Doo’s” are still missed though.

Tragedy Plus Comedy Equals Time is available as a video download  from Comedy Central for $5, as a CD/DVD package, and via iTunes.

Below is Patton’s brilliant promo for the special, with his spot-on take on True Detective‘s Rust Cohle:

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