Lewis Black Might Hate Arkansas, But He Will Be at Walton Arts to Make Money
Lewis Black, the angry comedian and social critic, will be performing at the Walton Arts Center in Fayetteville on January 28. You’ve probably seen him on The Daily Show. Here is a portion of his promotional bio:
“Receiving critical acclaim, Black gives over 200 performances a year to sell-out audiences throughout Europe, New Zealand, Canada and the United States. His live performances provide a cathartic release of anger and disillusionment for his audience – he yells so they don’t have to. A passionate performer who is more ticked-off optimist than mean-spirited curmudgeon, Black is the rare comic who can cause an audience to laugh themselves into incontinence while making compelling points about the absurdity of our world.”
On the 11th track of the album, titled “Education in Arkansas,” Black wonders why Bill Clinton would take pride in raising Arkansas’ education ranking from 49th to 50th. On the next track, “Other Idiots in Arkansas,” Black makes his case against future Arkansan presidential candidates using a fabricated news story from the Arkansas Democrat Gazette (In 1996, the Democrat Gazette published this piece that denied ever writing the fabricated story that Black used in 2000).
“Bill Clinton alone is reason enough not to elect anyone from Arkansas president for 100 years,” Black begins. Before reading the funny, but completely made-up story about a man getting shot in the right testicle while frog-gigging near Cotton Plant, AR, Black admits, ”I’m kinda surprised that Arkansas has a newspaper. I am, I’m shocked since they didn’t know oral sex wasn’t adultery.” ”Cotton Plant, Arkansas…” Black wonders, “If I was a child born and raised in Cotton Plant, when I could purchase a gun, which would be at what age? Nine? I would’ve slept with that gun every night and have the muzzle in my mouth.” Black reads the entire story, pausing a few times to make comments about frog-gigging and hurt testicles. It is a mildly effective but lazy routine (stereotyping Arkansans by reading from a 1996 chain email isn’t a comedic revelation) that I am sure will not make it into his Walton Arts appearance.
The January 28 show is sold out, but you might try the Walton Arts box office (479.443.5600). Tickets are (were) $40-$65.
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