Last night, Ledcat and I tottered off to the Brillo Box to see our friend and gal-pal Gabrielle Bonesso's Christmas Comedy Special.  On a school night.  In a room filled with smoke.  And, in spite of Ms. Gab's promises, not a single cookie in sight. 

That's how much we love her.

Almost the entire lineup of local comics were twentysomething, underemployed, pudgy, poorly dressed young men with the age-typical obsession with bathroom behavior, getting high and saying "fuck" as many times as possible in one breath.  It was the weirdest experience ... as if I was trapped in a room filled with the love children of Jim Belushi (yes, Jim and not John) and Seth Rogan.  It was a scene right out of "Knocked Up."

My favorite moment was when this guy wearing one of those creepy Steeler man-dresses tried to explain why Christmas is a gay holiday and based his argument on Christmas lights being gay.  Don't ask.  I guess the homoerotic thrill of being wrapped in the man-sweaty embrace of Ben Roethlisberger's shirt cut off the supply of funny to his mouth.  Or elsewhere.  He gave up and didn't seem to appreciate my disapproving middle-age lesbian frown.  Whatever. I have a job AND health insurance.  He does look better than me in a dress, I have to say.

Actually, some of the comedians were funny.  Gab shined even though she had to go home and go to bed early.  The cello playing hottie was pretty amusing except for the fact that we could not quite discern the lyrics.  I'd like to see her again only with a better sound system.  Seth Rogan's younger brother was there and apparently he is quite the ad libber.  I think there's another word for that, but it was pretty much like Mad-Libs with a lot of marijuana references and sad sack jokes about not getting laid. Ho hum. 

The award for best-dressed and actually funniest comedian goes to ... Johnny Mac who pushed the envelope so far it came out looking like one of those fold up little swans,  John significantly butched up the show to a full out metrosexual love fest. Even if he is a pervert.  Ick, ick, ick.  The social worker in me is APPALLED.

I did laugh, but on the drive home it occured to me that the reason I have never heard of any of these guys is that they just aren't that original.  The jokes were pretty interchangeable and it seemed like they were really performing for each other.  Which is fine, but not very creative.  How hard is to make the long-haired stoner with the three day in a row hoodie and a really cool MySpace page laugh?  Seriously.  Toss one of these shlubs into a room filled with lesbians and let's see what they can do. 

Just lose the man-dress, dude.