Summary
You leave after 45 minutes feeling like you need more from Jim — I guess that’s the point.
Amazon special stand-up Jim Gaffigan: The Pale Tourist was released on the platform on July 24, 2020.
Jim Gaffigan is so likeable. Even when his jokes do not land as effectively, his likeability perseveres and it’s almost like you laugh due to affirmation anyway. He just has a way with the stage, keeping himself a mean competitor in the comedy world.
Amazon’s Jim Gaffigan: The Pale Tourist brings two stand-up specials; one performed in Canada and the other in Barcelona where he attempts to speak any Spanish he knows. For the purpose of this review, I am basing the experience from the Canada episode — both will be uniquely different due to location and subsequently, was the reason behind the title.
Jim Gaffigan has a way with geography and culture it seems. Most of The Pale Tourist sees the comedian dissecting Canada on the map; highlighting their half-done, non-threatening flag before raising the nuisances regarding Canada’s territory. The comedian has a way of making Canada’s choice of naming locations seem like they lack common sense and everything was half-assed in the making. The reaction from the audience is obvious to Jim’s success as they lap up every sentence he delivers regarding their culture. It’s brilliant comedy.
And for a stand-up, it’s a respectable 45-minutes, swaying apart from the new age 70-minute format that can often feel exhausted and long. You leave after 45-minutes feeling like you need more from Jim — I guess that’s the point. Jim Gaffigan: The Pale Tourist is a tease if anything — there’s this need for him to jump back on stage once it ends and it never comes.
Jim Gaffigan: The Pale Tourist adds to the list of impressive stand-ups on Amazon — a platform that appears to be growing in stature in this arena.
