Jim Gaffigan: Beyond the Pale (2006 TV Special) User Reviews (19)

Excellent, even for really pregnant women!

[rdeibert · 9/10 · 13 August 2006]

My wife and I watched this, primarily as a distraction while she was on the verge of labor with our first child, and we absolutely laughed our respective asses off. I can't say for certain that it actually sped the labor, but it's entirely possible that it did so.

Gaffigan is a comic genius with remarkably impeccable timing and phrasing, as well as a penchant for the completely random subject material, especially when random has anything to do with food... There seems to be a very special place in his heart for Hot Pockets, and his ability to speak the thoughts of the audience is clear demonstration of his ability to both read and steer his fans and critics alike.

If you like stand-up, watch this recording - Brilliant!

finally

[vamp88 · 9/10 · 4 October 2006]

I was just thinking recently how I haven't seen a great stand up special in a while. There have been some good ones, amusing, funny, but not great. It's been a while since I sat on my couch laughing for an hour getting light headed from lack of oxygen. Like many great comedians his delivery makes an amusing joke hysterical.

I saw about 10 minutes and quickly checked the schedule to see if it aired again soon, luckily it did and I used the DVR to capture it for me and my girlfriend to watch the next night. We both laughed for the full hour. I was starting to forget what it was like to see a great stand up special, glad to be reminded. Look for this one.

Right on, Casper!!!

[ddukart · 9/10 · 13 July 2007]

Man, this guy is hilarious!!! I laughed nearly all the way through this stand up DVD.

I had seen Jim Gaffian on that commercial where he has the beard comb-over and th wayyy to short cut-offs, so I thought, "Hey, this guy might be sick enough to make me laugh". Well, he is.

He also gets as many laughs without the nonstop vulgarities that seem to fill up most comedians acts these days. Don't get me wrong, vulgar = funny, but it's also refreshing when somebody does stuff that doesn't require and f-word translator to get the joke out of the dialogue.

His routine is great and I really recommend checking it out if you're a stand up comedy fan. plus, there's as much material in the special features as in the act itself, so you get double the money's worth.

Hilarious and Stupid at the same time

[ambr-2 · 9/10 · 22 September 2006]

This sketch was absolutely brilliant. Its all about Jim Gaffigan talking about anything that comes to his mind.

Ranging from food to holidays he talks in numerous persons.

He talks as one person in the audience throughout and I was surprised at how much I laughed.

He is absolutely brilliant when it comes to stupid things like hot pockets and how holidays are degenerating our society.

His clever use of words is truly mindblowingly funny.

Go to your local Suncoast and shell-out the 10 to 15 bucks required to get this its worth it.

Almost Perfect

[yevonwm · 8/10 · 27 August 2007]

Jims comedy style really sticks out as even when his jokes aren't that funny his 'after voice' turns them round to something special. His ability to laugh at himself and intercept any judgements of him really denies you the right to not like him. His act isn't perfect, there's a lot of localised and period jokes that don't stand the test of time, Im in the UK and didn't understand at least 1/10 of his act. However, I have been quoting this with my brother for weeks, his comedy really sets a new bar for contemporary stand up comedians and his observational comedy really shines a light on other comedians that live on mocking celebrities (Rock, Chappelle etc).

Summary: Rent it now!

Really Funny

[Johnny_West · 10/10 · 5 September 2021]

Gaffigan is funny without using a single obscenity or sex joke. Unlike Kevin Hart, who I like also, Gaffigan is not shouting or talking about his penis or his sex life at all. Gaffigan makes everyday events funny. He makes remarks and observations about the daily life experiences we all have, and he makes them sound funny. I really enjoy his humor. It is easy to laugh, and to see life in a more humorous way.

Wickedly funny!

[bookishfreak05 · 10/10 · 29 December 2006]

I saw Jim on Comedy Central, and I thought he was awesome, so I went onto YouTube.com and watched a few more clips of him. Still funny! So I went to Bestbuy and spent the ten dollars on a DVD of "Beyond the Pale" I had to go to work afterward, and the whole time I was thinking about how I couldn't wait to get home and watch it. Eventually I was able to watch it...and I laughed until my head felt light. I had to smother my face with a pillow because everyone else was asleep. The Hot Pocket joke had me laughing until my sides hurt. I also loved the "Inside voice." It was as if he was narrating that one person in the audience. There is always that one person in the audience who finds offense with EVERYTHING the comedian says. In short, Jim is funny, original, and just plain great to watch.

Clean Comedy That's Actually Funny

[MassDistraction · 7/10 · 19 March 2014]

"Dad" comic Jim Gaffigan steps into the spotlight for his first stand-up special. However, Gaffigan had already released 5 albums by the time this special premiered, so he was no novice. Perhaps one of the least controversial comics working today, Gaffigan's material may be considered a bit slight by some. He tends to keep to minor annoyances and innocuous observations, usually involving food (it is truly amazing how much material he is able to pull out of Hot Pockets). In addition, using asides, Gaffigan comments on his own comedy as a member of the audience in a peculiar voice, which may put some off, but otherwise, should appeal to most people across the spectrum. Definitely one of the strongest family-friendly comedians out there.

About Peed My Pants

[adamation · 9/10 · 14 February 2008]

Incontinence aside, Beyond the Pale is hilarious! From his obsessions with food, to his humorous impersonation of a confused audience member, Jim Gaggigan hits all the right notes. His comedy is not edgy, or very unique, but it is his on stage presence and timing that make for a stand-up special that will have you and your friends re-quoting lines for months to come.

I am a fan of many different comedians and love a variety of stand-up routines and performances, and Jim Gaffigans is one that you will remember. Even if a year from now you can't recall his name, you will still be singing to yourself "HOT POCKET, CALIENTE POCKET".

Don't take life to seriously. Laugh, and enjoy yourself.

Funniest thing I have seen in a long time!!

[matt_charron56 · 10/10 · 15 January 2007]

I could relate to almost everything he has said in his performance! He directs his act towards something that almost everyone can relate to:food. He knows the limits on what he can and cannot make fun of, and he will make fun of himself at times to make up for any harmed feelings. When he talks as if he was an audience member is probably the funniest parts of his whole act. It is good to see that some of the older comedians can still hang in there with the young comedians. A large portion of his act deals with the food item "Hot Pockets" which was just hilarious. His voice also sets him apart from other comedians, he can make it louder.. or really quiet but it is still funny. He has to be one of my favourite comedians.

10 out of 10

..Haaaaaaaaaat Poccccckett.

"Audience Voice" Wrecks It

[KongKongAGAIN · 4/10 · 17 November 2021]

Good jokes and competent delivery, relentlessly massacred by the odious "audience voice" gimmick. An album better experienced in clips, than in its entirety.

Laugh out loud!

[Extrmeben · 10/10 · 21 February 2007]

Jim Gaffigan is the funniest comedian i have ever seen! he brings it to the next level by cutting in the middle of each joke to show the annoying person in the crowd that is against every thing the comedian says. he is a laugh out loud he's joke may be a little on the dirty side sometimes but he's still very funny. He talks of his life, his family, his nationality, and some times hot Pockets. I don't watch many comedy acts but if I find one that I like it has to be worth watching. he makes funny jokes that a lot of people can relate to. I have heard this act 10 times and I never get tired of his jokes. this act is a must see. I would recommend this to ANYONE who wants a laugh. 10 STARES!!

If you liked "Mr. Universe", you'll likely enjoy this.

[planktonrules · 8/10 · 4 August 2013]

A few weeks ago, I watched Jim Gaffigan's stand-up video, "Mr. Universe". My daughter and I really enjoyed it, so today we decided to give "Beyond the Pale" a try. My feeling now is that if you liked one, you'd like the other, as they a very similar. Both feature Gaffigan making his strange observations while interposing his fake 'dumb person in the audience' comments. For the most part, the routine is amazingly clean and family-friendly--though, oddly, the captioning is actually a bit dirtier due to mistakes made by the captioner. You'll head Gaffigan talk a lot about good as well as restaurants, holidays, vegetarians as well as some stuff about Jesus at the end that might offend. Overall, an enjoyable DVD--not quite as good as "Mr. Universe", but still better than the average stand-up DVD.

"Don't get me wrong, I love animals, I just love to eat them more."

[classicsoncall · 10/10 · 25 September 2017]

I don't remember when I first saw a Jim Gaffigan comedy routine, it was some time ago and had to be before 2006 when this special first aired. I was hoping to catch one in which he goes into the 'Hot Pocket' routine because that one had me rolling back in the day. Well this is the one I was looking for, and as I recall, Gaffigan is as funny as ever with his commentary on such topics as food, bears, and doing nothing. He's also got that hilarious trademark of voicing responses of people in the audience who just might think 'he's weird' or better yet, 'just crazy' - "This guy talks a lot about cake". This show was recorded in Chicago, and the fan reaction was just what one would expect. People in the audience are beside themselves doubling over from his insane observations. I'll certainly be looking for more of Gaffigan's stand up routines, as he's got that rare ability like Jerry Seinfeld to make the every day funny without getting in the gutter like a lot of comedians. A rare commodity, and genuinely entertaining.

Making Food Funny

[view_and_review · 8/10 · 1 February 2022]

I discovered Jim Gaffigan kind of late apparently. I heard him on Sirius XM comedy channels sometime after 2014 and just about every clip was a riot. "Beyond the Pale" is a gas. Gaffigan begins with his favorite topic: food--Food Network, food packaging, and all the fattening foods he prefers over health food. He even dedicated some time to Hot Pockets and Cinnabuns LOL.

After food he went into holidays, gifts, and being Catholic. Jim always keeps it relatively clean, which is an anomaly in the comic biz. I think that makes him especially gifted that he can be funny without profanity.

He is not funny

[imvaughn · 2/10 · 8 November 2011]

Maybe if you are over 40 you will find him funny, but I am 30 and found him lame. He made a joke about a mc rib and a ladies rib!! WTF? It's lame. His jokes are for pretentious snobs who don't know what funny is. " I have a sweet tooth!... oh you're ordering for you tooth.... " this is lame. This comedian is for old people. He spends like 10 minutes making jokes about the different types of cake! Please do not watch his. He is not funny. I love Dane Cook and etc. They are real. He takes middle class simple stuff and attempts to make it funny. I am upper middle class and this isn't funny. A waste of time. He seems to think that lowering his voice makes for a funny joke. He doesn't paint pictures. His punch lines are horrible. Do not waste your time.

You call this funny?

[Bad-Good-Great · 1/10 · 13 January 2020]

I've tried very hard to watch this guy's 2006 talk show, but Jesus, what a lousy experience! Not even one sentence was funny, I didn't even smirk on time. This guy is one of the worst so-called comedian. But what I've found even more ridiculous was the clueless laughter of the audiences. This guy's thoughts were shallow, boring and pretentious, you name it. I don't how this guy could have survived so long and so far in the cruel comedian talk show market.

Didn't Get It

[davegering · 2/10 · 27 September 2006]

Jim Gaffigan is the kind of comic you'll either find hilarious, or totally boring. Unfortunately, I am in the latter group.

After reading the other comments, I couldn't wait to see this program. However, after listening to Gaffigan talk about his eating disorders for half an hour, I couldn't wait for it to finish. In truth, I didn't wait for it to finish. Having cracked but a single smile during the first half of the program, I turned it off and went to brush my teeth, which turned out to be vastly more entertaining.

Please understand that I am not criticizing the positive comments of others. It's just that I guess comedy is a very personal thing.

For my money, "Death of a Salesman" was funnier than this program.

o.k. material, bad delivery

[BaronVonZipper · 3/10 · 24 October 2006]

I really tried to get into it but couldn't.

His material is o.k. but when he starts that shop-worn pseudo gay guy whisper it is just annoying as all hell which sadly he does almost every single joke. It's like nails on a chalkboard level annoying. This may have been cutting-edge thirty years ago but has been done to death by countless sitcoms, movies, and SNL skits. As I said before his material is o.k. but it just seems like something you've probably heard a thousand other comedians say.

And why was this show called beyond the pale? Is he trying to somehow say his material is different from the other white guy comedians out there? Is he offering any observations like how black people differ from white people or did he just pull a name out of a hat?