Review: Mike Birbiglia DVD is worthy of comparison to Bill Cosby

Posted Monday, April 28, 2008 at 10:46 PM Central

by Tim Briscoe

I've always been intrigued by stand-up comedians. They're kind of like the philosophers of our age. It just so happens that their observations are funny.

I first became enamored by comedians watching Bill Cosby: Himself as a child. He didn't really tell jokes. He told stories from his own life. Bill Cosby so skillfully told these personal stories that he had the audience anticipating his every word -- and laughing until they cried.

Comedian Mike Birbiglia very much reminds me of Cosby. He's not really a joke-teller either. He recites tales from his "Secret Public Journal," his online journal of life experiences which seems more like open therapy than the basis for comedy.

Birbiglia doesn't really look the part of a comedian, if those in the profession have a look. He resembles the love-child of Matt Damon, Paul Rudd and Ewan McGregor -- only not nearly as debonair. In fact, he's kinda goofy.

Like Damon, he's from Boston. He doesn't speak in the customary "paak the caah in the ha-bah" Massachusetts accent. As Birbiglia jokes, he doesn't talk that way because he's "wicked smaaht!"

The comedian's first DVD is called Mike Birbiglia: What I Should Have Said Was Nothing - Tales From My Secret Public Journal. It's 90 minutes of Birbiglia recorded live in New York City.

Birbiglia's subjects are himself. Don't worry, you would find any of the braggadocio stereotypically found of East Coast Italian-Americans. As Birbiglia puts it, his family isn't real Italian -- they're Olive Garden Italian.

All of his humor is self-effacing. He's constantly putting himself down. Like the time he showed up for a celebrity golf tournament and felt compelled to apologize to his foursome for falling short of "celebrity."

It's all OK because Mike usually brings along his older brother Joe, and includes him in his stories. If Mike can't seem to demean himself enough, Joe is there to offer not-so-encouraging comments like: "I don't know, what would dad think about this?" or "Do you think they have any more shrimp?"

This might sound more depressing than funny but it's really not. Quite the opposite. Birbiglia is as talented a storyteller as Cosby. Perhaps that's why CBS recently hired Mike for his own sitcom. Unlike Cosby, Birbigs' show won't have him as a married obstetrician with five kids. Mike will star as (what else?) a comedian.

Birbiglia's act really has to be seen to be believed. His tale about doing stand-up for the Major League Baseball MVP event still makes me chuckle when I think about it.

Catch Mike's new DVD -- you can be one of the people who knew of him before he got famous for his TV show.