REFLECTION & REASON

It was exactly 30 years ago when Chris Rock first made me laugh. He walked into a fast food restaurant in the 1988 film "I'm Gonna Git You Sucka" trying to buy ribs, and it was hilarious. Equally entertaining was his 1991 character "Pookie" in New Jack City. And how about his role in 1992's "Boomerang" or his many stand up specials? Iconic. "Bring the Pain" (1996) and "Bigger and Blacker" (1999) brought tears to my eyes. Chris Rock was the man. He made me holler! He was so clever, and witty. His voice was unique. His jokes were hysterical. And he continued to make fabulous HBO specials up until "Kill the Messenger" in 2008...and then he stopped. He was kinda off the radar for a bit. Still around, but not super "hot" while other guys like Chappelle and Kevin Hart were working their way up the comedic ranks. He was always great, but not always the most relevant cat in the comedy club. Admittedly, some o...

Trixx is a funny dude. No two ways about it. And what makes him hilarious is that everything he talks about is so fundamentally TORONTO that you can't help but relate. On the evening of Saturday, May 11, 2013 at the Janet Mallett The atr e (St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts), Trixx performed a two-hour one-man stand-up comedy show to a packed house. No opening act, just a musical introduction from DJ Lissa Monet, and he jumped right into it...starting with Drake's "Starting From the Bottom" and immediately started discussing the thoughts we ALL have about the song and video... The unspoken words. You can count on him to speak his mind, and that's what made the show great. From the taboo topics like oral sex, to the familiar subjects like raising children, Trixx had a conversation with the audience, and naturally spoke about the things we all discuss, and the events that we're all aware of. And he did it in his expected hilarious form, and didn't mis...

I love a good Canadian success story...and I love to read inspiring biographies of those who started with a dream, and didn't quit until that dream was fulfilled. The biography of Canadian comedian Russell Peters, " Call Me Russell " (2010) fulfilled both of these interests, with an easy read and a familiar tale. I miss having a good laugh, sometimes. And not the every day chuckle, giggle with friends, or sitcom humour. I miss like real hearty, eyes-watering, can't-breathe type of laughter. The type that only a true comedian can give you. Russell Peters is one of the few comedians who has been able to provide that type of laughter for me over recent years, and I'm proud that he is one of "our own." Of course we have Trixx and Jay Martin , Jean Paul , and a few others in Toronto who are definitely consistently hilarious, and provide comforting familiarity as well. Then there are the American greats like Katt Williams and Kevin Hart, also kinda making...