If Daniel Tosh is the king of Comedy Central’s youth-skewing programming (with Tosh.0), then Anthony Jeselnik is the prince. Like Tosh, Jeselnik sometimes comes off like an overgrown frat boy, and he uses his obnoxious persona to skewer the oblivious self-importance of bro culture (himself included). On his Comedy Central series The Jeselnik Offensive, Jeselnik routinely joked about dark, upsetting news stories, showing a willingness to take his humor into some pretty daring places. The show’s very first episode featured Jeselnik performing cancer jokes in front of a cancer support group.
So Jeselnik’s humor is edgy and provocative, and can offend some people. But it’s also funny and insightful, and not offensive just for the sake of it. Jeselnik first caught most people’s attention on Comedy Central roasts, and he knows how to craft jokes that get a reaction but also make people think. Since the end of The Jeselnik Offensive, he’s focused on performing live, traveling around the country to deliver his sometimes shocking, always clever jokes to audiences in person. Fans of bold humor, take note.
The Mirage, 9 p.m. May 2, $39.99 plus tax and fee, 16+. 702.792.7777
