You get the feeling when watching Brian Posehn do standup that he isn't too far removed from his stage persona. Where some comics are clearly putting on an act, Posehn rings true as an extremely self-aware, awkward, and geeky underachiever.
All qualities seem inherently evident, except of course for the underachieving part. Posehn, who kicked off JFL42 with a standup set at Second City on Thursday night, has found an unlikely niche for himself in Hollywood as an oddball character actor and deliberately unappealing but endearing loser. Though not exactly the George Clooney path to stardom, this persona has earned him roles on sitcoms like The Big Bang Theory, Community, Seinfeld, Friends and a featured role on The Sarah Silverman Program, in addition to a number of bit movie parts.
Not that Posehn will mention any of that in his ego — free and heavily self-deprecating standup routine. Instead, the 49 — year-old Los Angeles native keeps the focus squarely on his shortcomings. After launching into the 45 — minute set by saying, "Well I have diarrhea, how are you guys doing tonight?" he eventually acknowledges the theme of his comedy. He tells the audience, "In case you aren't very familiar with me, self-hatred is kind of my thing."
Beyond expressing his dissatisfaction with his own physical attributes, Posehn also had plenty of hatred for hipsters, foodies, Alaska and Guy Fieri, among other things. There is, however, a gentleness to his tone that conveys less angsty curmudgeon and more quirky goofball. Even in some of the more crude portions of the set, the joke is tied to Posehn's irreverent treatment of the material. When he cycled around the front row while miming the act of pleasuring himself, the crowd reacted to the inane ridiculousness of the bit.
Nowhere is that gentleness more pronounced than when he talks about his six-year-old son. Sure, he approaches the topic from an amusingly disgruntled, mocking place, but even the complaining tone is softened by his underlying joy and love for his son.
The last thing Posehn would want you to know is that he's actually quite fulfilled. Between enjoying a successful career in Hollywood and finding great satisfaction in fatherhood, things are going pretty well for the likeable lug. While that success may not be in keeping with his stage persona, it's that very persona that makes it so easy to root for the guy.
