Stand-up veteran Bill Burr went on a six-minute tirade against the rise of nerds, specifically neo-geek comedians, on "Monday Morning Podcast." Singling out "The Office" and "awkward" stand-up comedians that he thinks are hurting the form, Burr ranted about the difference between "alt comics" and "club comics," and why he thinks the former are wrong to condescend to the latter.
"I really can't wait for the backlash on nerds," Burr said. "I've had it with them embracing the fact that they're awkward to the point of pretending to be awkward even when [they're] not." He spoke disdainfully of men who are "35 years old acting like some 14 year-old on his first date."
Burr, a Boston native generally regarded as one of the most talented stand-ups working today, is known to slay audiences both in traditional comedy clubs around the country as well as in "alt" rooms, such as the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre. A stand-up veteran with several specials under his belt (and one of the masters of the rant), expressed disappointment that a younger generation of comedians seems to approach comedy from a different point of view -- an approach that he thinks is harmful to all.
"I do resent the alternative scene for one reason only. It created a situation where it distilled all the horror out of attempting to be a comedian. That's what I dont like about it. No heckling, no drunks, no obnoxious behavior, no aggressiveness. Every fuckin' reason it takes balls to be a comedian, every fuckin' reason people who wanted to be a comic but never did it, you've removed from the situation and created this fuckin' comedy womb."
He also took aim at the TV show "The Office," which he sees as evidence of the trend that "awkward comedy" is popular despite the show being full of "cartoons."
This is not the first podcast where Burr has ranted on his frustration with the current scene of "alt" comedy, which he points out was originally founded by his contemporaries who cut their teeth at comedy clubs, like David Cross and Marc Maron. He also discussed the matter extensively with Pete Holmes on "You Made It Weird" in February. He also brought up the topic in an interview during Just For Laughs last year.