Dispatches from “The Jeselnik Offensive” live show taping

I’ve only been to one tv taping since moving to Los Angeles two years ago. That first taping was Real Time With Bill Maher, and that, ostensibly, was the Rolling Stones to the Black Flag that was my experience at The Jeselnik Offensive. I’d always heard rumors about live tapings being cold, as to keep the audience sharp and avoid the chance of an elderly tourist dozing off. Real Time was pleasantly climate-controlled, and we were in and out, with zero reshoots or do-overs. We were also gently nudged to applaud when we felt compelled, and to generally sit back, relax, and enjoy the show. Not the case with The Jeselnik Offensive, and while I’m sure it’ll make for better TV, it was not necessarily a pleasant experience.

Now, being a lifelong Midwesterner, one of my pet peeves about Los Angeles is people bitching and/or panicking about “the cold,” which at its worst equates to low ’50s, or as Chicagoans would refer to it, “sweater weather.” On the night of the taping, a gray, chilly afternoon turned into a dark, and I’ll admit, cold night. We were herded outside the studio like cattle, after having to sacrifice cell phones by force (there was no holding area for phones, and strangers found themselves leaving phones in one another’s cars). After a quick restroom break ushered in groups, we entered the studio, the set layout and color scheme, with its icy blues and slick design, a far cry from the fallout shelter of The Burn With Jeff Ross and reflects Jeselnik nicely: cold, austere and sharp.

We were immediately bombarded by “hype-man” Brody Stevens, a comedian/actor who paraded around the studio like a deranged General, shaking a tambourine loudly whenever attention went slack. We were instructed when to laugh, how to clap, sit in our chairs and hold our hands. And did I mention… it was fucking cold in there! The legends were true; I was uncomfortable and I run hot. As Stevens gave a rundown on the taping (monologue, panel discussion etc) in-between fairly humorous audience jabs and self-deprecation, the show finally started, and generally, and impressively, ran very smooth. One of the charms of Jeselnik’s stand-up, and The Offensive, is the comic’s heightened sense of confidence and deliberate timing. He can say horrible things, but his delivery sells it, and if there was any wobbling or fear on his part, it would simply be baiting for the sake of shock. Jeselnik nailed his monologue, and guests Brian Posehn and Doug Benson seemed to be having fun, ad-libbing on such insane topics as “Would you have sex with Queen Latifah on a pile of corpses,” with Posehn having the most fun with that bit.

Sadly, when marijuana inevitably came up as a topic, it was a letdown, with Benson unable to deliver anything sharp or fresh on the subject (admittedly, Jeselnik’s set-up was weak.) For only the fourth taping, the show ran like a well-oiled machine, with Stevens keeping everyone in line and on edge, and Jeselnik running things like a consummate pro. With only a few line flubs, we were done about two hours later. Then Jeselnik asked if he could re-do the monologue (which I thought he’d already nailed) and there is something very odd and unwholesome about forcing oneself to laugh at a joke twice, especially something that really didn’t work the first time. With the mass of shows greenlit this season by Comedy Central, it’ll be interesting to see how Jeselnik fares. The shock value alone should draw initial interest, but the smart material and delivery should earn a quick, loyal following.