Review: Mike Bobbitt “Full Frontal Nerdity”
November 2, 2011 Zach Gzehoviak Albums, Reviews
I like Star Wars. Chewbacca is one awesome animal. He’s like the Bigfoot we’ve never found.
But aside from me, apparently, Mike Bobbitt likes Star Wars too, which is probably why his latest album is full of Star Wars jokes. It’s also probably why he claims to have Star Wars tattoos, and calls his penis a Wookiee. But aside from Star Wars, it’s no surprise that the album is called Full Frontal Nerdity. Bobbitt fits nerd stereotypes fairly well. If we look at his album like a graph, we will see a range of nerd problems intermixed with nerd obsessions. For example: bad luck with women…X-Men…pee shy in the bathroom…Spider-man…confusion at the gym…The Avengers…the desire to beat up 9 year-olds…role playing video games, and so on.
Though Mike is definitely a nerd, there are moments on my graph where he crosses the nerd threshold and enters “Coolest guy in at least 5 square miles.” In midst of his frequent Star Wars talk, he mentions having sex with his wife while wearing a life-like Boba Fett helmet. If you don’t know about Boba Fett, watch this video right now. He’s the badass in the helmet who takes orders from Darth Vader. Hilarious situation to imagine—his wife’s lucky.
One moment that’s interesting is when Bobbitt’s assistant, Allison Hood, interrupts the show. By the end, Allison ends up with her own bit about her ex-boyfriend and it’s a good one. I found this refreshing as you don’t hear many funny guests on solo albums, so props to Mike and Allison for that.
As far as delivery, Mike stays fairly energetic and entertaining. At times, he becomes a quick storyteller in likes of AJ Finney [TLB Review]. Though Mike doesn’t capture the same quick and fluid yet sporadic style of Finney, he comes close, and it actually works out well. Mike’s fast flustered storytelling style only gives way to the sort of nerdish outburst feng shui that is Mike Bobbitt.
Bobbitt also makes fun of people with disabilities, and particularly the “arrogant” blind man who climbed Mt. Everest. “You know he didn’t do it for the view!” He complains. Offensive or not, it’s all in good fun. I know so because Bobbitt makes fun of himself, too. In line with the Star Wars references, he calls himself “Chubby-Wan Kenobi,” and then tells a story about being too fat to ride on a roller coaster.
I will say that Bobbitt seems to mention Star Wars almost too much. Then again, that only adds to the whole “nerd” thing he has going on because, in all reality, isn’t being a nerd all about having strange obsessions? If so, Bobbitt’s legit. Too legit to quit.
