“Have a Nice Day!” But in a British Accent. Brett Goldstein takes San Francisco by storm.
Brett Goldstein. Roy fucking Kent. The great. The brilliant. The wonder kid.
Just in time for the end of a long and dark winter, he defrosted our hearts with another wonderful season of Ted Lasso. As spring comes into its full power, fingers crossed, this week, Goldstein takes San Francisco by storm, bringing his stand-up to the stage of the downtown Orpheum Theater and taking residency not for one, not for two, but for three sold-out nights.
The review from a friend, who went the night before I did, read, “It was like watching a normal ass friend who doesn't know what to say and isn't too confident to make a joke, but overall it was good.” I was underwhelmed but decided to go anyway. Coming to see someone you respect from afar is always a risky endeavor. What if they turn out nothing as I imagined them to be? What if they’re just an arrogant dick? But Brett not only didn’t disappoint, not only did he deliver, but he won my heart and undivided attention for what turned out to be two whole hours. And let me tell you, maybe only the National can hold it so long. To create an illusion of objectivity and professionalism, I keep my post-performance texts to friends private. Still, I will tell you, they were full of nonsensical, colloquial sounds along the lines of “Ahhh…” I was charmed, and good thing I was seated because otherwise, I’d be swooped off my feet.
On stage, Brett is a tune-down version of Roy; naturally, the same facial expressions and the same vocal inclination but less anger and fewer walls. He talks openly about his wellness journey, meditation, therapy, the dive into the sea of self-help books, and whatnot. Yet, there’s not even an ounce of arrogance or the slightest pretense or encrypted message that he’s somehow better than you. The sole reason I will always prefer a stand-up comedian to a motivational speaker. Whether Brett does aerial yoga, talks about his visit to the White House, or his appearance on Sesame Street, he manages to remain relatable – just your regular bloke down the street, a normal-ass friend. Bashful, somewhat awkward, with half smiles and half laughs that should have been served with a warning, Goldstein is hilarious, and while all that, he’s also unafraid, not in Dave Chapel’s fashion, but in the most refreshing and humbling ways.
While being an ex-pat comes with its limitations, it also comes with its superpowers. Poignant observations are the latter. Now, multiply that by English bluntness and relentless humor, and you get what’s unfolded on the Orpheum stage this week. What’s refreshing about Brett’s stand-up and what he and I have in common is that foreign lens that offers a different perspective on the issues Americans are so stuck up about. Touching upon all the bullet points on the modern agenda, from patriarchy to the wealth gap, Brett remains honest and self-aware. After briefly sharing an anecdote about his female friend’s complaint about her coworker who always “man explains” her, he mimics screaming “Fuck!” and chooses an avoidant “Oh my god! He sounds awful”; after congratulating Americans on their first female politician in higher office, he points out that England has had many; he then dives into his humble examination of American sensitivity to language, what I appreciated the most, coming from a culture where swearing is an art form in itself.
Having the world undone by the internet and globalization the way it was, it’s becoming accessible in all its vastness; in this larger context, shouldn’t we reexamine our relationship to our own cultures? Its issues, its customs, its values. Humor is your best companion on this journey. Not only it offers a new perspective, but it helps you copy the file that was once in the “Serious. Never To Laugh About” folder into the one titled “Maybe, I Can Laugh About It.” Of course, there are lines not to be crossed and a certain level of sensitivity to maintain, but thank God for the comedians like Brett Goldstein and Ricky Gervais, and Celeste Barber –“Foreigners” with a refreshing lens. Because, when in fighting patriarchy and inequality, rage takes logic hostage and allows us to oversee our shortcomings in the battle strategy, the foreign titans of humor come to the rescue, and Brett comes together with them. Goldstein is a master of pointing out the absurdity subtly and gently, carrying the same messages he carries through the shows he writes. That of the power of humor, love, and acceptance, and for that, I thank him.
And on a personal note: “Oi! Brett Goldstein, you are… hilarious, sexy little cunt!”
