Live Review: Anti-Social Network at Just for Laughs

"So I'm single again," said Jim Norton at the Anti-Social Network, a night of filthy comedy starring Norton, Bill Burr, Jim Breuer and Dave Attell, that played as part of the TBS Just for Laughs festival. The hardest part about being single, quipped Norton, was "figuring out where the prostitutes have relocated." 

The Anti-Social Network is a traveling show that joined up with JFL and added a bit of nastiness for anyone searching this year's schedule for unadulterated politically incorrect humor. It wasn't for the easily bruised (the guy next to me sat stone-faced during the entire set), but if you brought your extra thick skin to the Chicago Theatre last night, you were in for a good time.

Norton is the unabashed pervert among the group. Slightly hunched and with a perpetually twitchy right eye, he waxed about the discovery of bin Laden's extensive porn collection and wondered aloud if they shared any "crossover titles." He argued adamantly in favor of revealing the photo of the body, "My tax dollars paid for that head shot and I'd like to see it." He also remarked on the Anthony Weiner photo, "it looked like a pinky wrapped in a napkin," and suggested low-life women were better in bed. "No woman who just got a promotion is going to spit on two fingers and slide them up your ass."

Burr was the second man up. He's one of my favorite working comics. He can be as brash and offensive as the best of them, but he's got remarkable prowess at the mic and you get the feeling stand-up makes him happy. Every one-liner is dropped with a wink and a smile. Burr blasted women for getting facelifts and suggested that they wait until the kinks are worked out. "Have you ever seen a good facelift?" he asked. "It's like asking for polio 60 years ago." If white people used lotion more, he argued, we wouldn't need facelifts. "You ever notice your dick looks three decades younger than your face?," he said, in one of the best jokes of the night. Burr also talked about rappers and homophobia, how gay men have ruined steam rooms, reality TV and the women of the View. He killed.

Jim Breuer may be the optimist among this group of curmudgeons. The former SNL star is married with children and delivered a fearless and funny performance about fatherhood that was charged with energy and spot-on impressions. I never much cared for Breuer on SNL, but I think he's a credible stand-up. He noted Tracy Morgan's recent anti-gay rant with a perfect impression (he also does a decent Chappelle), but was at his best with an extended bit about getting woken up in the morning by his children. Someone needs to book this guy in the 'burbs.

Dave Attell was the ostensible headliner of the night, although you could've mixed and matched the lineup a number of ways and it wouldn't have diminished the show, such was the power of each performer. Attell started with a complaint about airline fees, suggesting that airlines start charging for decent perks like, "being sat next to a big-tittied runaway who needs a father figure." He dropped one-liners about Oprah, "What will she do now? Go back to her other job as Tyler Perry?," Everclear alcohol, "It's like Jaeger fucked a unicorn" and the ghost hunting craze. "It combines my two favorite things, walking aimlessly and looking disappointed." He also did an amazing bit about vibrators, ranted about little people and gay porn and wondered why women order Jack and diet coke in a bar. "You're counting calories when in three hours you're going to get tag-teamed by a gang of bikers?" 

As I said initially, these comics aren't for everybody. But if you checked your sensitivities at the door, you probably had a pretty good time.