Listen and Laugh at Sedaris’ Skewed Views and Carlin’s Jokes

David Sedaris has made a name for himself in several entertainment arenas: National Public Radio, live performances, printed books and audio books. His fourth collection of essays, “Me Talk Pretty One Day,” has lost none of the energy of his past work. (Time Warner AudioBooks; unabridged excerpts; four cassettes; five hours; $24.98; read by the author.)

His remembrances of an unusual childhood and an off-kilter view of the world are exceedingly sharp and outrageously funny. I did not expect him to be able to do it again, but this is the fourth time Sedaris has made me laugh out loud with his bizarre take on human interaction.

A well-rounded selection, the audio includes most of the printed material. His essays about a new life as an American in Paris provide the title--an example of the tortured French he is trying to learn. He covers a wide and eclectic range of subjects, from forced guitar lessons as a child to the ridiculous food combinations offered at haughty Manhattan eateries to a sister who wears fat suits.

Sedaris does not have a slick, well-modulated voice, but that of a somewhat high-pitched character actor. It is a humorous voice matched by a deadpan delivery that is just a hoot.

Two of the essays were recorded live and work especially well, as he is a bit more energetic. The audience’s laughter is infectious, and he pauses longer between bits, which gives you more time to chuckle. Of course, the sound quality is not as high as the studio recordings, but it is better than expected.

*

“Brain Droppings” is a well-chosen title for this comedic free-for-all, as George Carlin covers every subject from “world peace through constant dancing” to his personal prejudice against fractured English. (HighBridge Audio; unabridged excerpts; two cassettes; two hours and 30 minutes; $18.95; read by the author.)

These are easy-to-digest, bite-size pieces of intellectual candy that include the comedian’s favorite redundancies (close proximity) and oxymorons (holy war, uninvited guest). Sometimes he goes off on a rant; sometimes he just drops a string of quick hits.

Always a potty-mouthed entertainer, Carlin does not disappoint those of us expecting dirty language. More surprising are the groaningly bad puns and one-liners he chose to include, as many do not rise to the level of droll humor he achieves with the longer bits. He is most entertaining when he resurrects an older sketch comparing football to baseball, or when he goes after those of us who do not always use the mother tongue to best advantage.

Even if Carlin is not quite as fresh (and hardly as shocking) as he was a couple of decades ago, his brand of manic nihilism promises to make you think and can still have you laughing out loud.

The haphazard fashion of the book actually works better on audio than in print. Some of the jokes tend to lie there rather flatly on paper, whereas Carlin pumps them full of life when reading his material. He has a deep, velvety voice that he can turn into an aggressive growl or soften, depending on the joke. He has honed his use of deadpan and can milk a joke for every guffaw.

*

“Heidi Joyce’s Comedy Stand Up Against Domestic Violence,” hosted by Heidi Joyce. (Uproar Entertainment; original material; two cassettes; two hours; $14.95; performed by 16 comedians. Also available on two CDs for $19.95.) Every Sunday in October, host and performer Heidi Joyce stages an evening of stand-up in Los Angeles to benefit the National Network to End Domestic Violence and the Theatre of Hope for Abused Women. Uproar Entertainment recorded two of those benefits at the Bitter Truth Theatre in North Hollywood last year and is donating profits from the recordings to these charities.

These are not headliner comedians. However, they are well seasoned and, for the most part, effective. Topics range from annoying mothers to dating to updated fairy tales. Most of the performers will have you laughing out loud and, thankfully, only one act, an annoying singing duo, needed the fast forward button.

*

Rochelle O’Gorman reviews audio books every other week. Next week: Dick Lochte on mystery books.