My answer is: a few good, hearty laughs, a few pity laughs, and a whole lot that I could have slept through. The show starts off with an introduction from Tim Conway. He can be funny, but his introduction was so tame, I was starting to dread what was coming up next. Luckily, Thor Ramsey brings the show to life as the opening act and gives you a shred of hope that this will indeed be a fun time. That's not to say he doesn't fall flat at times. There were some bits that I felt were just too innocent and light to be funny - for an adult, they felt a little patronizing.
This brings me to another point about what kinds of comedy are allowed in Thou Shalt Laugh. There is a distinct Christian undertone to the entire show, and nearly every comedian mentions God or Jesus at some point. So what is "acceptable" to this type of audience? Apparently issues of race and stereotyping are ok, i.e. Mexicans act a certain way, Japanese people are funny because they have trouble with their "L's," etc. Puppets and music are always safe zones too. What you won't hear are curse words, or talk about sex of any kind. It seems like more of a moral niche than just pure and wholesome to me, but that's just how I see it.
The comedian I least connected with was Dan Nainan. First of all, his intonation kept going up and up, as if he was building up to something, but was never getting there. Second, he should have quit with the race jokes after he introduced himself. The rest of his act wasn't particularly insightful or original. No, I wouldn't expect a Chinese person to work for the Ku Klux Klan, but well, I guess it's hard to make that funny without stepping into the "offensive" danger zone. Dave Chappelle, this show definitely is not.
Bone Hampton really wakes the show up, and I think he did the best job keeping the laughs going. His act was the funniest for me, but SNL's Victoria Jackson was funny in her own adorable way as well. And though ventriloquists are a love-em-or-hate-em bunch, Taylor Mason manages to put on a funny, if not repetitive, act. His act consists of tried-and-true classic comedy and it's probably the most wholesome set of laughs you'll get in the show.
Thou Shalt Laugh: The Duece doesn't throw any curveballs, doesn't really take a stand about anything, and tries not to offend anyone. While some parts of the acts wouldn't be entirely acceptable a church function, it is a show with Christian values. There is only one special feature included, and it is a short bit about the Ten Commandments. The comedians make witty comments about the Ten Commandments for 5 minutes or so. It's not side-splitting, but you'll enjoy it if you liked the rest of the show. You don't have to be Christian to enjoy this show, but it may help. Normally, I'd recommend this as a rent, but the makers of this video are offering a special incentive to encourage you to buy the DVD. If you don't like it, they'll essentially buy a copy of a different comedy DVD for you. So go ahead and buy it if you're debating between purchasing this or a different comedy DVD.
