Unmasking the Genius of Comedy’s Greats…With XM Satellite Radio’s very own Genius, the incomparable, Ron Bennington

I guess you can say that comedy is a subjective thing. That’s why we love some comics and loathe others. After the passing of George Carlin, I started thinking about his comedy and others who have made this genre great. The immortal names we spoke of yesterday certainly paved the way for today’s talent.

My good friend and cigar buddy, Ron Bennington, host of the Ron and Fez Show on XM Satellite Radio, Channel 202 is a former stand-up comic, owned a comedy club in Florida for severel years, and now performs his daily looniness for the XM faithful. But best of all, he hosts an amazing show on the Satellite network called Unmasked. It’s an hour of “in-depth” one-on-one talk with famous comedians where Ronnie gets them to literally “unmask” themselves, allowing their real personas to rise to the surface. I’ve had the opportunity to sit in on several sessions and I have been blown away by his uncanny ability to get these funnymen (and women) to drop their guard and allow their true inner-selves to show. I’ve personally never seen anything like it – Mr. Bennington has a true gift for “allowing” these very private people to open up and get more candid than you could EVER imagine possible.

At first, many of the comics are reluctant to appear on the show. They’re actually quite terrified of the concept of revealing their foibles and pratfalls the world – and rightfully so – I mean, who wouldn’t be? Ronnie says it’s like asking them to get up in front of a mic and say, “Hi, I have a small dick.” Now I’ve been trying to figure out for months what talent the man posseses that allows him to instantly befriend these people, and it finally dawned on me. I told him last time when I was on their show that because he is truly a “professional ball-buster”, he owns a keen sense of timing on how to push a person’s buttons. He seems to have a unique gift for letting people speak, then coming back with a retort, while not allowing for that dreaded “dead air” to take place.

My first Unmasked was his session with Carlos Mencia, a comedian whose style I never particularly cared for. But after and hour of showing the world the REAL Menacia, (the “UNMASKED” person inside) I couldn’t believe how brilliant this guy truly is and now I understood why he says the things he says. I swear to God that I actually came away loving the guy and now I enjoy his act. Another comic I didn’t care for was Patrice O’neal. His gig is the “angry black man”, dissing whitey, and all the world for that matter. But again, after time in that chair, an unbelievable side of the man revealed itself – one that was honest, sincere, and full of heart. I was wowed, to say the least - and again, I now enjoy his comedy.

A most shocking interview was with comic Jim Norton of the Opie and Anthony Show, fame. He exposed (interesting choice of words) a dark and frightened side that almost had me in tears as I sat uncomfortably at the edge of my seat. Jeff Garlin of “Curb Your Enthusiasm”was just a fantastic and lovable guy to listen to. His stories of working with Larry David and that talented crew are hysterical. Brian Regan was just flat out genuinely funny as hell. But Bob Saget, a guy I once thought was brutally funny, acted like a total ass, stepping over Ron the entire time and doing EVERYTHING he possibly could NOT to let the unmasked man come into the open. I came away thinking, “maybe there is nothing underneath, after all.”

David Brenner was great, but he was an angry and surly son of a bitch, venting his anger and frustrations of years past upon the audience. The one thing that has always eluded Brenner is that hit sitcom, something so many other comics became wealthy doing, and he let the world know it. His stories about his 150 plus appearances with Johnny Carson are classic. He may be pissed, but he’s still funny. Now, Robert Klein is a guy I loved since childhood, but his appearance was just flat out weird and border lined on alzheimer’s and dementia. I know that sounds kind of mean, but I think the man is sadly and unfortunately loosing it.

By far the weirdest and biggest train wreck was Gallagher, the man with the cabbie’s cap and a penchant for obliterating watermelons with a huge wooden mallet. This dude is still stuck in the 70’s and is certifiably insane, in need of medicinal help far beyond what today’s medical world can prescribe. He is a sociopath and frightened everyone on the set. Conversely, by far the best interview Ronnie had was with one of the most talented men in the history of comedy, Mr. Bob Newhart. Newhart is a very shy and private guy and was very reluctant to appear on the show, but it took all of two minutes for him to bloom like a flower. Ron knew he was in the midst of comedic greatness as he coaxed story after hysterical story out of the stammering and lovable aging comic – whose mind is as still as sharp as a tack, possessing the ability to fire and let rip as he dissed his old buddy Don Rickles with a few pointed zingers. This show was a masterpiece, one Ronnie B. should be forever proud of.

The most unfortunate thing of all is that the very first episode of Unmasked was an interview with the late, great George Carlin, but someone else hosted the show and Ron didn’t step in until the very next show. Damn.

I’ve always loved great comedy and Ron Benington’s Unmasked is worth signing up for XM Radio alone. If you are a fan of stand-up funnymen and insightful talk, you’re going to dig this show and without question, make it a part of your regimen.