Tom Segura is one of the best comedians in the industry, today. His humor and the way he tells his jokes are uniquely his own. My brother (who has his finger on the pulse of comedy) introduced me to his brand of comedy a while back and…I. Was. HOOKED. I think it began with his first Special, Mostly Stories and with each one that followed, I was right there. I even listened to Your Mom’s House, the podcast he has with his wife and fellow stand up, Christina P. Ever the completist, I follow him on his socials. That’s how I became aware of his aspirations for creating something outside of stand up. I believe he mentioned wanting to make a movie or short while interviewing Kevin Smith. In the conversation, Tom had mentioned what it cost just as a proof of concept. Money he had to spend out-of-pocket.
Knowing his sense of humor, which can be on the dark side at times, it was no surprise when the trailer for Bad Thoughts dropped. Sick, demented, offensive; trigger words for some. His fans? People like myself…? Not even batting an eye. Because I listen to him outside of his stand up sets, I recognized some conversations that became visual representations.
Bad Thoughts is a series comprised of vignettes, starring Tom as several characters. There was a segment that I didn’t realize, until a few minutes in, he was playing a dual role! Kudos to the VFX team for some cringe-inducing visuals. I mean that in a good way. Another segment that had zero subtlety was Tom as a megastar country musician looking for inspiration for his next hit record. Those of us who listen to his podcast got our answer to the running joke, “Hey, _______ (rhymes with Darth Hooks) where are the bodies buried…?”
It’s not for the easily offended. Tom’s humor is based on bold truths with levity. He says what others are afraid to express. He’s not alone. Comedians like him, Louie C.K. and Bill Burr are cut from the same cloth. Speaking of Bill Burr, Tom’s Bad Thoughts remind me a little of Bill’s series called, Immoral Compass. Another anthology of people behaving badly or letting their intrusive thoughts win.
Immoral Compass is more like a companion piece than a contemporary. It still had me mentally “go there”. I love comedy no matter how it’s told. Whether comedian’s jokes are from a certain perspective or they weave interesting stories that crack you up, funny is funny.
Bad Thoughts is not perfect. Some segments are funnier than others. Some jokes land, others fall short. But from the start, all the way to the end, I appreciate what Tom set out to do. He expressed himself just like he does with his stand up. It was uniquely his own. He pulls no punches. Will everyone like it? Probably not. If you don’t, it’s okay because…
Arguing With Myself 