Red, White and Brown (2008)

It's easy to see why the multiethnic audience at a Russell Peters' comedy show goes into hysterics over his racial jokes. Even when commenting on stereotypes--for example, that Indian people are cheap and proud of it--Peters' characterizations are uncannily personal. It's not "He's Indian so he can make fun of Indian people and get away with it"; he makes fun of Asian, Latino, Arab, black, and white people too, and every time he imitates an accent or takes on a persona, he always seems to portray them from the inside. It goes beyond making a political point; it just feels casually, effortlessly human. And it's that casual humanity that makes it very, very funny. Topics range from a fairly sophisticated parsing of race and culture to a decidedly lowbrow discussion of body hair and male enhancement, but throughout Peters' lack of pretension and unforced decency shines through. Be warned, many of his jokes are full of sexual and scatological references, and he has a startling routine about the deaf that will put some politically correct noses out of joint. If you think this sounds offensive, then Russell Peters is not for you--but that's your problem, not his. Red, White and Brown has bonus material that, startlingly enough, is actually funny (his merciless teasing of an Asian man and woman in the audience will make you cringe and laugh at the same time). Also included is a CD version of the exact same concert, though Peters' expressive face is a big part of his act and not to be missed. --Bret Fetzer