It was a very different world four months ago when Joe DeRosa took the stage at the historic Masonic Lodge at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles to record his hilarious new album, You Let Me Down. Like some sort of comedy prophet, the comedian must have sensed what was coming and somehow embodies the frustration of living in a 24/7 news cycle during the Trump-era throughout the release, which drops on Feb. 7 via Comedy Central Records following the televised special debut on Feb. 3.
DeRosa addresses this time warp early in You Let Me Down, saying, “If you’re watching at home, I realize it’s 2017, and there is a new president in office, but in this room right now it’s October of 2016. We don’t know who won yet.” He goes on to compare Hillary Clinton to HAL 9000 from 2001: A Space Odyssey before stating, “If Trump won, I’m sure you’ve found my body by now.” Don’t worry – the comedian is alive and well, serving as a beacon of humor amongst the “Egotistical Internet Pigs” on Twitter.
Just because DeRosa has a Twitter account doesn’t mean that he enjoys interacting with the various varieties of progressives that the social media platform cultivates. Everyone from “right-wing, gun-nut j*rk-offs” to the “left-wing, coffee-house morons” are subject to his hilarious observations. He even aims his sharp humor directly at himself. “I shouldn’t be allowed to tweet at the president, okay. I’m a f*cking moron,” jokes DeRosa.
Throughout You Let Me Down, DeRosa flawlessly targets all the right – right meaning incredibly aggravating – people with his hysterical jokes. Shirtless bros, criminal celebrities, Tinder psychopaths and secret sociopaths are all picked apart to perfection. His delivery combines just the right balance of rage and amusement to highlight the hilarity of each train of thought. His bits about troublemaking Olympians, open-casket funerals and unexcitable homicide cops also prompt uncontrollable laughter.
Life may be brutal at the moment, but as You Let Me Down foreshadows, at least 2017 is going to be a good year for comedy. Joe DeRosa’s You Let Me Down is currently available for purchase on iTunes and other digital outlets and can be streamed on Spotify below. Fans can also check out the televised, special version of the album, which premiered on Comedy Central on Feb. 3 at Midnight, on cc.com and in the Comedy Central App.