Mike Cannon has a lot on his mind. Anxiety, caffeine failure, and how weird it was to be productive in the pandemic are just some of the things on his mind. Taking the stage in front of a “hot” audience, Cannon can’t help but kill in his act.
Mike Cannon can turn sad into funny-sad, quickly.
Early on in his hour, Cannon is incredulous about the “bat-shit” people who excelled in the pandemic, who, unlike most, had a “really productive year.” Cannon pretends to be this person, saying, in a halted staccato voice, “I’ve read a lot. I’ve written a lot. I ride the peloton four-six times a day, just scream peddling away from every single negative thought that I’ve had. It’s been a really productive yea-ah” Cannon then tags it with, “Then why are you crying blood,” which sends the room into laughter overload. Here and throughout, with his cheerful demeanor, Cannon finds ways to take a sad idea and transform it into something sad and funny in a few short phrases.
Mike Cannon has eyes made for comedy.
Comedy can be sold through a hundred different mechanisms, but physicality is always a helpful thing to have. Whether he’s wiggling, shaking, or something else entirely, Cannon’s physicality lends a big hand to his comedy, helping move the audience toward laughter before he even starts a bit one minute, and then punctuating a joke with a hilarious raise of the eyebrows the next. The most unique thing Cannon possesses, however, are eyes that bulge like no other. Panic becomes comedy in his wide eyes, and insanity becomes cause for laughter in darting, suspicious looks. Truly, this skill is something that must be seen to be believed.
Combined, these two skills are comedy excellence.
In a bit about memories of his parents trying to teach him how to cook, he acts out the enthusiasm of his parents, and lays a slow and deliberate line delivery over it in a soothing voice. Describing how “self-sufficient” he’ll be, and ending with a bright “Get in here!” He then looks at his parents, and calmly explains “I’m going to be in the NBA.” Here, the physicality of the bit (large swinging arms, animated facial expressions) combines with the vocal delivery and sad, delusional confidence of Cannon’s younger self. It is the bit that possibly gets the hardest laugh in the hour, and it’s all because of Cannon’s wild ability to utilize his talents to their fullest extent.
To watch Cannon is to understand White Privilege Homeless, and to laugh at every second of it.
Mike Cannon's special White Privilege Homeless will be available to watch for free on YouTube tonight at 7 PM CT!
Looking for more comedy from Cannon? Stream & download his comedy albums Life Begins & I Think It Just Kicked In on 800 Pound Gorilla.
