Nick Offerman: The Marquis of Mustachio
Matt McAllister
Top ten lists are the ultimate social media trend these days. Whether they offer you the top ten Darth Vader quotes, or the top ten travel tips from a “seasoned globetrotter”, these tiny time-sucks are everywhere. Enter Nick Offerman’s American Ham, his one-man comedy show (don’t call it a stand up) in which he offers his top ten “Tips for Prosperity.” The show, while very funny, never reached the level of stand-up comedy, something that Offerman freely admits. These “Tips” are instead the live-action adaptation of his memoir, Paddle Your Own Canoe, which the author and comedian will discuss with Jesse Thorn this month at the Largo.
After decades of working in small theater companies, crafting and working with stage sets (Offerman is a master carpenter), and landing small, non-recurring parts on television shows, the actor got his big break as Ron Swanson on NBC’s Parks and Recreation in 2009. While the hit TV show has undoubtedly led to Offerman’s new found fame and artistic freedom–which has allowed him to write this memoir–it is the years of bit parts and toil that inform much of the material.
In the stage show, Offerman’s entrance, shirtless and profoundly hairy with an American-flag shirt trailing in his wake, is a brash sight-gag that plays directly to his fan base from Parks and Rec. It is, however, misleading. While Offerman will occasionally slather the stage with affected machismo, the show is made up of modest lessons on being a decent person. This is the meat of the book. It’s easy to tell that the actor doesn’t descend from Hollywood royalty, and that he’s worked hard for his success. With this, the audience has no trouble connecting with, indeed allying with, Offerman even if he occasionally repeats himself in the text and delves into bits of material that can seem flat when compared with the more uproarious stuff.
Gaining more than an honorable mention are references, many highly-sexualized and equally funny, to his wife of 11 years, Megan Mullally of Will & Grace fame. Perhaps what works best for Offerman is the sense one gets that he’s completely honest. He genuinely wants the people who inhabit this world to be smarter, to be better, and to be nicer to one another. Parts shock-jock, regular Joe, Davy Crockett, and even a touch Mark Twain, Offerman delivers a thoroughly entertaining evening, and one which will leave you glad that he’s made it, and equally glad you were there to hear his advice on life. Oh, and all those top-ten lists inundating your social media stream? Offerman’s tip: Get rid of social media. Now (but not before you tweet this story to all of your friends).
Nick Offerman in conversation with Jesse Horn at the Largo at the Coronet on September 14 at 8:30pm. Tickets are $35