Greg Behrendt is That Guy from That Thing (DVD)

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Ever heard the expression "Don´t quit your day job" before? Someone should pass that on to Greg Behrendt. The co-author behind two relatively popular relationship books, "He´s Just Not That Into You" and "It´s Called A Breakup Because It´s Broken," is also a stand-up comedian. Well, he gives it a shot, and while you can´t blame a guy for trying, you can blame him for overdoing it.

"Greg Behrendt Is That Guy From That Thing," a new release from Image Entertainment, might make you laugh, but it probably won´t. It likely won´t make you ask yourself just why you decided to watch it, but you may, as I did, feel indifferent. I didn´t think he was hilarious, nor did he fail miserably. I´m not an expert on anything Behrendt seems to know about extensively, but I do know when someone is trying too hard. That happened more than once during this 57-minute romp, and it showed.

I haven´t read anything Behrendt´s written or seen anything with his name attached to it, so I like to think my bias is at a minimum. He´s a pretty simple looking fellow with a pale complexion and dirty blonde hair standing up high on his head. This is a casual event from start to finish, evidenced by his untucked dress shirt, loose necktie and cuffed blue jeans. I don´t know if he was trying to bring himself to the audience´s level, or if this is a traditional Behrendt outfit. At any rate, he comes off easy going and approachable. Not bad, especially considering the topics he hits on.

A big one is sex, unsurprisingly. The man blends some personal experiences, stories and advice together at various points, and I suppose it´s mildly entertaining. He comes off like a less sophisticated and knowledgeable Dr. Drew Pinsky after he drops advice tidbits along the path, especially his relationship between his God (named "Glenn") and anal sex. Behrendt tells us he doesn´t have a position on anal sex, but that he´d never engage in any behavior where someone would need to bend over and wince. Sexual intercourse, he suggests, should be exciting for all involved, almost like "getting an invitation in the mail…you know, one of those good ones with confetti in it."

He also provides good insight on finding the right person and being honest during a relationship. Behrendt communicates the importance behind being a good person to yourself first, and finding a mate who can accept you for who you are second. He also stresses communication above all else, arguing how unfair it is for couples to get married and end up frustrated, angry, divorced or separated because they hadn´t laid all cards out on the table well in advance. Both are valid points that might have been more useful in print or during a therapy session, and I fear their impact might be diminished slightly by incorporation in this disc.

And therein lies the central issue with this entire concept. Is it stand-up for entertainment or to advise? Is it advice cleverly disguised as stand-up? The balance should be delicate, and I don´t think Behrendt nails it how he needed to. From what I´ve read, he´s created a name for himself by blending the two into one, and logically, this would carry over into live performances. Instead, the entire thing feels forced on the audience. Sure, they laugh, just like you might here and there, but it isn´t the dominant emotion that exudes from start to finish. There are a few awkward pauses where it felt like Behrendt was expecting laughs but instead got silence. It doesn´t mean he wasn´t funny, but perhaps that, like me, the audience was perplexed.

There´s some not so friendly words used during his routine, but it´s probably nothing you haven´t heard from someone in public recently. Behrendt just doesn´t look like a guy you´d see spouting four letter words without reason. He´s too clean, like Paul McCartney´s grandfather in "A Hard Day´s Night." He´s also a family man, with a wife and kids. Perhaps this is his release, and if so, there are worse things a married man could do to occupy his time.