Clean Guy: Dave Coulier Shines at TCU

“What are you all doing in my basement?” asked Dave Coulier as he walked on to the brand new Brown Lupton Ballroom stage.  The former Full House co-star wasted no time referencing his tenure as the lovable, basement-dwelling Uncle Joey.  And why would he?  Most of the crowd grew up with the show and its characters, and the nostalgic affection for the show was apparent.  However, Coulier’s days of playing Uncle Joey are long over, and he has moved on as a stand-up comedian.  What comedic direction has Dave Coulier taken?  Many are shocked to learn of the foul-mouthed stand-up antics of former co-star Bob Saget, who played the father figure, Danny Tanner, on the show.  Has Coulier taken the same path, doing everything possible to distance himself from his saccharine persona?

Refreshingly, the answer is no.  Coulier describes himself onstage as a “clean” comedian, saying he grew up watching comedy that had “the funny part without the filthy part.”  Coulier takes the same approach to his act.  The routine moves all over the place, not in a manic, Robin Williams style, but at a fast enough pace to hold the interest of the audience; most bits are no longer than a minute or two.  Many of his jokes were about current affairs: airport security and airports in general, the Olympics, and kids’ sports.  The Olympics in particular provided good material for Coulier, who mocked the (supposedly) underage Chinese gymnastics team, and used the basketball team as a lead-in for a very funny impression of Shaqille O’Neal.  Much of Coulier’s comedy takes advantage of his ample gift for impressions: Shaq, Scooby-Doo, Bulwinkle, and several others; doing funny voices were a staple of his Full House character, and it is a talent he wisely brings along to his act.

Coulier’s jokes also revolve around classic topics, particularly fatherhood and the generation gap.  It is perhaps through this disconnect that Coulier connects best with his audience.  The 48 year-old is often self-deprecating of his age, but at the same time not afraid to give his younger audience a hard time.  One funny bit mocked the text-happy generation of today, and though Coulier admitted to not really “getting it,” he made it clear that he thinks we are the dumb ones for living our lives inside a cell phone.  Coulier walks a delicate line with his comedy, balancing between what is relevant to him and to an audience that on this night was much younger. When he went into a bit about flatulence and got the biggest laughs of the night, he commented that now he could “see the level of audience he [was] working with.”  He recognizes the things that are funniest to him are not necessarily the funniest to the crowd.  In one instance, he referenced a cartoon the audience had never heard of; “Moving on then,” he quipped, and deftly shifted to the next bit. 

Ultimately, it is Coulier’s awareness that makes him an effective comedian: he can make jokes about relevant topics and about himself with ease.  This awareness allows him to entertain without resorting to the shock tactics and obscenity many comedians rely on.  When Coulier asked what we were doing in his basement, I wasn’t sure.  In the end, I realized we were just having good, clean fun.