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** In "Stark Raving Black", Lewis discusses fiber:
--> '''Lewis''': I don't go near fiber. I had an oat muffin ten years ago, and I'm ''still'' shitting because of it.
--> '''Lewis''': I don't go near fiber. I had an oat muffin ten years ago, and I'm ''still'' shitting because of it.
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** Played with in "Stark Raving Black" when discussing Barack Obama being elected:
--> '''Lewis''': When President Obama was elected, I'll never forget the next day. Everyone everywhere said, "I can't believe this could possibly have ever happened in my lifetime," which made me wonder, who voted for him??
--> '''Lewis''': When President Obama was elected, I'll never forget the next day. Everyone everywhere said, "I can't believe this could possibly have ever happened in my lifetime," which made me wonder, who voted for him??
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** In the "Red, White & Screwed" special, he claimed humans were the idiots while primates are intelligent; while we humans built a concrete jungle for ourselves, and go to a monotonous 9-to-5 job, and in general dealing with bills and all the idiocies of modern life, all primates have to worry about is "shitting and masturbating".
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** In the "Red, White & Screwed" special, he claimed humans were the idiots while primates are intelligent; while we humans built a concrete jungle for ourselves, and go to a monotonous 9-to-5 job, and in general dealing deal with bills and all the idiocies of modern life, all primates have to worry about is "shitting and masturbating".
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** He also mentioned this in "Black on Broadway" when discussing how uncomfortable it is riding on an airplane for fourteen hours:
--> '''Lewis''': What they should do, I think, just take all the coach seats out of the planes, and give everybody a five-foot stick. That way, you can sit wherever you want. You just take it, shove it up your ass, spin around. When you get bored, then after twelve hours, you can just beat the shit out of each other.
--> '''Lewis''': What they should do, I think, just take all the coach seats out of the planes, and give everybody a five-foot stick. That way, you can sit wherever you want. You just take it, shove it up your ass, spin around. When you get bored, then after twelve hours, you can just beat the shit out of each other.
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* CallBack: In the second Comedy Central Presents special, Lewis said that 2000 was the worst New Year's ever, because everyone was convinced Y2K would destroy the world: "Don't go outside! We don't know what's gonna happen! We don't know! There could be giant ticks everywhere!" Later, in "Black on Broadway", he mentioned the "giant ticks" again in relation to Tom Ridge talking about the terror alert levels soon after 9/11.
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** In "Black on Broadway", Lewis is annoyed that the Small Pox vaccine eventually wore off over time:
--> '''Lewis''': I can't believe it wore off and they didn't tell us, because that means my whole life has been a delusion. Because every day, I'd wake up, and I'd go, "Well, it's gonna ''suck'' today, BUT AT LEAST I'M NOT GETTIN' SMALL POX!"
--> '''Lewis''': I can't believe it wore off and they didn't tell us, because that means my whole life has been a delusion. Because every day, I'd wake up, and I'd go, "Well, it's gonna ''suck'' today, BUT AT LEAST I'M NOT GETTIN' SMALL POX!"
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** In "Black on Broadway":
--> '''Lewis''': The second [rule of health] is: If you masturbate twenty times a day, you'll never make it out your front door. You might make it to the door, but when you squeeze the handle, you'll pass out. Let me just say that I did that experiment in my own lab wearing a white lab coat with a rectal thermometer in my pocket. Now, for women, my belief is it's probably thirty times a day, but I can't find a woman to come to my lab!
--> '''Lewis''': The second [rule of health] is: If you masturbate twenty times a day, you'll never make it out your front door. You might make it to the door, but when you squeeze the handle, you'll pass out. Let me just say that I did that experiment in my own lab wearing a white lab coat with a rectal thermometer in my pocket. Now, for women, my belief is it's probably thirty times a day, but I can't find a woman to come to my lab!
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* ToiletHumour: When discussing the Super Bowl:
--> '''Lewis''': And let me tell you, it will continue, no matter what has happened, because of the recent events, I will guarantee that it will continue to evolve the way it has evolved. The halftime show in ten years will literally be just planes flying over the stadium, and dropping ''shit'' on people, while an orchestra plays classical music.
--> '''Lewis''': And let me tell you, it will continue, no matter what has happened, because of the recent events, I will guarantee that it will continue to evolve the way it has evolved. The halftime show in ten years will literally be just planes flying over the stadium, and dropping ''shit'' on people, while an orchestra plays classical music.
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* InterspeciesRomance: In "Red, White & Screwed", he said that the Old Testament was designed to get the Jews to straighten up and fly right, because they were out of control:
--> '''Lewis''': They needed to know that marriage takes place between a man and a woman, because they were wandering into camp with camels going, "I'm in love!" I don't give a fuck WHAT you are! You can't marry a snapping turtle, asshole!
--> '''Lewis''': They needed to know that marriage takes place between a man and a woman, because they were wandering into camp with camels going, "I'm in love!" I don't give a fuck WHAT you are! You can't marry a snapping turtle, asshole!
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* {{Pun}}: In "Red, White & Screwed":
--> '''Lewis''': I would ''love'' to have the faith to believe that it [creation] took place in seven days, but... I have ''thoughts''. And that can really fuck up the "faith" thing; just ask any Catholic priest.
--> '''Lewis''': I would ''love'' to have the faith to believe that it [creation] took place in seven days, but... I have ''thoughts''. And that can really fuck up the "faith" thing; just ask any Catholic priest.
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** At the start of the "Black on Broadway" special, he steps on stage before the show and does the IsThisThingOn, ''without a microphone''.
--> '''Lewis''': (shouting) Check, check, check, FUCKIN' check!
--> '''Lewis''': (shouting) Check, check, check, FUCKIN' check!
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* HopeSpot: Lewis Black ''hates'' candy corn. Nevertheless, every year he tries it in the vain hope that it'll taste better. It never does.
--> '''Lewis''': Candy corn! Corn, that tastes like candy! I can't wait! (eats it) SON OF A BITCH!!!
--> '''Lewis''': Candy corn! Corn, that tastes like candy! I can't wait! (eats it) SON OF A BITCH!!!
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* YankTheDogsChain: He frequently addresses his annoyance that we still don't have [[FlyingCar flying cars]], as predicted in the '50s and '60s. He mentions it again in the "Stark Raving Black" special, where he predicts that they'll eventually develop flying cars... but it'll be after he dies. He says it'll even be referenced in the obituaries:
--> '''Lewis''': "Noted comic Lewis Black has passed away. Funeral services Friday, room for flying cars."
--> '''Lewis''': "Noted comic Lewis Black has passed away. Funeral services Friday, room for flying cars."
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* MoodDissonance: Referenced; Lewis claims that one reason George W. Bush is nuts is because when he speaks, his words don't match his face:
--> '''Lewis''': You can't talk about the war in Iraq with a smile on your face. He does it constantly. You have to- if you're the president, you have to say, "We're gonna talk about the war. I must have a frowny face." The only time he can have a smile when he's talking about the war in Iraq is when you go, "Well, two Iraqis walked into a bar..."
--> '''Lewis''': You can't talk about the war in Iraq with a smile on your face. He does it constantly. You have to- if you're the president, you have to say, "We're gonna talk about the war. I must have a frowny face." The only time he can have a smile when he's talking about the war in Iraq is when you go, "Well, two Iraqis walked into a bar..."
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* BerserkButton: Occurs in every special. Some are more intense than others. A particularly memorable one was in "Red, White & Screwed" when he derided the people who claimed George W. Bush was "involved" in Hurricane Katrina.
--> '''Lewis''': YOU JUST CAN'T FUCKING SAY THAT! YOU CAN'T! YOU CAN'T! And it's just- and there HAS to come a point, where Republicans and Democrats, where we see a piece of footage and we just agree on what the fuck reality is! And the fact is- (audience applauds) You can't show footage of a Land Rover running over a cat and then say the cat was trying to kill itself.
--> '''Lewis''': YOU JUST CAN'T FUCKING SAY THAT! YOU CAN'T! YOU CAN'T! And it's just- and there HAS to come a point, where Republicans and Democrats, where we see a piece of footage and we just agree on what the fuck reality is! And the fact is- (audience applauds) You can't show footage of a Land Rover running over a cat and then say the cat was trying to kill itself.
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** In the "Red, White & Screwed" special, he claimed humans were the idiots while primates are intelligent; while we humans built a concrete jungle for ourselves, and go to a monotonous 9-to-5 job, and in general dealing with bills and all the idiocies of modern life, all primates have to worry about is "shitting and masturbating".
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* ADateWithRosiePalms: In one of the "Indecision 2000" sketches for ''Series/TheDailyShow'', he mentioned that the only thing he ever got done in a college dorm room was masturbating.
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* CrappyHolidays: In his third Comedy Central special, he had a whole section on how he's disgusted at the amount of time the Christmas season gets every year, starting as early as Halloween. Nevertheless, he wanted to celebrate it as a kid, because as a Jew, he got Hanukkah instead.
--> '''Lewis''': First night you get socks. Second night, an eraser, a notebook. It's a Back-to-School holiday!
--> '''Lewis''': First night you get socks. Second night, an eraser, a notebook. It's a Back-to-School holiday!
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** Comedy Central Presents 3: Creator/{{MTV}}; George W. Bush (again)
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** Comedy Central Presents 3: Creator/{{MTV}}; George W. Bush (again)Creator/{{MTV}}
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* BlackComedy: Frequently used in his specials. In "Black on Broadway", he told anyone who was thinking of traveling to New Zealand in coach to kill themselves.
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* FridgeLogic: Invoked. During the "Black on Broadway" special, he pointed out the illogical '50s educational film strips about hiding under school desks to be "safe" from a nuclear bomb:
--> '''Lewis''': ...And I'm sitting there thinking, the adults in the community have said that I could protect myself from A FIRE-FUCK-BALL by hiding under wood. I'm hiding under ''kindling''. Maybe I can get some sticks so I can burn faster!
--> '''Lewis''': ...And I'm sitting there thinking, the adults in the community have said that I could protect myself from A FIRE-FUCK-BALL by hiding under wood. I'm hiding under ''kindling''. Maybe I can get some sticks so I can burn faster!
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* TakeThat: Every special has at least someone or something:
** Comedy Central Presents 1: Bill Clinton, specifically his affair with Monica Lewinsky
** Comedy Central Presents 2: Al Gore, George W. Bush
** Comedy Central Presents 3: Creator/{{MTV}}; George W. Bush (again)
** Black on Broadway: [[RunningGag George W. Bush]], Bill Clinton (he declared both to be terrible leaders because neither took responsibility for anything)
** Red, White & Screwed: Dick Cheney, specifically his infamous hunting accident; John Kerry; George W. Bush, specifically his lackluster response to Hurricane Katrina, but also his inappropriate remarks to an amputee'd soldier; Michael Brown, specifically his role as head of FEMA during Katrina; Rick Santorum, specifically his anti-gay remarks.
** Stark Raving Black: Barack Obama (though being that this was early in his presidency, his criticisms were more reserved)
** Comedy Central Presents 1: Bill Clinton, specifically his affair with Monica Lewinsky
** Comedy Central Presents 2: Al Gore, George W. Bush
** Comedy Central Presents 3: Creator/{{MTV}}; George W. Bush (again)
** Black on Broadway: [[RunningGag George W. Bush]], Bill Clinton (he declared both to be terrible leaders because neither took responsibility for anything)
** Red, White & Screwed: Dick Cheney, specifically his infamous hunting accident; John Kerry; George W. Bush, specifically his lackluster response to Hurricane Katrina, but also his inappropriate remarks to an amputee'd soldier; Michael Brown, specifically his role as head of FEMA during Katrina; Rick Santorum, specifically his anti-gay remarks.
** Stark Raving Black: Barack Obama (though being that this was early in his presidency, his criticisms were more reserved)
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* BlatantLies: In the "Red, White, and Screwed" special, he didn't believe the universe was created in seven days, claiming that the Jews (who wrote the Bible) are good at bullshit:
--> '''Lewis''': This was a wonderful story told to the people in the desert, to distract them from the fact that they didn't have air conditioning.
--> '''Lewis''': This was a wonderful story told to the people in the desert, to distract them from the fact that they didn't have air conditioning.
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--> '''Lewis''': There are people who believe that humans dinosaurs co-existed, that they roamed the Earth at the same time. There are museums that children go to, in which they build dioramas to show them this. And what this is, purely and simply, is a clinical psychotic reaction. They are crazy. They are stone-cold-fuck nuts. I can't be kind about this, because these people are watching ''WesternAnimation/TheFlinstones'' as if it were a documentary.
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--> '''Lewis''': There are people who believe that humans dinosaurs co-existed, that they roamed the Earth at the same time. There are museums that children go to, in which they build dioramas to show them this. And what this is, purely and simply, is a clinical psychotic reaction. They are crazy. They are stone-cold-fuck nuts. I can't be kind about this, because these people are watching ''WesternAnimation/TheFlinstones'' ''WesternAnimation/TheFlintstones'' as if it were a documentary.
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* SomewhereAPalaeontologistIsCrying: Invoked. Referenced in his "Red, White & Screwed" special:
--> '''Lewis''': There are people who believe that humans dinosaurs co-existed, that they roamed the Earth at the same time. There are museums that children go to, in which they build dioramas to show them this. And what this is, purely and simply, is a clinical psychotic reaction. They are crazy. They are stone-cold-fuck nuts. I can't be kind about this, because these people are watching ''WesternAnimation/TheFlinstones'' as if it were a documentary.
--> '''Lewis''': There are people who believe that humans dinosaurs co-existed, that they roamed the Earth at the same time. There are museums that children go to, in which they build dioramas to show them this. And what this is, purely and simply, is a clinical psychotic reaction. They are crazy. They are stone-cold-fuck nuts. I can't be kind about this, because these people are watching ''WesternAnimation/TheFlinstones'' as if it were a documentary.
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* AssShove: In the third Comedy Central Presents special, when discussing the 2001 Super Bowl Half Time show with NSync, Music/{{Aerosmith}}, and Music/BritneySpears:
--> '''Lewis''': I took a spoon, and I shoved it up my ass. Some of you might be wondering why. I'll tell ya. If I'm going to hurt that much, I'm going to do it to ''myself''.
--> '''Lewis''': I took a spoon, and I shoved it up my ass. Some of you might be wondering why. I'll tell ya. If I'm going to hurt that much, I'm going to do it to ''myself''.
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* {{Beat}}: In the "Red, White, and Screwed" special, Lewis talked about the Old Testament, and how that book apparently wasn't good enough for Christians (who also have the New Testament). His sentence features a long beat, though in fairness largely due to the audience reaction:
--> '''Lewis''': But that book, wasn't good enough, for you Christians... (audience laughs/applauds) ..........''Was'' it?? (audience laughs again)
--> '''Lewis''': But that book, wasn't good enough, for you Christians... (audience laughs/applauds) ..........''Was'' it?? (audience laughs again)
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* ArtisticLicenceEconomics: Discussed in one stand-up bit, where he even said he took economics in college, but couldn't explain it because he failed that course.
-->'''Lewis''': ...it wasn't really my fault; the class was held at eight in the morning. And there's only so much you can learn through one bloodshot eye. After I failed the second test, [[MaddenIntoMisanthropy I grabbed the professor by the throat and said, "WHY ARE YOU TEACHING THIS SHIT AT THIS UNGODLY HOUR?! ARE YOU TRYING TO KEEP THIS STUFF A SECRET?!]]"
-->'''Lewis''': ...it wasn't really my fault; the class was held at eight in the morning. And there's only so much you can learn through one bloodshot eye. After I failed the second test, [[MaddenIntoMisanthropy I grabbed the professor by the throat and said, "WHY ARE YOU TEACHING THIS SHIT AT THIS UNGODLY HOUR?! ARE YOU TRYING TO KEEP THIS STUFF A SECRET?!]]"
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* YouFailEconomicsForever: Discussed in one stand-up bit, where he even said he took economics in college, but couldn't explain it because he failed that course.
-->'''Lewis''': ...it wasn't really my fault; the class was held at eight in the morning. And there's only so much you can learn through one bloodshot eye. After I failed the second test, [[MaddenIntoMisanthropy I grabbed the professor by the throat and said, "WHY ARE YOU TEACHING THIS SHIT AT THIS UNGODLY HOUR?! ARE YOU TRYING TO KEEP THIS STUFF A SECRET?!]]"
-->'''Lewis''': ...it wasn't really my fault; the class was held at eight in the morning. And there's only so much you can learn through one bloodshot eye. After I failed the second test, [[MaddenIntoMisanthropy I grabbed the professor by the throat and said, "WHY ARE YOU TEACHING THIS SHIT AT THIS UNGODLY HOUR?! ARE YOU TRYING TO KEEP THIS STUFF A SECRET?!]]"
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* YouFailEconomicsForever: Discussed in one stand-up bit, where he even said he took economics in college, but couldn't explain it because he failed that course.
-->'''Lewis''': ...it wasn't really my fault; the class was held at eight in the morning. And there's only so much you can learn through one bloodshot eye. After I failed the second test, [[MaddenIntoMisanthropy I grabbed the professor by the throat and said, "WHY ARE YOU TEACHING THIS SHIT AT THIS UNGODLY HOUR?! ARE YOU TRYING TO KEEP THIS STUFF A SECRET?!]]"
-->'''Lewis''': ...it wasn't really my fault; the class was held at eight in the morning. And there's only so much you can learn through one bloodshot eye. After I failed the second test, [[MaddenIntoMisanthropy I grabbed the professor by the throat and said, "WHY ARE YOU TEACHING THIS SHIT AT THIS UNGODLY HOUR?! ARE YOU TRYING TO KEEP THIS STUFF A SECRET?!]]"
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* YouFailEconomicsForever: Discussed in one stand-up bit, where he even said he took economics in college, but couldn't explain it because he failed that course.
-->'''Lewis''': ...it wasn't really my fault;AskAStupidQuestion: The cold open to his "Black on Broadway" special features this:
--> '''Man''': How are you doing?\\
'''Lewis''': How theclass was held at eight in the morning. And there's only so much fuck do you can learn through one bloodshot eye. After I failed the second test, [[MaddenIntoMisanthropy I grabbed the professor by the throat and said, "WHY ARE YOU TEACHING THIS SHIT AT THIS UNGODLY HOUR?! ARE YOU TRYING TO KEEP THIS STUFF A SECRET?!]]"''think'' I'm doing?
-->'''Lewis''': ...it wasn't really my fault;
--> '''Man''': How are you doing?\\
'''Lewis''': How the
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* YouFailEconomicsForever: Discussed in one stand-up bit, where he even said he took economics in college, but couldn't explain it because he failed that course.
-->'''Lewis''': ...it wasn't really my fault; the class was held at eight in the morning. And there's only so much you can learn through one bloodshot eye. After I failed the second test, [[MaddenIntoMisanthropy I grabbed the professor by the throat and said, "WHY ARE YOU TEACHING THIS SHIT AT THIS UNGODLY HOUR?! ARE YOU TRYING TO KEEP THIS STUFF A SECRET?!]]"
-->'''Lewis''': ...it wasn't really my fault; the class was held at eight in the morning. And there's only so much you can learn through one bloodshot eye. After I failed the second test, [[MaddenIntoMisanthropy I grabbed the professor by the throat and said, "WHY ARE YOU TEACHING THIS SHIT AT THIS UNGODLY HOUR?! ARE YOU TRYING TO KEEP THIS STUFF A SECRET?!]]"
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He also said it could cause blood to shoot out your nose.
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** Or blood to shoot out your nose.
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Moving page to the \"Creator\" namespace.
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http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lewisblack.jpg
Gee, where to begin? Lewis Black is best known as a loud, abrasive stand-up comic. He has NoIndoorVoice. While the bulk of his work is based around political humor, including a recurring "Back in Black" segment on ''Series/TheDailyShow'', he's also known for his [[RantComedy angry observational humor]]. (Those shaking fingers? That's not palsy, he's just really really pissed.) He had a high profile role in the film ''Film/{{Accepted}}'', and has appeared in a number of other films and television shows, including a guest spot on ''LawAndOrderSVU''.
In 2008, he got his own show on ComedyCentral, ''RootOfAllEvil''. While he takes a back seat to the episodes' guest comics, he still inserts his trademark angry rants. A number of his acts include bits of SelfDeprecation, about himself and his fellow Jewish people, sometimes edging on [[NWordPrivileges J Word Privileges]].
And of course, Lewis Black is king of the ClusterFBomb, using, in his own words, the word "fuck" like a comma.
----
!!Associated tropes:
* {{Angrish}}
* YouFailEconomicsForever: Discussed in one stand-up bit, where he even said he took economics in college, but couldn't explain it because he failed that course.
-->'''Lewis''': ...it wasn't really my fault; the class was held at eight in the morning. And there's only so much you can learn through one bloodshot eye. After I failed the second test, [[MaddenIntoMisanthropy I grabbed the professor by the throat and said, "WHY ARE YOU TEACHING THIS SHIT AT THIS UNGODLY HOUR?! ARE YOU TRYING TO KEEP THIS STUFF A SECRET?!]]"
* {{Bowdlerize}}: One of his routines is about how frustrating it was that he wasn't allowed to swear when he did the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner.
* BrickJoke: At least the first half of his MadnessMantra, "If it wasn't for my horse, I wouldn't have spent that year at college" tends to pop up again later in his act at the end of a different, unrelated story.
* BrownNote: "If it weren't for my horse, I wouldn't have spent that year in college." Thinking about that sentence for more than three minutes will cause your brain to violently shut down.
* ClusterFBomb: "I don't know if you realize, but I use the word "Fuck," so that I can think of other stuff."
** "Say FUCK! Say FUCK! ''*To the tune of Jingle Bells*'' Fuck fuck fuck! Fuck fuck fuck! Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck! Don't say fuck! He said fuck! You can say fuck too!"
** Almost any one of his shows is a series of ''[[UpToEleven Carpet F Bombings]]''.
** If you ask him, it's environmental: "I'll tell ya, in NewYorkCity where I've lived far too long, 'fuck' isn't even a word, it's a comma."
** According to one of his routines, it kept him from being allowed to perform at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. because someone had bothered to count the usage of the word 'fuck' in his act and determined that forty-two was too many. So he performed at the Warner Theater instead, which "has an eighty 'fuck' limit."
** While performing at Carnegie Hall: "I'm only allowed to say 'fuck' twelve times." He ends up using the word and its variants around 75 times over two hours.
* ComicalOverreacting: His act is him being in constant overreaction mode.
* DeliberatelyMonochrome: He had a routine about how North Koreans are the most evil people on the planet. He knows this because whenever we get footage from that country, it's in black and white. "''It's not the film.'' These people are so evil, they have no color."
* {{Eagleland}}: Rails against the obnoxious "Greatest Country in the World" attitude with the [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mCDZMWVWuc following analogy]]: "If you were in an office, and there was someone there who came in everyday and said, 'I'M THE GREATEST FUCKER HERE AND ALL YOU SNIVELING SHITS WOULD ''DIE'' WITHOUT ME! AHAHA!' I can guarantee by the end of the week, you would have ''killed him''. And eaten him...[[YourSoulIsMine just to try to possess his power.]]"
* FailOSuckyname: One routine on ''The Carnegie Hall Performance'' talks about some of these Lew has heard before, including Asshole (pronounced uh-SHO-la), Shithead (sha-THAYD), and Abcde (AB-sa-day).
* GrumpyOldMan
* HeAlsoDid: Black is also an accomplished playwright, having written over forty of them. And not all of them are about things that piss him off.
* IfIWantedXIWouldY
* [[NWordPrivileges J Word Privileges]]: He takes full advantage of his ability to mock Judaism. "If you have any questions about the Old Testament, there are Jews who walk among you. And I guarantee they will take time out of their Jewy, Jewy day to answer any questions you may have...if the price is right."
* LargeHam: Even when you ''can't'' see him--he's the voice of the unseen Mister E on ''ScoobyDooMysteryInc''.
* UsefulNotes/LosAngeles: Doesn't like the place. Has stories about how the first time he went, there was an earthquake, and about the time CBS flew him there to audition for a character derived from his stage persona.
--> '''Lewis''': "Some of you are missing the point here: [[PunctuatedForEmphasis CBS. Flew me. To Los Angeles. To Audition.]] [[ShapedLikeItself TO BE MYSELF!]]"
** It gets even funnier when he reveals that CBS found someone else to portray him. Read: They found a better Lewis Black than ''Lewis Black''.
--> '''Lewis''': "Unbeknownst to me, [[MindScrew there was]] ''[[MindScrew A BETTER ME!!!]]''"
* MaddenIntoMisanthropy
* MadnessMantra: "If it weren't for my horse, I wouldn't have spent that year in college."
* MeanCharacterNiceActor: Obviously he's not [[{{Angrish}} like]] [[ClusterFBomb that]] all the time. As he explains it in interviews, [[PercussiveTherapy he gets it out of his system on stage]], so that he can function normally in the world without his head exploding.
** Although it isn't unheard of for him to jokingly insult fans with what more tame comics would consider horrible obscenities. Example: "Take the picture, you fucking prick!"
* {{Media Watchdog}}s:
-->''The bill also prohibits "compound use, including hyphenated compounds ? and other grammatical forms including verb, adjective, gerund, participle, and infinitive forms." Fortunately for me, they didn't include the pluperfect subjunctive. So all you stuffed shirts can just have been having had to bite me.''
-->--On H.R. 3687, intended to expand the definition of "profane broadcasts".
* MindScrew: The sight of a Starbucks coffee house across the street from another Starbucks coffee house did irreparable damage to his sanity.[[note]][[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WF1z9DYhqos Now you can too!]][[/note]]
** While that video is also a MindScrew, the specific location he refers to is in UsefulNotes/{{Houston}}, Texas, down the street from where long-standing comedy club the Laff Stop used to be.
** Also the "If it weren't for my horse..." quote noted earlier.
* MyNewGiftIsLame: The reason he hates Hanukkah.
* NewYorkCity: "I love New York City. The reason I live in New York City is because it's the loudest city on the planet Earth. It's so loud I never have to listen to any of the shit that's going on in my own head."
* NoIndoorVoice- Not just limited to speaking. As Jon Stewart pointed out, Black can somehow manage to yell in print form.
* NoodleIncident: He claims to have overheard someone say "If it weren't for my horse, I would never have spent that year in college" in an IHOP, and to have been baffled, enraged, and driven to insanity. One of his rants tells of a long-winded story which ends with him repeating this phrase just before he passes out.
* OnlySaneMan: Most of his rants rail against the stupidity that the rest of the world seems to take for granted.
* PetTheDog: If you read his books, there are many moments when he sincerely praises someone or something, in contrast to his default state of rage.
* SelfDeprecation
* ShaggyDogStory: Flown to Los Angeles to audition to play himself, passed over for someone who the suits claimed gave a better audition, and then the show was never made anyway.
* TimeStandsStill: TropeNamer
* VivaLasVegas: "The best time to visit Las Vegas is during Christmastime, because nothing beats sitting around, watching people gamble, while they play Christmas carols."
--> "Those audiences are wonderful. Talk about the most bitter group of people on the planet Earth. For one brief, shining moment, I am Mr. Happy."
* YourCostumeNeedsWork: He once auditioned to play a character based on himself in a friend's sitcom. He didn't get the part.
--> "Unbeknownst to me, there was a ''[[MindScrew BETTER ME!]]''"
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Gee, where to begin? Lewis Black is best known as a loud, abrasive stand-up comic. He has NoIndoorVoice. While the bulk of his work is based around political humor, including a recurring "Back in Black" segment on ''Series/TheDailyShow'', he's also known for his [[RantComedy angry observational humor]]. (Those shaking fingers? That's not palsy, he's just really really pissed.) He had a high profile role in the film ''Film/{{Accepted}}'', and has appeared in a number of other films and television shows, including a guest spot on ''LawAndOrderSVU''.
In 2008, he got his own show on ComedyCentral, ''RootOfAllEvil''. While he takes a back seat to the episodes' guest comics, he still inserts his trademark angry rants. A number of his acts include bits of SelfDeprecation, about himself and his fellow Jewish people, sometimes edging on [[NWordPrivileges J Word Privileges]].
And of course, Lewis Black is king of the ClusterFBomb, using, in his own words, the word "fuck" like a comma.
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!!Associated tropes:
* {{Angrish}}
* YouFailEconomicsForever: Discussed in one stand-up bit, where he even said he took economics in college, but couldn't explain it because he failed that course.
-->'''Lewis''': ...it wasn't really my fault; the class was held at eight in the morning. And there's only so much you can learn through one bloodshot eye. After I failed the second test, [[MaddenIntoMisanthropy I grabbed the professor by the throat and said, "WHY ARE YOU TEACHING THIS SHIT AT THIS UNGODLY HOUR?! ARE YOU TRYING TO KEEP THIS STUFF A SECRET?!]]"
* {{Bowdlerize}}: One of his routines is about how frustrating it was that he wasn't allowed to swear when he did the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner.
* BrickJoke: At least the first half of his MadnessMantra, "If it wasn't for my horse, I wouldn't have spent that year at college" tends to pop up again later in his act at the end of a different, unrelated story.
* BrownNote: "If it weren't for my horse, I wouldn't have spent that year in college." Thinking about that sentence for more than three minutes will cause your brain to violently shut down.
* ClusterFBomb: "I don't know if you realize, but I use the word "Fuck," so that I can think of other stuff."
** "Say FUCK! Say FUCK! ''*To the tune of Jingle Bells*'' Fuck fuck fuck! Fuck fuck fuck! Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck! Don't say fuck! He said fuck! You can say fuck too!"
** Almost any one of his shows is a series of ''[[UpToEleven Carpet F Bombings]]''.
** If you ask him, it's environmental: "I'll tell ya, in NewYorkCity where I've lived far too long, 'fuck' isn't even a word, it's a comma."
** According to one of his routines, it kept him from being allowed to perform at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. because someone had bothered to count the usage of the word 'fuck' in his act and determined that forty-two was too many. So he performed at the Warner Theater instead, which "has an eighty 'fuck' limit."
** While performing at Carnegie Hall: "I'm only allowed to say 'fuck' twelve times." He ends up using the word and its variants around 75 times over two hours.
* ComicalOverreacting: His act is him being in constant overreaction mode.
* DeliberatelyMonochrome: He had a routine about how North Koreans are the most evil people on the planet. He knows this because whenever we get footage from that country, it's in black and white. "''It's not the film.'' These people are so evil, they have no color."
* {{Eagleland}}: Rails against the obnoxious "Greatest Country in the World" attitude with the [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mCDZMWVWuc following analogy]]: "If you were in an office, and there was someone there who came in everyday and said, 'I'M THE GREATEST FUCKER HERE AND ALL YOU SNIVELING SHITS WOULD ''DIE'' WITHOUT ME! AHAHA!' I can guarantee by the end of the week, you would have ''killed him''. And eaten him...[[YourSoulIsMine just to try to possess his power.]]"
* FailOSuckyname: One routine on ''The Carnegie Hall Performance'' talks about some of these Lew has heard before, including Asshole (pronounced uh-SHO-la), Shithead (sha-THAYD), and Abcde (AB-sa-day).
* GrumpyOldMan
* HeAlsoDid: Black is also an accomplished playwright, having written over forty of them. And not all of them are about things that piss him off.
* IfIWantedXIWouldY
* [[NWordPrivileges J Word Privileges]]: He takes full advantage of his ability to mock Judaism. "If you have any questions about the Old Testament, there are Jews who walk among you. And I guarantee they will take time out of their Jewy, Jewy day to answer any questions you may have...if the price is right."
* LargeHam: Even when you ''can't'' see him--he's the voice of the unseen Mister E on ''ScoobyDooMysteryInc''.
* UsefulNotes/LosAngeles: Doesn't like the place. Has stories about how the first time he went, there was an earthquake, and about the time CBS flew him there to audition for a character derived from his stage persona.
--> '''Lewis''': "Some of you are missing the point here: [[PunctuatedForEmphasis CBS. Flew me. To Los Angeles. To Audition.]] [[ShapedLikeItself TO BE MYSELF!]]"
** It gets even funnier when he reveals that CBS found someone else to portray him. Read: They found a better Lewis Black than ''Lewis Black''.
--> '''Lewis''': "Unbeknownst to me, [[MindScrew there was]] ''[[MindScrew A BETTER ME!!!]]''"
* MaddenIntoMisanthropy
* MadnessMantra: "If it weren't for my horse, I wouldn't have spent that year in college."
* MeanCharacterNiceActor: Obviously he's not [[{{Angrish}} like]] [[ClusterFBomb that]] all the time. As he explains it in interviews, [[PercussiveTherapy he gets it out of his system on stage]], so that he can function normally in the world without his head exploding.
** Although it isn't unheard of for him to jokingly insult fans with what more tame comics would consider horrible obscenities. Example: "Take the picture, you fucking prick!"
* {{Media Watchdog}}s:
-->''The bill also prohibits "compound use, including hyphenated compounds ? and other grammatical forms including verb, adjective, gerund, participle, and infinitive forms." Fortunately for me, they didn't include the pluperfect subjunctive. So all you stuffed shirts can just have been having had to bite me.''
-->--On H.R. 3687, intended to expand the definition of "profane broadcasts".
* MindScrew: The sight of a Starbucks coffee house across the street from another Starbucks coffee house did irreparable damage to his sanity.[[note]][[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WF1z9DYhqos Now you can too!]][[/note]]
** While that video is also a MindScrew, the specific location he refers to is in UsefulNotes/{{Houston}}, Texas, down the street from where long-standing comedy club the Laff Stop used to be.
** Also the "If it weren't for my horse..." quote noted earlier.
* MyNewGiftIsLame: The reason he hates Hanukkah.
* NewYorkCity: "I love New York City. The reason I live in New York City is because it's the loudest city on the planet Earth. It's so loud I never have to listen to any of the shit that's going on in my own head."
* NoIndoorVoice- Not just limited to speaking. As Jon Stewart pointed out, Black can somehow manage to yell in print form.
* NoodleIncident: He claims to have overheard someone say "If it weren't for my horse, I would never have spent that year in college" in an IHOP, and to have been baffled, enraged, and driven to insanity. One of his rants tells of a long-winded story which ends with him repeating this phrase just before he passes out.
* OnlySaneMan: Most of his rants rail against the stupidity that the rest of the world seems to take for granted.
* PetTheDog: If you read his books, there are many moments when he sincerely praises someone or something, in contrast to his default state of rage.
* SelfDeprecation
* ShaggyDogStory: Flown to Los Angeles to audition to play himself, passed over for someone who the suits claimed gave a better audition, and then the show was never made anyway.
* TimeStandsStill: TropeNamer
* VivaLasVegas: "The best time to visit Las Vegas is during Christmastime, because nothing beats sitting around, watching people gamble, while they play Christmas carols."
--> "Those audiences are wonderful. Talk about the most bitter group of people on the planet Earth. For one brief, shining moment, I am Mr. Happy."
* YourCostumeNeedsWork: He once auditioned to play a character based on himself in a friend's sitcom. He didn't get the part.
--> "Unbeknownst to me, there was a ''[[MindScrew BETTER ME!]]''"
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