Lewis Black's Root of All Evil: Season 2 (2008)

Lewis Black makes a great spittle-spewing curmudgeon of a comedian who gets really worked up about life's idiocies. His game-show-like Root of All Evil show has a great formula that pits two comics against each other as they present the "evidence" and contend as if in court whether one thing or another is the "root of all evil." Next, Black conducts his own whip-smart "inquisition" before he asks each comic to present his or her "Ripple of Evil" -- an often wildly imaginative worst-case scenario for how bad things would get if said subject got out of control. Finally, Black pronounces judgment as to which of the following pairs are the greater evil: Ultimate Fighting vs. Bloggers, Steroids vs. Boob Jobs, NRA vs. PETA, Olympic Games vs. Drinking Games, Red States vs. Blue States, Disney vs. Scientology, Going Green vs. Spring Break, Gen-X vs. Boomers, Strip Clubs vs. Sororities, and The Hills vs. Rocket Scientists. The second season adds Black's appeal to the audience to vote by applause (often followed by his yelling that they're wrong). It doesn't really matter which side "wins" and is sentenced to Black's punishment because it's all about the ranting and the riffing. I esp. like Kathleen Madigan and Patton Oswalt (who appear in both seasons) for their intelligence and theatrics. Lewis Black's The Root of All Evil is like Jon Stewart's The Daily Show on steroids. Enjoy! 4.5 stars. (7-9-10)