Steve Trevino: Relatable (2014)

Steve Trevino shows us what's good and bad about Texas. (Please note that what's "bad about Texas" is actually "good about Texas" in the minds of his audience, since this special was filmed in beautiful and patriotic Corpus Christi.) He paints us a picture of the ugly redneck (good Texan) with rapid strokes in the first 5 minutes of his show by comparing his native Texas values to the Los Angeles mindset of his new neighbors as he tries to kill an opossum in his back yard. His neighbor lisps, "Don't kill it! Did you call Animal Control?" He responds, "I'm from Texas. I am Animal Control!" (The neighbor calls the authorities, who converge on his address and fine him $650 for the dead possum he was going to toss into the street.) He grouses for maybe two-thirds of the show about women, and how the rules they impose on men do not apply to themselves. I found myself sympathizing with his comments more than I soon concluded was healthy. To his credit, he does admit once or twice "I love my wife -- I do," but he snarls and growls many times, "I hate my wife! I want to kill her!" When Lewis Black rants against anything, it's funny, because he is from New York; when Steve Trevino rants against women, it's disturbing (to me at least), because he presents himself as a white-bread, all-American patriot. The show opens with a rollicking country music number and closes with a peppy Tejano/conjunto number and dancing onstage, because that's how south Texas "does it right." Enjoy, y'all! 3 stars. (10-2-2017)