By Mike Moore

Doug Stanhope has released his ninth comedy CD and fourth DVD, Before Turning the Gun on Himself. Stanhope, who grew up in the West Side neighborhood of Worcester, has been involved in comedy since the early ’90s but got a name for himself after hosting The Man Show with Joe Rogan in 2004.

For those who know him, he needs no introduction. For those who don’t, this stand-up is not for the squeamish. His comedy style is dark. His mouth is dirty. And his views on everything from the toll the economic crisis has taken on hookers to the death of his friend and fellow comedian Mitch Hedburg are rude and hilarious. With drink in hand, Stanhope likens AA to a cult in what was one of my favorite bits on the DVD. While some of the topics he covers may seem controversial, listen ~ really listen ~ and you’ll find he actually makes some valid points.

One of his funnier bits involves Dr. Drew, best known for his work on Celebrity Rehab. Stanhope wonders about the day in medical school, when the professors decided that Drew Pinske was not going to be a pediatrician or a podiatrist, but a celebrity doctor, the top of the medical mountain.

While most of what Stanhope talks about is a dark view on the social landscape of our world, he is spot on in his observations. After listening to this, I was ready to vote Stanhope for president. He isn’t afraid to say what people are thinking. While some comics choose safer topics for commercial success, Stanhope gets on stage with a view of our world that nobody in pop culture dares to speak of, and the outcome is an hour of laughs.