New heart, old jokes

Robin Williams garnered plenty of publicity for his “Weapons of Self Destruction” tour after going on hiatus for heart surgery. Unfortunately, the surgery is the only thing worth talking about. His new stand-up album fails to explore any new territory and sometimes is simply unfunny.

Williams tries to be edgy and controversial at every turn, but most of these jokes wouldn’t have been a big deal 20 years ago, much less today. When he turns his focus to politics, he is unable to come up with jokes that go beyond what Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert do every night. In one of the final segments Williams riffs on the illogical design of sex organs; at least half of his jokes have been told by others, some in almost the same form.

There are laughs on this album but precious few. It includes a DVD of the show, which is more lively. Maybe when Williams digs a little deeper than the first thought that pops in his head, he’ll have something worth saying.