RUSSELL SIMMONS PRESENTS DEF POETRY SEASON 6 - DVD review

As host Mos Def tells us in his short monologue preceding the fourth episode of "Def Poetry," a poem doesn't need to rhyme. All it needs is to be sincere, to have a soul behind it. Each of the performers over the course of the ten episode sixth season bring fire, passion and humanity to their subjects, regardless of whether their topic of choice is social activism, letters to the unborn or odes to parents. Opening up the art form to people who might not otherwise engage in thoughts of stanzas or meter, Russell Simmons again brings a diverse group to the stage to share pieces of their life experience.

A spin off of "Def Comedy Jam," this series turns out to be much more fun than its parent if only because the performers aren't concerned with punch lines or cursing. Rather, what they have to say is heartfelt, personal stories or thoughts with broader implications for the greater population. Take the second episode's Skim, who performs "Eyes." There is no illusion or appearance of trying to be humorous in the piece. The performer is telling us how she is scared of the various looks she gets for being a lesbian in the world. It's a chilling reminder of the prejudice which remains in our society that someone can wonder what is going on behind the eyes of every person they pass. Not a trace of anything but fear (perhaps preaching to the choir, as the audience is mostly compromised of minorities); unshackled from the constraint of making the audience laugh, Skim and others are able to put their unvarnished feelings on display.

Then there's someone like George Watsky, a teenager from San Francisco who won a poetry contest in his school. His contribution, "V for Virgin," allows the audience to laugh uproariously over the trials and tribulations of nerd sex. Or the lack thereof, as is the case here. A combination of the subject matter and Watsky's pale slender body, not to mention his zeal for the information, makes him endearing, allowing us to see why he is a sensation at home.

By and large, though, the poems concern themselves with darker themes. Several performers team up to varying degrees of success. The most successful of them is Dan Vaughn and Dasha Kelly in the first episode with "Six Million." Basically, this male-female team gives various reasons in a marriage how two people get on their nerves, interweaving their dialogue, talking over one another and reacting to each other. It's a dynamic the audience empathizes with, yet is taken aback at also. These comments are usually reserved for fights. And that's precisely why it is simultaneously humorous and off-putting. It's almost an uncomfortable laughter, to be honest, from the audience.

Another duo, Eamone Mahone and Paul Graham bring "Black Irish" to the stage and they might have the least enthusiastic reception in the season. Their act contrasts black and Irish violence by telling us the roots of each kind. The issue here isn't the performers, it's the information. It never draws us into action; for some reason, it's the most emotionally cold of everything we see when it should be at least involving.

Thankfully, from the "newcomers" to the veteran performers, every other performance is at the very least entertaining for 2 to 3 minutes, if not downright engaging. With roughly ten presenters per episode, the action moves quickly, never allowing the people on stage to become stale or wear out their welcome. Luminaries such as DMX, Carole King and Nelly Furtado take the stage, though their reputations in their "day jobs" precedes them. Somehow, we expect more from all of them (especially George Clinton). This type of program works best when an Everyday Joe (or Jane) captivates our attention.

Let's talk about Mos Def for a moment, the emcee of the festivities. Unlike D.L. Hughley in the latest installment of "Def Comedy," Def is neither articulate nor energetic enough for his role. It's almost as if he's making up his monologue on the fly. Worse is his mumbling and fumbling through the lines. He simply doesn't have the charisma of Hughley or even Simmons himself, who appears at the end of every episode to thank the audience for coming out.

Besides the host, one other thing differentiates "Poetry" from "Comedy": the type of performers on stage. Whereas in "Def Comedy Jam," a large percentage of the comedians were African American, a more diverse population is showcased here. Asians, Latinos, male, female, straight, gay, older, younger, skinny, fat…this diversity brings an equally diverse subject matter to the forefront. There is a lot of rage to be had, for sure, aimed at the lack of education for children, the president and general "black rage," but, as already mentioned, there are other topics, too. And that makes "Def Poetry" a great deal more entertaining and insightful for the audience. Every sketch doesn't have to revolve around "motherfuckers" or sex; "Def Poetry' showcases people who don't need to be vulgar or profane to entertain an audience.

VIDEO:
Since "Def Poetry" and "Def Comedy" utilize the same sets and the same production team, it stands to reason the video transfers are just about the same. They are, with nearly identical looking anamorphic widescreen presentations across both discs of this set. The problems I mentioned in that review mirror what is seen here: some objects have a hint of jagged edges where there should not be any, which turns out to be the only noticeable issue. Each episode does a good job of recreating the color palette being used-mostly dark blues and browns, owing to the materials on stage. But in the moments when a performer takes the stage with a red towel or gold dress, the hue is recreated faithfully.

AUDIO:
Anyone expecting a 5.1 mix is nuts, quite frankly. The 2.0 version, provided here, works just fine for the subject material. My only nitpick concerns quiet moments. A hum can be heard coming from the speakers for some reason. It's as if the track is trying to recreate the stillness of "dead quiet" by inserting sound where there is none. Very peculiar. Otherwise, this is a serviceable mix. Oddly, subtitles are not included, though the discs are closed captioned.

EXTRAS:
A bare two disc set.

PARTING THOUGHTS:
I hate to keep comparing this series to "Def Comedy," but comparisons are inevitable, I think. On the whole, "Def Poetry" is a less offensive, more creative and diverse outing with each episode flying by thanks to the number of "guests" in each program. Only Mos Def's hosting holds it back; thankfully, though, he is largely relegated to introducing the acts. Anyone looking to go on a roller coaster of emotions based on subject matter is encouraged to pick up this release. Aficionados of proper poetry might be better served cracking open a book of literature instead of season six, though.