Is this hilarious? Well, that's debatable. But Willie isn't worried about the haters, as he explains in his introduction to
Willie & His Hilarious Phone Pranks. "Well if that's your problem. You don't need to listen to no more, just turn your machine off, and keep that old frown on your ugly face." As for his comedy, Willie prefers a homey, conversational style quite the opposite from insult kings like
the Jerky Boys. And even if the bits don't always pan out, his premises are definitely funny. On "Dead Cow," Willie calls a local judge's office with a cockamamie story about his cow being killed by a motorcyclist. "Large Bus Rider" finds him trying to book a bus seat -- and set up spotters -- for an overweight friend. "How wide is them seats they got on there?" he asks. Later, for "Mailin' Goats," he becomes the Reverend Willie P. Richardson, and snares a postal worker in his trap, questioning whether he can ship live animals "if he puts enough food in the box." There aren't very many laugh-out-loud moments here. But it's fun to hear Willie use his engaging personality to dupe the rube. ~ Johnny Loftus