Currently Streaming: Review of Netflix Stand Up Comedy Specials

INTRODUCTION

Instead of rewatching “Grey’s Anatomy” for the third time, I highly recommend indulging in some of the many comedy specials available on Netflix. They are well worth procrastinating on your homework to watch and Netflix offers options for all types of humor. Though I would not recommend watching some of them with your parents, most of these specials made me laugh from start to finish. 

John Mulaney “Kid Gorgeous” 

John Mulaney released “Kid Gorgeous” last May on Netflix and if you haven’t made the time to watch the hour and 15-minute long special, do.

Mulaney wastes no time building up to stories. Along with his constant movement around the stage, his blunt style and quick delivery keep “Kid Gorgeous” fast-paced and engaging.

His special covers stories from his childhood to his college experience to his time as a writer on Saturday Night Live (SNL). Throughout the set, he moves fluidly through topics without making it feel like he is trying to shove as much material in as many others do.

Mulaney includes specific details such as his “Aladdin” wallet he had as a child. The specificity of his stories make it easy to picture him sitting at his dining room table being chewed out by his straight-laced and uptight father.

With a series of impressions of himself and his family, Mulaney’s varying voices make it more than just a story about his life — they create moments that all different members of the audience can relate to. If you went through the D.A.R.E program, Mulaney’s bit about “Street Smarts” and Detective JJ Bittenbinder coming to his elementary school to warn about stranger danger will be one of those moments.

Trevor Noah “Son of Patricia” 

Clips of “The Daily Show” pop up in my Instagram feed constantly, and I have always found Trevor Noah’s chats with the audience charming, so it was a no-brainer when I saw his stand-up special on Netflix.

Noah mixes his South African roots into his jokes and provides a unique perspective in the telling of his stories. He talks of his “authentic Balinese experience” — one involving a snake charmer and a rogue cobra — and how it differed from the experience of the white tourists taking selfies. He approaches topics as an outsider, making his set different from that of John Mulaney, who has a similar style in stand-up. Though this bit lingered on for a little longer than I would have preferred, the ultimate punchline made it worth the long story.

Similar to his style on “The Daily Show,” Noah throws political commentary in with his jokes. I appreciated the way he weaved hard-to-swallow topics, such as immigration, into a story about a taco truck.

Whether subtly dissing Trump or talking about the time he embarrassed himself in front of Barack Obama, Noah remains charming, never holding back any of his personality and allowing the laughs to come naturally throughout the set.

Hannah Gadsby “Nanette” 

In “Nanette,” comedian Hannah Gadsby flips the trope of stand-up comedy on it’s head — it isn’t always made to make you laugh, but think. And though there are lots of laughs, Gadsby is serious as she confronts the idea of self-deprecating humor. She is brutally honest about her own self image and her life experiences that have led her throughout her career.

Gadsby covers not-so-funny topics from her own experiences with homophobia and sexual assault — void of sugar coating. She somehow manages to pull jokes out of trauma. I was uncomfortable at times and almost turned it off, but I grew to appreciate how Gadsby’s conversation style confronts difficult topics in a more lighthearted way.

Gadsby even turns lighter topics, such as art history, into a form of social commentary. Though I can appreciate the social point Gadsby makes, when I watch stand-up I want to laugh.

Unlike other comedians I have watched, Gadsby has a calm demeanor and is very quiet — almost forcing the audience to listen to her. Her jokes are full of intention. She wants people to see the problems with society and doesn’t share her experiences with sexual assault for the heck of it.

I, however, eventually got bored. I watch stand-up to laugh and not to ponder all of the problems with society. Gadsby does deserve credit for being so open about her life. She doesn’t avoid her problems, but confronts them head on.

If you are looking for a special that takes controversial topics head on, “Nanette” is for you.

Jack Whitehall “At Large” 

Jack Whitehall is bitter. He is bitter about his line as a troll in “Frozen” and his life-long, boarding school feud with Robert Pattinson. His bitterness leaks into his set and leaves him as the punchline of many of his own jokes.

I was first exposed to Whitehall’s stand-up in a short Facebook clip about the greatness of “The Lion King” and his sarcastic style drew me to this lesser known special.

His personality is that of a 12-year-old boy on a sugar high. His impulsivity leads to random, unscripted moments in the set that make each bit unique. After the Netflix lawyers told him to change the name of his friend in a bit, Whitehall got caught up in the moment and let the real name of one his friends slip out. He only spirals from there.

Whitehall’s set was more interactive than the others I watched. Pictures would pop up on the screen throughout the set and made it all the more funny. For example, the look on his face when Elton John whispered words, not appropriate for this publication, in front of Prince Harry and a lot of very important British people was phenomenal (you should google it). You didn’t have to imagine the moment because it was right on screen.

Whitehall’s set ended with lots of white confetti, a troll costume and another little bit of bitterness to send you off. This was one of my favorite specials I watched.