Nikki Glaser these days

It's getting too dense and mathematical. It used to feel like "she's finding comic gold in every moment" but now it's like "she's forcing comic alchemy in every moment, let me breathe for a sec." The jokes are still good, but it's too dense and calculated as to feel forced. Every other word is a punchline. I think that needs to happen sometimes, but it needs to be balanced with longer setups. If your standup is all about quick punchlines, you need a relaxed delivery with pauses like Hedberg, Wright, Jeselnik. Glaser is anxiously punching us with line after line, good lines, but it's tiring, partly because we feel she must be getting tired of all of this anxious punching. Also the value of an unexpected punchline is not just the quality of the line but the fact that it was unexpected, and Glaser's style forces us to expect big punches every other word. She's not shocking anymore. Her good lines need to be great, or she needs to stop conditioning us to expect such frequent bait-and-switches.

Every joke is a self-referencing web of subjokes, all happening too quickly and consistently to surprise us anymore. But I still think she's a legend.

Everybody's... with John Mulaney

I skimmed the LA version and the first episode of the new one.

Trite to call it chaotic, but Mulaney is this amazing gravity centering it all. Centering on what? Being funny, because this is comedy, so that's all you need. Bo Burnham's standup is extremely ADD but I wouldn't call it chaotic because it's all funny, and that's all you need. Everybody's... is not all funny, thus it permits the chaotic characterization, yet Mulaney is consistently funny and humane himself, thus single-handedly handling the chaos. It's actually stunning how he manages this, he on paper not being an experienced wrangler of live chaos.

So it's an interesting show in terms of comedic style. It's really unpredictable, even to its host. Lots of it completely flops. If discomfort makes you uncomfortable, you might start looking at Mulaney as a messiah, constantly flipping other people's flops, tirelessly -- he looks tired though -- rescuing us from unfunny awkwardness, even though he created the thing himself! It's giving Stockholm syndrome, or God saving us from the evil that God created. Mulaney creates chaos only to become the "spirit moving over" it. What an ambitious and egomaniacal objective. I wish I was the one giving form to void, to the ecstasy of millions.

Update: is there another show in which the audience constantly cheers for things other than what the guests are saying, to the constant confusion of the guests? What a singular TV moment, which is happening multiple times per episode.

Kevin Hart: Reality Check

This is good. This is good news for Kevin. I was worried after his last... three?... specials. That's a long losing streak. Of course he was winning in every other celebrity-oriented fashion, which I figured eclipsed his standup chops. Those things happen. You lose the motivation to practice, you get too loose.

The Tom Brady roast turned things around. I loved him in that. It made me hopeful for his new special. Between that and Northman, I justified the shortest unit of Peacock available and dove in.

It's just good comedy. His writing has rarely been elite, but his delivery sure is. He can make cheap jokes hilarious. And sometimes he writes some really good stuff. That has slowed down in recent years, even in this special, but at least in this one he blends a bit of writing with a bit of delivery instead of entirely depending on charisma and reputation like in the last few.

Anthony Jeselnik: Bones and All

He hasn't changed much in 15 years. That's okay, I still like him, though it means his jokes have to be really good, for his continued standup to be worthwhile, since they aren't reinventing anything anymore. All of his jokes are good, but most are not good enough to make this special as exciting as when one first encountered him years ago. I laughed maybe twice, though still enjoyed the show in general. He's intelligent enough to consider reinventing himself, innovating the craft. But for now, he's still coasting on his old persona.

Someday You'll Die (Nikki Glaser)

I hope this is a turning point, from which Nikki increasingly introduces serious reflections beyond her own libido. This special considers suicide and death in an apex of poignancy for Nikki. Despite her mastery of the art of the joke, the minimal dimensionality of her subject matter has kept her from greatness in my opinion. Her jokes are as good as anyone's, all about one topic. I hope she expands her persona and takes a seat among the greats.

A lot of her jokes try too hard and are too repetitive, thus predictable. Sometimes I can tell based on the setup how Nikki will milk a joke. Then it feels forced without reward. But I can't expect every utterance to be fresh. There are plenty of fresh ones.

The Roast of Tom Brady

Since I made the terrible mistake of watching the entire thing, I feel like I have to say something about it.

Winners (roughly in order):

1. Nikki Glaser. I was sad and angry at her new look, but she's the roast god. For commentary on such a look, see roast god Greg Giraldo at the roast of Joan Rivers.
2. Kevin Hart. After his last few specials I was worried he was washed up, not as a celebrity but as a real comic. He delivered as roast host beyond comedy, as a man, bringing people together. He was warm and funny and genuine when everything else was unpleasant.
3. Sam Jay
4. Belichik
5. Drew Bledsoe. Decent delivery, all things considered.

Losers (roughly in order):

1. Rob Gronkowski
2. Ben Affleck
3. Randy Moss
4. Bert Kreischer. I have never heard of this guy. He was painful.

Rothaniel (Jerrod Carmichael)

Seems like a big mistake to name the special after the secret of the special which is the main narrative tension of the special. Otherwise, I really like his organic delivery. It turns easy lines into jokes. Jokes that feel good, not jokes that coax a heartless "ha." Unfortunately those shimmers were engulfed in long stretches of melancholic introspection. For me this went on for too long at the end. I appreciate his journey, but I had never heard of him until yesterday, so my investment started from scratch, and that's not really what I wanted out of this. As far as deprecials I had an easier time with Neal Brennan and Bo Burnham, who kept the entertainment on pace with the therapy. Rothaniel drowned in the latter. Like everything Dave Chappelle has done for the last 5 years, it was less comedy special and more naturally funny person talking.

Dave Chappelle: The Dreamer

Past his prime as a comic, apparently in the protracted prime of his life, Dave is coasting down a long tail of a career. I don't blame him -- he seems happy, and he's fading most gracefully. His skills and energy are blunted but he stands, proud and provocative, a hero to many. He's not funny like he was, but he's still deeply, naturally funny. This show is the funniest in a few. I'm pleased he forfeited controversy and preaching for a moment, for the art of comedy. There were a few specials or half-specials there that were entertaining and interesting but not funny, as he eschewed comedy and took everything very seriously. Carlin swirled down that drain. I hope concern and comedy can coexist.

When I say he's coasting post-prime I'm not claiming he won't reinvent himself, landing atop a new peak. He could have many years and career arcs left in him. But I feel that finding a new prime requires profound discontent. Would he rather invigorate his career or stay happy? Would I rather invigorate my life or stay happy? Greatness is a mirage; it's all for happiness.

Standup

Fast notes on my history absorbing standup

Louis -- he's the first and most standup I've seen. It was high school, I was thrilled, and I watched only him for years, every clip, until the summer after my junior year of college when I studied Rolling Stone's 25 best specials. Before that, Louis' Bill Gates bit stunned me like none other, but I liked other classics. I still like Louis, his history and his present, and I still think he's great, but as my recent post demonstrates, he's on a plateau. I've seen all of his specials plus a bunch of extra stuff.

Dave Chappelle -- in the aforementioned Rolling Stone query, I was really impressed by bits of Killin Them Softly. Previously, somehow I had this idea that Dave Chappelle was obnoxious. I had the same idea of Kevin Hart, until the twice-aforementioned query. Anyway Killin Them Softly really impressed me, and still does. I still call it possibly my favorite standup special. I like all of Dave's standup, though he's also on a long(-winded) plateau, comprising discourse that's not actually that funny, hence (-winded). But I have some inherent respect for him. It may even be irrational. It may even be contra-rational. He has some leaderly quality to me. This may be deep and racial, but I also just think he's a good speaker. He has some profound charisma which enabled his almost immediate teenage success and sustains his controversial reign. I've seen all of his specials.

Kevin Hart -- I wrote this dude off instantly in high school, but revisited during the Rolling Stone query, and have since liked and respected him, and I even love some of his material. I think his first few specials are awesome, and noticeably better than everything after Let Me Explain. I think there are like 3 in the latter category? Those all seemed oddly unfunny, like he forgot how to cash in on his setups. Or like he literally forgot to write the ends of those jokes, the punchlines. Anyway everything up to and including Let Me Explain seemed great to me. I've seen all of his specials.

somehow ordering those 3 that way made sense to me (the first two are solid up there for sure), but the rest will be a bit random

Richard Pryor -- I've seen two specials, 1979 and Sunset Strip. I like the former quite a bit, which seems well above the latter. I don't think there's much in the universe of pre-1980 comedy that I really like (unless we're including Shakespeare and the Bible and such), but I genuinely liked Pryor's 1979 special. The humor there transcends all the other stuff that aged poorly... including what I believe was Rolling Stone's #2 to Pryor's #1, Carlin's USC special. Everything around that time feels dated. But I still like Pryor's 1979.

Chris Rock -- I've seen Bring the Pain and a couple other partials. I respect his skill, even when I don't totally respect what he says or how he says it. It's not entirely my taste. Maybe it's a little too aggressive in style. Maybe I'm being really shallow here. But I do like and respect it.

Anthony Jeselnik -- despite his consummate douchebaggery, I am in the back of my mind waiting for his next special. It's just really exciting to me. I found out about him from a friend using him as a thesis for our shared dislike of shock for the sake of shock. Yet upon watching him, I'm shocked and I love it. It's not just the shock though... I really do think he's creative and intelligent. It's not like the Aristocrats joke, or Bill Burr roasting Philadelphia. It's very crafty. I've seen basically all of his standup material that's available.

Neal Brennan -- I've seen 3 Mics and Blocks, and I was thrilled both times. I don't think he's the greatest comic out there, and maybe he won't be a star, but there's something underdog legend about him, and his comedy still seems great, not to mention its genre-bending. I was floored both times by his honesty and revelation.

Nikki Glaser -- I was impressed by her on the roasts, and now I've seen most of her specials out there. I think she's really really good, though her persona and content only go so far for me. It just seems like incessant sex jokes. But ignoring the redundant content, the jokes themselves seem awesome.

Taylor Tomlinson -- I've seen a couple partial specials and a few bits here and there. It's growing on me, especially as she reveals some honest psychological stuff, though I doubt she'll be just my type.

George Carlin -- I've seen a couple specials and a bunch of bits (rants). I like and respect him, though if I remember right it's rarely very funny to me. But I'll watch him in his old age rant in the same way I'll watch Dave Chappelle. There's some comedian charisma behind the angry intellect.

Ali Wong -- I've seen one special and a couple of bits. I think she's good, though I'm not the target audience. It really seems to be woman-oriented, or some subset.

Mitch Hedberg -- I really like Mitch Hedberg. I wish he had more content. He died young, and even then repeated lots of jokes on various shows. We'll never get more Hedberg content, barring posthumous tomes. I really like him as a persona and as a comedic style. It's so unassuming. From what I can tell I've seen basically every joke he has on YouTube.

Nate Bargatze -- I like this dude, although it doesn't achieve much besides a warm, friendly chuckle. I will freely chuckle. But he's not really pushing me or shredding me or anything. I've seen a couple specials and some bits.

Robin Williams -- this is a really tough issue for me. I really want to love and admire him, and I suppose I do as some sort of martyr? But here's the thing: I rarely think he's funny. I've seen the Met special, bits of others, talk show appearances... I rarely think it's very funny. I guess it didn't age super well, but it also just seems insane, maybe a little obnoxious, but also desperately admirable? I'd feel confident in my take if I didn't hear others saying he's so genuinely funny, in the 21st century...

Ellen -- I grew up watching her show, which got less funny to me over time (I aged, and so did she?). To my surprise, years later, I actually really enjoyed her one special... I don't remember the name. I feel like it was around 2008. Then a later special I thought was decent. That's all I've seen of her standup proper. I did see her as the first woman telling jokes on Johnny Carson... right? I feel like that was good.

Bill Burr -- I hear a lot of praise for him. He seems strong, in his own way, but I feel like it's (pretentious alert) below me. I haven't seen enough. Maybe it's just his style, maybe even accent, but it seems so crass as to be obnoxious. Contrast that with current Dave's slow, thoughtful growl. Burr is like an angry teenager. But again, all I've seen are bits here and there.

Amy Schumer -- I have liked this, though it doesn't seem super groundbreaking anymore. Just decent jokes. I've seen a couple partial specials and some other bits. The first I saw of her was on SNL some years ago, which I thought was really good, at least at the time. I've seen lots of good comedy by women since then, so it may not be so novel to me now.

Eddie Murphy -- I liked the one in the red suit, but not the followup one quite so much. And even the red suit one was ambivalent -- some really brilliant stuff, some childish stuff. I think he was sort of a child at the time anyway. Like 21? Really prodigious though.

Bo Burnham -- I remember not loving this guy until I tried half of Inside. Then I liked him. Then I watched all of Inside, and then I really liked him. I mean, he's always kind of immature and annoying in a fundamental/intentional sort of way, but I'm really into him as a deeper artist. His musicianship is impressive; he redefines comedy sometimes; he's says some profound and intelligent things; he has some artistic subtlety (sometimes). And when he isn't subtle, he admits it. I can't back everything he does as a sometimes petty comedian, but secretly I really do support him. I've now seen a few specials and some youtube content.

John Mulaney -- this guy seems alright, but I haven't liked him as much as others seem to. I've seen parts of a few specials. 

Jimmy Carr -- I think he has some really good jokes (I like the fast one-liners), although I put him under Anthony Jeselnik. I guess I like comics when I can relate to their personalities... Dave and Anthony and Louis are all relatively calm thoughtful guys. I like their "cool" factor. Jimmy Carr isn't cool. But he has some good jokes. I've seen parts of a few specials, and some random work.

Tom Segura -- I've seen parts of a few specials. I feel like I've given him a good try. He seems good, maybe really good, but to me, ultimately inferior to Louis CK. Why am I comparing them like that? I don't know, chubby white guy, kind of intellectual and kind of juvenile, good observation of mundane situation... Anyway Tom Segura seems good but not novel to me.

Rodney Dangerfield -- I'm an ironic big fan of his tv appearances. It's so wholesome to me, and clever, and impressive, and actually funny. He's talented and wholesome... so why not? I've seen lots of his tv appearances, that's it.

Jerry Seinfeld -- I've seen bits of his specials, and some Seinfeld-embedded standup. Nothing wrong with it. It's classic. But maybe so influential that it's just self-evident now? The problem with influence is you sort of date yourself by baking yourself into the future, so you become obvious, uninteresting.

Maybe I'll resume this later. I probably have some more to list.

Louis CK: Back to The Garden livestream

His specials are still as good as anyone's, though they've lost luster for me. I wonder if he'll ever reinvent himself again? Or just age like Carlin, never losing his edge yet never shocking the game like he once did. What would it take to reinvent? Some sort of trauma I suppose.

I wonder if his scandal was good for him. He has seemed more grateful since. He's not quite as cocky. Hopefully he understood that that was the point...

It's still extremely impressive how every single special over the many years has been good, nearly every single joke. But I know what he has to offer at this point. The jokes are novel enough to be good (insofar as novelty and quality are related) but not novel enough to be ecstatic. It's just more Louis, inevitable Louis, old friend.

With each special I feel optimistic it'll be good, and hopeful if not optimistic it'll feel new. I was especially hopeful this time as he said in his emails these may be his best jokes ever. I guess I fell for that. I wonder if he believed it. Maybe they are some of his best jokes ever, but it doesn't feel quite like it used to. I think that reflects more than just my aging. I think it says something about his evolving role in comedy.

My perception of his timeline since Shameless (2007) lifted him from irrelevance:

1. a couple-two-three crucial specials. He's inspired, likable, groundbreaking, unrefined.
2. a couple specials culminating in Comedy Store (2015) where the jokes are still good but he's getting more cynical, possibly depressed, less likable. He's refining his craft, but his persona is diving a bit. I recall Comedy Store as a low point. Personality matters.
3. 2017 (2017) was good. He's still refining (his wardrobe) and his mood lightens. A couple experimental bits like in Comedy Store, but altogether lighter.
4. scandal
5. a few specials that feel mutually alike -- more gratitude and grace from him, likability as of old, but now he's a legend. He appears effortlessly great, time after time, though it simply can't shatter the scene like it used to, unless he shatters himself constructively.

Bo Burnham: Inside

I found this really impressive and immersive. A few times I laughed; many times I wondered at the originality. I wasn't prepared to enjoy Bo Burnham; I only remembered hearing him in high school; but I did enjoy it, with a mighty dose of respect. His acknowledgment of his petty humor allows him to elevate it. Maybe the brutal intimacy of the special will distress some audience. For me it elevates an otherwise throwaway humor.

It feels akin to Neal Brennan's Netflix specials (3 Mics, Blocks). If such alienated works can feel solidarity, it must be with one another.

Dave Chappelle: Sticks & Stones

December 2019?

I knew before it began that Sticks & Stones would be the last Dave Chappelle special I watch for a long time. I'd completed to my impossible satisfaction the full Dave Chappelle gamut and was achieving with him the kind of artistic/intellectual closure I constantly seek and rarely experience in my insatiable life. But I wasn't prepared for such an intimate and heroic experience as Sticks & Stones and its Epilogue. I dreamt a couple of weeks ago I was hanging out with my friend Dave Chappelle at his Manhattan flat. Today my friend rose in the sunlight amidst a crowd into a hero and an idol and at last a king. His specials are one thing; his Epilogue is deifying. Someday I will watch it all again from the beginning; someday I will feel bewildering distress when he releases something new; someday I won't believe he's dead who was once so alive. He's entered this echelon of icons for me. I don't think I worship him any more than I would a friend -- if I have a friend who's defining an art like this. He's like a very interesting and great friend. The difference is -- that I would speak of his glimmering ascension -- that he has thousands, literally and sometimes simultaneously, looking up at him in this way. I always think of a friend or lover differently who gains an audience like myself but not myself. I venerate that which has been venerated or taken from me. I relish the relished and neglect the neglected, and I plead the treasured trash back. Dave Chappelle is an unequivocal icon as merely the credits after his specials can reveal. A lot of his stuff over the years isn't that great! And it's a relatively small output to the general public. But we love this guy. In 2000 he was phenomenal like a kid genius; in 2019 he's accessible like the best friend you ever had. He must be the sanest great man in show business, flawed and joyous and ultimately beloved. Comedians emanate a fascinating magnetism. I am probably permanently tied now, in my artistic/intellectual soul, to Dave Chappelle's often mediocre comedy. Or maybe someday I'll leave this baggage behind and exit this world of triviality for a purer existence. Until then I love Dave Chappelle.