4 New Comedy Specials You Should Definitely Watch (When You Have a Moment)

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In today’s digital era, there’s a surge of stand-up specials due to more platforms purchasing stand-up content, cost-effective production technologies, and easier promotion through social media. This period can be likened to a gold rush for stand-up specials. However, amidst the multitude of these specials, both amateur and professional, it can be challenging to discern quality from quantity. That’s where this column comes in. Each month, we will recommend anywhere between three to five stand-up specials that are worth your time. These specials may not all be the “best”, but they are worthy of your attention for their humor, ambition, emotional impact, or unique badness that demands acknowledgement. In essence, this column aims to sift through the gold rush and bring you only the choicest nuggets.

Sam Jay, Live in London (YouTube)

It’s challenging to categorize this, given that Sam Jay labels it a documentary. However, I wouldn’t classify it as a docuspecial since the 37-minute Live in London primarily consists of stand-up (around 85%), rather than the usual amount of documentary footage found in such productions. Nevertheless, it’s included here because it seems more unified than most stand-up specials. The performance captures Jay’s writing process, as some offstage conversations become onstage material, and it also documents Jay’s real-time reactions to the U.S. events leading up to the 2024 election (a period where she predicted Trump would win).

Regardless, it’s intriguing and captivating to observe Jay ponder a subject for extended periods, hunting for a punchline. At one point, she grapples with the notion of people backing Trump. She admits it doesn’t faze her because she has never believed in America: “I’m Black. I never have.” The crowd remains quiet and tense until Jay reveals the surprise: “The underlying reason is I don’t want to return to being taken advantage of.” While polished humor is appreciated, there’s an undeniable sense of immediacy to jokes shared when the topic is current.

Liza Treyger, Night Owl (Netflix)

Liza Treyger’s stand-up comedy has a captivating undercurrent of tension: “How is it possible for someone to be this disorganized and self-aware at the same time?” A snippet from her special “Night Owl” begins, “I will do anything to avoid feeling my feelings.” For instance, she shares an anecdote about attempting to repair a printer but giving up, only to get a butterfly tattoo instead. She gestures to the tattoo on her arm and remarks, “This is quite large for someone who’s relatively uninterested in butterflies.” Her ability to be clueless in the present yet insightful about her past actions leaves you puzzled yet charmed.

In this special, the most striking instance showcases a segment discussing Treyger’s compulsive phone scrolling habit. She vividly portrays the sensation of realizing social media is depleting your focus, yet finding it hard to break free from this cycle. At one point, she emphasizes the gravity of the situation by using an analogy: “If someone told you that your only source of happiness would be watching a stranger’s horse get its hoof cleaned…” Much like her joke, many of Treyger’s punchlines tend to trail off. The special’s delivery method and structure are informal, which aligns well with her onstage persona. This approach might displease viewers who prefer their jokes to have a clear ending and obvious cues for laughter, but generally, Treyger’s conversational style is invigorating, and the laughter she elicits follows an unusual cadence.

Roy Wood Jr., Lonely Flowers (Hulu, Disney+)

It’s delightful to observe Roy Wood Jr., who has produced three exceptional specials for Comedy Central across four years, now unfettered by the requirements of network employment. In his new work, Lonely Flowers, one can witness one of today’s top stand-ups expressing himself unrestrainedly. Particularly in the realm of political comedy, which is typically reactive regardless of party affiliations, Wood demonstrates a sense of purpose and deliberate intention. Unlike creating a special that appears scattershot with various hot-button issues, he concentrates on the theme of connection, examining what we lose when we persist in reducing human interaction, even in seemingly ordinary places such as a grocery store checkout.

In Wood’s stand-up act, there’s a harmonious blend between the content and purpose, as he aims to infuse humanity into common experiences, making viewers contemplate the human element they might overlook in their daily lives. At first, I thought the frequent references (callbacks) seemed excessive, but upon reflection, I understood that these weren’t mere showboating, but a deliberate technique to underscore the theme of connection in his performance, Lonely Flowers. There isn’t another contemporary stand-up who matches Wood’s depth of thoughtfulness and empathy when it comes to political humor. His ability to balance emotional authenticity with sociopolitical truth-telling places him on par with comedy legends like Richard Pryor.

Doug Stanhope, Discount Meat (YouTube)

In contrast to contemporary stand-up comedians who often tackle similar controversial subjects, Doug Stanhope distinguishes himself by truly being transgressive. His special, “Discount Meat“, released on December 31, showcases this through content that is exceptionally bold and inappropriate for some audiences, such as a 13-minute segment drawing parallels between 9/11 and COVID or an extensive examination of the possibility that pedophiles intend to have children with the intention of abusing them later. However, what sets Stanhope apart is not just his exploration of edgy topics but his challenge to established beliefs. In this special, he targets the orthodoxies he’s observed among self-proclaimed political independents, offering a sharp criticism. Notably, he criticizes a form of libertarianism that he was once associated with, which has been widely adopted by many in comedy: “I’ve noticed a lot of anti-government people have become very pro-government in their efforts to get the government to get government out of our lives.

The disadvantage of the special’s persistent and intense approach is that it can sometimes leave you feeling drained. Moreover, its unique portrayal may make it difficult to watch: Instead of capturing Stanhope performing live on stage, the camera concentrates on a room adorned with Stanhope memorabilia and several old TV sets airing his performances. It’s as if you’re in Stanhope’s bunker, catching his specials via an unauthorized broadcast. This odd presentation might not suit everyone looking for some light-hearted stand-up comedy after a tiring workday, but those eager for something more engaging will find the unsettling style of Discount Meat adds an extra dimension of mystery to the viewing experience.

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2025-01-31 21:55