Jerrod Carmichael Takes Off the Armor

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What stands out about Jerrod Carmichael‘s latest special, Don’t Be Gay, is its likeness to a typical comedy special that you might see often. In fact, his 2014 hour-long special, Love at the Store, which feels like it belongs to an earlier phase in both his career and public image, resembles a competent Funny or Die production as expected. However, since then, Carmichael’s work has been defined by its experimentation with the genre. He purposefully disrupts or twists the usual moves of an hour-long special to create something thoughtful and sometimes challenging. This pattern is also evident in his non-stand-up work, such as moving from The Carmichael Show, a traditional multi-camera Fox sitcom, to Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show, his HBO docuseries from last year, which explores concepts of transparency, self-reflection, storytelling, and the audience.

As a film enthusiast, hitting the play button on “Don’t Be Gay” feels like stepping into an unexpected direction. Instead of the usual complex, multi-layered performance I’ve grown accustomed to with Carmichael’s work, this special offers a straightforward hour of stand-up. It’s still visually captivating – his projects always seem to shine with a unique brilliance. However, the absence of his signature meta-awareness and formal experimentation is both a relief and a source of frustration.

Following number 8, there’s a comedy special titled “Don’t Be Gay” where Carmichael intentionally provokes his audience. This special, Carmichael’s carefully unraveled coming-out production, is remarkable in its traditional nature. On stage at New York’s West Side YMCA, behind a golden curtain, he delivers well-crafted, humorous remarks. These jokes are of the type that make fun of phrases like “his boyfriend has a large manhood” or joke about his religious mother, who is quite strict. The audience listens politely from a respectful distance, with occasional full-theater shots and close-ups of their heads. The camera moves more dynamically than in most specials, swiftly zooming and changing angles at key moments, yet it remains within the usual boundaries of an HBO hour.

For Carmichael, these projects, specifically “8” and “Rothaniel”, serve as a unique form of self-expression rather than a traditional “coming out”. They’re bold and innovative, pushing boundaries and creating awkward moments that challenge the tide of audience acceptance. These works showcase Carmichael as both a comedian and an artist, but he controls how these aspects are presented. In “8”, he is defiant and obstinate, while in “Rothaniel”, he’s either exposing his vulnerability or creating the illusion of it, or perhaps both, and he’s not ready to clarify which is which. Both productions harbor a resentment towards the audience; Carmichael yearns for their approval yet despises it simultaneously. Beneath this tough, stylish exterior lies a less exposed, less cautious version of him, carefully guarded.

Compared to other works, “Don’t Be Gay” seems remarkably straightforward and free from internal struggle. Despite its darker themes hinted at by the title, it offers a refreshingly enjoyable experience for the audience. It’s like a breath of fresh air, with moments of humor and playfulness that lighten the mood when things get heavy. It feels more like a cheerful, upbeat spectacle rather than a serious drama. The work also emphasizes Carmichael’s own enjoyment, frequently using vivid, enthusiastic language to describe sexual acts such as blowjobs, hand jobs, spitting, dominance play, and standing on someone’s face while wearing a dirty gym sock. Unlike his previous works which were often conflicted and filled with anguish, this one is more about celebration.

I want Black people to like me, but a white woman from HBO liked me and I’ve been a multimillionaire since, so it’s different.” He ends with a witty remark, echoing the earlier joke, but both jokes tackle racism and homophobia. However, each joke contains a clause where Carmichael has already found comfort: he’s financially successful, his boyfriend approves of him, and so on.

In a standalone context, “Don’t Be Gay” could be an engaging special from a captivating comedian. However, when evaluated alongside Jerrod Carmichael’s other works, it seems like a performance where the style and narrative have evolved but the topic lacks some of its initial intrigue. The problem isn’t that he still addresses queerness, having previously explored this theme in “Rothaniel” and “Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show“. It’s that Carmichael has a tendency to focus on himself excessively, and in “Don’t Be Gay“, this self-centric approach begins to feel repetitive. His comedy provides a close-up view of his self-perception, beautifully capturing the intricacies of his inner world, but loses depth or nuance whenever it shifts focus towards other characters in his story. In “Rothaniel“, he delves deeply into his family, particularly his parents, which adds a rich background to the segments about Carmichael’s personal life. Some of the most captivating episodes of “Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show” are those focusing on other people, such as fellow comedian Jamar Neighbors. In contrast, “Don’t Be Gay” is so deeply introspective that it overshadows everything else.

Although Carmichael’s stand-up comedy is entertaining and insightful about his own life, it often feels repetitive as each joke seems to focus on him. This could be less problematic if his HBO reality show didn’t delve so deeply into his introspective examinations of himself. In one particularly lengthy segment, he even watches his own show with Bo Burnham, who conceals his identity to question Carmichael about his constant need for self-exposure. Despite Carmichael’s captivating stage presence, the endless portraits of himself begin to blur together. It’s almost as if one might yearn for simpler topics like Pop-Tarts or Donald Trump. But rest assured, Carmichael has already covered the blowjobs topic extensively.

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2025-05-23 22:54