Aziz Ansari had a rough year about a sexual allegation, but he came out great. I am digging the new Aziz. His materials are more thoughtful particularly on race, culture, and this moment. He is more casual and he connects with his audience. He takes them to intimate places with him. A needed rebirth of an Indian-American comedian. I enjoyed this one more than his previous stand-up specials.

I have never been a fan of Mike Epps’s comic style. He’s too much clowning for me. Nevertheless, I gave Only One Mike shot and still didn’t like it. His materials are crude (too much on sex) and all over the place. The only subject matter that stood out was when he revealed that he was picked up and placed in special education.

The heavily pregnant Colleen Ballinger transformed into her Miranda Sings character. She combines dancing, singing, and social-media advising into her standup special: Miranda Sings Live…Your Welcome. The show is filled with screaming kids and their parents. I am not sure if they got the Comic Sans joke.

I have not heard of Katherine Ryan before, but her Glitter Room becomes my latest favorite. She is a feminist and she isn’t shy away from it. She trashed men a lot, but you simply can’t be mad at her. Her materials are thoughtful and funny. She takes on Celine Dion, R. Kelly, and Bill Cosby. The little history about Alexander Hamilton is quite good. I love this one.

From parenting to small dick, Jo made Hawaii cracked up in his latest Netflix special. He hit it right on the spot with the finger-measuring technique for cooking rice. He uses stereotype and self-depreciation to his advantage. His hip-hop swagger also helps. Glad to see a Filipin-American comedian made it.

I want to root for this Asian-American rom-com, but I am not feeling it. I love Ali Wong’s work as a comedian, but not so much as an actor. Randall Park is OK. As far as portraying the lives of Asian-Americans, they got the details right, but I can’t relate to Sasha and Marcus. My childhood was different because unlike them I did not speak English; therefore, my experience growing in America was much different. Not that a film has to be about me for me to like it, I just thought the chemistry was off and the story was predictable, which most rom-coms are like that.

In Blasian, Yo shares his personal experience of being raised by a Black PhD father and a Korean mother. His story, accompanied by family photos, is sweet and hilarious. Yo also shared his own marriage to a white woman, his love for old school hip-hop, and his experience going to all white school. His special is light-hearted and entertaining. Worth a watch on Amazon Prime.

Wanda Sykes’s comic style reminds me of Chris Rock’s. Not Normal, her latest Netflix Special, has a few jokes similar to Chris’s. For instance, her Vicks’s solution to cure everything was like Chris’s Robitussin. The word “glistening” was used in her case to keep her kid from being ashy and in Chris’s case was about Jermaine Jackson. The one joke that shared the most similarity is that everyone needs a Black friend. I am not saying Wanda stole Chris’s jokes. They just have similar style and subject matters. Nevertheless, Wanda’s special is pretty hilarious. The most memorable line is that, “Everyone is different, but everyone is equal.” I also agree with the title of the special. The Trump presidency is Not Normal.

I must confess. As someone who loves standup comedy, I have never heard of Anthony Jeselnik before this Netflix Special. I did not know what to expect, but within a few minutes, I knew I was in for a real treat. The giveaway for me was his sister’s pregnancy and their relationship. From domestic violence to slavery to racism, Jeselnik’s punchlines were ironically ruthless and satirical twisted. His take on murder-suicide was fucking dark yet hilarious. His trip to an abortion clinic pushed beyond the comfort level, and yet he managed to pull it off with laughters. His comedic taste reminds me of Quentin Tarantino’s filmic vision. They were horrendous and glorious at the same time. Only great artists can pull of the line between moral and despicable. Jeselnik had accomplished that in this special.

Kevin Hart is as energetic and charismatic as always. His materials continue to disappoint. I prefer deep and thoughtful comics. Hart goes for the quick punchlines instead. His over-sexualized, in-your-face-grossness snippets get staled quick. They are not my type of comedy.

Woke up half way and still wondered what the hell they are doing with all these damn Lego pieces.

Schumer stepped it up in her latest Netflix special. She not only shared her pregnancy but also showed it. From vagina to period, she nailed jokes on women’s body. She addressed men in the #MeToo moment. The heart-warming moment was when she revealed her husband’s autistic characteristics. This one is way better her previous special, which was raunchy and in your face. She is indeed Growing.