In a brilliantly-written, calmly-delivered, and hilarious-yet-serious standup special, Mike Birbiglia caresses the jokes, makes loves to the jokes, and married to the jokes. He proves why jokes matter and why we should embrace them. I can live with that.
Host of The Daily Show Trevor Noah returned to standup to remind us the power of the pussy. Yes, we all came from the pussy and it is still working as intended. Sure, it is funny but predictable. Noah’s most imaginative moment is his impersonation of Nelson Mandela and Barack Obama in a conversation, in which he tied back to Obama’s tag line: “Yes We Can.” It’s an enjoyable watch.
The new Netflix original, which has been buzzing in the design community, lives up to its hype. I just finished watching episode one with illustrator Christoph Niemann who is know for his New Yorker covers and episode six with graphic designer Paula Scher who is known for her expressive typographic designs. Both profiles, which revealed the designers’ thinking and process, are inspiring. Can’t wait to watch the remaining episodes from season one. If you are a designer, Abstract: The Art of Design is a must-watch.
From McDonald’s to white power to gorilla, Bill Burr delivered another solid Netflix special. One of his memorable punchlines was calling Hitler “The Michael Jordan of evil.” It’s an entertaining watch.
Ms. Alonzo is charming and conversational. Her materials on Lower Classy range growing up poor to being a Mexican-American to working out (or lacking of). She lands lots of punchlines including one my favorites: “Encyclopedia is the internet in book.” A compelling and entertaining watch.
In his latest NetFlix special, Brennan showcases with writing skills. His materials, divided into three categories (one-liner, emotional, and traditional), are clever, provocative, and honest. Brennan bares his soul when he talks about his personal stories including his battle with depression. A dark and beautiful performance.
In her second Netflix special, Kirkman delivers both style and substance. From period to Jesus, meditation to abortion, and fingering to catcalling, she is brutally honest and sarcastically hilarious. An enjoyable watch.
Haters Back Off!, one of Netflix’s latest original series, is bizarre, off-putting, and cruel. The first eight episodes introduce Miranda Sings (Colleen Ballinger), who is an aspiring singer with extreme confident but no talent, and her dysfunctional family. As uncomfortable and cringe-worthy to watch Miranda’s full-of-herself-yet-clueless personality, I enjoyed its first season. There’s something humanness underneath that self-destructiveness. I definitely looking forward to the next season.
In his latest special for Netflix, Russell Peters continues to bank on racial jokes. Even though the material is familiar, he is still killing it, especial his interaction with the audience. One particular line stood out is when he mocked Trump hypocrisy on immigration. How could he be against immigrants when when two out of his three wives were immigrants?
Live from the Ville, streaming on NetFlix, lives up to Cedric’s nickname: It’s entertaining. His deep voice helps when he incorporates singing into his routine. He has lots of funny lines, but doesn’t delve deep into a particular topic. For instance, I was hoping for more than a white dude who eats lots of Cheetos when he makes fun of Trump. It’s enjoyable, but not quite fulfilling.