Have you ever decided to browse Netflix, but been stuck in the dilemma of not wanting to start a new show or not spend hours watching a movie? Or have you ever wanted to find something to lift you up and get you through the day? The stand-up comedy specials available on Netflix are often overlooked, but, in my opinion, are hidden gems amongst the various TV shows and movies on the site. These five specials (in no particular order) are the perfect thing to put on when you’re in need of a good laugh:
1. Aziz Ansari: Live at Madison Square Garden
Aziz Ansari, who played Tom Haverford on the beloved “Parks and Recreation”, has a few specials up on Netflix, each outrageously hilarious in their own right, but his most recent – “Aziz Ansari: Live at Madison Square Garden” – might be my favorite. With him covering topics such as misogyny, the Internet, and dating in the modern world of media and technology, there’s hardly a point in the hour-long special in which I’m not either laughing my butt off or recovering from laughing so much.
2. Bo Burnham: What.
“What.” consists of Bo Burnham doing his comedic routine through a variety of performances and songs, making it the most theatrical stand-up on this list. His jokes are self-aware, mocking, and above all, memorably hilarious.
3. Chelsea Peretti: One of the Greats
Chelsea Peretti, known for her role as Gina Linetti on “Brooklyn Nine-Nine”, brings her most hilarious stories and jokes to the stage, talking about hashtags, gender roles, and various other relatable topics, proving that she truly is “one of the greats” – both on and off-screen.
4. John Mulaney: New in Town
From the introduction credits up until the last joke, John Mulaney – a former writer for Saturday Night Live – is a non-stop riot in his special “New In Town”. Mulaney jokes about himself and his background, with topics ranging from his physical resemblance to that of an Asian-American or a woman, to how weird it is that people shush animals (“They’ve never spoken”), to the relief of cancelling plans.
5. Trevor Noah: African American
Before Trevor Noah became the new host of “The Daily Show”, he filmed a few stand-up comedy specials, and in “Trevor Noah: African American”, he highlights his experiences moving from South Africa to America, jokes about his desire to be more “black” when he was younger, and mocks America’s misconceptions about Africa.
Obviously these aren’t the only good stand-ups to watch on Netflix, but this short list of specials as well as comedians is a good way to start your new addiction to stand-up comedies. Happy Netflix-ing!