Netflix must have discovered standup specials are the secret formula to making bank on television because every week it seems we’re introduced to a new smiling, microphone-wielding comic. With this trend, Netflix has created a platform for viewers to discover standup and a new favorite comedian, and provided a platform for burgeoning comedians to gain a new level of celebrity and success in their field. Viewers are introduced to many fresh faces, and are reminded of the talent of some better-known comics.
Dave Chapelle, Chris Rock, Trevor Noah, and Sarah Silverman all made triumphant returns to the stage, and the world was introduced to the likes of Hasan Minhaj, Bo Burnham, Hannah Gadsby, Ali Wong, and of course, John Mulaney.
But for all talent we’ve been shown, the rapid production of new comedy specials is bound to produce some… lemons. Several comedians proved not up to the challenge of a Netflix special. So if you’re diving into the wide world of standup specials for the first time, here are the ones you should skip.
Kevin James, Don’t Never Give Up
In his standup special, James begins his set after a long, bizarre, intro sequence, complete with roaring applause and the sort of hype music you’d expect to accompany WWE Friday Night Smackdown, not the next hour of mediocre comedy that follows. The sold out and ecstatic audience makes you wonder: what has Kevin James been up to since his Paul Blart: Mall Cop days that he has garnered such a following?
The answer is not much, apparently. His material hinges on his out-of-touch observational humor, leading to jokes that are lukewarm at best.
The “this generation is so strange and complicated” bit is already becoming stale when used by other comics, and James also fails to make it at all relevant.
Gabriel Iglesias, One Show Fits All
Props to Gabriel Iglesias for for having built his “fluffy” persona into a verifiable brand, but this special only proves how quickly a routine can get old. Much like the Kevin James special, you have to skip through a good amount of his onstage entrance. The audience freaks out, he dances his way onstage, and thanks the audience and city for a long while before cracking an actual joke. His rambling anecdotes and reused jokes are the signs of someone who has gotten a little too comfortable with his audience and the jokes they are looking for. He also gets pretty sentimental about his life and career, which most wouldn’t find touching unless they’re a hardcore fan.
Bert Kreischer, The Machine
If youu haven’t heard of Bert Kreischer, consider yourself lucky. His big standup shtick is to take off his shirt as soon as he gets onstage. Is it a stress-reliever? A power move? Either way, it doesn’t add anything to his routine and makes the show uncomfortable pretty quickly. Things don’t improve from there. Kreishcher relies heavily on several “tired frat-boy” routines like “my life was so great before I had kids,” and “women are so complicated, right?”
Get ready for several uncomfortable moments, such as poking fun at his daughter’s dyslexia, and unashamedly describing himself as “not homophobic, just a homo-chondriac.” Add beers, plenty of air-humping, and animal noises, and you get a Bert Kreischer special. It leaves you wondering what the intended demographic for this special was, and who at Netflix made the call for this to happen.
In spite of some of the lesser specials, most Netflix standups feature hilarious, talented individuals that deserve everything they’ve got; if you take a chance on a special, odds are you will land on a good one. And if you don’t, poking fun of the bad specials is entertainment in itself.
This article was written by staff writer Bella Pechaty. You can contact her at ip2364@barnard.edu.