This past Tuesday, comedian Taylor Tomlinson’s second Netflix special dropped, and my suite-mates and I dropped everything to watch the show. For context: Tomlinson is an up-and-coming comedian that blew up in 2020 when her first special, “Quarter-Life Crisis,” was produced by Netflix. As someone who isn’t a fan of stand-up comedy, I was shocked by just how much I enjoyed Tomlinson’s first special. For anyone wondering what Tomlinson’s jokes are about, or whether the second special is worth watching – this is the ultimate breakdown of “Look At You.”
My initial thoughts after watching “Look At You” are that it is feminist humor at its PEAK. Tomlinson tackles themes of mental health, religious trauma, sexual liberation, self-confidence, therapy, and romantic relationships in a refreshing way. Trigger warning for anyone who recently experienced a relative passing away, because there are several jokes focused on grief and its aftermath.
Mental Health and Therapy
Tomlinson’s comedy style can best be described as self-deprecating, and, for those of us who relate to her life and personal struggles, it is painfully accurate. The first 1/3 of the special focuses on jokes regarding bipolar disorder, depression, and anxiety, specifically how it affects young women growing up in conservative homes. Tomlinson isn’t afraid to question her religious upbringing as well as relentlessly mock the very real problems with this country’s healthcare system. If that wasn’t a gold mine in itself, Tomlinson’s joke comparing therapists to police detectives going off the deep-end was absolute gold.
Religious Trauma
As previously mentioned, Tomlinson isn’t afraid to question other people’s authority, even if those people are religious leaders or her own parents. Like any other true feminist, Tomlinson stands up for what she believes in – or, in this case, doesn’t believe in when it comes to her relationship with God. What’s so clever about these jokes is that instead of having the audience pity her, Tomlinson’s jokes don’t feel like trauma-dumping. Tomlinson doesn’t make light of her trauma, but instead makes it clear that she’s finding a way to move forward in life – and that’s just so inspiring.
Sexual Liberation and Romantic Relationships
Tomlinson has made it clear in both her comedy specials that her conservative religious upbringing dramatically influenced her adult views on sex and gender. What I enjoyed about “Look At You” is that Tomlinson explores these issues even more deeply and unabashedly makes fun of the way men v. women experience sex. For example, Tomlinson makes one joke near the end of the special about how men are taught more about masturbation, or it’s at least seen as more socially acceptable/expected for them to do so. On the flip side, Tomlinson remarks on society making masturbation out to be such a taboo subject to the point that even she took a while to figure it out. Totally understandable, girl!
Self-Confidence
Is there anything more relatable than a woman joking about her own issues that we also relate to? Tomlinson holds nothing back when she talks about being happy that taking medications has altered her old personality, the wish that men knew how to give good massages, the relief of figuring out that she argues with her partners like an angry “raccoon” creature, and recognizing that she can be petty when her friends are happily married. After watching “Look At You,” I can honestly say it gave me the same amount of serotonin that going to therapy does. The special is currently available to stream on Netflix, but if you’re craving more Taylor Tomlinson content, I highly recommend checking out her Instagram and TikTok accounts.
