Netflix's Latest Comedy Showcase
After watching that oh, so stimulating Democratic Debate this past Wednesday, it reminded me that I haven't talked about comedy for a while on here, so allow me to rectify that. In the past two months of this new year, Netflix, along with the other streaming services, have been kicking up their comedy output, much to the delight of Comedy Fans like me. Four recent specials in particular stand out as particularly noteworthy, and I think more people should know about them.
Leslie Jones: Time Machine
"I turned 52 this weekend. Y 'all know I don't care. I got my knee brace on the outside."
I can't be the only one who thinks this, but there's just something about an angry person that's hilarious (so long as it isn't directed at you). To be even more specific, there's something particularly funny about an angry woman (again, so long as you aren't the target). In Time Machine, Leslie Jones is that woman. And guess what? She don't give a fuck, and that's hella funny. Jones takes time in this special to reflect on how far she's come in the last few years, and, like anyone in their 50s, all she wants to do is be herself and help out the next generation. Although, she does scream her advice in your face as she does it. Jones' comedy is a mix of raw honesty and storytelling, from the African-American viewpoint. Think of her as a combination of Richard Pryor and Sam Kinison, but with two X-Chromosomes. If you want a comic who is no-holds-barred and will let it all hang out, then check out Time Machine.
Fortune Feimster: Sweet & Salty
"Some people, if they were a fat kid, they will look back on it and be very bitter about
it. Not me. I loved being the fat kid. You know why? No one ever tried to snatch me."
I'd never heard of Fortune Feimster before I saw this special, but I can honestly say now, I'm a big fan. Sweet & Salty, in fact, is a perfect special to introduce yourself to her comedy. Not only does she mainly stick to storytelling in a slow, drawl-rich delivery that only a comic from the south, like Bill Engvall, could get away with, but the stories she tells are all about her early life. She let's you in on everything from what it was like to be the "fat kid" who looks like one of the cast members of The Sandlot, to what it was like to come out as a Lesbian to her mother. If that sounds like fun, then please do check out Sweet & Salty.
Tom Papa: You're Doing Great
"You know why you're fat? Because you're winners. Yeah, first generation born at the right time, doesn't have to fight for survival. Food always within arm's reach, perfect temperature everywhere you go. Everyday you wake up in America, it's a perfect 72 and snacky."
I first became aware of Tom Papa (whose name I thought was just part of his act, but no. It's real.), from his early specials Live in New York and Freak Out. If I had to describe him and his comedy, I'd say he's family-friendly, but with an edge, a bit like Jim Gaffigan or Jerry Seinfeld. His comedy is a mix of observations of the world around him, remarked in a tone that's at once both cheerful and snarky, and stories about what he calls his "terrible financial investment," a.k.a. his family, and he stick with a relatively "clean" mode of delivery. Every once in a while, a little "adult" language will slip through, like when he's talking about life as a single person owning a shitty car, but for the most part, those who can't hear a cuss word without soiling themselves will be plenty pleased. As for the rest of us comedy fans, we get to enjoy the funny. If you like Tom Papa, if you like his kind of comedy, check out You're Doing Great.
Ronny Chieng: Asian Comedian Destroys America
"What's going on in America? Measles is coming back, right? Bringing back Measles. Why not? Why not at this point? How much worse can it get? Let's bring back measles. Every year, America becomes more and more Hipster."
Like I say earlier, there's just something funny about angry people.
Much like Fortune Feimster, I didn't have a clue who Ronny Chieng was before seeing this special. Yes, I now know he was in Crazy Rich Asians, but I've never seen Crazy Rich Asians because, regardless of what their ethnicity is, I don't care about rich people. However, soon after I started watching the special, I immediately recognized the kind of person he was: an exasperated older millennial, who is just sick of everyone else's stupidity. Chieng riffs on a lot of topics, from the differences between American culture and Malaysian culture, what it's like to plan and attend three weddings, and to the annoyances of having to be polite to nincompoops, and watching the metaphorical vein in his temple throb as he attempts to make us all laugh without giving himself a coronary. Spoiler Alert: he makes it through without any kind of heart-episode.
If irascible, yet humorous is your cup of tea, what Asian Comedian Destroys America.
Leslie Jones: Time Machine
 |
| Source: Netflix |
I can't be the only one who thinks this, but there's just something about an angry person that's hilarious (so long as it isn't directed at you). To be even more specific, there's something particularly funny about an angry woman (again, so long as you aren't the target). In Time Machine, Leslie Jones is that woman. And guess what? She don't give a fuck, and that's hella funny. Jones takes time in this special to reflect on how far she's come in the last few years, and, like anyone in their 50s, all she wants to do is be herself and help out the next generation. Although, she does scream her advice in your face as she does it. Jones' comedy is a mix of raw honesty and storytelling, from the African-American viewpoint. Think of her as a combination of Richard Pryor and Sam Kinison, but with two X-Chromosomes. If you want a comic who is no-holds-barred and will let it all hang out, then check out Time Machine.
Fortune Feimster: Sweet & Salty
"Some people, if they were a fat kid, they will look back on it and be very bitter about
it. Not me. I loved being the fat kid. You know why? No one ever tried to snatch me."
 |
| Source: Netflix |
I'd never heard of Fortune Feimster before I saw this special, but I can honestly say now, I'm a big fan. Sweet & Salty, in fact, is a perfect special to introduce yourself to her comedy. Not only does she mainly stick to storytelling in a slow, drawl-rich delivery that only a comic from the south, like Bill Engvall, could get away with, but the stories she tells are all about her early life. She let's you in on everything from what it was like to be the "fat kid" who looks like one of the cast members of The Sandlot, to what it was like to come out as a Lesbian to her mother. If that sounds like fun, then please do check out Sweet & Salty.
Tom Papa: You're Doing Great
"You know why you're fat? Because you're winners. Yeah, first generation born at the right time, doesn't have to fight for survival. Food always within arm's reach, perfect temperature everywhere you go. Everyday you wake up in America, it's a perfect 72 and snacky."
 |
| Source: Netflix |
I first became aware of Tom Papa (whose name I thought was just part of his act, but no. It's real.), from his early specials Live in New York and Freak Out. If I had to describe him and his comedy, I'd say he's family-friendly, but with an edge, a bit like Jim Gaffigan or Jerry Seinfeld. His comedy is a mix of observations of the world around him, remarked in a tone that's at once both cheerful and snarky, and stories about what he calls his "terrible financial investment," a.k.a. his family, and he stick with a relatively "clean" mode of delivery. Every once in a while, a little "adult" language will slip through, like when he's talking about life as a single person owning a shitty car, but for the most part, those who can't hear a cuss word without soiling themselves will be plenty pleased. As for the rest of us comedy fans, we get to enjoy the funny. If you like Tom Papa, if you like his kind of comedy, check out You're Doing Great.
Ronny Chieng: Asian Comedian Destroys America
"What's going on in America? Measles is coming back, right? Bringing back Measles. Why not? Why not at this point? How much worse can it get? Let's bring back measles. Every year, America becomes more and more Hipster."
 |
| Source: Netflix |
Much like Fortune Feimster, I didn't have a clue who Ronny Chieng was before seeing this special. Yes, I now know he was in Crazy Rich Asians, but I've never seen Crazy Rich Asians because, regardless of what their ethnicity is, I don't care about rich people. However, soon after I started watching the special, I immediately recognized the kind of person he was: an exasperated older millennial, who is just sick of everyone else's stupidity. Chieng riffs on a lot of topics, from the differences between American culture and Malaysian culture, what it's like to plan and attend three weddings, and to the annoyances of having to be polite to nincompoops, and watching the metaphorical vein in his temple throb as he attempts to make us all laugh without giving himself a coronary. Spoiler Alert: he makes it through without any kind of heart-episode.
If irascible, yet humorous is your cup of tea, what Asian Comedian Destroys America.
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