Tired of binging the same three shows on Netflix, but don’t want to commit to yet another series? Want to watch a one-off, but not have to follow a bunch of characters whose names you can’t remember? Introducing the stand-up comedy special, the answer to all of humanity’s entertainment problems!
Stand-up is great for when you just want to laugh, or maybe think about the truths of our world through a funnier lens. Here are five of my favourite stand-up specials on Netflix.
- Baby Cobra
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This GIF of Ali Wong is super relatable to me. Wong performs Baby Cobra at seven and a half months pregnant and talks about how she snagged herself a Harvard business school graduate for a husband so she won’t have to work anymore. She loves pushing exaggeration to the extreme. She isn’t afraid to get a little offensive, talking about how you and your spouse can be racist together and how the feminist movement to enter the workforce ruined the amazing stay-at-home set-up women had for centuries. Other topics include pregnancy, sex, and her mother’s hoarding, all told in Wong’s signature in-your-face style.
- Son of Patricia
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Son of Patricia is one of the most well thought out specials I have ever seen. Trevor Noah of The Daily Show fame is certainly more than just a satirical news anchor. He doesn’t shy away from heavier topics, such as how apartheid affected his mixed-race family, but he talks about them in an approachable, honest way. He’s also absolutely hilarious, telling amazing stories about snake charmers in Bali, his interview with Obama, and the first time he tried tacos. He’s also incredibly good at imitations. If you want to see a witty, often deadpan comic with a way with words, try Trevor Noah in Son of Patricia.
- Elder Millennial
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Iliza Shlesinger’s Elder Millennial is her fourth and best stand-up special on Netflix. She’s 35, newly engaged, and ready to explain to you the hard truths of women and men. She talks about the harsh life of a single woman, like the way women hunt single men at the club like wolves and how women turn into their true dragon selves when the guy they just slept with finally leaves in the morning. Shlesinger’s physical comedy and voice manipulations are some of the best parts of the special: she’ll often throw in a goat bleat or turn on her caveman voice for a punchline. Shlesinger tells it like it is and is an unapologetically hilarious woman.
- Homecoming King
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Hasan Minhaj’s Homecoming King is unlike any other stand-up special that I’ve seen. This special has an overarching story and themes that carry all the way through, such as how difficult it is for an immigrant Muslim family to be seen as truly American and how Minhaj still feels the sting of a racist rejection when he was a teenager. Homecoming King is super funny, too, talking about how Minhaj hated his little sister when they first met and how hard it is to date when you have controlling parents. The way the screen behind Minhaj changes to show different text, colours, and images also adds a unique visual element to this special. Homecoming King is a masterfully told blend of earnest stories, witty observations, and bold calls to action.
- The Comeback Kid
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Finally, we have The Comeback Kid. I’ve saved a John Mulaney special for last because I figure that most people have heard of or seen his work by now, but I would be remiss if I didn’t mention him. Mulaney quotes are a staple of conversation between me and my roommate. We’ve seen each of his three Netflix specials multiple times, and each time, they’re absolutely hilarious. Mulaney is a skilled storyteller who makes many shrewd observations about life. In The Comeback Kid, his second Netflix special, he talks about subjects such as marriage, buying a house, things strangers say to him, working for an eccentric millionaire, and the time he met Bill Clinton as a child. If you only have time to watch one Mulaney special, watch this one, then realize it’s great and proceed to watch the other two.