Comedy makes the world go 'round. There are few other artistic genres that allow the artist to express thoughts and ideas that are possibly rude, abrasive, racist, sexist, or just pessimistic in nature, but they still get the designated audience to laugh. Comedy can turn the worst scenarios into the most hilarious circumstances. Take for example, Richard Pryor joking about lighting himself on fire, or Chris Rock opining about dead black children. Both topics come from a dark place, but in the comedic realm, we open ourselves up to laugh at the misfortunes of the world, together. Maybe that's why watching comedy specials have become one of the most popular forms of "Netflix and Chill." Finding shared humor next to someone can be just as intimate as the actions that happen next.
Netflix has commissioned several comedians to perform specials just for them, such as Chappelle, Rock, and Amy Schumer. The checks that were written for those comedians have been at the center of comedian Mo'Nique's recent call for a boycotting of Netflix. Although sister Mo'Nique may have a point in her fight for equality, it's hard to boycott a company that brought Dave Chappelle back into our lives, for four separate specials. Humor is supposed to bring people together, not tear them apart.
Netflix has a dungeon filled with comedy specials somewhere. That's the only explanation for how many stand-up comedians have shows on the streaming service. Digging through dozens upon dozens of Netflix shows can kill the mood even before the show starts. Frustrating, we know. That's why we have compiled a list of the ten best stand-up specials on Netflix right now. From Dave Chappelle to Mike Birbiglia, these are the comedy specials worth watching this month.
Hannibal Buress, 'Comedy Camisado'
Location: Minneapolis, MN
At the beginning of the show, some guy does a backward cartwheel out from behind the stage to grab the microphone stand that Buress is no longer using. It's random, and it sets the tone for the comedy special. Just go with it. Hannibal Buress takes his glasses off and gets personal about his recent Lasik eye surgery. "I don't want to go back to jacking off to my imagination, I'm not ready for that," he jokes at the idea of being accidentally rendered sightless by the surgery. His jokes can be dark and crude, but Buress delivers them with his signature dry disposition. In one bit, the comedian jokes about playing Rusian Roulette with his friends, but shooting at Xboxes instead of aiming at themselves. Buress wryly imitates a Microsoft customer service worker who he calls asking about warranty requirements regarding bullet holes. “Man, we don’t cover that, but y’all are crazy as hell for that shit, man. That was so wild! I really respect the gamesmanship. Thank you so much for bringing that new energy into my job and my life, ’cause I really hate my family right now, man."
Richard Pryor, 'Live in Concert'
Location: Long Beach, CA
RIP. Before the Kings of Comedy, there was just one King, Richard Pryor. This one is a classic. Pryor's delivery, pace, personal introspection, and expletive riddled special shook the comedy world in the 70's. The legendary comedian jokes about shooting his car to stop his wife from leaving him, an incident that got him arrested. His bit about receiving whoopings from his mother is some of the best comedy of his career. "That was some hell of a psychology right? To make someone go get a switch to beat their own ass with," he jokes about being forced to pick the weapon he would be punished with. " You knew you couldn't come back with no little one, either. Cause you come back with a little one, she goin' out there and get the tree and beat your ass with."
Trevor Noah, 'Afraid of the Dark'
Location: New York, NY
As a child raised in the remnants of apartheid in South Africa, Trevor Noah has experienced the results of colonialism and racism in two countries. He draws parallels between America and his home country in an honest yet hilarious way, while also touching on politics and world travel. "If you do go to Scotland, and you are ever offered a drink, don't," jokes Noah. ""Unlike us, we drink to enjoy. The Scottish drink to die," he concludes. If you enjoy The Daily Show, this is the perfect special for you.
Michael Che, 'Michael Che Matters'
Location: Brooklyn, NY
"I told a joke about the "n" word at another show, and the crowd got real quite like it just did," jokes the SNL standout comedian Michael Che. As the title suggests, Che digs into the most controversial topic in the country, racial tension. "I don't know if you know this or not, but if a white guy says the "n" word, and I hear it, means I gotta fight him... It's in the black dude contract for some reason," states the comedian. His controversial views are backed by a sound logic that can't help but make you laugh. "I do want to go to heaven," Che admits later in the comedy special. "I wanna 'JUST' make it. I wanna go to heaven like I wanna catch my flight, like just... no time to spare. I want people to be like, 'how the fuck did you get in?' Like, 'just made it!'"
Dave Chappelle, 'The Age of Spin'
Location: Hollywood, CA
Dave Chappelle made a triumphant return to comedy last year, dropping not one or two specials, but four. All of his work is hilarious, but The Age of Spin stands out as Chappelle's most mature and genius creation to date. No longer does Dave use that high-pitched bark to end his punchlines, instead he's reserved, introspective, contemplative, and on point. His comedy pushes the mark on the offensive, reminding us why we love Chappelle, because nothing is a taboo subject in his realm. In a moment where he remembers his generation as loving, Chappelle recalls a show he watched, The Care Bears. “Come on, guys. It’s time for the Care Bear Stare!” Remember that shit? And them little teddy bears would lock arms… and stare at the problem, and I’m not even bullshitting, actual love would shoot out of their chest," explains Dave. He continues on to say, "When we grew up, we wanted to be like those bears. And then we got our hearts broken, because we found out that life wasn’t gonna let us do that and that it’s impossible to shoot love out of your chest." His mature and sobering moment is punctuated with the classic Chappelle we've come to love. "However, I have shot love onto somebody’s chest before. I do it all the time. It’s the next best thing."
Dave Chappelle, 'The Bird Revelation'
Location: Los Angeles, CA
In the last of the four Netflix Dave Chappelle specials, the veteran comedian has an intimate performance where he finally explains his reasoning behind leaving Chappelle's Show. Dave tells the story of a pimp and his best worker. The story comes from a book by Iceberg Slim, called Pimp. The pimp's bottom girl earns him the most money, but she is nearing the end of her wits. "Mileage on a ho is a very wild concept. It means that pimps understand there’s a finite amount of bad shit a person can do before they lose their fucking mind," explains Dave. "A good pimp can look at a woman that he’s never seen before and call it. 'She’s good for 500 fucks'. That’s her mileage," he continues. In order to trick the woman into working longer, Iceberg Slim stages a murder and pins it on his bottom girl. Scared and with no one to turn to, she runs to Iceberg for help. Iceberg has the murder cleaned up in front of her, a devious orchestrated plan to make a false murder look real. He then instructs his bottom girl that she must work even longer to pay off the debt. Relieved that she no longer has to deal with the "murder," she continues to work longer. "That’s a cold game. That’s the motherfucking capitalist manifesto, and that’s why I went to South Africa. "
Christina P, 'Mother Inferior'
Location: Seattle, WA
"I got tits like Rick Ross," brags Christina P about her post-pregnancy bosoms. Christina's hour-long special highlights the ups and down of parenthood, and more specifically, motherhood. She also focuses on the popular Caitlyn Jenner topic. " And I’m not ragging on Caitlyn because she’s transgendered or a member of the LGBT-QRSTUV, sometimes-Y community. How many letters are we gonna add to that? It’s like solving the final puzzle on Wheel of Fortune. “Call me Caitlyn. Call me Caitlyn, damn it," jokes Christina. "We’ve been calling you Bruce for 70 years. Give us a minute! We’ll catch up to you," she concludes. Perhaps motherhood has matured Christina, because Mother Inferior is her best work to date. Topics like love, and relating to her own mother, make the special equal amounts personal and hilarious.
"My mom was legit cray-cray. Like tinfoil on the windows to block out alien frequencies. Wouldn’t use the telephone or send e-mails because they’re listening! Turns out they are, but that’s… another story. Ah! Mom’s always right."
Marlon Wayans, 'Woke-ish'
Location: Oxon Hill, MD
Everybody knows that Marlon Wayans is funny. He's been on television shows and in movies, but the talented Wayans brother had yet to deliver stand-up to the world until Woke-ish. The seasoned comedian opens up about getting older, not understanding rap lyrics, and the Kardashian curse. "Oh nigga, tell me she don’t look like The Juice," Marlon states while joking about Khloe. His set is sporadic, and Marlon rarely stands still, using the stage as if he was back on In Living Color. For a moment, Marlon impersonates a gay Martin Luther King Jr., who he deems Martin Luther Queen. "I had a dream guurrrlllll," drawls the comedian in a mocking tone. He brings the story home by revealing his daughter came out of the closet to him. This is definitely the most revealing and honest we've seen Marlon Wayans, and his stand-up is better than the recent movies he's been involved with.
Tom Segura, 'Disgraceful'
Location: Denver, CO
Tom Segura seems to have matured as a comedian. Maybe that's because he had a baby with fellow comedian Christina P. Honestly, their jokes are even funnier when you realize the two comedians are talking about the same kid. "No, I do believe being a mother is inherently harder, especially at the beginning. And that’s why I don’t like when I hear men complain about it," states Segura, obviously earning brownie points from his wife. Diving into fatherhood, Segura explains why he thinks having a baby is a selfish move. "You fall in love with a miniature version of you," he explains. "What’s more selfish than that? You’re like, 'This is awesome. It looks just fuckin’ like me. I’ve never loved anything more in my entire life. My favorite parts of you are the parts that look like me! '" Segura also chooses to joke about something that many men fear, a prostate exam from his doctor. "So, I’m naked. I’m in the fetal position. He lubes up. It is a ton of lube. I didn’t know that. I was like, 'That’s why I’ve never had success with this before.'"
Mike Birbiglia, 'My Girlfriend's Boyfriend'
Location: Seattle, WA
One of the hardest things to talk about is heartbreak. Mike Birbiglia does so with commitment, opening up about marriage and failed relationships. Although My Girlfriend's Boyfriend is one of Birbiglia's earlier pieces, his brutal revelations aged rather nicely. Talking about the disparities in sexual interactions between sexes, Birbiglia states, "My female friends are like, 'Well, we like sex just as much as you do.' And I said, 'Sure, but it’s different.' And they say, 'How?' And I say, 'Have you ever masturbated while driving a car?'" His brash delivery will make you laugh guilty about his love life. In one anecdote, Birbiglia jokes about how he discovered that he had the ability to make people laugh. "One time I said something on the phone that made her laugh, and I was like, 'Oh, this is great. I got to do that more,'" the comedian says about a past love interest. "One time we were on the phone, and she was laughing so hard, I remember so well ’cause she goes, 'Mike, you got to stop. I’m gonna pee myself.' And I was like, 'Wow.' This was the closest I’d ever come to a vagina. So, spent the next 15 years trying to get Lisa Bazetti to pee. And that’s how I ended up here.'"