John Mulaney’s Comedy by Design
As streaming platforms flood the landscape with stand-up specials, John Mulaney’s specials demonstrate that comedy at its best only appears to be spontaneous.
stand-up comedy
Writer/Comedian Amy Silverberg Wants Freedom on the Stage and the Page
Amy Silverberg’s comedy is at once wry, playful, and at times beautifully filthy, like the trash-riddled Santa Monica Pier during a pink-tangerine sunset.
Ali Wong Is Reliably Riotous but Safe in ‘Ali Wong: Don Wong’
That delicious pompousness, often reserved for men in stand-up comedy, has been sharpened over the course of Ali Wong’s career.
Cross Examination: David Cross on His New Special, Trump, and (Of Course) Colonics
David Cross, the alum of comedy classics like Arrested Development and Mr. Show, talks Trump, time travel, and his penchant for coming up with terrible names for his standup specials.
Hannah Gadsby’s ‘Nanette’ Makes Us Realize the Present Tense
Hannah Gadsby’s Nanette is a cultural milestone not only because it demands a better future, but also teaches the present moment and where we might go next.
Tribeca 2018: ‘All About Nina’
Played with a provocative mix of caginess, fierce intelligence, anger and unpredictable vulnerability, Mary Elizabeth Winstead's interpretation of standup comedian Nina embodies much of #MeToo's desire to present female artists as wholly realized human beings.
Is Dave Chappelle’s Humor Too Out of Touch for a Comeback?
In light of movements like Black Lives Matter and Me Too, Dave Chappelle’s Killin’ Them Softly may be even more relevant today. But how’s his humor holding up?
Make It Quick: The Art of the One-liner
Some may dismiss the one-liner as an easy gag, but a good one requires real skill. Luckily, there are comedians out there who have mastered the art.
‘Mulaney’ Could Never Be the New Seinfeld
In John Mulaney’s Mulaney the female character is too stereotypical to reach the heights and depths of Seinfeld‘s Elaine.