Dave Chappelle, ‘The Unstoppable’
(Stream it on Netflix)
Dave Chappelle has a theory about what went wrong with America. It started more than a century ago and involves a series of echoing historical narratives that describe everything from the rise of the early 20th-century boxer Jack Johnson to the death of the rapper Nipsey Hussle, ending with a joke about Charlie Barnett, whom he calls the greatest comedian he ever saw.
Barnett, who died of AIDS in 1996, was part of a now all but extinct genre of showbiz: the street standup. Chappelle said he only performed outside, which isn’t true but makes for a better story.
Barnett did develop a reputation working crowds at Washington Square Park in New York, and comedy nerds talk about him the way basketball fans trade stories about playground legends who could have beat Michael Jordan if they only had the chance. Some of the funniest jokes in this new Chappelle special involve his impression of Barnett.
What you hear from older comedians who saw Barnett is that his delivery was electric but his jokes were not. And what you sense from much recent output from Chappelle is that he can get bored with the craft of setups and punchlines. He is more excited by secret histories, paradoxes, transgressions, moral stands, cryptic bits of wisdom. When he calls Jack Johnson “an American riddle that we have to solve,” one wonders if there is some projection here.
The riddle of Chappelle begins with his outfit. He sports a military look with an American flag on the arm, which codes conservative. But on the back of this shirt is the name of Colin Kaepernick — the N.F.L. player who took a knee during the national anthem — which decidedly does not.
This is exactly where Chappelle likes to be: keeping you guessing. The first half of the special features his traditional standup, which is predictable and messy, full of hot takes on Bill Maher and Charlie Kirk. Will it surprise you to learn that Chappelle makes transgender jokes and says he was almost canceled? Or that he sees no tension between spending years championing free speech and signing a contract with the Saudi Arabian government to perform?
There are a few funny bits, including a punchline about the changing demographic of Washington, D.C., and a vignette in which he describes inviting Mick Jagger to his small Ohio town.
As it happens, conspiracy is the most resonant theme of the special. In Chappelle’s 30-minute closer, he connects the history of Jack Johnson with that of Sean Combs and even John McCain in stories that recall the meme of the guy pointing to a bulletin board with red string connecting different thoughts. At one point, Chappelle asks the crowd if they are bored. They aren’t, because Chappelle is an undeniably magnetic speaker who is circling ideas about systemic racism, surveillance and the virtue of doubt.
Chappelle introduces this section by saying we are all living in a conspiracy. He expresses sympathy for those who believe in them. And yet, the message of his stories, what they add up to, the final point of his anecdotes about Charlie Barnett, is one of the most forceful arguments against conspiratorial thinking that I have seen in comedy. The fact that his case against conspiracies is wrapped inside a narrative of a conspiracy is actually a pretty good joke.
Kathleen Madigan, ‘The Family Thread’
(Stream it on Amazon Prime Video)
Parking lots and serial killers. That is what the Midwest offers, according to Kathleen Madigan in a long, very funny chunk of jokes that are, believe it or not, infused with affection for the region she is from.
She imagines the original pioneers who stopped in Iowa or Illinois to be, essentially, quitters. And she approves. Like the Midwest, Madigan can be overlooked. But since the 1980s, she has been one of the most impressive joke writers in stand-up.
There’s old-fashioned craftsmanship to her bits. She knows you have to follow something bland like parking lots with serial killers. And while her material deals with wholesome American subjects (football, gambling, church) that are perfect for a holiday with the family, she’s not too clean. She curses a smidgen but also has the sensibility of someone who sneaks a cigarette at a funeral. Living through Midwestern winters is tough, which she says explains how it produces serial killers like Jeffrey Dahmer or Ed Gein. The decision to become a killer in the Midwest is downright reasonable, in her delightful telling
George Civeris, ‘A Sense of Urgency’
(Rent or buy it on most major platforms.)
In one of my favorite new hours of the year, George Civeris, a soft-spoken and wry cultural critic, alternates between long, literary bits and quick sarcastic jokes. He closes on a terrific argument for the monoculture and establishes his point of view early in this self-mocking line: “We all remember where we were the first time we felt that rush of moral superiority upon using that phrase ‘late-stage capitalism.” If a new special has three observational jokes that you immediately want to repeat to your friends, it’s a success. This special qualifies.
Jay Jurden ‘Yes, Ma’am’
(Stream it on Hulu)
Speed kills. That sums up Jay Jurden’s style: He’s a motormouth whose machine-gun delivery can build up a frenzied, thrilling momentum, topping one joke with another until you might have to rewind to catch it all.
A Mississippi native who now lives in New York, he delivers regional bits, sex and political jokes, rapid-fire insults (Kid Rock gets abused), provocations and puns. He is particularly sharp on comedy and comedians. “I don’t make fun of trans women, because I’m not that famous of a Black comedian,” he says.
One of the benefits of playing the volume game is that you can get away with a lot. There’s a pleasing sense of controlled recklessness to his act. He is not above a bit about pronouns — as tired a subject as there is in comedy — or a deluge of jokes about the ugly. “I’m not a member of, but I’m an ally to,” he says.
And his handsomeness is something he uses. Comedy can be a seduction. Some stand-ups get laughs from awkwardness or vulnerability. Jurden exudes confidence, sweet-talking the crowd with a mischievous smile. His pace evokes New York. But the charm is strictly Southern.
Kevin Hart, ‘Acting My Age’
(Stream it on Netflix)
It’s easy to take Kevin Hart’s stand-up for granted. Part of that is his ubiquity. Once someone appears in that many commercials, you start to see them more as a corporate brand than a funny person with an eccentric sensibility. And as he has become entrenched as a wealthy and famous star, his relatable family humor becomes a tougher sell.
But say this for Hart: He uses his resources to do interesting things, like absolutely roast Michael Jordan. “Some of the worst jeans I have ever seen,” he says of spending time with the very private superstar. Hart is the rare comic who can talk about Jordan like a peer or make midlife-crisis comedy out of challenging an N.F.L. player to a foot race. This is the most enjoyable Hart special in years because of its modesty. He doesn’t come off defensive or straining to be more provocative than he is.
Jason Zinoman is a critic at large for the Culture section of The Times and writes a column about comedy.
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