Last week on Netflix, turns out I watched mostly 3 things. All of which were stand up comedy specials.
Kevin Hart: What Now?
We get it, you have lots of money now, shut up about it.
This one was rather unwatchable.
The first thing different from the typical comedy special is the opening. This thing was produced by Universal Studios it seems and not the small production companies behind most standup specials. It opens on a half hour long James Bond; Casino Royale spoof of some sort where Hart plays against (it was a bit too grating to say 'alongside') celebrities like like Halle Berry and Don Cheadle.
I only watched about 10 minutes of the remaining hour. It was obviously a huge venue and a large stage. I get that he is a successful comedian but compared to his earlier more modest specials, this was just flaunting his riches. Case in point, they occasionally projected video on the stage backdrop to support whatever stories Hart was narrating. This included a picture of his back yard replete with a huge pool as seen through floor to ceiling "window walls" from his posh living room and another picture of his huge house as seen from his equally huge and long drive way.
I did not bother to finish watching the rest. It is possible that it was all a setup for a "compensating for something" punchline but I guess I'll never know.
Dave Chappelle: Collection 1: "Deep in the Heart of Texas: Dave Chappelle Live at Austin City Limits"
At times crass but still somewhat relatable?
This is part 2 of the Dave Chappelle: Collection 1 standup specials series. I sort of half remember hearing about Dave Chappelle back in the day when he converted to Islam, when that was still fashionable. He seemed much scrawnier at the time than he is now.
Nothing particularly groundbreaking about this one. It's mostly just a guy telling stories and taking a smoke break in the middle of it. A bit dated perhaps? The opening did have some uninspired use of Morgan Freemans's voiceover for an answering machine message. So yes, a bit dated.
Bridget Christie: Stand Up for Her
In a small crowded theatre. Localised humour.
While I watch a lot of standup comedy, I certainly wouldn't call myself a buff of the genre. I'd never heard of Bridget Christie before. She's a Bridget and therefore must be British (obviously). Also feminist but funny (yes, I went there).
This one was somewhat short, a bit over 45 minutes but it was concentrated. The thing about these specials is that the comedian usually is telling jokes to a crowd of people who already know who they are. The people know the comedian, I mean. The people may know themselves to varying degrees too. My point is that many references made in that show are to events and people that would be more relevant to someone local in relation to them. In this case, Great Britain and 2016-ish(maybe?). But overall I quite liked it. You might have to pause the show a few times to look up some of the subjects mentioned but at least you'll be learning something while enjoying yourself.
and that wraps it up for this week on netflix. I may make this a recurring segment yet.