Another great guest post from John Gallagher:
In this week’s article, I write about my favorite comedy specials of 2019. Check it out dude.
Nate Bargatze - The Tennessee Kid (Netflix)
Listening to Nate Bargatze tell jokes is like listening to your funniest relative or craziest friend. His Southern drawl is so laid back and relaxed, it masks his razor-sharp joke writing and punchlines that hit hard as a sledgehammer. His subject matter is completely unique from being astonished at being repeatedly given milk at a Starbucks to mulling over what to do about a dead horse, he keeps the same calm, seemingly disengaged delivery to great effect. Bargatze's material is so hilarious you forget his jokes are almost entirely clean, he's like our generation's Brian Regan.
Dave Chappelle - Sticks and Stones (Netflix)
Every year with a Dave Chappelle special is a good year. After opening the special singing Prince's "1999", the new special starts with Chappelle referencing celebrity deaths, using suicide as a punchline, followed by mocking the audience to their own faces, calling the audience of today as "the worst motherfuckers I've tried to entertain in my fucking life". Using this call out as a jumping off point, Chappelle uses this to tell jokes about a myriad of topics including LGBTQ categorizations which he has gotten criticized for in the past. If anything, the special showed a master of stand up comedy walking a tight-rope, broaching topics that other comics know would end their careers and finding punchlines where material was thought to be long dried up. The special also contains an additional epilogue featuring more material from Chappelle as well as a very cool homage to the San Francisco Punch Line and a touching story about now deceased Bay Area comedian Daphne Dorman.
Bill Burr - Paper Tiger (Netflix)
Just like Dave Chappelle, any year with another Bill Burr special is an amazing time for stand up comedy. Burr leans into material that could be skewed as problematic, specifically one joke around Michelle Obama that could be seen as potential disasters for a less skilled comedian. Similar to Chappelle, he uses the controversial material to showcase his performative ability and navigate the subject matter back from audible gasps in the audience to waves of laughter. The older that Burr has gotten as well has seen his writing and jokes to become more focused internally, where the lashing out at society's ills has now turned into a deeper examination of what his own problems in his life are. In Paper Tiger, the jokes around raising his daughter, his deep-seated psychosis from growing up in Boston and having to give his dog away aren't just great jokes, they could be some of the most layered and revealing material in his career catalogue.
Chad Daniels - Dad Chaniels (Amazon)
Chad Daniels is, in my opinion, the most underrated comedian working today. On paper, the material in the special seems run of the mill, an older stand up comedian discusses all the ins and outs of raising a family and how raising children as they get older is difficult. The thing that sets apart Daniels' is his storytelling ability ability and likability. Using his seemingly endless Midwest charm, he creates some of the funniest stories of the year which are appropriate for all ages and relatable to everyone. The special is all stories about his family, easing from one story to the next and it ends so fast you will want to watch it again and again. The special isn't political in any form, there are no stances taken but it is a hilarious from top to bottom.
Nikki Glaser - Bangin (Netflix)
I feel like female comedians tend to get a lot of criticism when they talk about sex in their act and the new special by Nikki Glaser is, true to its title, fixated on fucking. Glaser's special is raunchy and no-holds barred, filled with over the top sexual descriptors and act outs and is fucking hilarious. While the special is raunchy, it is not just shock value and the joke writing is spectacular from top to bottom. Her section on blowjobs in particular is inspired and made me do a spit take while watching.
That wraps up the list. Feel like I missed out on any specials that came out? Feel free to put your own recommendations in the comments below
