Day 23. Every day this month I’m sharing a stand up set that I like. Today’s is a 2013 Conan set from a comedian who has since gone on to sell out Radio City Music Hall multiple times. Here’s John Mulaney and some of the reasons I’m into this set:
• UNEXPECTED DESCRIPTIONS. Mulaney tells us he doesn’t understand why a couple would loop in their parents. He creates a scene of a relationship going well, asking, “Do you know what would make it perfect?” Since he’s already given the setup, I expect him to say, “My parents.” He instead chooses an unexpected description: “Charles and Ellen Mulaney.” He does this again later (“I think it’s time we bring in…two older catholic people.”) These are richer, unexpected descriptions that make the punchlines pop even more.
• POP CULTURE ANALYSIS. Like most people, I’ve watched Law and Order many times, but passively. So when Mulaney deconstructs aspects of the show, treating this fictional world as if it’s real, I’m laughing at the absurd facets that have always been in front of me and I’ve never noticed. I think these types of pop culture jokes are great because of their universal appeal, but also because they reemerge. Now, every time SVU is on TV, this bit pops into my head.
• DEEP DIVE. Roughly two minutes into this set, Mulaney brings up Law and Order. The final three minutes are all dedicated to the show. He’s able to turn this topic into 60% of the set by examining it from different angles (what can be said on the show, how the rapper Ice-T is a detective, how Ice-T’s character is incredulous, and when that character struggled to understand sex addiction). In this way, he’s able to mine the show for multiple jokes, and since the general premise is already established, he can get to the punchlines quickly. So while this deep dive takes up more than half of the set, it feels like it moves very fast.
For more John Mulaney stand up, check out his numerous specials on Netflix or follow on IG: @johnmulaney
Day 22: Bernie Mac
Day 22. I’m sharing a stand up set I really like each day this month. Years ago, when I first saw today’s set, I started laughing out loud in my room by myself, pounding the table with my hand. From Def Comedy Jam, here’s Bernie Mac and some reasons it’s table-poundingly funny to me:
• BEING IN THE MOMENT. Def Comedy audiences could be notoriously hostile, and the story goes that before Bernie, the crowd had just loudly booed the prior comic. So Bernie opened by letting them know his thoughts: “I ain’t scared of you motherfuckers.” He has his prepared material, but by reacting to the moment, I know he’s not delivering his jokes on auto-pilot. As a result, the set feels raw throughout, and I’m enthralled.
• REPETITION. Bernie repeats “I ain’t scared of you motherfuckers” multiple times. My chorus of laughter gets bigger each time I hear it. The first time, the phrase just an unexpected opening. The second time, I laugh because it’s a callback. The third time, I laugh because I realize the pattern. The fourth time, I laugh out of anticipation for the pattern. The fifth time, Bernie doesn’t even have to say it. He just has to say, “You don’t understand,” and by then, I’ve so internalized the repetition, I’m laughing at the phrase playing in my head. (See also: Russell Peters - Day 12, Darryl Lenox - Day 3)
• POP AT THE END. Every time Bernie cues the DJ with “Kick it,” he basically marks the end of one bit. But the reason why these break points work to amplify my laugh is that each of his bits ends with a pop. The comedic reveal happens at the sentence’s end: “This whole room get dark.” “I never had no pumpkin pie.” The solid joke structure already gets me laughing, and every time I hear “Kick it!” (like a vaudevillian rimshot), my brain gets reinforced to laugh.
For more of the late Bernie Mac’s comedy, check out The Original Kings of Comedy and The Bernie Mac Show.
Day 21: Mo Amer
Day 21. I’m sharing comedy sets I like each day this month, since if you like my material, chances are you’ll like these too. Today’s set is a recent Fallon appearance by Mo Amer, and here’s a few reasons I’m laughing at it:
• LIKEABILITY. If you get me to like you, I’m inclined to laugh at your jokes. And if I don’t like you, I immediately stick your jokes in the grave. The same is true on stage, where Mo gets me liking him immediately. Opening with a self-deprecating DJ Khaled reference, explaining he’s a refugee, and smiling between jokes all get me rooting for him. The Cosby joke (or even pretending to be an enemy soldier) could have flopped with a smug delivery, but Mo delivers it with the charm of a boy caught with his hand in the cookie jar. The result: I laugh at a topic that’s generally out of bounds.
• VOCAL ENERGY. Mo captivates me in this set by bringing a lot of energy, particularly with his voice, where he’ll often turn up the dial on a punchline (“Am I being roasted right now?” “The British Flag is inside of your flag!” “Who is this?!” “That’s where my family fled from!” ) These exclamations match his incredulity, so they’re not just out of the blue, but they’re larger-than-life reactions that at once get me laughing and keep me engaged.
• ACCENTS. Mo runs the gamut of world characters here, from Japanese to British to Australian to Middle Eastern. Just as unique gestures and facial expressions can, Mo’s accents help distinguish his characters, underscoring the comedic contrast between him and his international counterparts. And rather than poking fun of the accents, Mo creates scenes instead where he and these characters can engage in funny ways, ultimately twisting it to where his character is himself not just speaking in an accent but a different language entirely.
For more Mo, check out his Netflix special “the VAGABOND” and follow on Instagram: @realmoamer
Day 20: Maggie Maye
Day 20. I’m passing along comedy sets I like each day this month, since if you like my material, you’ll probably like the stand up I like. Today’s set is a 2015 Conan performance by Maggie Maye, and here’s some reasons it gets me laughing:
• LANGUAGE. I think I like jokes that examine language because it’s something we all use but so rarely scrutinize. Throughout her set, Maggie gives an active look to terms and phrases we use passively (sassy, racist, acting black, dance like no one’s watching) and gets me to laugh at what I’ve seen so often but never noticed.
• ANTANACLASIS. (Poetry heads can tell me if I’m classifying this incorrectly.) My favorite jokes in this set repeat a phrase, but give it a new meaning. “The derogatory term for a white girl is white girl.” Maggie also does this with the phrase “black people stuff.” It’s very funny to me because it’s a rapid repetition, but my brain has to backtrack to redefine the second usage. When I’m able to figure out her new definition, there’s a moment of glee, accompanied, of course, with laughter.
• COMMENTARY. Similar to the Ian Edwards set (Day 1), Maggie’s set is laced with unique commentary. She doesn’t call everything racist, instead questioning how the word gets used, but does critique disparities where she sees it. Nuances are generally unexpected in argument, so when she presents them to me, I’m once again caught off guard and caught laughing.
Hope you enjoyed it, and for more Maggie Maye, follow her on IG: @maggiemayehaha