Comedy's special

Can you even call them stand-up comedians anymore?  More like solo stage performers revealing and reveling in their authentic traumas and joys, kinks and quirks, delving deep with faux spontaneity.  There is plenty of daily political humor on tv, but these days most comedy specials seem very personal, and polished to a sheen.  Self-revelation, apparently uncensored, is decidedly the mode of comedy these days.
 
Until the just-released show Mike Birbiglia: The Old Man & the Pool, I’d never watched any of his stand-up-sit-down-lie-down-roll-around routines (NFX), even though I enjoyed his two feature films, Sleepwalk with Me and Don’t Think Twice.  After watching the new show, I remedied the lapse immediately by watching his three previous Netflix specials.  Humor is relative, of course, but I find Birbiglia consistently hilarious (and extremely skilled), so I’ll be recommending him to anyone who will listen. 
 
After Colbert introduced the forthcoming host of the show that follows his, I checked out two Taylor Tomlinson routines (NFX), Quarter-Life Crisis and Look at You.  Both are adept and funny, with the latter being significantly more raunchy and edgy, as a good Christian girl gets naughtier and naughtier.
 
Looking forward to his return to stand-up, I jumped all over the new release Trevor Noah: Where Was I (NFX), but honestly went 25 minutes with barely a smile, let alone a laugh.  But after that, he performed more the way I’ve enjoyed in the past, with great impersonations and sound effects.  The show was taped at the Fox Theater in Detroit, an insanely large and ornate old movie theater, restored to its original 1920’s “glamour,” a garish mélange of various orientalist motifs.  Trevor is lost on that huge stage, and the direction is by the numbers, but he remains a funny and talented guy.
 
Watched back-to-back, Gary Gulman: Born on 3^rd Base (MAX) couldn’t be more different, filmed in an intimate venue and infinitely more personal (and political) in approach, which had me laughing and admiring throughout.  Along with his previous routine on Max, The Great Depresh, I strongly recommend his work, appreciating that he considers his ideal audience to be librarians.
 
A New Yorker profile led me to Leo Reich: Literally Who Cares!? (MAX), but couldn’t make me care too much about the Gen-Z queer perspective on life.  Nonetheless he’s a buoyant performer who sells his act effectively.
 
Looking for gender balance, and seeing Beth Stelling: If You Didn’t Want Me Then (NFX) head someone’s list of the best comedy of the year, I gave it a chance.  I appreciated her taping in her hometown of Dayton OH and telling very personal stories, but it was a little raw for me, even though I’m no prude.  Definitely derived some chuckles from the set, however.
 
Among older comics, Jim Gaffigan: Dark Pale (AMZ) is amusing enough, even though it starts with death and diarrhea jokes and otherwise does not break new ground.
 
As far as I’m concerned Birbiglia and Gulman are the names to remember for non-celebrity stand-up routines, both current and past.  Not that there aren’t other great ones out there, but these have caught my eye lately.