"I don't know how the physics of comedy works" Drew Michael says in his HBO special "Red Blue Green". And you might wonder if in that moment that is a confessional disclaimer, him just sharing what has every semblance of a mental breakdown, or a deliciously complex and wonderfully intelligent routine. Even as the final credits roll, you won't know which one that is.
There's an undercurrent trend in comedy these days where really talented comedians break out of standup's conventional boxes. They are at the opposite end of the spectrum, far away from slapstick, crude poo and sex jokes, or the ham-fisted use of politics, profanity and outrage merely for their own sake. It's a trend that could easily be confused for a Brene Brown TED talk. Hannah Gadsby, Lliza Schlesinger, and Ali Wong leap immediately to mind.
"We are always our most terrifying audience," he says at one point and you can see why that might be so. His schtick is centered around self-effacement and vulnerability. It is an entertainment that is at times both discomfiting and wondrous, like watching a car wreck video, as he pushes his own buttons and at times your own.
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