Every time I see people ask on social media about shows they can watch on Netflix, I always have a difficult time giving them options. Don’t get me wrong, I do watch some shows on Netflix, like One Day at a Time, On My Block and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, but that’s about it. I always want to recommend comedy shows because if I’m being honest, a lot of the times, those satisfy me more than any other show. If you do enjoy comedy and need some shows to watch, here are some of my favorites.
Private School Negro W. Kamau Bell
“Why is Donald Trump still the President? And how come my J’s are backwards when I write them?” His daughter can sum up Trump’
s presidency in one question and should probably have her own show on CNN. White people continue to pretend that Trump is not racist: he wouldn’t be the head of the BET but “I wouldn’t say he’s racist”. Kamau Bell talks about how woke children’s TV shows have become, how he is afraid of going off the grid, and the actual meaning of free speech
.
Hasan Minhaj: Homecoming King
“Americans hit their kid on the arm and bruise their body. Immigrants slap you across the face and bruise your soul.” As a child of immigrant parents and raised by my immigrant grandparents, I will personally tell you: this is the truest statement. Hasan talks about his early childhood with his father and the generational gap between them and the fact that immigrants love secrets, including his father. He talks about his life growing up and the racism he endured throughout his life: whether it was violent or even with a smile.
John Mulaney: Kid Gorgeous
“My wife said that walking with me is like walking with someone who’s running for the mayor of nothing.” In Kid Gorgeous, John Mulaney talks about assemblies, and he teaches his audience about the Bittenbinder method. His college sends him a letter asking for some more money, he talks about his time writing for SNL, how “there’s a horse loose in a hospital”, and his need to make sure everyone likes him. This is his third Netflix special and it continues to have the same witty and anxiety filled humor that most of us can relate to. His other two specials are New in Town and Comeback Kid, which are both on Netflix.
The Comedy Line Up
“Apparently, if you look at me and squint really hard…that’s racist. So, don’t do it” (episode 5, Phil Wang). This show is actually an eight-episode series and each episode has a different comedian. The comedians in this special are Michelle Buteau, Ian Karmel, Taylor Tomlinson, Sam Jay, Phil Wang, Sabrina Jalees, Jak Knight, and Tim Dillon. Each one of them has their own take on life and share some of their own personal experiences. I loved all of them and I do have some favorites, but overall they all had their own sense of humor and it was all enjoyable to watch!
Ali Wong: Baby Cobra
“The baby hasn’t even come out yet, and I am already so resentful towards my husband”. Ali Wong talks about her sexual adventures from when she was younger and her dream of not having to work but still having money. She talks about everything she has been through while being pregnant and how people don’t talk about what happens to a woman’s body when they are pregnant. Ali also has a second Netflix special, Hard Knock Wife, where she is pregnant with her second child and talks about motherhood since her first child.
Hannah Gadsby: Nanette
“I need to express my identity through the metaphor of a nap”. Hannah brings a much softer but still hilarious special in Nanette. From the fact that people have come up and chose to give some feedback, mainly being that there isn’t enough lesbian content in her shows. Hannah talks about her comedy and how maybe it’s time to stop the comedy and try to cope with life differently. Anger is not the solution, but it is okay to be angry. Despite the jokes here and there, Gadsby gets real about identity and comedy itself.
Check out Hannah Gadsby Urges Others To Share Their Own Stories in Her Comedy Special ‘Nanette’.
Photos Courtesy of Netflix.
