Anthony Jeselnik: Bones and All

Anthony Jeselink is so freaking hilarious. He does what he describes as Gallow comedy. He explains up front that Gallow comedy is a form of comedy where you take Subject matter that is horrifying to the point you want to cry about it, and instead make jokes with it. He does this brilliantly. He takes on every sensitive subject he can squeeze within the allotted time. His delivery method is somewhat deadpan, like Stephen Wright, but way more rude than Stephen Wright ever considered. The Netflix special is touted as being geared towards celebrating his 20 years of comedy. Twenty years? How have I missed this guy? He's brilliant.

As Norm said Jeselnik is one of the greats. He is his own and there is no one like him. But... If you know his material it doesn't really evolve or move. This time he told some stories from his own life which is rather unusual for him but the rest stays in the same structure based mostly on shock value and surprise. Many of the jokes were losing that just because it is his base line and you know where it is going. When you take look at Louis CK for example and look at his 90s stand up and then some more current specials it is such a difference in style and material it seems almost like a different comedian. For me Jeselnik needs to move a bit otherwise this might get old one day. But overall good stuff.

Anthony has some heavy-duty comedic chops! This act is as real as it gets. He set the tone with his "closer" opener, kept the sticky tissue hilarious, and delivered the punches perfectly. He is unapologetically genuine, and his intelligence comes through as he lets his audience in on just enough bites of information to bake their own pie. He is one of the best I've seen.

For me, stand-up is a way to digest unsavory parts of the human condition in a palatable and sometimes decadent manner. Gallows humor hits all the right sweet spots! It is refreshing, especially after the boring, lazy acts of gimmicky comics like Gervais, Ellen, Burr, Wong, Chapelle, Rogan, etc., trying so hard to be funny but staying in the superficial layer of most issues. They can't seem to get over themselves. In contrast, Anthony got down and dirty about the subjects and not himself. He knows where the nerves are and hits them in the best, most uncomfortably delightful way. I finished this stand-up special with a feeling of solidarity and not the usual bitterness that has become the norm.

As another reviewer mentioned, I wish I'd found him earlier. He might have made the last two decades a lot sweeter. I look forward to discovering more of his work.

Guys found his rhythm. It's absolutely brilliant and will make you laugh. Well worth the watch, and you'll want to watch it again. Cannot recommend it enough. Guys one of the greats. He continues to improve, his delivery has gotten better. Not for those who cannot take a joke. It is unapologetic, irreverent, clever, and well crafted. You'll never be able to guess where he's going witch each joke. Don't mistake his persona he's crafted as him being overconfident or full of himself, again it's a persona he's crafted for himself, it is an act. He says what he should and doesn't apologize for it. A refreshing stand up comedy special that reminds us free speech does still exist and it's well worth the watch. If you're already a fan of him this is an absolute must watch. You will not be disappointed in the least. Very well done and the best comedy special I've seen in a long, long time. If you're looking for a comedian who doesn't care about what others say a comedian can say or cannot say, this is for you.

It's efficient. He shows you the equation and you solve for x. I listened to this while playing Steam. Perfect audio companion. If you see any of his interviews, you know he loves a good album. Pacing is steady and you'll finish before an hour. He does a great job of limiting the scope of his face, he's not saturated in the podcast world where it's just a fire hose of gotcha's and a-ha's. It's the knife in the stomach and you watched it from across the room and let it happen anyways. The blood's warm. Yeah, he does mention the anniversary a few times, I think he really wants to flex the resume, and also that he's not attached to a posse, but I let it slide. There aren't any wasted moments.