Seth Meyers: Dad Man Walking

On SNL Seth Myers was one of the very weakest cast members. Even though he was there for what seemed like years, he never carried the show or even found his way into any highlight reel. After leaving SNL he found yet another paycheck on late night television where he was watched by absolutely no one. In all this time he may have never even caused anyone to laugh and yet NBC still employs him and I have to assume, pays him well. This is a mystery on par with Lena Dunham. Now comes an HBO special watched by a virtual handful of deluded leftists whose boredom threshold could dam the Mississippi River. A far more entertaining special would be a documentary exploring how and why this was made.

I went into Seth's Dad Man Walking with high hopes for a good show, anticipating the kind of humor that would be sharp, relatable, and refreshing. Unfortunately, it quickly turned into one of the most disappointing stand-up shows I've watched in my life. Within just 15 minutes, I found myself cringing so hard that I had to stop watching entirely. Seth's material felt forced and awkward, with attempts at humor that seemed more uncomfortable than funny. Instead of clever, insightful jokes, the set was filled with predictable, overly safe material that came across as a 'PC fest,' sidestepping anything bold or genuinely entertaining.

From the very beginning, the tone felt off. Seth's approach to humor seemed more focused on avoiding offense than on making the audience laugh, resulting in content that felt superficial and uninspired. This 'safe' humor lacked any real edge or wit, and it quickly became clear that there was little substance behind his attempts to get laughs. The show's premise promised a humorous take on life experiences, fatherhood, and other relatable themes, but the execution was so far from engaging that it felt like a missed opportunity.

Adding to the disappointment, the pacing of the set was all over the place. Punchlines lingered uncomfortably, leaving the audience in awkward silence, or simply fell flat, failing to land with any impact. Seth's delivery didn't help either. At times, he rushed through bits as if trying to get them over with, and at other times, he dragged out certain moments, seemingly waiting for laughs that never came. This uneven rhythm made it difficult to stay engaged, as each joke felt like it existed in isolation without building on the previous one. The lack of a natural flow left the performance feeling disjointed, with one bit not leading smoothly into the next. It felt like Seth was trying too hard to adhere to a formula rather than delivering a cohesive, authentic performance.

Another issue was the repetitive nature of the content. Many of the jokes felt like variations of the same predictable theme, lacking the variety that can keep a stand-up show lively and interesting. Seth seemed to rely heavily on surface-level humor, which quickly became monotonous and uninspired. Rather than diving deeper into unique or insightful observations, he stayed within the bounds of overused and familiar tropes, which only made the show feel more tedious and predictable as it went on.

The absence of genuine energy or engagement from Seth also made it hard to connect with him as a performer. Comedy often thrives on a comedian's ability to connect with the audience, to make them feel like they're in on the joke. Here, that connection was entirely missing. Seth's performance felt detached, as if he were simply going through the motions without any real investment in making the experience enjoyable. There was no spontaneity, no sense of excitement or passion, which only added to the sense of boredom.

Overall, Dad Man Walking was a letdown. The lack of originality, combined with safe, overly cautious content and a flat, uninspired delivery, left me feeling underwhelmed and, frankly, disappointed. For a show that seemed to promise an authentic look into Seth's experiences, it felt like he was holding back, refusing to dive into anything real or raw. Instead, we were left with a sterile performance that played it safe to the point of being dull.

If you're familiar with Seth's previous work, maybe you won't be surprised by this type of content. But for anyone looking for a stand-up show that delivers clever, bold, and genuinely funny material, I'd recommend looking elsewhere. Comedy should push boundaries, make us think, or at least make us laugh, and Dad Man Walking didn't deliver on any of those fronts. It's a shame, really, because there's clearly potential there-but as it stands, this show just didn't hit the mark.

I don't have kids but am a fan of Seth Myers's late night show. If you like "A Closer Look" you'll probably like this. Yes, there's plenty of family comedy but hilarious offshoots, such as his take on that family heritage show with Henry Louis Gates. I was laughing like crazy but my taste must be different from the other people here. And maybe because I live out in the Midwest, I was pretty amused by stories of his kids growing up in Manhattan. Not the political fare common now, but charming, inventive, and often surreal. I actually find Myers more imaginative than many comics working now. He's somewhat like John Oliver or Colbert. These comedians are my favorites. If you like them, you may like this.

I like Seth Meyers and have enjoyed his show and his time on SNL . But I feel the problem with a lot of standup specials like these they tend to drag on for too long. Yes it has its moments but when a majority of the jokes are about being a parent it just gets really repetitive. I found myself looking to see how much time was left and even though it's an hour and some change I felt like it was even longer than that. I go back to my original point. Some specials have a good flow to them but over the last few years these standup specials are a chore to watch. I know it will never happen but maybe they can be trimmed down some/edited for time to be more enjoyable.

This wasn't good and I was very much so looking forward to it. I don't normally have an issue with parent humor but I didn't find any of the jokes about having kids or a terrible wife funny or entertaining. I think he knew it was sub-par material - he gave a heads up 2 minutes in that it was mostly about having kids and said at least we don't have to go home to children, basically acknowledging he knew we were not going to laugh or enjoy it. I did finish watching it but it never pulled me in and only got 2 maybe 3 light chuckles out of me. When he finally got around to a topic other than kids it was an out-dated joke about living in the pandemic. I was checked out and struggling not to pick up my phone for some entertainment. The joke about his brother was the best of the set. Then it just circled back to stale jokes about being married with children. Skip it and just watch an hour of Corrections.