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.

These days I find myself sort of rooting for people, even in non-sports environments. I sort of felt that way during this special.

It could be that I'm just the target audience for these "I'm a parent but I'm still funny" standups, actually I'm a bit past that expiration date. It could be that during the pandemic comedians spent waaaay too much time with their kids. Actually I'd argue that hosting a late night show hurts comedians much more, and could call all the Jimmy's to the stand to testify.

Maybe it could be as Seth points out, he needs to find a way to pay for future college expenses (and let's be clear, I'm assuming his young un's will need personal gamelan instruction and a nanny fluent in Klingon, neither of which grows on trees). There's the old cliche, insanity is hereditary you get it from your kids. Maybe there's some modern corollary where you need your kids to help prepay for their exorbitant future. Never mind your tax dollars for a future UBI?

Cool that it was produced by Neal Brennan, I enjoyed Neal's most recent stand-up a lot more, and you might too. Pretty sure Neal was denied a breeding card by the government - so he should be safe for a while.

Is there a youtube video essay on how different stand-up comics use their bodies for gags. Seth liked his parade of privilege walk, and I thought his "looking on the floor" bit was well done. Recently we saw Jerry Seinfeld and going in I thought maybe he was just a straight standing up dude, but was wrong. Ali Wong, whole lotta body going on in her special. Tom Papa mostly lets his eyes carry the load in his recent (a bit sharper take on parenting, granted his nest is emptying out, and Myers still feathering).

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.

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.