Let's chat: What's your favorite Jewish (Jew-ish?) stand-up special?
The other week after a particularly rough (but mostly joyful) parenting day with zero childcare (I’m so glad school is finally back in session!), my husband and I sat in front of our TV and put on Adam Sandler’s new Netflix comedy special.
And we laughed. A lot. It was such a lovely little reprieve. “Adam Sandler has still got it!” we told each other incredulously. It shouldn’t have taken us by surprise, there’s a reason why the Sandman is as successful as he is — he just gets what makes people laugh, and he doesn’t play it safe. The humor in “Adam Sandler: Love You” is raunchy and subversive and wonderfully musical, and I loved it, as you can read in my review.
There are no Jewish jokes in the special, but it’s an Adam Sandler comedy special, so it does have pretty strong Jewish dad energy. I mean, have you seen this video of him talking about his fashion? It feels so Jewish dad-coded, as do his socks with pictures of his kids — comedian Robert Smigel and I recently briefly discussed why Jewish dads love merch with their kids’ faces on it.
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And it did make me think fondly about what my favorite Jewish, or Jew-ish, recent comedy stand-up special is, and it’s super hard to come up with just one answer. I adore Gary Gulman’s stand-up and its Jewishness, how observant and vulnerable it is. I love Jenny Slate’s truly unique and unhinged raw Jewish mom humor. Sarah Silverman’s “Someone You Love” is brilliant. And Alex Edelman’s “Just For Us” manages to be both harrowing and hilarious.
So I won’t make you choose just one, but I’d love to know: What are your favorite Jewish stand-up specials? Is there a Jewish comedy special that you rewatch when you need a pick-me-up (mine is, strangely, Gary Gulman’s “The Great Depresh”). Let me know in the comments!!
I know that it's "just me", but I do not find the type of humor employed by many of today's comics particularly "funny". However, of today's Jewish "stand-ups", Jerry Seinfeld (for me) is the best of the bunch. As a contemporary of his, I am able to identify with many of his reference points, and find the humor in them. (But actually, my "taste" in Jewish comics runs more towards the humor-styles of Buddy Hackett; early, EARLY Roseanne Barr ~ the self-styled "Cookie Mom" ~ prior to her TV show; a panoply of Jewish "Borscht Belt" comics, whom I was fortunate to see live at various Catskill hotel venues, from the early '70's thru the mid '90's; and ESPECIALLY Totie Fields!!!)
Love Alex Edelman’s show. Need to check out all the others on your list!