John Mulaney (1982-)
For the most part, stand up comedy is not something I relate to or enjoy. There are obvious exceptions, and what I’ve found is that those exceptions tend to be LGBT comedians. That isn’t surprising; I find things funny that I can relate to. And there seems to just be something about the comedy of non-LGBT comedians that I fail to understand and find amusing. That said, John Mulaney is one of the funniest stand up acts I’ve seen, and he is straight. That’s probably more exciting to me than it should be, but I do sometimes worry about my inability to relate to those whose life experiences are so different from mine.
Comedy has struggled in recent years, with so much material not aging well in a world where we increasingly understand what it means to feel oppressed or harassed. John Mulaney is one of those comedians who doesn’t have to deal with those issues. He’s hilarious without being inappropriate. It’s nice to laugh through a stand up set without cringing. Maybe I’m overly sensitive, but that’s who I am.
Watch John Mulaney’s stand up specials. There are several available on Netflix. He is also an excellent interview and worth catching when appearing on one of the late night talk shows.