John Mulaney is a Chicago
born comic who joined Saturday Night Live in 2009 as a writer. Best
known for co-writing the character of Stefon with performer Bill Hader, Mulaney
quickly became a popular name around the New York City stand-up circuit. He
released his first comedy special, New in Town, in 2012 produced by
Comedy Central.
Opener: In a couple
of days I'm turning 29, and I'm very excited about that. I was hoping by now I
was going to look older, but it didn't happen.
The best way of explaining
John Mulaney’s comedic style is to describe him as a young Jerry Seinfeld.
Mulaney is an experienced
writer whose act is primarily observational. He jokes about his own experiences
and mixes in quick bits of Seinfeld-ian perception. His delivery is more
natural than Seinfeld’s iconic “What’s the deal with…?” but it seems clear that
he was an influence.
Visually there is a
resemblance too; Mulaney is dressed in a fitted suit, something that was
common among comics in the comedy boom of the 1980s but has fallen increasingly
out of style with the rise of alternative comedy.
Mulaney is a precise
storyteller. His set feels airtight, as if not a single word was not used
intentionally, but still avoids the pitfall of sounding like he was reading
jokes off of cue cards.
His strength is the boyish
self-deprecation that flows between each bit, making himself the punchline in
most of his jokes. He knows when a funny voice, a well-timed smile or nod, or
the right inflection on something makes or breaks a joke.
He is a “writers comedian”,
structuring each bit with a beginning, middle, and end. Often, “writers” write
high-minded and conceptual comedy, but Mulaney toes the line expertly, giving
you the feeling that you are in on a joke that perhaps others are missing.
His topics range from his
relationship with his Jewish girlfriend (“I used to date Gentile women”), to
movies from his past (“I wish I had been a Def-Jam comedian when Home Alone 2:
Lost in New York came out”), to his hard-drinking youth (“I would black out and
‘ruin parties’. Or so I was told”).
My favourite bit was
Mulaney being shocked at how young his babysitter was when he was a kid. (The
link contains another fantastic bit about Home Alone 2: Lost in New York).
I wouldn't put this at the top of my recommendation list for anyone who doesn't already love stand-up, and there are certainly comedians who I would consider more accessible.
That being said, John Mulaney is one of my favourite stand-up comedians. He doesn't feel the need to bring down other people for comedy's sake; he is smart, quick, and clever.
For anyone who wants to laugh at something a little more than the tired stereotypes or wacky absurdist humour that is so popular these days, I would highly recommend John Mulaney's New in Town.
3 comments:
HE CO-WROTE STEFON? Following John Mulaney on Twitter...NOW.
He did!! He's the one responsible for swapping out the jokes between dress rehearsal and live performance that always made Bill Hader break
Great topic - enjoying the blog and the posts. Keep it up!
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