Summary
Felipe Esparza: Bad Decisions is a good, wicked and casual stand-up that will be appreciated by the comedian’s fans but will also be easy for the newcomers.
Netflix stand-up special Felipe Esparza: Bad Decisions will be released on the platform on September 1, 2020.
Comedians have started a clever trend where they will release their stand-up in two versions. Jim Gaffigan did it in Amazon’s The Pale Tourist — taking on an audience in Canada and then in Spain. It works when the comedian indulges in their mixed heritage as well as showing off their talented tongues. We can only assume moving forward this delivery will be repeated on streaming platforms so the comedian can reach a broader audience on a global platform. Felipe Esparza: Bad Decisions can be watched in an English or Spanish version.
As a first time watcher on Felipe Esparza, it’s useful to point out his stage presence; he always looks on edge and a little nervy, unable to stay still — it looks like he’s constantly itching to say something that veers away from his material. It is an observation rather than criticism because as you get used to his demeanor, it’s realized that his anxious stage presence is linked to his material. His shabby look & pacing-around-the-stage ego is evidently a hit with the audience. He’s not shy, he’s just ready to drop his bombs to a receptive audience.
And it’s also clear as a first-time watcher that Felipe has already gained the rapport with his audience and that he’s landed, not upcoming. The audience is at ease to scream at one of his hollas, and there’s an intimate feeling coming from the screen. Felipe Esparza: Bad Decisions can easily be applauded for the comedian’s relationship with his audience — he doesn’t antagonize them, but he makes them feel like they are apart of his family. He’s talking with them, not at them.
As for the material in Felipe Esparza: Bad Decisions, it’s not anything outlandishly different from the flurry of stand-ups we are faced with on streaming platforms today. The comedian talks about sex, drugs, and the absurdities of family. This ain’t new, but the comedian manages to move with swag through his jokes. Felipe often makes himself the joke, linking it to the “bad decisions” theme that seems to keep fresh until the credits. The comedian has a wicked, highly-contagious way of delivering his jokes — he usually ends his joke in a brazen, nonchalant way — it’s a “Well, that’s life” kind of attitude that audiences will dig.
Felipe Esparza: Bad Decisions is a good, wicked, and casual stand-up that will be appreciated by the comedian’s fans but will also be easy for the newcomers.
