Summary
Chris Redd delivers some of the best work of 2022. Why Am I Like This? is a MUST-WATCH for any fans of stand-up comedy.
We review the HBO Max comedy stand-up special Chris Redd: Why Am I Like This? that was released on November 3rd, 2022.
Chris Redd made his stand-up comedy debut in 2019, and from there, he has risen through the ranks of Saturday Night Live and starred in the series Kenan. All this hard work has led to Redd’s debut special for HBO Max, Chris Redd: Why Am I Like This? Is it worth checking out? Let’s dive in.
You hear the MC say, “Welcome to the stage Chris Redd,” followed by a quick cut to him on the stage saying, “I don’t know why I’m like this,” which was such a weird way to open. I get it cause that’s the name of the special, but it was edited so weirdly. We have an intimate setting for the evening with just a little backdrop with a stool on the stage next to Redd. It was a very simplistic opening that works outside of the weird edit. I give it a solid six out of ten.
“I don’t know if you ever cried next to a woman twerking with all her might, but it’s not cool looking.”
He opens by talking about going to therapy, which he proclaims he thought was for white people. But after getting a little money, he took a vacation and realized it was for people with money and time. The bit went a little further and was quite funny, but the trend of talking about mental health across all entertainment spaces has been amazing. It’s a topic that I hope more and more people talk about that opens the doors for generations to come to realize it is okay to not be okay.
Look, Chris Redd might be one of the funniest men on the planet. I was blown away by this entire special. He can make EVERYTHING funny and not shy away from topics that other people might be afraid of joking about. It reminded me a lot of Sam Morril’s special Same Time Tomorrow, which was raw and authentic. It makes you feel like the future of comedy is in great hands.
As of late, I’ve noticed comedians being more open to doing crowd work within their specials. It wasn’t normal for a long time, especially at taped specials. Most of the time, you sit there, the comedians tell the jokes, you laugh (if the jokes are funny), and they wrap it up with a bow and move on. But crowd work has become the new norm across a wide range of stand-up specials this year, and I love it. While many of them got it down (Taylor Tomlinson is the queen), Redd not only worked the crowd perfectly, but his quick-witted jokes were spot on and never missed a beat.
Overall, if you are a stand-up comedy fan, you will love Chris Redd’s special. He reminds us that comedy isn’t a dying breed and that the future of comedy is in good hands. Redd will have you in tears laughing for an hour straight. I truly can’t wait to see his next special and hope I get to see him live. So don’t walk, run to watch this one on HBO Max.
What did you think of the HBO Max comedy stand-up special Chris Redd: Why Am I Like This? Comment below.
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