Summary
Celeste Barber: Fine, thanks showcases Celeste’s ability to structure the perfect special that strings you along from start to finish.
We review the Netflix stand-up comedy special Celeste Barber: Fine, Thanks, released on April 12, 2023.
Before hitting the stage, Celeste Barber was an actress on the show All Saints. In 2015, she was a Melbourne International Comedy Festival Raw Comedy state finalist.
Fast forward to 2023, where she has a hit comedy series on Netflix, Wellmania, followed by her first-ever Netflix comedy special, Celeste Barber: Fine, thanks.
Celeste Barber: Fine, thanks Review
Celeste Barber: Fine, thanks is a stand-up special where Barber gets personal in public about being married, mental health, and celebrity-branded sex toys.
She opens with a bit about how distance has helped her 19-year marriage. However, the pandemic happened, and he was in her bubble every moment of every waking day. Celeste’s opening was perfect, from tackling her husband’s hilarious behavior to her kids growing up and not having control over it.
Celeste is a show-and-tell type of comedian, and that makes her jokes that much better. When she tells a story, you see her make these hand gestures or use the entire big stage by making insane body language to add an extra layer to her jokes.
Not every comedian is good at this, but Celeste is spot on with it, and her voice changes to represent who she is talking about—a true highlight of the special.
Another masterful thing Celeste does in the special is tackling how everyone uses having a “specific” thing (like ADHD and Spectrum) to make an excuse for their crappy behavior. It had some political undertones but was truthful enough not to be something that goes over the top.
What made it extra funny was her reference to how being in another country (Sydney, Australia), the joke landed better than it would’ve in the States.
Her best bit of the special came from making fun of celebrities who have sex toys. At this moment, how she laid out this story, from the build to the structure to the execution, I knew that this special would end up with a high score. It’s just how she deconstructs a joke that makes it better.
You can tell she worked out all the kinks of the jokes to perfect them.
Is Celeste Barber: Fine, thanks good or bad?
We could even go above and beyond to say it is great. Each joke is intertwined with other jokes to make for a perfect final gag that brings everything together.
Celeste is damn good, and now it’s made me want to run and watch Wellmania: Misadventures in the Search for Wellness.
Is Celeste Barber: Fine, thanks worth watching?
Absolutely. Celeste Barber will have you in tears of laughter, and when that happens, you know you are in for a real treat.
She’s funny and relatable and is one of the better show-and-tell comedians in the game. A brilliant special all the way around.
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