This is the third Netflix special from Ronny Chieng, although curiously, his first two specials are not currently available for streaming on the platform?!? Is it because Chieng currently co-stars in the new Hulu series, Interior Chinatown? That cannot possibly explain why Netflix is keeping The Daily Show comedian’s back catalog in hiding. Especially because his stand-up has been so incisive. And it continues apace here.
The Gist: Ronny Chieng, familiar to fans of The Daily Show as well as of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (he jokes in this hour about one such awkwardly-timed encounter when he was recognized for his role in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings), filmed his third Netflix special in Honolulu.
Hawaii has a special place in his heart, and not just because he filmed the Disney+ series, Doogie Kameāloha, M.D., there. Chieng relates how he not only has encountered people who politically side with MAGA on the islands, but also how he has adapted to maintain friendships with them despite their political and philosophical differences. He similarly takes a deep dive into the dark side of men’s self-help influencers online. And he makes fun of himself for the responsibility he was given in helping his wife’s fertility treatments, all while reflecting on what he might be like if he becomes a parent, or if he becomes anything like his own parents.
What Comedy Specials Will It Remind You Of?: Quite a few stand-ups have filmed specials in Hawaii. Among recent entries to the field, hours from Jo Koy (Comin’ In Hot), Gabriel Iglesias (Aloha Fluffy), and Anjelah Johnson (Mahalo & Goodnight). But Chieng’s sensibility onstage as an immigrant with astute political observations on America shares a lot more with his former co-worker at Comedy Central: Trevor Noah.
Memorable Jokes: Chieng opens by making fun of his friends and classmates for how becoming parents has made them look older and uglier, joking that having kids means you’ve given up on your own hopes and dreams. “I’m still trying here!” he exclaims.
And yet, he and his wife are still preparing for the possibility of parenthood, which leads into a chunk about fertility treatments and his role in that.
Much of this is well-trodden ground for men in comedy, but Chieng still gets enjoyment from us and himself out of what the fertility process says about the American healthcare system, as well as what it says about men and their sexual habits. Besides, it leads to a funny sight gag where Chieng attempts to bring his semen sample back to the lab, only to be recognized by a Shang-Chi fan.
Chieng digs a bit deeper when he weighs in on how something as simple as wanting to learn how to lift weights can lead straight men down an algorithmic rabbit hole on YouTube, where they’re eventually served up videos by Jordan Peterson and Andrew Tate, and then get primed up to riot within a matter of weeks. “That’s not even an exaggerated timeline,” Chieng claims. “Every man in this room has lost a buddy to the algorithm. We all now someone who lost their f—ing mind on that men’s self-help, Andrew Tate masculinity, YouTube self-help algorithm.” He notes how even the richest people behind the algorithms fall victim to this, and how he himself isn’t immune to it, either. “We’re on a razor’s edge to being a piece of shit,” Chieng says. “An Instagram post could push it either way.”
Filming this before the elections, Chieng also reminds us that the people who support Donald Trump “have a point, but you don’t have the vocabulary to describe your reality because you didn’t read enough,” and he counts some of the ways in which America has lost touch with its own greatness, going farther and further into detail than you’d expect a comedian to do.
If only he could figure out how to talk to Baby Boomers like his parents, though, and get them to see through all of the scams and misinformation out there.
Our Take: Whereas too many comedians today may see our divisions and look to take advantage of them for their own self-interested profit motive, Chieng speaks with a refreshing awareness and astuteness about how Americans are divided but perhaps not in as many ways as we’re led to believe.
His bits about social media algorithms and influencers and socio-economic trends demonstrate a savviness and sophistication that not only make him a great correspondent for The Daily Show, but also would serve the show well were they ever to promote him as a permanent anchor for the late-night satire.
And then there’s his increasing self-awareness about his place within his own family.
It’s at once brutal, and at its core, quite touching to witness Chieng go after his parents and their generation for not only being out of touch with technology but also for leaning into stereotypes about parents who would rather their children become lawyers or doctors than comedians. Stand-up comedy, Chieng says onstage, is and was “the only thing I ever wanted to do my whole life,” and he adds: “you guys are cheering because you know this is way better than having kids.” And yet he realizes he might become his own parents should he ever have a kid who wants to go into comedy.
Which might not turn out to be a bad thing, as Chieng reveals in a closing story how much he discovered about his own relationship with his father after his father suddenly died on Christmas Eve in 2018. It leads to some bittersweet moments, even if in the end, Chieng can claim victory in a long-running sibling rivalry. He’s also winning these days in comedy, too.
Our Call: STREAM IT. My colleague Jason Zinoman over at The New York Times proclaimed this the best comedy special of 2024. I haven’t finished compiling my annual Top 10, so I’m not as willing to commit to that just yet, but I can safely say that Chieng’s observational comedy ranks quite high compared to his comedy peers these days, of any generation.
Sean L. McCarthy works the comedy beat. He also podcasts half-hour episodes with comedians revealing origin stories: The Comic’s Comic Presents Last Things First.
