The New Jim Jefferies Special On Netflix Is Fantastic And NOT For The Faint Of Heart
Jim Jefferies is a top three comedian in the world right now, in my opinion. His standup is insane. His 2014 special, Bare, put him into that rare category of comedian who moves beyond joke-teller and becomes a philosopher. His bit on gun control is one of the most viewed and referenced standup bits I’ve seen. He is able to frame delicate social issues in a simplifying, convincing way that is somehow hilarious and enjoyable regardless of your politics.
I had high hopes when I watched his new special, This Is Me Now. It didn’t disappoint. It’s the most fearless hour of comedy I’ve ever seen. There are some CRAZY jokes. The audience was barely, barely hanging on, holding back from complete pandemonium at times. And this was the taping of his special, so you have to believe that everyone who came is a hardcore Jim Jefferies fan already. They knew what they were getting themselves into and yet he still shocked them.
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Here are just a few of the things he covered. Spoiler alert but I won’t really spoil anything:
–He attacks uncircumcised men for like 10 minutes straight, telling them how disgusting they are. And because he’s performing in London, the assumption is that the majority of the men in the audience are uncircumcised. He assaults the majority of his audience over a deeply-personal body issue for TEN MINUTES.
–He does a dead baby joke that is so ruthless that I audibly gasped, alone, at my TV. One of the most courageous jokes I’ve ever heard. It’s the kind of joke that is followed by noise in the audience for a full minute, as couples argue with each other because someone says “we’re fucking leaving” and the other tries to convince him/her to stay.
–He tells a story about performing at a birthday party thrown by Mariah Carey that so clearly breaches every word of the NDA he signed. It’s probably my favorite part of the entire special and makes a bunch of celebrities look like complete assholes. Not to mention, his Pacino impression is incredible.
–He finishes with 6-7 minutes on depression. Obviously, depression isn’t exactly fresh ground in comedy. But he explains it from such a deeply personal standpoint and then provides a tongue-in-cheek solution that is both endearing and actually encouraging to anyone familiar with the disease.
Check it out! And if you’re watching it with someone who is sensitive about, uh, anything at all, prepare yourself. You probably won’t finish it together.