BY ALISE CHAFFINS
There’s a saying that comedy is just tragedy plus time. Story-telling comedians like Mike Birbiglia, John Mulaney and Hasan Minhaj have proven this over and over in their comedy shows. And while Jerrod Charmichael has given us something closer to that brand of humor in the past, in his newest special, “Rothaniel,” currently streaming on HBO Max, the time element is missing.
I hesitate to call this a comedy special. It definitely has comedic elements to it, but at its heart, this is a piece about secrets and how they impact us at every level.
He starts by telling the audience that he has been keeping his first name a secret. Jerrod’s father blended the names of his grandfathers to create a new name. However, the name embarrassed him, so he has always used his middle name. In addition to not caring for the name itself, Jerrod had a difficult time admiring the men for whom he was named.
He shares that he came from a long line of adulterers. His grandfathers cheated and his father had a whole second family. He talks about keeping those secrets, especially from his mom and how that affected their relationship. How hard it was for him to hold that back from her and how hard it was once she knew. Both the secret and the telling had consequences.
And then he reveals the secret that he is there to talk about. I won’t share that here, but it is significant, and at that point, there is little funny about this special.
What makes this special fascinating and worth your time is that it feels deeply raw. In other specials, Jerrod definitely spends time interacting with his audience. He invites feedback in the middle of his material, which gives his specials a very unique feel. In this one, that element is cranked up much higher. Much of the last half of this special seems improvised as he answers questions from the audience.
Bo Burnham is credited as the director for this special, and you can see his fingerprints on it. Where many comedy specials tend to have few closeups of the performer, but because of the deeply personal nature of this experience, the camera stays tight on Carmichael’s face through much of the performance. We see his vulnerability not just in his words, but in his features as the shots are close.
Comedy has an element of discomfort in it. We often laugh as a release from the tension that the comedian established in the set up. This special spends a lot of time in that tension, so if you are looking for a laugh, maybe check out one of his previous specials or someone else altogether. But if you would like a deep dive on secrets, and to experience the power of discomfort that some comedians can wield deftly, then I recommend watching “Rothaniel.”
ALISE CHAFFINS is a Morgantown writer who loves movies and sharing her opinions. Find more at MacGuffin or Meaning on Substack.
