Is this thing on? (2026)

[Greg]

Is this thing on?

Bradley Cooper directs and co-stars in this film about Will Arnett doing stand-up one night rather than paying the cover at the comedy club. This starts him on the road to being a stand-up comic. Hilarity ensues. Or not. Arnett is struggling with his marriage to Laura Dern and most of his sets talk about his struggles. The movie charts his journey from doing open mic nights to finally getting a guest spot. 

The film would be a whole lot better if some of Arnett's comedy was actually funny. But it's not. It's all kind of sad, especially one night after a particularly egregious fight with his wife he just goes on stage and rants. The movie is based on a true story and Cooper is trying to say something about marriage, I guess. But I don't know what that is.

No sword fights.

[thatguy]

Comedy, stand up in particular is really aligned to taste/preference. My experience with the few comedians that come to our open mics is that many latch on to self-deprecation and very personal stories, which I don't particularly like for the same reason I don't like a lot of self-aggrandizing rap...I don't connect with it. 

I prefer comedians that try to create a bit that while possibly framed in personal experience, tries to speak to a common experience. Am I right?

Also, seeing artists do the same bit repeatedly, you get a sense about how much craft goes into the presentation - the pauses, the emphasis, the timing for allowing/interrupting audience response. It's a real art, and the content is just a small part. 

--tg

[Drunk Monk]

I get a lot of stand-up clips on my social feeds, mostly Amerasian and/or female. I can relate to the Amerasian stuff but the female comedians are just funnier to me than most male comedians, even when they’re talking about very female issues. I don’t know why those work for me.

[Greg]

I'm guessing there is a lot of roll-on talk.

[Drunk Monk]

I'm guessing there is a lot of roll-on talk.

Roll-on? You kinky perv you. 

It's all about stick deodorant for normal peeps.

Actually, there's that whole thing about how 95% of Asians have the ABCC11 gene that causes no underarm odor and dry earwax. When I minored in Anthropology, I did a paper on genetic earwax deviations.