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Today I watched the SNL monologue that someone re-tweeted; the host this weekend was Jerrod Carmichael (pronounced with the emphasis on the ROD), whom I'd never heard of. I love him now. You can see the monologue here: https://twitter.com/nbcsnl/status/1510466919551414274
I hunted down his recent HBO special, called "Rothaniel" after his given name. This program is more than comedy. It's one of those performances that elevates the form and will absolutely save lives. Carmichael talks about his family being a family of secrets. He talks about his own secret, being gay; about being a gay Black man with a religious mother. This performance was his public coming out. The set is funny, introspective, vulnerable, heart breaking, and uplifting. Interestingly, he sits in a chair and talks to the audience as if they are in a living room together, creating a tremendous sense of intimacy. The filming involves many close ups of his face. It was stunning.
Afterwards I went and watched the rest of his SNL program, which, you know, is SNL, but he's very comfortable and funny. I watched the first two episodes of his sit com from a few years ago, "The Carmichael Show," which is based on his family, but it's not gay because he was closeted at that time. I don't know that I will continue with the show, but I did enjoy it.
Content note for "Rothaniel": one use of the r-slur; discussion of homophobia.
I hunted down his recent HBO special, called "Rothaniel" after his given name. This program is more than comedy. It's one of those performances that elevates the form and will absolutely save lives. Carmichael talks about his family being a family of secrets. He talks about his own secret, being gay; about being a gay Black man with a religious mother. This performance was his public coming out. The set is funny, introspective, vulnerable, heart breaking, and uplifting. Interestingly, he sits in a chair and talks to the audience as if they are in a living room together, creating a tremendous sense of intimacy. The filming involves many close ups of his face. It was stunning.
Afterwards I went and watched the rest of his SNL program, which, you know, is SNL, but he's very comfortable and funny. I watched the first two episodes of his sit com from a few years ago, "The Carmichael Show," which is based on his family, but it's not gay because he was closeted at that time. I don't know that I will continue with the show, but I did enjoy it.
Content note for "Rothaniel": one use of the r-slur; discussion of homophobia.
