Louis C.K. is one of the biggest names in comedy today. After taking some time off from the stage to focus on his deal with the FX networks, he is back with a new Netflix special, “2017.”
Netflix’s original comedy specials have been somewhat of a surprise. They have been able to secure a slew of different comedians to create specials for the streaming platform. Bo Burnham has two specials exclusively on the service. Dave Chappelle and Amy Schumer have recently premiered specials on Netflix. Chappelle released two simultaneously, while Schumer’s, “The Leather Special,” is her first.
“2017” is part of a two-special deal C.K. has with Netflix.
One of C.K.’s talents as a standup comedian is that his sets always uniquely reflect the real world. In his specials “Chewed Up” and “Hilarious,” he uses personal experiences from his life regarding his family, particularly his two daughters, the experiences he has on tour, the people he has dealt with along the way and all of the strange things life can offer.
“2017” still pulls from C.K.’s life. A segment regarding the new family dog that no one likes is one of the highlights of the special.
However, C.K. has recently analyzed societal issues and the direness of life on stage. His special for HBO, “Oh My God,” contained a lot more of this than his past work. He is a genuinely intelligent guy and has plenty of valid points for a lot of different topics. Then, in classic C.K. fashion, he turns it into a filthy-hilarious joke.
Balancing the thoughtfulness and filthiness can be an extremely difficult task for comedians. There is a point when the filth is not funny and they are being dirty for the sake of being dirty.
C.K. practically manipulates the audience’s emotions in “2017,” swaying them with an apologetic and thoughtful look on an issue and then hitting them with the punchline, often containing an offensive impression or filthy comparison that somehow works. After 10 specials, he has mastered his craft.
An argument in the comedy community, mostly between the greats of the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s against today’s, is what the proper number of specials to release is. Comedians like Jerry Seinfeld think one great special is enough. Seinfeld still performs today, but he uses a lot of the same material he has been using throughout the years, meticulously tweaking segments to create the perfect show.
A lot of today’s talent would have to disagree. They look at it more like they will stop releasing specials when they stop having something to say.
Netflix even revived the great Chris Rock. Rock has not released a special in years, but they have come to a deal worth over $40 million and two specials are involved.
C.K. obviously agrees with the latter standpoint.
With one more special on the books for Netflix, C.K. has a bit more to say and no one is complaining about that.
