Bad Poetry

Langston Kerman spent years of his life writing and acting, but his debut stand-up hour is defined by his bizarre willingness to catfish elderly men on behalf of his mother-in-law. Operating her profile on an over-60 dating app, he flirts with her suitors and plays their clumsy, romantic voicemails directly over the venue’s speakers. It is a wonderfully strange anchor for a set that treats the oddities of family life with a mixture of affection and mild horror.

Directed by John Mulaney, the 50-minute set swaps grand theaters for the cozy, dimly lit confines of the Green Mill Lounge in Chicago, where the audience sits right up against the small stage. Kerman uses this close-up environment to tell highly specific stories, including the revelation that his mother married a disgraced former mascot for the Chicago Bulls (the original Benny the Bull), and his anxiety that his young daughter will grow up to draw The Lion King characters with human breasts. He also touches on his brief, humbling tenure as a high school teacher and his wife’s complete lack of faith in his ability to safely operate a microwave.

The special was widely praised upon its August 2024 release on Netflix, earning a spot on Vulture’s list of the year’s best comedy specials, with The New York Times calling it a terrific debut. Kerman keeps his delivery conversational and loose, letting the strange, specific details of his domestic life speak for themselves.