Cole-Blooded Seminar

Deon Cole wants to teach you how to survive, or at least how to get by with some dignity. His debut hour-long special is framed as an instructional course on “Coleology,” delivered to a crowd at the Lincoln Theatre in Washington, D.C. Recording in the nation’s capital was a deliberate choice; Cole wanted to capture the energy of the city while a Black president was still in office, and the resulting set is thick with cultural observations, relationship advice, and dry social commentary.

At the time of the taping, Cole was already a veteran of the late-night circuit, having earned Emmy nominations writing for Conan O’Brien, and was finding mainstream success as the eccentric Charlie on ABC’s Black-ish. This hour allowed him to stretch out and play the self-assured, slightly weary instructor. He spends a significant chunk of time outlining the daily exhaustions of “managing your Blackness” in predominantly white spaces, alongside lighter lessons on how to recognize when there are better-looking men in the room.

His most famous bit here compares his preference in women to cold peanut butter, but the special also holds a strange piece of pop-culture history. During a routine about the rapid loss of musical legends, Cole pleads with the universe to protect Prince so we can see him grow old in a cardigan and flats. Because the special was taped before Prince’s death in April 2016 but aired afterward, the joke carries a bittersweet resonance.