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Comedy Camisado

Hannibal Buress

Netflix · 2016 · 67 min

Low-energy observational stand-up with a live DJ.

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Hannibal Buress has a way of sounding like he is casually explaining his day, only for the details to get increasingly absurd. He leans into a laid-back, almost sleepy persona, at one point comparing his post-Lasik eyes to Milhouse from The Simpsons without glasses, to deliver tightly structured routines. He finds comedic mileage in everyday annoyances like showing ID at a bar or the proper etiquette of zippers. He is particularly sharp when dismantling the logic of others, like his argument that performance-enhancing drugs actually build beautiful sports memories for families.\n\nFilmed at the Varsity Theater in Minneapolis, the set arrived at a pivotal moment in Buress’s career. Having spent years writing for 30 Rock and Saturday Night Live, alongside co-starring on Broad City, he had recently found himself in a major media storm after a viral routine about Bill Cosby. He addresses the aftermath of that moment briefly, mocking how the news kept calling him an \”unknown comedian.\” Much of the hour instead relies on his signature deadpan observational style, including a segment with a live DJ where Buress mocks the simplistic instrumentation of popular songs and details how many rap lyrics begin with a reference to morning glory.

The set list

4 bits

  1. Checking into an Embassy Suites in Downey, California without an ID

    Buress escalates his frustration when the hotel clerk rejects six alternate forms of identification and his personal website, and reflects on being denied a morning Bloody Mary at an airport.

  2. The fallout from his viral Bill Cosby stand-up routine

    He mocks tabloid media for labeling him an 'unknown' or 'homeless' comic, imagines the process behind a Facebook death threat sent from an Acer laptop, deflects being placed at the forefront of the controversy, and jokes about the unexpected romantic benefits.

  3. LASIK eye surgery and Stevie Wonder conspiracy theories

    Describes his post-surgery appearance as looking like Milhouse without glasses, jokes about being able to see people in the crowd clearly, and wonders why Stevie Wonder sits courtside at NBA games if he is blind.

  4. Consequences of having children and fathering triplets

    Humorously imagines how he would cope with or react to having triplets.

How it plays

Tone
Witty, irreverent, bemused, and dryly exasperated.
On stage
Laid-back, gravelly mumble, and perpetually sleepy eyes comparing himself post-Lasik to Milhouse without glasses, concealing sharp observational exasperation and wry contempt.
Pace
Deceptively easygoing, loose, and rolling delivery that weaves in and out at odd angles, punctuated by sudden tightening and heightened vocal delivery when irritated.
About
Fallout and media coverage of the Bill Cosby routine, Losing identification and hotel/airport customer service absurdities, LASIK eye surgery and blindness, Dating and sex, Fatherhood and triplets, NBA teams and sports

What the critics said

Praised by critics as a polished, confident showcase of Buress at the height of his comedic powers, deftly navigating the Cosby controversy with deceptive ease and singular timing.

In the room: An appreciative theater audience responding with gales of laughter.

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: decider.com, theatlantic.com, themoviedb.org, avclub.com, villagevoice.com, exclaim.ca, en.wikipedia.org, vice.com, pro.imdb.com.

Backstory

The media firestorm and personal fallout after an audience member filmed his October 2014 Philadelphia stand-up bit calling out Bill Cosby's rape allegations, which went viral and led to criminal charges against Cosby.

Details

Released
Taped
2015, Varsity Theater, Minneapolis
Runtime
67 min
Where
Netflix
Director
Lance Bangs
Honors
Rated 9/10 by Exclaim!
Topics
Before
Live from Chicago (2014)
After
Miami Nights (2020)

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