Nothing Personal
Netflix · 2022 · 67 min
A veteran comic brings his signature cynicism to middle-aged indignities.
David Spade has always succeeded by playing the slightly exhausted cynic who knows he’s not the biggest star in the room. That same self-deprecating attitude anchors a set that functions like a comfortable catch-up with an old friend. He does not try to reinvent himself or make any grand cultural statements. Instead, he leans into his familiar rhythm, relying on a hyperbole-heavy delivery to milk mundane annoyances, like a stray hair in his breakfast eggs or his inability to take a decent selfie, for easy laughs.
Filmed at the Pantages Theatre in Minneapolis, the 2022 special marked Spade’s return to stand-up after an eight-year hiatus. At this point in his career, he had transitioned into hosting gigs like Bachelor in Paradise and starring in streaming-friendly comedies like The Wrong Missy. This transition informs much of the hour, particularly when he riffs on his experience surviving “lemur season” in paradise or dealing with the indignities of middle-aged doctor visits.
While critics noted that the performance occasionally felt like he was running through a checklist of mandatory topics, touching on lockdown rules, vaccine rollouts, and the dread of getting older, his veteran stage presence holds the hour together. He remains a physical storyteller who is highly confident in his use of vocal sound effects, whether imitating a high-stakes horse race announcer to describe the vaccine rollout or mimicking a deflating medical device.
The set list
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People who insist 'I'm a hugger'
Examines touchy-feely greetings post-COVID, using absurd phrasing like 'cameltoe grazer' and 'bump a biscuit'.
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Infestation during Bachelor in Paradise hosting gig
Recounts how his accommodations were overrun by thousands of crabs and other creepy creatures.
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COVID-19 vaccine rollout
Compares the competitive release of various vaccines to a high-energy horse race announcer.
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Sylvester Stallone's sexual prowess
Starts and spreads rumors through an act-out heavily reliant on sound effects.
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Online clickbait articles
Mocks sensationalist headlines about how 1990s stars look today, saving readers dozens of clicks by summarizing that they look awful.
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The closer (spoiler). Show it
Airplane machismo and a daring airplane pilot
Jokes about performative machismo in flight settings.
How it plays
- Tone
- Silly, observational, self-mocking, and carefree.
- On stage
- Sarcastic, self-deprecating, and light-hearted, projecting a casual, hanging-in-a-VIP-lounge presence.
- Pace
- Easily flits from joke to joke without lingering long on single premises, mixing casual storytelling with physical gestures and exaggerated sound effects.
- About
- COVID-19 pandemic and restrictions, Physical contact and hugging, Bachelor in Paradise experience, Turning down drugs, Clickbait, Male genitalia and aging
What the critics said
Reviewers regarded the special as an easy, diverting watch elevated by Spade's charisma and veteran timing, though several noted that its jokes were scattered, superficial, and occasionally reliant on dated tropes.
In the room: Supportive and amused Minneapolis theater audience responding to his familiar persona, absurdity, and applause breaks.
Backstory
Released in the aftermath of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions and following Spade's guest hosting stint on Bachelor in Paradise and the cancellation of his talk show Lights Out with David Spade.
Details
- Released
- Taped
- Pantages Theater, Minneapolis
- Runtime
- 67 min
- Where
- Netflix
- Director
- Ryan Polito
- Topics
- Before
- Take the Hit (1998)
- After
- Dandelion (2025)
More from David Spade
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Dandelion
Prime Video
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Take the Hit
HBO
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