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Promotional art for Delete
Cover image credit: Promotional image via Prime Video

Delete

Josh Blue

Prime Video · 2016 · 60 min

Josh Blue mocks the 'inspirational' label with self-deprecating stand-up.

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What makes this worth someone’s evening? Josh Blue is highly skilled at taking the pity out of physical disability. Ten years after his Last Comic Standing win, his 2016 hour Delete addresses how the disabled community actually feels about being called “inspirational”. Blue, who has spastic cerebral palsy, plays with audience expectations by treating his physical condition as a starting point for punchlines rather than a plea for sympathy—letting his self-deprecating wit do the heavy lifting.\n\nShot in his hometown of Denver, Colorado, Delete was independently financed through a crowdfunding campaign before being picked up for distribution by Comedy Dynamics. At this point in his career, Blue had established himself as a road-tested headliner capable of turning everyday frustrations into solid observational comedy. The hour features memorable bits about getting through airport security, the eternal struggle between ketchup and mustard, and a bizarre riff on the bone disease rickets. He also touches on his personal life as a single father, proving he can find humor in both parenting and his own dating mishaps.

The set list

2 bits

  1. The disabled community is the largest minority group on the planet.

    Observes how all disabled people are grouped together: 'If you’re blind, get in the pile. If you’re deaf, help the blind guy find the pile. If you got one leg, hop on.'

  2. Being labeled 'inspirational' by able-bodied people.

    Explores how the disabled community genuinely feels about preconceived notions of disability and being called 'inspirational.'

How it plays

Tone
Thought-provoking, funny, and self-deprecating.
On stage
Loveable, candid, and self-described as just as twisted on the inside as on the outside, using an open and unique worldview.
Pace
Described as a tight set with disciplined timing on subjects and well-executed returns to earlier themes.
About
preconceived ideas surrounding disability, reactions to being labeled inspirational, fatherhood and family life, traveling and airports, interactions with police officers, Japanese vending machines

What the critics said

Praised by reviewers as a tight, funny, and thought-provoking set that offers a compelling personal perspective on living with a disability and fatherhood without leaning into sentimentality.

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: comedydynamics.com, letterboxd.com, tvguide.vg.no, actoragecheck.com, columbusunderground.com, joshblue.com, archives.boulderweekly.com, en.wikipedia.org, wowt.com.

Backstory

Josh Blue performs stand-up living with cerebral palsy, shifting his comedic focus from purely self-deprecating material to examining life experiences directly from the perspective of a person with a disability.

Details

Released
Runtime
60 min
Where
Prime Video
Director
Frank J. Ishizaki
Topics
After
The Disabled List (2019)

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