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Different Strokes

Keith Robinson

Netflix · 2024 · 53 min

A veteran New York comic jokes about surviving two major strokes.

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Keith Robinson’s first hour-long stand-up set on Netflix is a lesson in unsentimental self-deprecation. Most of the performance centers on the reality of living with the physical aftereffects of two strokes. Rather than angling for sympathy, Robinson treats his slurred speech and partially paralyzed right side as comedic assets, daring the crowd to laugh at things like his attempts to order Popeyes chicken immediately after his first stroke, or the realization that a poorly timed Viagra pill on a plane triggered his second.

Recorded in December 2023 at Sony Hall in New York City and released in June 2024, the special finds the Philadelphia-born comedian addressing his physical limitations head-on. A regular on Colin Quinn’s Tough Crowd and a long-time mentor to younger comedians, Robinson has spent decades as a respected figure in the New York scene. Longtime friend and collaborator Amy Schumer, who executive produced the hour, makes a brief on-stage cameo to hand Robinson his cane, which immediately becomes a prop for more crowd work. Critics noted that while the material does not seek to reinvent the form, his classic, club-hardened timing remains entirely intact.

The set list

6 bits

  1. Suffering a second stroke from an ill-timed Viagra pill on an airplane

    Comically examines the male foolishness of prioritizing getting laid over seeking immediate medical help.

  2. Trying to order Popeyes after having a stroke

    Humorous reflection on navigating everyday tasks with post-stroke speech and mobility impairments.

  3. Threat of a third stroke

    Jokes that having one more stroke would turn him into Mitch McConnell.

  4. Confronting a delivery truck in a handicapped spot

    Recounts his frustrated reaction to finding his designated accessible parking space blocked.

  5. Hospitalized in the COVID ward

    Shares stories about being placed in a COVID ward following his second stroke and arguing fruitlessly with nurses.

  6. Chris Rock's 'Strokey Robinson' nickname and the Oscars slap

    Contrasts his own ability to laugh at Rock's stroke nickname with Will and Jada Pinkett Smith being thin-skinned at the Oscars.

How it plays

Tone
Irreverent, candid, self-deprecating, and defiant.
On stage
Irreverent, self-deprecating, and candid with tough-guy swagger, refusing pity and leaning directly into his physical condition.
Pace
Physically and audibly measured and slower with slurred speech, yet maintaining sharp comedic timing and conversational delivery.
About
life after two strokes, physical disability and rehabilitation, hospital experiences during COVID-19, dating, sex, and Viagra, religion and the afterlife, sensitivity and offense in comedy

What the critics said

Praised by critics and peers as a brave, hilarious, and resilient hour where Robinson addresses severe medical complications with clever writing, strong delivery, and unapologetic self-deprecation without seeking pity.

In the room: A small, intimate setting with a vibrant, engaged, and responsive crowd.

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: bbfc.co.uk, imdb.com, 800poundgorillamedia.com, nytimes.com, decider.com, readysteadycut.com, en.wikipedia.org.

Backstory

Overcoming two strokes suffered in 2016 and 2020 that left him with physical paralysis on one side and slurred speech, returning to the stage with material crafted around his medical adversity and recovery during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Details

Released
Taped
2023, Sony Hall, New York
Runtime
53 min
Where
Netflix
Director
Marcus Russell Price
Topics
Before
Back of the Bus Funny (2015)

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