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Brick Wall Comedy
Brick Wall Comedy

Legendary

Earthquake

Netflix · 2022 · 36 min

A veteran comic's relentless, fast-paced take on aging and family.

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Earthquake paces the stage of the Bethesda Blues & Jazz Supper Club like a man who has run out of patience for modern life, delivering a tight, fast-paced set that reminds everyone why he has been a club favorite for thirty years. Introduced by executive producer Dave Chappelle, the veteran D.C. comic wastes no time on pleasantries, immediately launching into a sequence about the realities of aging, his lingering resentment toward his children, and the sheer audacity of celebrity funerals. The standout sequence centers on Aretha Franklin’s multi-day funeral, a service so long he claims she had a wardrobe change in her own casket and forced the pastor to preach the entire Bible. Filmed just outside his hometown in Maryland, the 2022 Netflix half-hour serves as an overdue mainstream showcase for Nathaniel Stroman, who built his career on 1990s showcases like Def Comedy Jam and BET’s Comic View. Directed by Stan Lathan, the set moves with a relentless speed, punctuated by Earthquake’s signature raspy delivery and physical punctuation. He spends the latter half of the show recounting a highly invasive prostate exam under Obamacare before ending the night by leading the crowd in a loud, rhythmic chant of his old Southeast D.C. neighborhood. The New York Times later named it the funniest comedy special of the year, cementing a late-career surge that eventually led to his own full-hour follow-up.

The set list

5 bits

  1. Health is wealth, COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy, and healthcare

    Chastises friends and family who distrust the vaccine while ingesting illicit drugs or drinking contaminated water, urging people to obtain health insurance and stop treating all ailments with Benadryl.

  2. Undergoing a prostate exam

    Dramatizes the invasive nature of the rectal exam through act-outs, ultimately saluting gay men as brave soldiers.

  3. January 6 Capitol riot and voting laws

    Reflects on the Capitol attack, imagines his own reaction if he had been a Capitol Police officer, and asserts Republicans are changing voting laws because Black Americans showed up to vote.

  4. John McCain as a true war hero

    Draws upon his own 11 years of service in the U.S. Air Force to explain why the late senator was an authentic war hero.

  5. Aretha Franklin's marathon funeral and arriving late at Heaven's Gate

    Recalls sitting through the singer's lengthy service and segues into imagining arriving late at the gates of Heaven and being locked outside.

How it plays

Tone
Rousing, irreverent, adult, racy, and socially observational.
On stage
An unrelenting, commanding presence with a loud voice and natural outrageousness, balancing playful delivery with purposeful messaging.
Pace
High-momentum, compact, and fast-paced delivery without filler or long pauses, structured with concise setups and punchlines.
About
Health and wellness, COVID-19 vaccination and skepticism, Prostate exams, Politics and Donald Trump, Military service and John McCain, Aretha Franklin's funeral and the afterlife

What the critics said

Decider recommended the special with a 'Stream It' verdict, noting that despite running only 36 minutes, Earthquake made it feel as complete and satisfying as a full hour.

In the room: Highly engaged and laughing steadily at Earthquake's direct, PSA-like standup style.

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: rottentomatoes.com, filmaffinity.com, imdb.com, vulture.com, decider.com, en.wikipedia.org.

Backstory

The debut release of Dave Chappelle's four-special deal with Netflix titled 'Chappelle's Home Team', designed to spotlight veteran comedian peers.

Details

Released
Runtime
36 min
Where
Netflix
Director
Stan Lathan
Honors
Named 'The Best Comedy Special of 2022' by The New York Times
Topics
Before
One Night Stand (2005)
After
(Practice) The Secret Files Of Earthquake (2022)

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