For the Masses

Eddie Pepitone stands on stage looking like a man who has reached his absolute limit with humanity, which is exactly where he is most comfortable. He does not ease the audience in with gentle observations about dating or minor domestic inconveniences. Instead, he bellows, sweat-drenched, about the impending collapse of society while transitioning from a quiet growl to a spit-flying roar. His act plays out like a public nervous breakdown, yet it is so tightly controlled and deeply self-aware that the apocalyptic panic feels therapeutic.

Recorded at the Dynasty Typewriter in Los Angeles shortly before the 2020 lockdowns, the hour caught a cultural wave of dread that made its doom-laden perspective feel incredibly timely. It went on to be named the year’s funniest special by The New York Times. Pepitone, then 61, uses his Brooklyn-born rage to mock the soft, modern conveniences of his crowd, comparing today’s pampered existence to the brutal life of his docker father, who once gave him the bizarre advice to always store a Ouija board on the top shelf.

The material ranges from personal anxiety to political cynicism. In one highlight, Pepitone acts out his ideal approach to getting Alzheimer’s, imagining himself weaponizing the confusion to scream at strangers. He also revisits a favorite bit about auditioning for a Downy fabric softener commercial, where he sabotages a simple script about fresh laundry to rant about corporate greed, American de-industrialization, and the rising prison population. Rather than offering hope, Pepitone suggests exchanging daily affirmations for daily recriminations, driving home his belief that we are living through the end times.