Human Magic

Ilana Glazer spends much of her sophomore stand-up special explaining why childbirth is a bizarre, disgusting trick of nature. Taped in Toronto at the end of a 48-city tour, the hour leans heavily on her transition into motherhood. She recounts attempting to shift her breech baby DIY-style by getting on all fours to watch Aladdin, only to realize midway through just how attractive the cartoon protagonist actually is. Glazer also walks through the awkwardness of a hospital resident announcing he is a fan of Broad City right before examining her.

The Hulu special, which premiered in December 2024, arrived during a busy year for Glazer, who also wrote and starred in the pregnancy-themed indie comedy Babes. Critics and audiences largely found this hour to be a significant step forward from her 2020 debut, The Planet is Burning, which some felt leaned too heavily on vocal affectations. Here, her parenting stories, such as her toddler’s hatred of her hair being tied back and how being a high-functioning stoner prepared her to talk to a child all day, provide a cohesive narrative. Other standouts include her taxonomy of “men” versus “guys,” her high school jazz band days, and a late-show story about a horrifying discovery at a rented Florida Airbnb.